PHISICS/RELAP5-3D RESULTS FOR EXERCISES II-1 AND II-2 OF THE OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 BENCHMARK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strydom, Gerhard

2016-03-01

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Methods group currently leads the Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) 350 benchmark. The benchmark consists of a set of lattice-depletion, steady-state, and transient problems that can be used by HTGR simulation groups to assess the performance of their code suites. The paper summarizes the results obtained for the first two transient exercises defined for Phase II of the benchmark. The Parallel and Highly Innovative Simulation for INL Code System (PHISICS), coupled with the INL system code RELAP5-3D, was used to generate the results for the Depressurized Conductionmore » Cooldown (DCC) (exercise II-1a) and Pressurized Conduction Cooldown (PCC) (exercise II-2) transients. These exercises require the time-dependent simulation of coupled neutronics and thermal-hydraulics phenomena, and utilize the steady-state solution previously obtained for exercise I-3 of Phase I. This paper also includes a comparison of the benchmark results obtained with a traditional system code “ring” model against a more detailed “block” model that include kinetics feedback on an individual block level and thermal feedbacks on a triangular sub-mesh. The higher spatial fidelity that can be obtained by the block model is illustrated with comparisons of the maximum fuel temperatures, especially in the case of natural convection conditions that dominate the DCC and PCC events. Differences up to 125 K (or 10%) were observed between the ring and block model predictions of the DCC transient, mostly due to the block model’s capability of tracking individual block decay powers and more detailed helium flow distributions. In general, the block model only required DCC and PCC calculation times twice as long as the ring models, and it therefore seems that the additional development and calculation time required for the block model could be worth the gain that can be obtained in the spatial resolution« less

Integration of new biological and physical retrospective dosimetry methods into EU emergency response plans - joint RENEB and EURADOS inter-laboratory comparisons.

PubMed

Ainsbury, Elizabeth; Badie, Christophe; Barnard, Stephen; Manning, Grainne; Moquet, Jayne; Abend, Michael; Antunes, Ana Catarina; Barrios, Lleonard; Bassinet, Celine; Beinke, Christina; Bortolin, Emanuela; Bossin, Lily; Bricknell, Clare; Brzoska, Kamil; Buraczewska, Iwona; Castaño, Carlos Huertas; Čemusová, Zina; Christiansson, Maria; Cordero, Santiago Mateos; Cosler, Guillaume; Monaca, Sara Della; Desangles, François; Discher, Michael; Dominguez, Inmaculada; Doucha-Senf, Sven; Eakins, Jon; Fattibene, Paola; Filippi, Silvia; Frenzel, Monika; Georgieva, Dimka; Gregoire, Eric; Guogyte, Kamile; Hadjidekova, Valeria; Hadjiiska, Ljubomira; Hristova, Rositsa; Karakosta, Maria; Kis, Enikő; Kriehuber, Ralf; Lee, Jungil; Lloyd, David; Lumniczky, Katalin; Lyng, Fiona; Macaeva, Ellina; Majewski, Matthaeus; Vanda Martins, S; McKeever, Stephen W S; Meade, Aidan; Medipally, Dinesh; Meschini, Roberta; M'kacher, Radhia; Gil, Octávia Monteiro; Montero, Alegria; Moreno, Mercedes; Noditi, Mihaela; Oestreicher, Ursula; Oskamp, Dominik; Palitti, Fabrizio; Palma, Valentina; Pantelias, Gabriel; Pateux, Jerome; Patrono, Clarice; Pepe, Gaetano; Port, Matthias; Prieto, María Jesús; Quattrini, Maria Cristina; Quintens, Roel; Ricoul, Michelle; Roy, Laurence; Sabatier, Laure; Sebastià, Natividad; Sholom, Sergey; Sommer, Sylwester; Staynova, Albena; Strunz, Sonja; Terzoudi, Georgia; Testa, Antonella; Trompier, Francois; Valente, Marco; Hoey, Olivier Van; Veronese, Ivan; Wojcik, Andrzej; Woda, Clemens

2017-01-01

RENEB, 'Realising the European Network of Biodosimetry and Physical Retrospective Dosimetry,' is a network for research and emergency response mutual assistance in biodosimetry within the EU. Within this extremely active network, a number of new dosimetry methods have recently been proposed or developed. There is a requirement to test and/or validate these candidate techniques and inter-comparison exercises are a well-established method for such validation. The authors present details of inter-comparisons of four such new methods: dicentric chromosome analysis including telomere and centromere staining; the gene expression assay carried out in whole blood; Raman spectroscopy on blood lymphocytes, and detection of radiation-induced thermoluminescent signals in glass screens taken from mobile phones. In general the results show good agreement between the laboratories and methods within the expected levels of uncertainty, and thus demonstrate that there is a lot of potential for each of the candidate techniques. Further work is required before the new methods can be included within the suite of reliable dosimetry methods for use by RENEB partners and others in routine and emergency response scenarios.

Effectiveness of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System II and its e-learning program to freshman dental students on occlusal caries detection

PubMed Central

El-Damanhoury, Hatem M.; Fakhruddin, Kausar Sadia; Awad, Manal A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To assess the feasibility of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II and its e-learning program as tools for occlusal caries detection to freshmen dental students in comparison to dental graduates with 2 years of experience. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four freshmen and 32 dental graduates examined occlusal surfaces of molars/premolars (n = 72) after a lecture and a hands-on workshop. The same procedure was repeated after 1 month following the training with ICDAS II e-learning program. Validation of ICDAS II codes was done histologically. Intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of ICDAS II severity scores were assessed before and after e-learning using (Fleiss's kappa). Results: The kappa values showed inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.53 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.70 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by undergraduates and 0.69 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.95 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by graduates. The inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.64 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.89 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3). No statistically significant difference was found between both groups in intra-examiner agreements for assessing ICDAS II codes. A high statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) in correct identification of codes 1, 2, and 4 from before to after e-learning were observed in both groups. The bias indices for the undergraduate group were higher than those of the graduate group. Conclusions: Early exposure of students to ICDAS II is a valuable method of teaching caries detection and its e-learning program significantly improves their caries diagnostic skills. PMID:25512730

Results of an inter and intra laboratory exercise on the assessment of complex autosomal DNA profiles.

PubMed

Benschop, Corina C G; Connolly, Edward; Ansell, Ricky; Kokshoorn, Bas

2017-01-01

The interpretation of complex DNA profiles may differ between laboratories and reporting officers, which can lead to discrepancies in the final reports. In this study, we assessed the intra and inter laboratory variation in DNA mixture interpretation for three European ISO17025-accredited laboratories. To this aim, 26 reporting officers analyzed five sets of DNA profiles. Three main aspects were considered: 1) whether the mixed DNA profiles met the criteria for comparison to a reference profile, 2) the actual result of the comparison between references and DNA profiling data and 3) whether the weight of the DNA evidence could be assessed. Similarity in answers depended mostly on the complexity of the tasks. This study showed less variation within laboratories than between laboratories which could be the result of differences between internal laboratory guidelines and methods and tools available. Results show the profile types for which the three laboratories report differently, which informs indirectly on the complexity threshold the laboratories employ. Largest differences between laboratories were caused by the methods available to assess the weight of the DNA evidence. This exercise aids in training forensic scientists, refining laboratory guidelines and explaining differences between laboratories in court. Undertaking more collaborative exercises in future may stimulate dialog and consensus regarding interpretation. For training purposes, DNA profiles of the mixed stains and questioned references are made available. Copyright © 2016 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

INL Results for Phases I and III of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 Benchmark

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerhard Strydom; Javier Ortensi; Sonat Sen

