Article Architecture Biology Engineering in General General Medicine Life Sciences and Basic Medicine Social Medicine

Accuracy of peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at rest determined by a smart ring: A Study in Controlled Hypoxic Environments

Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) measured by small wearable devices has garnered significant attention as a tool for detecting vital signs in acute and chronic diseases. However, the accuracy of such devices, particularly smart rings measuring SpO₂ at the finger base, remains underexplored. This study aimed to validate the accuracy of SpO₂ measurements obtained from a smart ring by comparing them with a clinical pulse oximeter in a controlled hypoxic environment. A total of 10 active males and females lay in the supine position at rest in a hypoxic environment, where oxygen saturation was maintained between 80% and 100% (normoxic levels). The participants wore a smart ring with photoplethysmography at the base of the second and third fingers of the dominant hand and a clinical pulse oximeter on their fingertips. To validate the accuracy of SpO₂ measured by a smart ring, leave-one-out cross-validation was performed, comparing root-mean-square error (RMSE) for 6793 data samples. The mean SpO₂ was 88.3 ± 7.2% for the smart ring and 88.3 ± 8.0% for the clinical-grade pulse oximeter, with a RMSE of 3.55%. These findings suggest that the smart ring provides reasonably accurate SpO₂ readings at rest, supporting its potential utility for health monitoring.

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Technical Article Life Sciences and Basic Medicine

Effects of glucose Ramune candy ingestion on concentration during esports play and cognitive function

This study aimed to determine the effects of glucose (Ramune candy) ingestion on cognitive function during esports mediation and concentration during gameplay. The participants were 20 healthy male students who did not play games usually (mean age ± 19.85, standard deviation = 0.96). The experimental design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. The results showed that the ingestion of Ramune candy significantly improved cognitive test scores before and after gameplay. During the esports gameplay, the power percentage of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR, 10-11.75 Hz) waves was significantly higher in the Ramune candy condition than in the placebo condition at 25 to approximately 28 min after the ingestion. These results indicate that the ingestion of Ramune candy effectively maintains a relaxed yet concentrated state during cognitively loaded esports gameplay.

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Article Biology Environmental Sciences General Medicine Life Sciences and Basic Medicine Social Medicine

Relationship between physical education in the first year of university and exercise habits and physical and mental health in the following spring

The present study examined the relationship between taking physical education and health-related courses in the first year of university and the acquisition and maintenance of exercise habits and physical and mental health in the student’s second year. The study population consisted of university students was 2,483 in FY2017 and 2,352 in FY2018. Of these, the 2,293 students (1,744 men, 18.5 ± 1.0 years old; 549 women, 18.6 ± 1.0 years old) who responded to the self-administered questionnaire survey on daily living habits in both years were included in the analysis. The results showed that taking physical education and health-related courses in the first year was significantly related to exercise habits the following spring. The results also suggested that these courses were more strongly related to mental health than physical health. In addition, men were significantly more likely to acquire a new exercise habit and had more improved mental health. In the future, it is necessary to clarify the causal relationship between taking physical education and health-related courses and exercise habits and the maintenance and acquisition of physical and mental health, in addition to developing effective support methods for students who dislike gender differences and exercise.

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