This study systematically investigates the key factors influencing the difficulty of table tennis stroke tasks for beginners, aiming to establish a quantitative framework to inform evidence-based training design. Ten right-handed novice participants (mean age 21.6 ± 1.35 years) with no prior professional training completed 15 distinct ball-return tasks, each involving 20 trials. The independent variables were ball speed, frequency, height, and landing point, while the dependent variable was hitting performance. Task difficulty was quantified using a standardized difficulty coefficient formula, p = 1-(X/Xmax), adapted from psychometric principles. Ball speed had the most profound impact on task difficulty, with performance declining sharply at 11.5 m/s (difficulty coefficient = 0.85). Increased ball frequency and spatial variability in landing points also significantly elevated difficulty. Ball height exhibited a threshold effect, where difficulty remained low within 7-44 cm but increased drastically at 170 cm. Regression analyses confirmed significant linear relationships between these parameters and the difficulty coefficient. The findings provide a quantitative reference for the functional task difficulty faced by beginners and offer empirical support for developing structured, evidence-based table tennis training programs. The proposed difficulty coefficient serves as a practical metric for task calibration. Future research should incorporate ball spin to enhance ecological validity.
Adsorption measurements belong to the primary characterization tools used to determine the textural properties of porous solids such as Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) area, pore volume, and pore size distribution as well as to estimate the energy of host-guest interactions. Accurate description of gas sorption in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is crucial for evaluating their performance and provides key insights into textural properties such as adsorption capacity, pore volume, and pore size distribution. This tutorial paper aspires to provide a practical guide for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as researchers who are new to the field, on low-pressure gas adsorption measurements (up to atmospheric pressure). Key aspects such as sample preparation, activation strategies, adsorption measurement techniques, data analysis, and reporting are discussed in detail. We believe that this Tutorial could serve as an entry-level teaching resource for gas sorption measurements in MOFs.
Crossfit® is a high-intensity interval training modality that combines weightlifting, aerobic exercises, and gymnastics. Although it has gained widespread popularity, it also presents a considerable injury rate without clarity on the extent to which experience categories exhibit distinct temporal patterns. This study identifies the most common injuries and their progression across CrossFit® categories over 12 months. We defined injury as any Crossfit-related event requiring healthcare consultation and interrupting an athlete's activity. An observational, longitudinal study was conducted with 102 participants categorized into three groups (n = 34): beginner, scale, and rx. An adapted injury index questionnaire was applied, and descriptive statistics were performed. Results showed that the most frequent injuries affected the shoulder and knee, with variations across the different athlete categories. Beginners exhibited the highest injury rates: knee (56%) and shoulder (35%). The scale group presented a greater concentration of shoulder injuries, whereas rx demonstrated the lowest injury incidence overall. Over the 12-month follow-up, 135 injuries were reported at baseline, decreasing to 116 at six months and 101 at the final evaluation. Dropout rates were 35% among beginners, 12% in the scale group, and 0% in the rx group. Crossfit-related injuries primarily affect the shoulders and knees, with a higher incidence in beginners. Future studies should investigate movement technique, strength, mobility, and limb dominance considering the overhead demands and the associated injury risk, in addition studies should examine training programming too.
 Nurses play a key role in stroke patient care in hospitals, yet little is known about their stroke-specific competencies in low-resource settings like Uganda. Assessment of stroke care competency among new and experienced nurses is important for identifying areas of improvement and development of professional programs to enhance the quality of care for patients. This study assessed self-reported stroke care competencies among nurses at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) to identify priority training needs. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study at MRRH, from September to November 2025, using the Stroke Core Competency Framework (SCCF), a self-assessment tool with 24 competencies based on Benner's Novice-to-Expert scale. All nurses caring for stroke patients (N=25) completed a paper-based questionnaire. Data was analyzed in Stata, release 17 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, USA). A total of 25 nurses, with a mean age of 31.8 (SD ±7.2) years, were enrolled; 52% (13/25) were female participants. The majority of the participants had attained diploma training (12/25, 48%), and only 8% (2/25) had more than 15 years of experience in nursing care. For most of the competencies and the corresponding items, most rated themselves as novice or advanced beginners across domains (e.g., 16/25 (64%) in activity/mobilization; 16/25 (64%) in dysphagia assessment), with higher competence in basic anatomy/physiology. The majority of nurses are either novice or advanced beginners when it comes to competence levels for stroke care. Context-specific and competency-based continuing education is needed in implementing stroke evidence-based practices and designing stroke-based training for nurses to achieve optimal competency.
