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Marker-based motion capture, a widely used method for three-dimensional motion analysis, entails important shortcomings, including soft tissue artifacts and constraints on experiment environments. By contrast, markerless systems require no reflective markers, show minimal inter-session variation, and remain unaffected by clothing, making them promising tools for athletic performance evaluation. This study was conducted to compare kinematic data obtained using the respective systems during change of direction (COD) maneuvers and to evaluate the applicability of markerless systems. Five trials of 90° COD maneuvers were performed by 23 male participants. Kinematic data were captured simultaneously using marker-based (Motion Analysis) and markerless systems (Theia Markerless Inc.). The markerless system used synchronized multi-camera deep learning to detect anatomical landmarks and to reconstruct full-body skeletal motion through triangulation and inverse kinematics. Trunk and lower-limb joint angles were calculated for both systems. Bland-Altman analysis, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square deviation (RMSD), and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) were used to compare the two systems. Both systems demonstrated good agreement for most joint angles. However, notable mean differences were found in ankle dorsiflexion (-10.92° [-18.38, -3.46]), knee flexion (-8.32° [-14.48, -2.13]), and hip external rotation (12.1° [-2.12, 26.33]). Most angles also showed good ICC values (>0.75), indicating measurement reliability between the systems. These findings suggest that markerless systems can capture kinematic patterns reliably during COD maneuvers. However, comparing the magnitudes of joint angles with those of marker-based systems demands caution. This method is valid for COD analysis if system-specific differences are considered.
Depressive symptoms in university students harm academic performance. Behavioral activation (BA) may alleviate these symptoms, but evidence in Japan is scarce. This study evaluates a two-week, self-guided BA smartphone application (BEARS) in sixteen Japanese students with moderate depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores 10-19). The app delivered psychoeducation, value clarification, goal-setting, scheduling, and mood monitoring. Baseline, one week, post intervention, and four weeks follow-up assessments showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms, early decreases in avoidance, and gradual increases in goal-directed activity. Usability feedback was positive despite occasional connectivity issues. These findings support BA apps as promising interventions for student depression.
The number of alcohol use disorders (AUD) worldwide has increased; therefore, understanding and preventing alcohol addiction is of utmost importance. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of memory recall interventions using the odor of alcohol on mental health and drinking behavior. We used three different studies, two online and one in a laboratory, where participants with and without problematic drinking behaviors were asked to recall autobiographical memories evoked by the odor of alcohol. They were asked to complete questionnaires to measure their autobiographical memory and mental health. The results revealed that participants without problematic drinking behaviors recalled more positive memories and exhibited better mental health than those with such behaviors. Furthermore, in both groups, recalling positive memories increased positive mood, while recalling negative memories decreased positive mood. Additionally, for participants with problematic drinking behaviors, recalling positive memories increased their planned alcohol consumption, whereas recalling negative memories decreased it. The results suggest that interventions focused on recalling emotional autobiographical memories may influence the mental health and behavior of individuals with problematic drinking behaviors.