2013-09-01

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Technology Development Office (TDO) Methods Core Simulation group led the construction of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Modular High Temperature Reactor (MHTGR) 350 MW benchmark for comparing and evaluating prismatic VHTR analysis codes. The benchmark is sponsored by the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), and the project will yield a set of reference steady-state, transient, and lattice depletion problems that can be used by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and vendors to assess their code suits. The Methods group is responsible formore » defining the benchmark specifications, leading the data collection and comparison activities, and chairing the annual technical workshops. This report summarizes the latest INL results for Phase I (steady state) and Phase III (lattice depletion) of the benchmark. The INSTANT, Pronghorn and RattleSnake codes were used for the standalone core neutronics modeling of Exercise 1, and the results obtained from these codes are compared in Section 4. Exercise 2 of Phase I requires the standalone steady-state thermal fluids modeling of the MHTGR-350 design, and the results for the systems code RELAP5-3D are discussed in Section 5. The coupled neutronics and thermal fluids steady-state solution for Exercise 3 are reported in Section 6, utilizing the newly developed Parallel and Highly Innovative Simulation for INL Code System (PHISICS)/RELAP5-3D code suit. Finally, the lattice depletion models and results obtained for Phase III are compared in Section 7. The MHTGR-350 benchmark proved to be a challenging simulation set of problems to model accurately, and even with the simplifications introduced in the benchmark specification this activity is an important step in the code-to-code verification of modern prismatic VHTR codes. A final OECD/NEA comparison report will compare the Phase I and III results of all other international participants in 2014, while the remaining Phase II transient case results will be reported in 2015.« less

Inter-Coder Agreement in One-to-Many Classification: Fuzzy Kappa.

PubMed

Kirilenko, Andrei P; Stepchenkova, Svetlana

2016-01-01

Content analysis involves classification of textual, visual, or audio data. The inter-coder agreement is estimated by making two or more coders to classify the same data units, with subsequent comparison of their results. The existing methods of agreement estimation, e.g., Cohen's kappa, require that coders place each unit of content into one and only one category (one-to-one coding) from the pre-established set of categories. However, in certain data domains (e.g., maps, photographs, databases of texts and images), this requirement seems overly restrictive. The restriction could be lifted, provided that there is a measure to calculate the inter-coder agreement in the one-to-many protocol. Building on the existing approaches to one-to-many coding in geography and biomedicine, such measure, fuzzy kappa, which is an extension of Cohen's kappa, is proposed. It is argued that the measure is especially compatible with data from certain domains, when holistic reasoning of human coders is utilized in order to describe the data and access the meaning of communication.

Integrated coding-aware intra-ONU scheduling for passive optical networks with inter-ONU traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan; Dai, Shifang; Wu, Weiwei

2016-12-01

Recently, with the soaring of traffic among optical network units (ONUs), network coding (NC) is becoming an appealing technique for improving the performance of passive optical networks (PONs) with such inter-ONU traffic. However, in the existed NC-based PONs, NC can only be implemented by buffering inter-ONU traffic at the optical line terminal (OLT) to wait for the establishment of coding condition, such passive uncertain waiting severely limits the effect of NC technique. In this paper, we will study integrated coding-aware intra-ONU scheduling in which the scheduling of inter-ONU traffic within each ONU will be undertaken by the OLT to actively facilitate the forming of coding inter-ONU traffic based on the global inter-ONU traffic distribution, and then the performance of PONs with inter-ONU traffic can be significantly improved. We firstly design two report message patterns and an inter-ONU traffic transmission framework as the basis for the integrated coding-aware intra-ONU scheduling. Three specific scheduling strategies are then proposed for adapting diverse global inter-ONU traffic distributions. The effectiveness of the work is finally evaluated by both theoretical analysis and simulations.

Inter-laboratory comparison study on measuring semi-volatile organic chemicals in standards and air samples.

PubMed

Su, Yushan; Hung, Hayley

2010-11-01

Measurements of semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) were compared among 21 laboratories from 7 countries through the analysis of standards, a blind sample, an air extract, and an atmospheric dust sample. Measurement accuracy strongly depended on analytes, laboratories, and types of standards and samples. Intra-laboratory precision was generally good with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of triplicate injections <10% and with median differences of duplicate samples between 2.1 and 22%. Inter-laboratory variability, measured by RSDs of all measurements, was in the range of 2.8-58% in analyzing standards, and 6.9-190% in analyzing blind sample and air extract. Inter-laboratory precision was poorer when samples were subject to cleanup processes, or when SVOCs were quantified at low concentrations. In general, inter-laboratory differences up to a factor of 2 can be expected to analyze atmospheric SVOCs. When comparing air measurements from different laboratories, caution should be exercised if the data variability is less than the inter-laboratory differences. 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inter-comparison of Computer Codes for TRISO-based Fuel Micro-Modeling and Performance Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brian Boer; Chang Keun Jo; Wen Wu

2010-10-01

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), the Deep Burn Pebble Bed Reactor (DB-PBR) and the Deep Burn Prismatic Block Reactor (DB-PMR) are all based on fuels that use TRISO particles as their fundamental constituent. The TRISO particle properties include very high durability in radiation environments, hence the designs reliance on the TRISO to form the principal barrier to radioactive materials release. This durability forms the basis for the selection of this fuel type for applications such as Deep Bun (DB), which require exposures up to four times those expected for light water reactors. It follows that the study and predictionmore » of the durability of TRISO particles must be carried as part of the safety and overall performance characterization of all the designs mentioned above. Such evaluations have been carried out independently by the performers of the DB project using independently developed codes. These codes, PASTA, PISA and COPA, incorporate models for stress analysis on the various layers of the TRISO particle (and of the intervening matrix material for some of them), model for fission products release and migration then accumulation within the SiC layer of the TRISO particle, just next to the layer, models for free oxygen and CO formation and migration to the same location, models for temperature field modeling within the various layers of the TRISO particle and models for the prediction of failure rates. All these models may be either internal to the code or external. This large number of models and the possibility of different constitutive data and model formulations and the possibility of a variety of solution techniques makes it highly unlikely that the model would give identical results in the modeling of identical situations. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an inter-comparison between the codes and to identify areas of agreement and areas that need reconciliation. The inter-comparison has been carried out by the cooperating institutions using a set of pre-defined TRISO conditions (burnup levels, temperature or power levels, etc.) and the outcome will be tabulated in the full length paper. The areas of agreement will be pointed out and the areas that require further modeling or reconciliation will be shown. In general the agreement between the codes is good within less than one order of magnitude in the prediction of TRISO failure rates.« less

Inter-Coder Agreement in One-to-Many Classification: Fuzzy Kappa

PubMed Central

Kirilenko, Andrei P.; Stepchenkova, Svetlana

2016-01-01

Content analysis involves classification of textual, visual, or audio data. The inter-coder agreement is estimated by making two or more coders to classify the same data units, with subsequent comparison of their results. The existing methods of agreement estimation, e.g., Cohen’s kappa, require that coders place each unit of content into one and only one category (one-to-one coding) from the pre-established set of categories. However, in certain data domains (e.g., maps, photographs, databases of texts and images), this requirement seems overly restrictive. The restriction could be lifted, provided that there is a measure to calculate the inter-coder agreement in the one-to-many protocol. Building on the existing approaches to one-to-many coding in geography and biomedicine, such measure, fuzzy kappa, which is an extension of Cohen’s kappa, is proposed. It is argued that the measure is especially compatible with data from certain domains, when holistic reasoning of human coders is utilized in order to describe the data and access the meaning of communication. PMID:26933956

Effect of carbohydrate-electrolyte consumption on insulin, cortisol hormones and blood glucose after high-intensity exercise.

PubMed

Mor, Ahmet; Kayacan, Yildirim; Ipekoglu, Gokhan; Arslanoglu, Erkal

2018-04-21

This study aimed to examine the effect of CHO-E consumption after high-intensity exercise on insulin, cortisol hormones and blood glucose responses, which is important for performance and recovery in athletes. Sixteen volunteers, male athletes, participated into this study. Athletes were divided into two groups as experiment (CHO-E) and placebo (PLA). Blood was taken from the athletes three times as basal, post-exercise (PE) and 2 h after ingestion of supplement (PS). When inter-group comparisons, insulin was significantly higher in the CHO-E group than the PLA group at the PS phase (p < .05). Cortisol significantly decreased in the CHO-E group at the PS compared to the PE (p < .05). Carbohydrate-electrolyte consumption after high-intensity exercise, accelerates the recovery process by providing optimal recovery, and enable the metabolism to remain in the anabolic state by preventing it from entering in the catabolic process as well as provides hormonal balance in metabolism.