Aim: To comparatively analyze heart rate and blood pressure in swimmers of varying skill levels and genders, utilizing contemporary scientific data alongside our own observations. Materials and Methods: A total of 411 swimmers (270 men, 141 women) competing in 100-200 m distances were examined at the beginning of the preparatory training phase. Participants were divided into three groups: beginners, intermediate level, and high-class athletes. Blood pressure was measured using the Korotkoff method with an aneroid sphygmomanometer, and heart rate was recorded by auscultation after 5 minutes of rest. Results: High-class athletes had lower HR and higher systolic BP compared to beginners. Male swimmers exhibited lower HR and higher BP than females, with significant sex differences in systolic BP across all qualification levels. Findings highlight the influence of sports proficiency and sex on cardiovascular parameters in swimmers. Conclusions: Male swimmers exhibited bradycardia and hypertension more frequently, while female swimmers had higher rates of tachycardia and hypotension. Higher sports qualification in males was associated with lower heart rates and increased blood pressure, whereas female swimmers showed no HR differences across levels but had higher BP at advanced levels. Gender differences were most pronounced in high and intermediate level qualification groups, with males showing lower HR and higher BP than females.
Parity has been reached among French residents in the intensive care medicine (ICM) specialty; however, concerns about underrepresentation of women in leadership position and gender discriminations remain. We hypothesised that perception of gender inequity differs between female and male ICM residents and increases along the ICM training. This nationwide observational closed-survey investigated how ICM residents experienced their medical curriculum, how they perceived the ICM specialty, and the potential reasons for women to be underrepresented in leadership position. Among 113 residents who responded to the survey, 63 (55.6%) were females, and 85 (75.2%) were beginners. Twenty-nine (25.7%) answered to be always or often self-confident, and this number was lower in female than in male residents (14.3% versus 40.8%, p = 0.003). Women had less often than men the feeling to keep up with the situation along their medical training (39.7% versus 70.8%, p = 0.004). Societal injunctions to prioritise family over professional responsibilities were more often considered as barriers to leadership position by women than by men (75.8% versus 51.1%, p = 0.015). Fully trained residents agreed more frequently than beginners with the 2 following reasons associated with gender gap in ICM leadership position: men being more ambitious (31.1% versus 9.4%, p = 0.024) and professional environment discriminating against women (64% versus 46.2%, p = 0.017). Experience of non-physical sexual harassment was very common in female residents, with 74.6% of them reporting to have been directly subjected to jokes of a sexual nature (versus 28.6% of men, p = 0.001) and 49.2% of them to have been victims of allegations with humiliating connotation (versus 22.4% of men, p = 0.007). Female ICM residents reported more often the feeling of not coping with their medical training, the lack of self-confidence, and non-physical sexual harassment than men. Reported awareness of a less supportive institutional environment to women academic career and of difference in assertiveness between men and women increased along advancement in ICM training suggesting room for interventions.
"The most exciting thing about my research is seeing my students grow in confidence from uncertain beginners into individuals who have a clear sense of their future… If I were a piece of lab equipment, I would be 600 MHz NMR-valuable, well cared for, and relied upon by chemists who hope I'm in a good mood today to deliver clear spectra, not something easily discarded like gloves or vials…" Find out more about Hsuan-Hung Liao in his Introducing… Profile.
The Computational Psychiatry Modelling (cpm) toolbox is a Python library for theory-driven modelling in computational psychiatry and cognitive (neuro-)science. cpm integrates a wide range of established approaches into a single framework. It is designed to be accessible to both expert and non-expert modellers in order to conduct cutting-edge computational modelling, while adhering to best practices. The toolbox provides a flexible, modular architecture that adjusts to different needs. It covers a wide range of problems (such as risky decision-making, reward/punishment learning, perceptual metacognition), models (including those based on associative, reinforcement learning, and signal detection theories), and methods (such as hierarchical parameter estimation using empirical and variational Bayesian techniques). Such a customisable toolbox aims to lower the barrier for beginners and to facilitate access to advanced modelling approaches in psychiatry and beyond.
