Aerobic exercise with the correct intensity can attenuate motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson\'s disease (PD) and improve the quality of life. However, a specific, validated, non-invasive, and outside the laboratory protocol that assesses physiological variables to prescribe optimal aerobic exercise intensity for people with PD is nonexistent. Therefore, this study aimed to propose a protocol, the Parkinson\'s critical heart rate test (Parkinson-CHR test), to determine the critical heart rate (CHR) in individuals with PD and verify its validity, reliability, and sensitivity. Fifteen people with idiopathic PD, who were able to practice exercises, were recruited to participate in the study (71.1 ± 6.6 years). The study consisted of two experiments: i) the first one aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the protocol, with participants performing the test twice at a one-week interval; ii) the second experiment aimed to investigate the protocol sensitivity, with individuals being evaluated before and after an 8-week training program according to Parkinson-CHR intensity. In experiment 1, no differences between test and retest were observed in the time to cover the distances (400, 800 and 1200 m), the total heart rate, the critical heart rate, and critical speed (p > 0.05). In experiment 2, there was a reduction in time to cover 400 and 800 m as well as in the total heart rate for all distances after the 8-week training program. The Parkinson-CHR test is a reliable, reproducible, inexpensive, and non-invasive protocol to assess, prescribe, and monitor aerobic exercise intensity in people with PD.

Ice hockey requires two levels of specific agility, involving different abilities, where the level of agility and their constraints might vary by the performance level. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the relationship level between on-ice and off-ice change of directional speed (COD) of youth hockey players at two performance levels. The study was conducted during the hockey season, including U16 elite players (n = 40) and U16 sub-elite players (n = 23). Both groups performed specific on-ice fitness tests (4-m acceleration, 30-m sprint, and 6 x 54-m tests, an on-ice Illinois agility test with and without a puck) and off-ice tests consisting of non-arm swing countermovement jumps (CMJs), broad jumps, and pull-ups. Pearson correlation showed that the acceleration performance of elite players was related to the CMJ (r = -0.46) and the broad jump (r = -0.31). Sub-elite players showed stronger dependence of the 30-m sprint on the CMJ (r = -0.77) and the broad jump (r = -0.43), the relation of pulls ups (r = -0.62) and the CMJ (r = -0.50) to the 6 x 54-m test, yet no association to acceleration. Elite players differ between off-ice and on-ice performance constraints, where their skating sprint is less related to their vertical and horizontal take-off abilities than in sub-elite players. Sub-elite players\' off-ice power determines their sprint and repeated sprint performance. COD performance of elite and sub-elite players is based on different conditioning constraints.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important waterborne pathogen capable of causing serious gastrointestinal infections with potentially fatal complications, including haemolytic-uremic syndrome. All STEC serogroups harbour genes that encode at least one Shiga toxin (stx1 and/or stx2), which constitute the primary virulence factors of STEC. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) enables rapid real-time pathogen detection with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an on-site portable diagnostics workstation employing LAMP technology to permit rapid real-time STEC detection in environmental water samples. Water samples (n=28) were collected from groundwater wells (n=13), rivers (n=12), a turlough (n=2) and an agricultural drain (n=1) from the Corrib catchment in Galway. Water samples (100 ml) were passed through a 0.22 µm filter, and buffer was added to elute captured cells. Following filtration, eluates were tested directly using LAMP assays targeting stx1, stx2 and E. coli phoA genes. The portable diagnostics workstation was used in field studies to demonstrate the on-site testing capabilities of the instrument. Real-time PCR assays targeting stx1 and stx2 genes were used to confirm the results. The limit of detection for stx1, stx2 and phoA LAMP assays were 2, 2 and 6 copies, respectively. Overall, stx1, stx2 and phoA genes were detected by LAMP in 15/28 (53.6 %), 9/28 (32.2 %) and 24/28 (85.7 %) samples, respectively. For confirmation, the LAMP results for stx1 and stx2 correlated perfectly (100 %) with those obtained using PCR. The portable diagnostics workstation exhibited high sensitivity throughout the on-site operation, and the average time from sample collection to final result was 40 min. We describe a simple, transferable and efficient diagnostic technology for on-site molecular analysis of various water sources. This method allows on-site testing of drinking water, enabling evidence-based decision-making by public health and water management authorities.

Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2806: Medium Test Dust in Hydraulic Fluid represents a series of reference materials certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) used to calibrate liquid-borne optical (or automatic) particle counters applied in a wide range of industrial, aerospace, and military applications. The series, including SRM 2806b, and SRM 2806d, was manufactured for NIST by IFTS, Institut de la Filtration et des Techniques Séparatives International Filter Testing Services, in France. An important factor for the acceptance of the material for certification was the degree of bottle-to-bottle homogeneity, which was evaluated by both IFTS and NIST. A statistical graphics methodology was developed that provided immediate visual as well as quantitative statistical metrics with which to characterize the SRM. This NIST-developed approach was used in four studies to assess the homogeneity of the material during both its production stage and its finished bottled-product stage. IFTS performed measurements using an optical particle counter for on-line quality assurance and sampled 40 bottles of the finished 400 bottle series to determine homogeneity from the particle size distribution. NIST also determined the particle size distribution of the finished material and performed microscopy to look for possible contaminant material in the suspension. An accelerated aging experiment was conducted on both materials (2806b and 2806d) to verify their stability.