Evaluation of an integrated system for classification, assessment and comparison of services for long-term care in Europe: the eDESDE-LTC study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The harmonization of European health systems brings with it a need for tools to allow the standardized collection of information about medical care. A common coding system and standards for the description of services are needed to allow local data to be incorporated into evidence-informed policy, and to permit equity and mobility to be assessed. The aim of this project has been to design such a classification and a related tool for the coding of services for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC), based on the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS). Methods The development of DESDE-LTC followed an iterative process using nominal groups in 6 European countries. 54 researchers and stakeholders in health and social services contributed to this process. In order to classify services, we use the minimal organization unit or “Basic Stable Input of Care” (BSIC), coded by its principal function or “Main Type of Care” (MTC). The evaluation of the tool included an analysis of feasibility, consistency, ontology, inter-rater reliability, Boolean Factor Analysis, and a preliminary impact analysis (screening, scoping and appraisal). Results DESDE-LTC includes an alpha-numerical coding system, a glossary and an assessment instrument for mapping and counting LTC. It shows high feasibility, consistency, inter-rater reliability and face, content and construct validity. DESDE-LTC is ontologically consistent. It is regarded by experts as useful and relevant for evidence-informed decision making. Conclusion DESDE-LTC contributes to establishing a common terminology, taxonomy and coding of LTC services in a European context, and a standard procedure for data collection and international comparison. PMID:23768163

Validation of 131I ecological transfer models and thyroid dose assessments using Chernobyl fallout data from the Plavsk district, Russia

PubMed Central

Zvonova, I.; Krajewski, P.; Berkovsky, V.; Ammann, M.; Duffa, C.; Filistovic, V.; Homma, T.; Kanyar, B.; Nedveckaite, T.; Simon, S.L.; Vlasov, O.; Webbe-Wood, D.

2009-01-01

Within the project “Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety” (EMRAS) organized by the IAEA in 2003 experimental data of 131I measurements following the Chernobyl accident in the Plavsk district of Tula region, Russia were used to validate the calculations of some radioecological transfer models. Nine models participated in the inter-comparison. Levels of 137Cs soil contamination in all the settlements and 131I/137Cs isotopic ratios in the depositions in some locations were used as the main input information. 370 measurements of 131I content in thyroid of townspeople and villagers, and 90 measurements of 131I concentration in milk were used for validation of the model predictions. A remarkable improvement in models performance comparing with previous inter-comparison exercise was demonstrated. Predictions of the various models were within a factor of three relative to the observations, discrepancies between the estimates of average doses to thyroid produced by most participant not exceeded a factor of ten. PMID:19783331

Comparison of the PHISICS/RELAP5-3D ring and block model results for phase I of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 benchmark

DOE PAGES

Strydom, G.; Epiney, A. S.; Alfonsi, Andrea; ...

2015-12-02

The PHISICS code system has been under development at INL since 2010. It consists of several modules providing improved coupled core simulation capability: INSTANT (3D nodal transport core calculations), MRTAU (depletion and decay heat generation) and modules performing criticality searches, fuel shuffling and generalized perturbation. Coupling of the PHISICS code suite to the thermal hydraulics system code RELAP5-3D was finalized in 2013, and as part of the verification and validation effort the first phase of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 Benchmark has now been completed. The theoretical basis and latest development status of the coupled PHISICS/RELAP5-3D tool are described in more detailmore » in a concurrent paper. This paper provides an overview of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 Benchmark and presents the results of Exercises 2 and 3 defined for Phase I. Exercise 2 required the modelling of a stand-alone thermal fluids solution at End of Equilibrium Cycle for the Modular High Temperature Reactor (MHTGR). The RELAP5-3D results of four sub-cases are discussed, consisting of various combinations of coolant bypass flows and material thermophysical properties. Exercise 3 required a coupled neutronics and thermal fluids solution, and the PHISICS/RELAP5-3D code suite was used to calculate the results of two sub-cases. The main focus of the paper is a comparison of results obtained with the traditional RELAP5-3D “ring” model approach against a much more detailed model that include kinetics feedback on individual block level and thermal feedbacks on a triangular sub-mesh. The higher fidelity that can be obtained by this “block” model is illustrated with comparison results on the temperature, power density and flux distributions. Furthermore, it is shown that the ring model leads to significantly lower fuel temperatures (up to 10%) when compared with the higher fidelity block model, and that the additional model development and run-time efforts are worth the gains obtained in the improved spatial temperature and flux distributions.« less

Characterisation of a reference site for quantifying uncertainties related to soil sampling.

PubMed

Barbizzi, Sabrina; de Zorzi, Paolo; Belli, Maria; Pati, Alessandra; Sansone, Umberto; Stellato, Luisa; Barbina, Maria; Deluisa, Andrea; Menegon, Sandro; Coletti, Valter

2004-01-01

The paper reports a methodology adopted to face problems related to quality assurance in soil sampling. The SOILSAMP project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency of Italy (APAT), is aimed at (i) establishing protocols for soil sampling in different environments; (ii) assessing uncertainties associated with different soil sampling methods in order to select the "fit-for-purpose" method; (iii) qualifying, in term of trace elements spatial variability, a reference site for national and international inter-comparison exercises. Preliminary results and considerations are illustrated.

Do clinicians prescribe exercise similarly in patients with different cardiovascular diseases? Findings from the EAPC EXPERT working group survey.

PubMed

Hansen, Dominique; Rovelo Ruiz, Gustavo; Doherty, Patrick; Iliou, Marie-Christine; Vromen, Tom; Hinton, Sally; Frederix, Ines; Wilhelm, Matthias; Schmid, Jean-Paul; Abreu, Ana; Ambrosetti, Marco; Garcia-Porrero, Esteban; Coninx, Karin; Dendale, Paul

2018-05-01

Background Although disease-specific exercise guidelines for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are widely available, it remains uncertain whether these different exercise guidelines are integrated properly for patients with different CVDs. The aim of this study was to assess the inter-clinician variance in exercise prescription for patients with various CVDs and to compare these prescriptions with recommendations from the EXercise Prescription in Everyday practice and Rehabilitative Training (EXPERT) tool, a digital decision support system for integrated state-of-the-art exercise prescription in CVD. Design The study was a prospective observational survey. Methods Fifty-three CV rehabilitation clinicians from nine European countries were asked to prescribe exercise intensity (based on percentage of peak heart rate (HR peak )), frequency, session duration, programme duration and exercise type (endurance or strength training) for the same five patients. Exercise prescriptions were compared between clinicians, and relationships with clinician characteristics were studied. In addition, these exercise prescriptions were compared with recommendations from the EXPERT tool. Results A large inter-clinician variance was found for prescribed exercise intensity (median (interquartile range (IQR)): 83 (13) % of HR peak ), frequency (median (IQR): 4 (2) days/week), session duration (median (IQR): 45 (18) min/session), programme duration (median (IQR): 12 (18) weeks), total exercise volume (median (IQR): 1215 (1961) peak-effort training hours) and prescription of strength training exercises (prescribed in 78% of all cases). Moreover, clinicians' exercise prescriptions were significantly different from those of the EXPERT tool ( p < 0.001). Conclusions This study reveals significant inter-clinician variance in exercise prescription for patients with different CVDs and disagreement with an integrated state-of-the-art system for exercise prescription, justifying the need for standardization efforts regarding integrated exercise prescription in CV rehabilitation.

Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories Code-to-Code Comparison of Inter Lab Test Problem 1 for Asteroid Impact Hazard Mitigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weaver, Robert P.; Miller, Paul; Howley, Kirsten

The NNSA Laboratories have entered into an interagency collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to explore strategies for prevention of Earth impacts by asteroids. Assessment of such strategies relies upon use of sophisticated multi-physics simulation codes. This document describes the task of verifying and cross-validating, between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), modeling capabilities and methods to be employed as part of the NNSA-NASA collaboration. The approach has been to develop a set of test problems and then to compare and contrast results obtained by use of a suite of codes, includingmore » MCNP, RAGE, Mercury, Ares, and Spheral. This document provides a short description of the codes, an overview of the idealized test problems, and discussion of the results for deflection by kinetic impactors and stand-off nuclear explosions.« less

Comparison of the LLNL ALE3D and AKTS Thermal Safety Computer Codes for Calculating Times to Explosion in ODTX and STEX Thermal Cookoff Experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wemhoff, A P; Burnham, A K

2006-04-05

Cross-comparison of the results of two computer codes for the same problem provides a mutual validation of their computational methods. This cross-validation exercise was performed for LLNL's ALE3D code and AKTS's Thermal Safety code, using the thermal ignition of HMX in two standard LLNL cookoff experiments: the One-Dimensional Time to Explosion (ODTX) test and the Scaled Thermal Explosion (STEX) test. The chemical kinetics model used in both codes was the extended Prout-Tompkins model, a relatively new addition to ALE3D. This model was applied using ALE3D's new pseudospecies feature. In addition, an advanced isoconversional kinetic approach was used in the AKTSmore » code. The mathematical constants in the Prout-Tompkins code were calibrated using DSC data from hermetically sealed vessels and the LLNL optimization code Kinetics05. The isoconversional kinetic parameters were optimized using the AKTS Thermokinetics code. We found that the Prout-Tompkins model calculations agree fairly well between the two codes, and the isoconversional kinetic model gives very similar results as the Prout-Tompkins model. We also found that an autocatalytic approach in the beta-delta phase transition model does affect the times to explosion for some conditions, especially STEX-like simulations at ramp rates above 100 C/hr, and further exploration of that effect is warranted.« less

Color-coded fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images improve inter-rater reliability of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal changes within acute diffusion-weighted image lesions.

PubMed

Kim, Bum Joon; Kim, Yong-Hwan; Kim, Yeon-Jung; Ahn, Sung Ho; Lee, Deok Hee; Kwon, Sun U; Kim, Sang Joon; Kim, Jong S; Kang, Dong-Wha

2014-09-01

Diffusion-weighted image fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) mismatch has been considered to represent ischemic lesion age. However, the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch is low. We hypothesized that color-coded images would increase its inter-rater agreement. Patients with ischemic stroke <24 hours of a clear onset were retrospectively studied. FLAIR signal change was rated as negative, subtle, or obvious on conventional and color-coded FLAIR images based on visual inspection. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated using κ and percent agreement. The predictive value of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch for identification of patients <4.5 hours of symptom onset was evaluated. One hundred and thirteen patients were enrolled. The inter-rater agreement of FLAIR signal change improved from 69.9% (k=0.538) with conventional images to 85.8% (k=0.754) with color-coded images (P=0.004). Discrepantly rated patients on conventional, but not on color-coded images, had a higher prevalence of cardioembolic stroke (P=0.02) and cortical infarction (P=0.04). The positive predictive value for patients <4.5 hours of onset was 85.3% and 71.9% with conventional and 95.7% and 82.1% with color-coded images, by each rater. Color-coded FLAIR images increased the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR recovery mismatch and may ultimately help identify unknown-onset stroke patients appropriate for thrombolysis. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Comparison of H.265/HEVC encoders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trochimiuk, Maciej

2016-09-01

The H.265/HEVC is the state-of-the-art video compression standard, which allows the bitrate reduction up to 50% compared with its predecessor, H.264/AVC, maintaining equal perceptual video quality. The growth in coding efficiency was achieved by increasing the number of available intra- and inter-frame prediction features and improvements in existing ones, such as entropy encoding and filtering. Nevertheless, to achieve real-time performance of the encoder, simplifications in algorithm are inevitable. Some features and coding modes shall be skipped, to reduce time needed to evaluate modes forwarded to rate-distortion optimisation. Thus, the potential acceleration of the encoding process comes at the expense of coding efficiency. In this paper, a trade-off between video quality and encoding speed of various H.265/HEVC encoders is discussed.

[Benefits of Decumanum Phlebodium intake on the muscle damage in the response to intense physical exercise in sedentary subjects].

PubMed

Vargas Corzo, M C; Aguilar Cordero, M J; de Teresa Galván, C; Segura Millán, D; Miranda Leon, M T; Castillo Rueda, G; Guisado Barrilao, R

2014-06-01

Intense physical exercise provoke muscle damage, that in sedentary people can increase cardiovascular risk. Phlebodium decumanum (PD) has shown to have immunomodulator effects in models of moderate intense physical activities in well conditioned groups. To evaluate the PD effects during eccentric exercise, as a model of muscle inflammation protocol, on a sedentary population with cardiovascular risk. This is an experimental, double-blind, multigroup randomized study. Experimental Group 1 (n = 17)received PD, 9 doses of 400 mg (total amount 3.6 g) every 8 hours during 3 days, and Control Group 2 (n = 16)received a placebo. All the subjects performed two treadmill ergoespirometry tests: first, a modified Bruce protocol to discard ischemic responses during exercise and to evaluate VO2max before the experimental phase;and second, with an eccentric protocol (14% descending ramp test) during 10 minutes in stable state at 70-80%VO2max, as experimental inflammatory protocol.We compared intra and inter groups to evaluate differences in the pre and post-test differences results on blood muscle damage variables. The study shown statistically significant differences in all pre-post intra-groups results in muscle damage variables (CK, LDH and Myoglobin, but not in Cardiac Troponin), and in functional lower-limb test (SJand CMJ). The comparison of inter-group results shown less muscle damage and less functional lower-limb deterioration in Group 1 compared with Control group, with statistical significance in both cases. Differences in handgrip dynamometry were no statistically significant. The eccentric exercise protocol in that study has proven to be a good model to induce muscle and functional damage in sedentary people. Short PD treatment has shown to reduce muscle and functional acute damages compared with placebo control group in this specific population. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Inter-individual Differences in Exercise-Induced Spatial Working Memory Improvement: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Yudai; Sato, Daisuke; Yamashiro, Koya; Tsubaki, Atsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Yui; Takehara, Nana; Maruyama, Atsuo

2017-01-01

Acute aerobic exercise at a mild intensity improves cognitive function. However, the response to exercise exhibits inter-individual differences, and the mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear. The objective of this study was to determine potential factors in the brain that underlie differential responses to exercise in terms of cognitive improvement using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Fourteen healthy subjects participated in these experiments. Participants performed a low intensity cycling exercise at 30% maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) for 10 min and performed a spatial memory task before and after exercising (5 and 30 min). The spatial memory task comprised two levels of difficulty (low: 1-dot EXERCISE, high: 3-dot EXERCISE). Cortical oxy-hemoglobin (O 2 Hb) levels were recorded using near-infrared spectroscopy during both the exercise and the spatial memory task phases. Regions of interests included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and frontopolar area (FPA). The participants were divided into two groups depending on whether they were responders (improved task reaction time) or non-responders (no improvement). Subsequently, we analyzed the group characteristics and differences in the change in O 2 Hb levels during exercise and spatial working memory tasks. Acute mild exercise significantly improved mean reaction times in the 1-dot memory task but not in the 3-dot task across the participants. In the 1-dot EXERCISE, 10 subjects were responders and four subjects were non-responders, whereas in the 3-dot EXERCISE, seven subjects were non-responders. In responders, during exercise, we found higher O 2 Hb levels in the right VLPFC response for the 1-dot memory task. Acute mild exercise caused inter-individual differences in spatial memory improvement, which were associated with changes in O 2 Hb activity in the prefrontal area during the exercise phase but not during the actual spatial memory task. Therefore, individuals who respond with higher reactivity to mild intensity exercise in the VLPFC might obtain larger spatial working memory improvements following exercise than non-responders.