This study examines how time pressure and translator experience interact to shape the cognitive rhythm of translation production. Sixty-five Chinese-English translators' (35 novices, 30 experienced) keystroke activities were tracked as they translated comparable texts under three time conditions: Short, Standard, and Free. Multi-level analyses captured micro-level behaviors (pausing, segmentation) and macro-level process organization (phase allocation, revision strategies). Results reveal experience-dependent adaptation. Both groups demonstrated increased fluency and production stability when time pressure was relieved, producing longer and more consistent text segments and engaging in more immediate self-correction. However, the two groups diverged fundamentally in their strategic responses. Experienced translators maintained stable production rhythms across all conditions and strategically allocated time to orientation and end revision, cleanly separating drafting from revision. Novices, in contrast, exhibited a reactive, blended strategy: drafting and revision were tightly coupled, and process efficiency depended heavily on external time constraints. Notably, novices' behavioral pattern most closely resembled that of experienced translators under the moderate deadline, but they failed to capitalize on unlimited time for further strategic improvement. These findings suggest that translation expertise is characterized by metacognitive control over cognitive rhythm and resilience against external constraints. Novices, lacking such adaptive regulations, are prone to a cognitively costly, reactive process. The study's implications extend beyond translation, highlighting the universal importance of strategic process management in professional practice and demonstrating how time constraints can serve as a pedagogical scaffold to help beginners develop adaptive expertise.
This study highlights the importance of surgical sequencing in combined procedures, suggesting that the GATT-first sequence is safer and more reliable, especially for less experienced surgeons. To evaluate the impact of the surgical sequence in combined phacoemulsification (PHACO) and gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) on intraocular pressure (IOP), medication use, glaucoma progression, and complication rates in patients with moderate-to-severe open-angle glaucoma and cataract. This retrospective comparative study included 73 eyes of 73 patients who underwent combined PHACO and GATT surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical sequence: PHACO performed first (Group 1, n=37) or GATT performed initially (Group 2, n=36). IOP, anti-glaucoma medications use, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated over 12 months. Preoperative IOP decreased from 26.6±7.9 mmHg to 10.9±2.8 mmHg and from 28±6.3 mmHg to 12.8±2.8 mmHg in Group 1 and Group 2 (P<0.001 in both groups), respectively, at 12 months. The number of anti-glaucoma medications reduced from 2.83± 0.5 to 1.22± 0.8, and from 2.47± 0.7 to 1.17± 0.7 in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. No significant differences in IOP or medication reduction were observed between the two groups. Complication-free outcomes were significantly higher in Group 2 (63.8%) compared to Group 1 (13.5%) (P<0.001). Both groups achieved 100% surgical success. The surgical sequence in combined PHACO-GATT does not affect IOP reduction or medication number but significantly impacts complication rates. Performing GATT first minimizes intraoperative complications and results in a higher rate of complication-free outcomes, suggesting it as a safer approach for combined surgeries, especially for beginners.