UNASSIGNED: The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Rates of infection, hospitalization, and mortality have been severe relative to non-Hispanic whites. While AI/AN communities have had some of the highest levels of COVID-19 vaccination, utilization rates remain suboptimal and there is a need to identify facilitators and barriers to testing and vaccination.
UNASSIGNED: We examined cross-sectional survey data from January to May 2021, among 619 AI/AN patients from five tribal health organizations (AK, CO, KS, NM, WA). Exposures include perceived stress, Kessler distress, PTSD screening, and AUDIT-C alcohol misuse screen. Poisson regression was used to estimate associations with prevalence of COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
UNASSIGNED: Over three-quarters of participants were tested for COVID-19 and nearly half were vaccinated. Perceived stress and positive PTSD screening were associated with reduced vaccination prevalence, Prevalence Ratio (PR) 0.83 (0.73, 0.93) and PR 0.80 (0.66, 0.98), respectively. There was reduced prevalence of COVID-19 testing in subgroups with lower reported psychological resilience and PTSD, PR 0.78 (0.64, 0.95).
UNASSIGNED: Past-month perceived stress and positive PTSD screening are associated with reduced prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination in urban AI/AN people. Subgroups reporting limited resilience and PTSD symptoms had lower prevalence of COVID-19 testing. The complex relationship between mental health and COVID-19 testing and vaccination warrants further exploration to identify interventions to improve health among urban AI/AN people, a population with known disparities in both mental health and COVID-19 outcomes.

Sensing gravity through the otolith receptors is crucial for bipedal stability and gait. The overall contribution of the otolith organs to eye movements, postural control, and perceptual functions is the basis for clinical testing of otolith function. With such a wide range of contributions, it is important to recognize that the functional outcomes of these tests may vary depending on the specific method employed to stimulate the hair cells. In this article, we review common methods used for clinical evaluation of otolith function and discuss how different aspects of physiology may affect the functional measurements in these tests. We compare the properties and performance of various clinical tests with an emphasis on the newly developed video ocular counter roll (vOCR), measurement of ocular torsion on fundus photography, and subjective visual vertical or horizontal (SVV/SVH) testing.

UNASSIGNED: Sexual transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) has become the major HIV transmission route. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate the association between transactional sex (TS) and HIV incidence in China.
UNASSIGNED: This study aims to investigate HIV incidence and distinguish sociodemographic and sexual behavioral risk factors associated with HIV incidence among MSM who engage in TS (MSM-TS) in China.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a prospective cohort study using a WeChat-based platform to evaluate HIV incidence among Chinese MSM, including MSM-TS in Ningbo, recruited from July 2019 until June 2022. At each visit, participants completed a questionnaire and scheduled an appointment for HIV counseling and testing on the WeChat-based platform before undergoing offline HIV tests. HIV incidence density was calculated as the number of HIV seroconversions divided by person-years (PYs) of follow-up, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to identify factors associated with HIV incidence.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 932 participants contributed 630.9 PYs of follow-up, and 25 HIV seroconversions were observed during the study period, resulting in an estimated HIV incidence of 4.0 (95% CI 2.7-5.8) per 100 PYs. The HIV incidence among MSM-TS was 18.4 (95% CI 8.7-34.7) per 100 PYs, which was significantly higher than the incidence of 3.2 (95% CI 2.1-5.0) per 100 PYs among MSM who do not engage in TS. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, factors associated with HIV acquisition were MSM-TS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.93, 95% CI 1.29-11.93), having unprotected sex with men (aHR 10.35, 95% CI 2.25-47.69), and having multiple male sex partners (aHR 3.43, 95% CI 1.22-9.64) in the past 6 months.
UNASSIGNED: This study found a high incidence of HIV among MSM-TS in Ningbo, China. The risk factors associated with HIV incidence include TS, having unprotected sex with men, and having multiple male sex partners. These findings emphasize the need for developing targeted interventions and providing comprehensive medical care, HIV testing, and preexposure prophylaxis for MSM, particularly those who engage in TS.

UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of a contact mat against force plates to measure jump height in countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) in professional soccer players.
UNASSIGNED: 23 male professional soccer players performed the CMJ and SJ, which were concurrently recorded using a portable contact mat (SmartJump) and a portable dual force plate system (ForceDecks). Equivalence testing between both systems (contact mat vs. force plate) and the two methods (impulse-momentum vs. flight-time and flight-time vs. flight-time) was performed compared to equivalence bounds of ±1.1 cm for the CMJ and ±1.6 cm for the SJ. Additionally, 95% Limits of Agreement (LoA) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were computed.
UNASSIGNED: Mean differences for the impulse-momentum vs. flight-time comparison for CMJ [3.2 cm, 95% CI (2.3-4.1)] and SJ [2.7 cm, (1.8-3.6)] were non-equivalent between both systems. LoA were larger than the equivalence bunds for CMJ and SJ, while ICCs were good [CMJ, 0.89, (0.76-0.95)] and excellent [SJ, 0.91, (0.79-0.96)]. As for the flight-time vs. flight-time comparison, mean differences were non-equivalent for the CMJ [1.0 cm (0.8 to 1.2 cm)] and equivalent for the SJ [0.9 cm (0.7-1.1 cm)]. LoA were narrower than the equivalence bounds for CMJ and SJ, while ICCs were excellent [CMJ, 0.995, 95% CI (0.989-0.998); SJ, 0.997, 95% CI (0.993-0.997)].
UNASSIGNED: Our findings indicate that the SmartJump contact mat cannot be used interchangeably with the ForceDecks force platform to measure jump height for the CMJ and SJ.

BACKGROUND: Four counties within the Atlanta, Georgia 20-county eligible metropolitan area (EMA) are currently prioritized by the US \"Ending the HIV Epidemic\" (EHE) initiative which aims for a 90% reduction in HIV incidence by 2030. Disparities driving Atlanta\'s HIV epidemic warrant an examination of local service availability, unmet needs and organizational capacity to reach EHE targets. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the Atlanta EMA to examine geographic HIV epidemiology and distribution of services, service needs and organization infrastructure for each pillar of the EHE initiative.
METHODS: We collected 2021 county-level data (during June 2022), from multiple sources including: AIDSVu (HIV prevalence and new diagnoses), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web-based tools (HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP] locations) and the Georgia Department of Public Health (HIV testing, PrEP screenings, viral suppression and partner service interviews). We additionally distributed an online survey to key local stakeholders working at major HIV care agencies across the EMA to assess the availability of services, unmet needs and organization infrastructure (June-December 2022). The Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change questionnaire assessed the organization climate for services in need of scale-up or implementation.
RESULTS: We found racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in HIV disease burden and service availability across the EMA-particularly for HIV testing and PrEP in the EMA\'s southern counties. Five counties not currently prioritized by EHE (Clayton, Douglas, Henry, Newton and Rockdale) accounted for 16% of the EMA\'s new diagnoses, but <9% of its 177 testing sites and <7% of its 130 PrEP sites. Survey respondents (N = 48; 42% health agency managers/directors) reported high unmet need for HIV self-testing kits, mobile clinic testing, HIV case management, peer outreach and navigation, integrated care, housing support and transportation services. Respondents highlighted insufficient existing staffing and infrastructure to facilitate the necessary expansion of services, and the need to reduce inequities and address intersectional stigma.
CONCLUSIONS: Service delivery across all EHE pillars must substantially expand to reach national goals and address HIV disparities in metro Atlanta. High-resolution geographic data on HIV epidemiology and service delivery with community input can provide targeted guidance to support local EHE efforts.

BACKGROUND: Kazakhstan has one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the world, with increasing rates among adolescents and young adults (AYA). Innovative strategies are needed to increase HIV testing uptake and decrease HIV stigma among AYA. Citizen science, defined as the active engagement of the general public in scientific research tasks, promotes and facilitates community engagement throughout the research process. This citizen science study used crowdsourcing to engage AYA in Kazakhstan to develop a digital intervention to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV self-testing. Our objectives in this paper are to describe the approach used, its feasibility and acceptability, and AYA motivations for and lessons learned collaborating on the study.
METHODS: From October 2021 to July 2022, in collaboration with a Community Collaborative Research Board and a Youth Advisory Board, we developed an open call requesting multimedia submissions to reduce HIV testing stigma. Eligible submissions were separated by age group (13-19 or 20-29 years) and judged by a panel composed of AYA (n = 23), healthcare professionals (n = 12), and representatives from the local government and non-governmental organizations (n = 17). Each entry was reviewed by at least four judges and ranked on a 5-point scale. The top 20 open call contestants were asked to submit self-recordings sharing their motivation for and experience participating in the contest and lessons learned. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data. Qualitative data were coded using open coding.
RESULTS: We received 96 submissions from 77 youth across Kazakhstan. Roughly, three-quarters (n = 75/96) of entries met judging eligibility criteria. Of the eligible entries, over half (n = 39/75) scored 3.5 or higher on a 5-point scale (70.0%). The most frequent types of entries were video (n = 36/96, 37.5%), image (n = 28/96, 29.2%) and text (n = 24/96, 25.0%). AYA\'s primary motivations for collaborating on the study included a desire to improve society and help youth. The main challenges included creating content to address complex information using simple language, finding reliable information online and technological limitations.
CONCLUSIONS: Crowdsourcing was feasible and highly acceptable among AYA in Kazakhstan. Citizen science approaches hold great promise for addressing the increasingly complex health and social challenges facing communities today.