A performance comparison of the Cray-2 and the Cray X-MP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmickley, Ronald; Bailey, David H.

1986-01-01

A suite of thirteen large Fortran benchmark codes were run on Cray-2 and Cray X-MP supercomputers. These codes were a mix of compute-intensive scientific application programs (mostly Computational Fluid Dynamics) and some special vectorized computation exercise programs. For the general class of programs tested on the Cray-2, most of which were not specially tuned for speed, the floating point operation rates varied under a variety of system load configurations from 40 percent up to 125 percent of X-MP performance rates. It is concluded that the Cray-2, in the original system configuration studied (without memory pseudo-banking) will run untuned Fortran code, on average, about 70 percent of X-MP speeds.

Yellow and social perceptions of racing cyclists' sportspersonship: Proposing an inter-contextual analysis.

PubMed

Chantal, Yves; Bernache-Assollant, Iouri

2017-03-01

Through inter-contextual designs, the present set of experiments sought to explore whether the colour yellow would impact on social perceptions of sportspersonship exclusively in relation to competitive cycling. In Experiment 1 (N = 149), a silhouette image of a cyclist on a yellow background yielded lower perceptions of sportspersonship in comparison to grey or to the context of motocross, regardless of the colour. That interaction was conceptually replicated in Experiment 2 (N = 146) while changing measures (i.e., adaptation of the World Anti-Doping Code) and the context of comparison to sprinting. Furthermore, female and male observers' scores did not differ significantly thereby suggesting that yellow impacted on perceived sportspersonship similarly across gender. On the whole, those findings suggest that yellow can generate negative impressions of racing cyclists because, with years, this colour took on a meaning of opportunism from frequent pairings with doping. We close with discussing a number of limitations and future research avenues.

Multidimensional Multiphysics Simulation of TRISO Particle Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. D. Hales; R. L. Williamson; S. R. Novascone

2013-11-01

Multidimensional multiphysics analysis of TRISO-coated particle fuel using the BISON finite-element based nuclear fuels code is described. The governing equations and material models applicable to particle fuel and implemented in BISON are outlined. Code verification based on a recent IAEA benchmarking exercise is described, and excellant comparisons are reported. Multiple TRISO-coated particles of increasing geometric complexity are considered. It is shown that the code's ability to perform large-scale parallel computations permits application to complex 3D phenomena while very efficient solutions for either 1D spherically symmetric or 2D axisymmetric geometries are straightforward. Additionally, the flexibility to easily include new physical andmore » material models and uncomplicated ability to couple to lower length scale simulations makes BISON a powerful tool for simulation of coated-particle fuel. Future code development activities and potential applications are identified.« less

Inter-laboratory comparison of elemental analysis and gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Part I: delta13C measurements of selected compounds for the development of an isotopic Grob-test.

PubMed

Serra, F; Janeiro, A; Calderone, G; Rojas, J M Moreno; Rhodes, C; Gonthier, L A; Martin, F; Lees, M; Mosandl, A; Sewenig, S; Hener, U; Henriques, B; Ramalho, L; Reniero, F; Teixeira, A J; Guillou, C

2007-03-01

This study was directed towards investigating suitable compounds to be used as stable isotope reference materials for gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) calibration. Several compounds were selected from those used in the 'Grob-test' mixture. Oxygen- and nitrogen-containing substances were added to these compounds to allow the mixture to be used as a possible multi-isotopic calibration tool for 2H/1H, 13C/12C, 15N/14N and 18O/16O ratio determinations. In this paper we present the results of delta13C measurements performed by the consortium of the five laboratories taking part in this inter-calibration exercise. All the compounds were individually assessed for homogeneity, short-term stability and long-term stability by means of EA-IRMS, as required by the bureau communitaire de reference (BCR) Guide for Production of Certified Reference Materials. The results were compared then with the GC-C-IRMS measurements using both polar and non-polar columns, and the final mixture of selected compounds underwent a further certification exercise assessing limits of accuracy and reproducibility under specified GC-C-IRMS conditions. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inter-comparison of source apportionment of PM10 using PMF and CMB in three sites nearby an industrial area in central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cesari, Daniela; Donateo, Antonio; Conte, Marianna; Contini, Daniele

2016-12-01

Receptor models (RMs), based on chemical composition of particulate matter (PM), such as Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), represent useful tools for determining the impact of PM sources to air quality. This information is useful, especially in areas influenced by anthropogenic activities, to plan mitigation strategies for environmental management. Recent inter-comparison of source apportionment (SA) results showed that one of the difficulties in the comparison of estimated source contributions is the compatibility of the sources, i.e. the chemical profiles of factor/sources used in receptor models. This suggests that SA based on integration of several RMs could give more stable and reliable solutions with respect to a single model. The aim of this work was to perform inter-comparison of PMF (using PMF3.0 and PMF5.0 codes) and CMB outputs, focusing on both source chemical profiles and estimates of source contributions. The dataset included 347 daily PM10 samples collected in three sites in central Italy located near industrial emissions. Samples were chemically analysed for the concentrations of 21 chemical species (NH4+, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Na+, K+, Mg2 +, SO42 -, NO3-, Cl-, Si, Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, EC, and OC) used as input of RMs. The approach identified 9 factor/sources: marine, traffic, resuspended dust, biomass burning, secondary sulphate, secondary nitrate, crustal, coal combustion power plant and harbour-industrial. Results showed that the application of constraints in PMF5.0 improved interpretability of profiles and comparability of estimated source contributions with stoichiometric calculations. The inter-comparison of PMF and CMB gave significant differences for secondary nitrate, biomass burning, and harbour-industrial sources, due to non-compatibility of these source profiles that have local specificities. When these site-dependent specificities were taken into account, optimising the input source profiles of CMB, a significant improvement in the comparison of the estimated source contributions with PMF was obtained.

Comparison and applicability analysis of models for estimating radiological dose rates of freshwater biota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaofeng; Yang, Zongzhen; Qin, Chunli

2018-01-01

A number of inter-comparisons of non-human biota radiation assessment models have been fulfilled by international researchers and organizations. This paper describes the radiological impact to reference biota in Chinese inland nuclear power plant scenario, by using RESRAD-Biota, ERICA and R&D 128. The estimation results are ranging from 6.1×10-3μGy/h to 6.17×10-2μGy/h, mainly contributed by 134Cs and 137Cs, obviously below recommended limits and thus prove the biota in reservoir can be adequately protected from effluent discharge. By comparing models characteristics and performances in exercise, we conclude the ERICA tool reveals more applicability in Chinese nuclear sites and propose several suggestions to establish native framework for non-human biota assessment.

Genetic basis of inter-individual variability in the effects of exercise on the alleviation of lifestyle-related diseases

PubMed Central

Mori, Masayuki; Higuchi, Keiichi; Sakurai, Akihiro; Tabara, Yasuharu; Miki, Tetsuro; Nose, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

Habitual exercise training, including a high-intensity interval walking programme, improves cardiorespiratory fitness and alleviates lifestyle-related diseases, such as obesity, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. However, the extent of improvement has been shown to differ substantially among individuals for various exercise regimens. A body of literature has demonstrated that gene polymorphisms could account for the inter-individual variability in the improvement of risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases following exercise training. However, the fractions of the variability explained by the polymorphisms are small (∼5%). Also, it is likely that the effects of gene polymorphisms differ with exercise regimens and subject characteristics. These observations suggest the necessity for further studies to exhaustively identify such gene polymorphisms. More importantly, the physiological and molecular genetic mechanisms by which gene polymorphisms interact with exercise to influence the improvements of risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases differentially remain to be clarified. A better understanding of these issues should lead to more effective integration of exercise to optimize the treatment and management of individuals with lifestyle-related diseases. PMID:19736300

Dose-response effects of aerobic exercise on energy compensation in postmenopausal women: combined results from two randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