To address the problems of knowledge circular dependency and learning path ambiguity in quadruped robot programming learning, a dynamic teaching path generation method that integrates structural and semantic information is proposed. A domain knowledge graph covering core knowledge and prerequisite relationships is constructed. R-GCN (Relational Graph Convolutional Network) is used to generate structured node embeddings through link prediction tasks. SBERT (Sentence-Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) is also used to generate semantic vector representations of knowledge points and user tasks. For a given programming task, seed nodes are retrieved based on semantic similarity, and a priori knowledge subgraph is constructed by back-tracing. The number of seed nodes is fixed to the top 5 knowledge points ranked by semantic similarity. The similarity threshold is implicitly determined by this ranking strategy rather than a fixed value. The weighting coefficients used in edge scoring and node prioritization are set to α = 0.6 and β = 0.7 based on validation experiments described in Sect. 2.4 and 2.5. All models are implemented using PyTorch and trained on a single NVIDIA RTX 3090 GPU. The batch size is set to 512, and early stopping is applied based on validation loss with a patience of 10 epochs. Relationship strength is quantified by calculating the dot product of the embedding vectors, automatically identifying and pruning the weakest links in circular dependencies to achieve intelligent link breaking. During topological sorting, nodes with high semantic match to the task are prioritized for learning path generation. Experiments show that the proposed method achieves superior performance in the quadruped robot programming task, with a Top-3 score of 0.88, higher than CompGCN's 0.73, a mean reciprocal rank of 0.68, and path integrity and structural rationality reaching 0.85 and 0.88, respectively. This method performs well in knowledge association modeling and path recommendation, effectively supports structured, task-driven programming teaching, and provides cognitively coherent learning support for beginners.
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal RNA modification in eukaryotic transcripts and plays a critical role in RNA metabolism, gene expression, and cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of m6A regulators, including "writers," "erasers," and "readers", has been increasingly implicated in cancer biology; however, their comprehensive roles in breast cancer remain to be understood. The primary objective of this methods article is to provide bioinformatics beginners with a step-by-step framework for utilizing publicly available cancer datasets to perform mutational analyses, assess gene expression alterations, and examine their associations with patient survival. As a case study, m6A regulators in breast cancer were analyzed using datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, and microarray platforms. Transcriptomic profiles were systematically analyzed to demonstrate workflows for evaluating the prognostic relevance of m6A regulatory components in breast cancer. Using this analytical framework, distinct patterns of genetic alterations and differential expression among key m6A regulators were identified. Several regulators, including METTL14, CBLL1, YTHDC1, HNRNPC, HNRNPA2B1, and RBMX, were associated with better patient survival, while YWHAG was associated with poor overall survival. This study provides a comprehensive systems genomics overview of m6A regulatory genes in breast cancer while demonstrating a practical and reproducible web-based bioinformatics workflow. These findings advance the understanding of epitranscriptomic regulation in breast cancer and offer a foundation for the development of novel m6A-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
This study examines how adults with recent exercise participation experience cognitively weigh different perceived constraints on exercise participation and whether these weighting structures can be used for meaningful segmentation. The sample included 283 adults aged 19 years and older who had engaged in exercise at least once per week for a minimum of 30 min over the past three months. This study aimed to identify the relative importance of perceived exercise participation constraints among adult exercisers, examine differences according to involvement level, and segment participants based on constraint importance. The results showed that, within this sample, intrapersonal constraints, particularly lack of interest and physical fatigue, were the most influential, followed by structural constraints such as time and cost. Constraint prioritization varied by involvement level: highly involved individuals emphasized time burden, whereas less involved individuals highlighted a lack of interest. Cluster analysis identified four distinct segments: interest-constrained beginners, fatigue-sensitive participants, time-constrained active participants, and cost-sensitive experienced participants. These segments differed significantly in demographic and behavioral characteristics, including age, exercise frequency, and participation duration. Overall, the findings suggest that among adults with recent exercise participation experience, perceived exercise participation constraints are cognitively weighted and vary across individuals. This study contributes by applying conjoint analysis to assess the relative importance of multiple perceived constraints and by providing a segmentation-based perspective on how adult exercisers perceive constraints.
In laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), a skilled scopist is essential for maintaining a clear operative view. We evaluated the scopist's expertise on surgical outcomes and whether the flexible scope controller type (conventional dual-lever versus joystick) influences the scopist's learning curve. We retrospectively reviewed LLRs performed by a single surgeon between December 2021 and March 2023. Patients with prior hepatectomy, Child-Pugh class B/C, concurrent extrahepatic abdominal surgery, or laparoscopic donor hepatectomy were excluded. Expert scopists (n = 2) had > 7 years of experience, whereas beginner scopists (n = 2) had < 6 months. Outcomes were compared by expertise and scope type. Learning curves were assessed using linear regression and CUSUM analysis of operative time over case sequence. Among 161 LLRs, 82 were performed with expert scopists and 79 with beginner scopists. Compared with the expert group, the beginner group had longer operative time (178.0 vs 139.5 min, p < 0.001), more intraoperative transfusions (8.9% vs 0%, p = 0.006), and a higher open conversion rate (6.3% vs 0%, p = 0.012). In 116 procedures using conventional scopes (experts, n = 57; beginners, n = 59), experts had shorter operative time (144.0 vs 178.0 min, p = 0.002) and fewer transfusions (0% vs 11.9%, p = 0.013). In 45 procedures using joystick scopes, operative time and transfusion rates did not differ significantly between expert and beginner scopists. In major hepatectomy, both groups showed decreasing operative time with joystick scopes. In minor hepatectomy, experts had shorter operative time with conventional scopes, whereas no significant difference was observed with joystick scopes. This study demonstrated that the proficiency of laparoscopists can affect surgical outcomes. Moreover, newly learning laparoscopists may acquire proficiency more rapidly when using joystick-controlled laparoscopes compared to conventional ones. In procedures like minor hepatectomy, which are relatively simpler, it was confirmed that there is no significant difference in proficiency when compared to expert scopists.
As the pace of modern life continues to accelerate, the pressure participants face is growing, and mental health issues are becoming increasingly prominent. Against this backdrop, meditation, as a proven method for stress relief and relaxation, has garnered widespread attention. However, many people face challenges during meditation, such as difficulty entering a meditative state quickly or achieving sub-optimal outcomes. This is particularly true for beginners, who often struggle to accurately gauge the rhythm of meditation and thus fail to fully harness its regulatory effects on both body and mind. To address these issues, this study proposes a handheld meditation device. By making contact with the body via sensors, the device can measure multiple physiological metrics in real time, including skin conductance, electromyography, and heart rate. Based on these measurements, the device can monitor the user's emotional fluctuations in real time. When emotional changes are detected, it uses the data to play music, release specific scents, or adjust lighting ambiance, thereby dynamically regulating the user's psychological state. This helps users better immerse themselves in a meditative state and effectively enhances the benefits of meditation. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the device's design principles, detailing its hardware components-including various sensors and emotional regulation modules-and explaining the operational logic of its software algorithms. The effectiveness and reliability of the device were verified through rigorous experiments. The study also thoroughly examines the application prospects and potential value of this handheld meditation device, exploring new approaches and methods for the development of meditation technology and related equipment.
Over three decades since its introduction, the Thiel embalming method remains a widely used and praised technique in anatomical education and clinical training. This study compared for the first time the Thiel original protocol (TO) and a Modified version (TM) across user groups-undergraduate medical students, student demonstrators in anatomy, postgraduate trainees, and expert anatomists-to evaluate tissue quality and educational suitability. A total of 520 participants assessed both methods based on tissue preservation, color, pliability, and achievement of learning objectives. Undergraduate medical students and demonstrators rated TO significantly higher than TM in all domains (p < 0.01), highlighting its lifelike appearance, clear anatomical definition, and superior dissection properties. Anatomists supported these findings, citing better tissue realism and structural integrity in TO specimens. Postgraduate users, mainly orthopedic surgeons, rated both methods similarly for musculoskeletal and nervous tissues, but preferred TO for the clarity of visceral organs (p < 0.01). While TM offered improvements for musculoskeletal training, users reported challenges including overly soft viscera, liquefied fat, and reduced structural clarity, making it less suitable for beginners. Both TO and TM were rated superior to formaldehyde- or ethanol-based techniques in terms of educational utility and realism. Qualitative feedback confirmed TO as better suited for undergraduate anatomy education, particularly for dissection. TM, though valuable in specialized postgraduate training, was seen as less appropriate for novice learners. The findings highlight the need to align embalming protocols with educational goals and experience levels, with TO remaining the preferred method for foundational anatomical training.