McNeil, J; Brenner, D R; Courneya, K S; Friedenreich, C M

2017-08-01

Despite the clear health benefits of exercise, exercised-induced weight loss is often less than expected. The term 'exercise energy compensation' is used to define the amount of weight loss below what is expected for the amount of exercise energy expenditure. We examined the dose-response effects of exercise volume on energy compensation in postmenopausal women. Data from Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Prevention (ALPHA) and Breast Cancer and Exercise Trial in Alberta (BETA) were combined for the present analysis. The ALPHA and BETA trials were two-centred, two-armed, 12-month randomized controlled trials. The ALPHA trial included 160 participants randomized to 225 min per week of aerobic exercise, and the BETA trial randomized 200 participants to each 150 and 300 min per week of aerobic exercise. All participants were aged 50-74 years, moderately inactive (<90 min per week of exercise), had no previous cancer diagnosis and a body mass index between 22 and 40 kg m -2 . Energy compensation was based on changes in body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan) and estimated exercise energy expenditure from completed exercise volume. Associations between Δenergy intake, ΔVO 2peak and Δphysical activity time with energy compensation were assessed. No differences in energy compensation were noted between interventions. However, there were large inter-individual differences in energy compensation between participants; 9.4% experienced body composition changes that were greater than expected based on exercise energy expenditure, 64% experienced some degree of energy compensation and 26.6% experienced weight gain based on exercise energy expenditure. Increases in VO 2peak were associated with reductions in energy compensation (β=-3.44 ml kg -1  min -1 , 95% confidence interval for β=-4.71 to -2.17 ml kg -1  min -1 ; P=0.0001). Large inter-individual differences in energy compensation were noted, despite no differences between activity doses. In addition, increases in VO 2peak were associated with lower energy compensation. Future studies are needed to identify behavioral and metabolic factors that may contribute to this large inter-individual variability in energy compensation.

Uncertainty Assessment of Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics Prediction Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bose, Deepak; Brown, James L.; Prabhu, Dinesh K.; Gnoffo, Peter; Johnston, Christopher O.; Hollis, Brian

2011-01-01

The present paper provides the background of a focused effort to assess uncertainties in predictions of heat flux and pressure in hypersonic flight (airbreathing or atmospheric entry) using state-of-the-art aerothermodynamics codes. The assessment is performed for four mission relevant problems: (1) shock turbulent boundary layer interaction on a compression corner, (2) shock turbulent boundary layer interaction due a impinging shock, (3) high-mass Mars entry and aerocapture, and (4) high speed return to Earth. A validation based uncertainty assessment approach with reliance on subject matter expertise is used. A code verification exercise with code-to-code comparisons and comparisons against well established correlations is also included in this effort. A thorough review of the literature in search of validation experiments is performed, which identified a scarcity of ground based validation experiments at hypersonic conditions. In particular, a shortage of useable experimental data at flight like enthalpies and Reynolds numbers is found. The uncertainty was quantified using metrics that measured discrepancy between model predictions and experimental data. The discrepancy data is statistically analyzed and investigated for physics based trends in order to define a meaningful quantified uncertainty. The detailed uncertainty assessment of each mission relevant problem is found in the four companion papers.

Implementation of interval walking training in patients with type 2 diabetes in Denmark: rationale, design, and baseline characteristics

PubMed Central

Ried-Larsen, Mathias; Thomsen, Reimar W; Berencsi, Klara; Brinkløv, Cecilie F; Brøns, Charlotte; Valentiner, Laura S; Karstoft, Kristian; Langberg, Henning; Vaag, Allan A; Pedersen, Bente K; Nielsen, Jens S

2016-01-01

Promoting physical activity is a first-line choice of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, there is a need for more effective tools and technologies to facilitate structured lifestyle interventions and to ensure a better compliance, sustainability, and health benefits of exercise training in patients with T2D. The InterWalk initiative and its innovative application (app) for smartphones described in this study were developed by the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in T2D aiming at implementing, testing, and validating interval walking in patients with T2D in Denmark. The interval walking training approach consists of repetitive 3-minute cycles of slow and fast walking with simultaneous intensity guiding, based on the exercise capacity of the user. The individual intensity during slow and fast walking is determined by a short initial self-conducted and audio-guided fitness test, which combined with automated audio instructions strives to motivate the individual to adjust the intensity to the predetermined individualized walking intensities. The InterWalk app data are collected prospectively from all users and will be linked to the unique Danish nationwide databases and administrative registries, allowing extensive epidemiological studies of exercise in patients with T2D, such as the level of adherence to InterWalk training and long-term effectiveness surveys of important health outcomes, including cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Currently, the InterWalk app has been downloaded by >30,000 persons, and the achieved epidemiological data quality is encouraging. Of the 9,466 persons providing personal information, 80% of the men and 62% women were overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25). The InterWalk project represents a contemporary technology-driven public health approach to monitor real-life exercise adherence and to propagate improved health through exercise intervention in T2D and in the general population. PMID:27354828

Assessing exercise cardiac reserve using real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Le, Thu-Thao; Bryant, Jennifer Ann; Ting, Alicia Er; Ho, Pei Yi; Su, Boyang; Teo, Raymond Choon Chye; Gan, Julian Siong-Jin; Chung, Yiu-Cho; O'Regan, Declan P; Cook, Stuart A; Chin, Calvin Woon-Loong

2017-01-23

Exercise cardiovascular magnetic resonance (ExCMR) has great potential for clinical use but its development has been limited by a lack of compatible equipment and robust real-time imaging techniques. We developed an exCMR protocol using an in-scanner cycle ergometer and assessed its performance in differentiating athletes from non-athletes. Free-breathing real-time CMR (1.5T Aera, Siemens) was performed in 11 athletes (5 males; median age 29 [IQR: 28-39] years) and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (7 males; median age 26 [interquartile range (IQR): 25-33] years). All participants underwent an in-scanner exercise protocol on a CMR compatible cycle ergometer (Lode BV, the Netherlands), with an initial workload of 25W followed by 25W-increment every minute. In 20 individuals, exercise capacity was also evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Scan-rescan reproducibility was assessed in 10 individuals, at least 7 days apart. The exCMR protocol demonstrated excellent scan-rescan (cardiac index (CI): 0.2 ± 0.5L/min/m 2 ) and inter-observer (ventricular volumes: 1.2 ± 5.3mL) reproducibility. CI derived from exCMR and CPET had excellent correlation (r = 0.83, p < 0.001) and agreement (1.7 ± 1.8L/min/m 2 ). Despite similar values at rest (P = 0.87), athletes had increased exercise CI compared to healthy individuals (at peak exercise: 12.2 [IQR: 10.2-13.5] L/min/m 2 versus 8.9 [IQR: 7.5-10.1] L/min/m 2 , respectively; P < 0.001). Peak exercise CI, where image acquisition lasted 13-17 s, outperformed that at rest (c-statistics = 0.95 [95% confidence interval: 0.87-1.00] versus 0.48 [95% confidence interval: 0.23-0.72], respectively; P < 0.0001 for comparison) in differentiating athletes from healthy volunteers; and had similar performance as VO 2max (c-statistics = 0.84 [95% confidence interval = 0.62-1.00]; P = 0.29 for comparison). We have developed a novel in-scanner exCMR protocol using real-time CMR that is highly reproducible. It may now be developed for clinical use for physiological studies of the heart and circulation.

Results of the eruptive column model inter-comparison study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Costa, Antonio; Suzuki, Yujiro; Cerminara, M.; Devenish, Ben J.; Esposti Ongaro, T.; Herzog, Michael; Van Eaton, Alexa; Denby, L.C.; Bursik, Marcus; de' Michieli Vitturi, Mattia; Engwell, S.; Neri, Augusto; Barsotti, Sara; Folch, Arnau; Macedonio, Giovanni; Girault, F.; Carazzo, G.; Tait, S.; Kaminski, E.; Mastin, Larry G.; Woodhouse, Mark J.; Phillips, Jeremy C.; Hogg, Andrew J.; Degruyter, Wim; Bonadonna, Costanza

2016-01-01

This study compares and evaluates one-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical models of volcanic eruption columns in a set of different inter-comparison exercises. The exercises were designed as a blind test in which a set of common input parameters was given for two reference eruptions, representing a strong and a weak eruption column under different meteorological conditions. Comparing the results of the different models allows us to evaluate their capabilities and target areas for future improvement. Despite their different formulations, the 1D and 3D models provide reasonably consistent predictions of some of the key global descriptors of the volcanic plumes. Variability in plume height, estimated from the standard deviation of model predictions, is within ~ 20% for the weak plume and ~ 10% for the strong plume. Predictions of neutral buoyancy level are also in reasonably good agreement among the different models, with a standard deviation ranging from 9 to 19% (the latter for the weak plume in a windy atmosphere). Overall, these discrepancies are in the range of observational uncertainty of column height. However, there are important differences amongst models in terms of local properties along the plume axis, particularly for the strong plume. Our analysis suggests that the simplified treatment of entrainment in 1D models is adequate to resolve the general behaviour of the weak plume. However, it is inadequate to capture complex features of the strong plume, such as large vortices, partial column collapse, or gravitational fountaining that strongly enhance entrainment in the lower atmosphere. We conclude that there is a need to more accurately quantify entrainment rates, improve the representation of plume radius, and incorporate the effects of column instability in future versions of 1D volcanic plume models.

Predictive performance and inter-laboratory reproducibility in assessing eye irritation potential of water- and oil-soluble mixtures using the Short Time Exposure test method.

PubMed

Abo, Takayuki; Hilberer, Allison; Behle-Wagner, Christine; Watanabe, Mika; Cameron, David; Kirst, Annette; Nukada, Yuko; Yuki, Takuo; Araki, Daisuke; Sakaguchi, Hitoshi; Itagaki, Hiroshi

2018-04-01

The Short Time Exposure (STE) test method is an alternative method for assessing eye irritation potential using Statens Seruminstitut Rabbit Cornea cells and has been adopted as test guideline 491 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its good predictive performance in identifying the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) No Category (NC) or Irritant Category has been demonstrated in evaluations of water-soluble substances, oil-soluble substances, and water-soluble mixtures. However, the predictive performance for oil-soluble mixtures was not evaluated. Twenty-four oil-soluble mixtures were evaluated using the STE test method. The GHS NC or Irritant Category of 22 oil-soluble mixtures were consistent with that of a Reconstructed human Cornea-like Epithelium (RhCE) test method. Inter-laboratory reproducibility was then confirmed using 20 water- and oil-soluble mixtures blind-coded. The concordance in GHS NC or Irritant Category among four laboratories was 90%-100%. In conclusion, the concordance in comparison with the results of RhCE test method using 24 oil-soluble mixtures and inter-laboratory reproducibility using 20 water- and oil-soluble mixtures blind-coded were good, indicating that the STE test method is a suitable alternative for predicting the eye irritation potential of both substances and mixtures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Assessment of Atmospheric Correction Processors for MERIS Based on In-Situ Measurements-Updates in OC-CCI Round Robin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Dagmar; Krasemann, Hajo; Zuhilke, Marco; Doerffer, Roland; Brockmann, Carsten; Steinmetz, Francois; Valente, Andre; Brotas, Vanda; Grant, kMicheal G.; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Melin, Frederic; Franz, Bryan A.; Mazeran, Constant; Regner, Peter

2016-08-01

The Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC- CCI) provides a long-term time series of ocean colour data and investigates the detectable climate impact. A reliable and stable atmospheric correction (AC) procedure is the basis for ocean colour products of the necessary high quality.The selection of atmospheric correction processors is repeated regularly based on a round robin exercise, at the latest when a revised production and release of the OC-CCI merged product is scheduled. Most of the AC processors are under constant development and changes are implemented to improve the quality of satellite-derived retrievals of remote sensing reflectances. The changes between versions of the inter-comparison are not restricted to the implementation of AC processors. There are activities to improve the quality flagging for some processors, and the system vicarious calibration for AC algorithms in their sensor specific behaviour are widely studied. Each inter-comparison starts with an updated in-situ database, as more spectra are included in order to broaden the temporal and spatial range of satellite match-ups. While the OC-CCI's focus has laid on case-1 waters in the past, it has expanded to the retrieval of case-2 products now. In light of this goal, new bidirectional correction procedures (normalisation) for the remote sensing spectra have been introduced. As in-situ measurements are not always available at the satellite sensor specific central wave- lengths, a band-shift algorithm has to be applied to the dataset.In order to guarantee an objective selection from a set of four atmospheric correction processors, the common validation strategy of comparisons between in-situ and satellite-derived water leaving reflectance spectra, is aided by a ranking system. In principal, the statistical parameters are transformed into relative scores, which evaluate the relationship of quality dependent on the algorithms under study. The sensitivity of these scores to the selected database has been assessed by a bootstrapping exercise, which allows identification of the uncertainty in the scoring results.A comparison of round robin results for the OC-CCI version 2 and the current version 3 is presented and some major changes are highlighted.

The Quality of Written Feedback by Attendings of Internal Medicine Residents.

PubMed

Jackson, Jeffrey L; Kay, Cynthia; Jackson, Wilkins C; Frank, Michael

2015-07-01

Attending evaluations are commonly used to evaluate residents. Evaluate the quality of written feedback of internal medicine residents. Retrospective. Internal medicine residents and faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin from 2004 to 2012. From monthly evaluations of residents by attendings, a randomly selected sample of 500 written comments by attendings were qualitatively coded and rated as high-, moderate-, or low-quality feedback by two independent coders with good inter-rater reliability (kappa: 0.94). Small group exercises with residents and attendings also coded the utterances as high, moderate, or low quality and developed criteria for this categorization. In-service examination scores were correlated with written feedback. There were 228 internal medicine residents who had 6,603 evaluations by 334 attendings. Among 500 randomly selected written comments, there were 2,056 unique utterances: 29% were coded as nonspecific statements, 20% were comments about resident personality, 16% about patient care, 14% interpersonal communication, 7% medical knowledge, 6% professionalism, and 4% each on practice-based learning and systems-based practice. Based on criteria developed by group exercises, the majority of written comments were rated as moderate quality (65%); 22% were rated as high quality and 13% as low quality. Attendings who provided high-quality feedback rated residents significantly lower in all six of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies (p <0.0005 for all), and had a greater range of scores. Negative comments on medical knowledge were associated with lower in-service examination scores. Most attending written evaluation was of moderate or low quality. Attendings who provided high-quality feedback appeared to be more discriminating, providing significantly lower ratings of residents in all six ACGME core competencies, and across a greater range. Attendings' negative written comments on medical knowledge correlated with lower in-service training scores.

What are the Starting Points? Evaluating Base-Year Assumptions in the Asian Modeling Exercise

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chaturvedi, Vaibhav; Waldhoff, Stephanie; Clarke, Leon E.

2012-12-01

A common feature of model inter-comparison efforts is that the base year numbers for important parameters such as population and GDP can differ substantially across models. This paper explores the sources and implications of this variation in Asian countries across the models participating in the Asian Modeling Exercise (AME). Because the models do not all have a common base year, each team was required to provide data for 2005 for comparison purposes. This paper compares the year 2005 information for different models, noting the degree of variation in important parameters, including population, GDP, primary energy, electricity, and CO2 emissions. Itmore » then explores the difference in these key parameters across different sources of base-year information. The analysis confirms that the sources provide different values for many key parameters. This variation across data sources and additional reasons why models might provide different base-year numbers, including differences in regional definitions, differences in model base year, and differences in GDP transformation methodologies, are then discussed in the context of the AME scenarios. Finally, the paper explores the implications of base-year variation on long-term model results.« less

Exercise self-identity: interactions with social comparison and exercise behaviour.