This study examined how dancers of differing expertise coordinate joint-level variability to stabilise task-relevant controlled variables during a complex whole-body action. Twenty-nine adult Latin Ballroom dancers (beginners, intermediates, experts) performed 10 cycles of the Cha-Cha-Cha Alternate Basic at 100 bpm while whole-body kinematics were recorded. Forty-two joint angles were time-normalised and reduced to nine principal components representing low-dimensional coordination modes. Using these modes as elemental variables, uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis quantified the Fisher z-transformed synergy index (ΔV') for six controlled variables (left/right foot centre of mass [CoM], left/right hand CoM, head CoM, whole-body CoM) across the eight phases of the cycle. Linear mixed-effects modelling then tested how dancer skill, controlled variable, and cycle phase shaped performance. Synergy strength increased from beginners to intermediates and then plateaued in experts. ΔV' was consistently higher for the feet, head, and whole-body CoM than for the hands, indicating selective stabilisation of task-defining and balance-related variables. It also varied across the dance cycle: synergy strength was reduced during the most mechanically and coordinatively demanding phase, and higher during subsequent stabilising phases. This reduction in ΔV' was interpreted as a temporary relaxation of stabilisation that permits greater agility. Such temporal modulation of stability was most pronounced in experts. Overall, the findings suggest that expertise refines a shared low-dimensional coordination architecture by strengthening and temporally tuning performance-stabilising synergies, consistent with a dynamically managed agility-stability trade-off in a complex rhythmic whole-body skill.
Accurate strength assessment requires consideration of individual anthropometric and demographic differences. Traditional absolute and body mass-normalized measures often fail to capture inter-individual variability, thereby limiting the precision of strength testing and classification. This study aimed to investigate the influence of age, body mass, height, and anthropometric characteristics on strength capacity and to systematically integrate these variables into a classification framework. A total of 393 individuals (197 females, 196 males), aged 16-64 years and ranging from beginners to elite powerlifters, were recruited. One-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength was assessed in the bench press (BP), back squat (SQ), and deadlift (DL). Age, height, body mass, and selected anthropometric variables including arm and leg lengths, were recorded. Multiple regression analyses were used to quantify the influence of these variables on 1-RM performance. Based on significant predictors, individualized z-scores were computed to standardize 1-RM values relative to relevant anthropometric and demographic factors. The applicability of these z-scores to interval-based classification frameworks was evaluated. Age, body mass, and height were identified as significant determinants of maximal strength across all 3 exercises. Incorporation of these variables into z-score calculation enabled a more precise and individualized assessment of strength performance. Attempts to apply z-scores to interval-based classification frameworks revealed substantial within-category heterogeneity, indicating that such frameworks are unsuitable for accurate strength classification. This study establishes an anthropometry- and demography-adjusted framework for strength assessment in BP, SQ, and DL among healthy adults aged 16-64 years. Standardized z-scores provide a biologically meaningful alternative to conventional normalization methods. The proposed z-score framework provides a reproducible, data-driven tool for individualized strength assessment in the BP, SQ and DL, with direct applications in sport science research, performance monitoring, and strength-based rehabilitation for healthy adults aged 16-64 years.
Superficial mass resection is a core surgical skill requiring practical training. Existing simulation models, such as silicone pads or virtual reality, are often costly or inaccessible, creating a need for an affordable and feasible alternative for surgical education. In this feasibility study, we developed a low-cost, high-fidelity simulation model using a rind-on pork belly with preserved nipples to practice this procedure and evaluated its efficacy in a skill training study involving 56 surgery residents, whose competency was assessed using a procedure-specific rating scale and the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) tool. The pork-based model effectively differentiated competency levels among residents with varying experience. It demonstrated superior fidelity compared to silicone models, without increased operational difficulty, proving particularly suitable for beginners. This pork-based simulation model is low-cost and easy to prepare, and it represents a high-fidelity training tool, highlighting the possibility of using biological models in hands-on surgical simulation.
The Bristow-Latarjet procedure is a well-established and reliable technique for managing recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Although the Bristow technique is associated with lower graft healing rates than the Latarjet, it shows better postoperative range of motion and a higher rate of return to sports. However, the arthroscopic Bristow-Latarjet procedure has a relatively steep learning curve. Building upon the classic Bristow technique, this technical note describes an open inlay Bristow procedure with button fixation that preserves the capsule. This approach is particularly suitable for beginners, offering a simple yet effective alternative.