PubMed

Verkooijen, Kirsten T; de Bruijn, Gert-Jan

2013-01-01

Possible interactions among exercise self-identity, social comparison and exercise behaviour were explored in a sample of 417 undergraduate students (mean age = 21.5, SD = 3.0; 73% female). Two models were examined using self-report data; (1) a mediation model which proposed an association between social comparison and exercise behaviour mediated by exercise self-identity and (2) a moderation model proposing an association between exercise behaviour and self-identity moderated by social comparison. Results of the mediation analyses revealed partial mediation of the social comparison--exercise behaviour relationship by self-identity in females. Results of the moderation analyses revealed in males a significant interaction of social comparison with exercise behaviour in the prediction of self-identity - the positive association between exercise behaviour and exercise self-identity showed only significant among male students who believed to exercise equally much or less than peers. Possible explanations and implications for exercise promotion are discussed.

Determination of the anaerobic threshold in the pre-operative assessment clinic: inter-observer measurement error.

PubMed

Sinclair, R C F; Danjoux, G R; Goodridge, V; Batterham, A M

2009-11-01

The variability between observers in the interpretation of cardiopulmonary exercise tests may impact upon clinical decision making and affect the risk stratification and peri-operative management of a patient. The purpose of this study was to quantify the inter-reader variability in the determination of the anaerobic threshold (V-slope method). A series of 21 cardiopulmonary exercise tests from patients attending a surgical pre-operative assessment clinic were read independently by nine experienced clinicians regularly involved in clinical decision making. The grand mean for the anaerobic threshold was 10.5 ml O(2).kg body mass(-1).min(-1). The technical error of measurement was 8.1% (circa 0.9 ml.kg(-1).min(-1); 90% confidence interval, 7.4-8.9%). The mean absolute difference between readers was 4.5% with a typical random error of 6.5% (6.0-7.2%). We conclude that the inter-observer variability for experienced clinicians determining the anaerobic threshold from cardiopulmonary exercise tests is acceptable.

Inter-agency communication and operations capabilities during a hospital functional exercise: reliability and validity of a measurement tool.

PubMed

Savoia, Elena; Biddinger, Paul D; Burstein, Jon; Stoto, Michael A

2010-01-01

As proxies for actual emergencies, drills and exercises can raise awareness, stimulate improvements in planning and training, and provide an opportunity to examine how different components of the public health system would combine to respond to a challenge. Despite these benefits, there remains a substantial need for widely accepted and prospectively validated tools to evaluate agencies' and hospitals' performance during such events. Unfortunately, to date, few studies have focused on addressing this need. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of a qualitative performance assessment tool designed to measure hospitals' communication and operational capabilities during a functional exercise. The study population included 154 hospital personnel representing nine hospitals that participated in a functional exercise in Massachusetts in June 2008. A 25-item questionnaire was developed to assess the following three hospital functional capabilities: (1) inter-agency communication; (2) communication with the public; and (3) disaster operations. Analyses were conducted to examine internal consistency, associations among scales, the empirical structure of the items, and inter-rater agreement. Twenty-two questions were retained in the final instrument, which demonstrated reliability with alpha coefficients of 0.83 or higher for all scales. A three-factor solution from the principal components analysis accounted for 57% of the total variance, and the factor structure was consistent with the original hypothesized domains. Inter-rater agreement between participants' self reported scores and external evaluators' scores ranged from moderate to good. The resulting 22-item performance measurement tool reliably measured hospital capabilities in a functional exercise setting, with preliminary evidence of concurrent and criterion-related validity.

InterPred: A pipeline to identify and model protein-protein interactions.

PubMed

Mirabello, Claudio; Wallner, Björn

2017-06-01

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are crucial for protein function. There exist many techniques to identify PPIs experimentally, but to determine the interactions in molecular detail is still difficult and very time-consuming. The fact that the number of PPIs is vastly larger than the number of individual proteins makes it practically impossible to characterize all interactions experimentally. Computational approaches that can bridge this gap and predict PPIs and model the interactions in molecular detail are greatly needed. Here we present InterPred, a fully automated pipeline that predicts and model PPIs from sequence using structural modeling combined with massive structural comparisons and molecular docking. A key component of the method is the use of a novel random forest classifier that integrate several structural features to distinguish correct from incorrect protein-protein interaction models. We show that InterPred represents a major improvement in protein-protein interaction detection with a performance comparable or better than experimental high-throughput techniques. We also show that our full-atom protein-protein complex modeling pipeline performs better than state of the art protein docking methods on a standard benchmark set. In addition, InterPred was also one of the top predictors in the latest CAPRI37 experiment. InterPred source code can be downloaded from http://wallnerlab.org/InterPred Proteins 2017; 85:1159-1170. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

InterProScan 5: genome-scale protein function classification

PubMed Central

Jones, Philip; Binns, David; Chang, Hsin-Yu; Fraser, Matthew; Li, Weizhong; McAnulla, Craig; McWilliam, Hamish; Maslen, John; Mitchell, Alex; Nuka, Gift; Pesseat, Sebastien; Quinn, Antony F.; Sangrador-Vegas, Amaia; Scheremetjew, Maxim; Yong, Siew-Yit; Lopez, Rodrigo; Hunter, Sarah

2014-01-01

Motivation: Robust large-scale sequence analysis is a major challenge in modern genomic science, where biologists are frequently trying to characterize many millions of sequences. Here, we describe a new Java-based architecture for the widely used protein function prediction software package InterProScan. Developments include improvements and additions to the outputs of the software and the complete reimplementation of the software framework, resulting in a flexible and stable system that is able to use both multiprocessor machines and/or conventional clusters to achieve scalable distributed data analysis. InterProScan is freely available for download from the EMBl-EBI FTP site and the open source code is hosted at Google Code. Availability and implementation: InterProScan is distributed via FTP at ftp://ftp.ebi.ac.uk/pub/software/unix/iprscan/5/ and the source code is available from http://code.google.com/p/interproscan/. Contact: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/support or interhelp@ebi.ac.uk or mitchell@ebi.ac.uk PMID:24451626

CK-MM gene polymorphism does not influence the blood CK activity levels after exhaustive eccentric exercise.

PubMed

Yamin, C; Oliveira, J; Meckel, Y; Eynon, N; Sagiv, M; Ayalon, M; Alves, A J; Duarte, J A

2010-03-01

Gene variants, such as creatine kinase (CK) polymorphisms, have been suggested to explain the inter-individual blood CK response to eccentric exercise. However, since this association is still doubtful, the purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between the magnitudes of the CK response to exercise with the occurrence of muscle CK-MM NcoI polymorphism in young healthy subjects. Blood CK activity was assessed in 70 subjects immediately before and 3, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 168 h after strenuous eccentric exercise. Based on the amount of CK release by each subject, the sample was distributed in quartiles and the genotype and allele frequency distribution was compared among quartiles. Despite the inter-individual variability of CK response observed between subjects, there were no differences in genotype and allele frequencies among quartiles. The results allowed us to conclude that CK response after exhaustive eccentric exercise is not associated with CK-MM Ncol polymorphism. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.New York.

Summary Report for the Environmental Protection Agency MERL/FRMAC Mission Alignment Exercise held at the Environmental Protection Agency Facility on June 24-26 2014

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, Mark B.; Shanks, Sonoya Toyoko; Fournier, Sean Donovan

From June 24th thru June 26th 2014, members of the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), FRMAC Fly Away Laboratory, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) participated in a joint nuclear incident emergency response/round robin exercise at the EPA facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The purpose of this exercise was to strengthen the interoperability relationship between the FRMAC Fly Away Laboratory (FAL) and the EPA Mobile Environmental Radiation Laboratory (MERL) stationed in Las Vegas, Nevada. The exercise was designed to allow for immediate delivery of pre-staged, spiked samples to the EPA MERL and the FAL for sample preparation andmore » radiological analysis. Upon completion of laboratory analysis, data was reviewed and submitted back to the FRMAC via an electronic data deliverable (EDD). In order to conduct a laboratory inter-comparison study, samples were then traded between the two laboratories and re-counted. As part of the exercise, an evaluation was conducted to identify gaps and potential areas for improvements for FRMAC, FAL and EPA operations. Additionally, noteworthy practices and potential future areas of interoperability opportunities between the FRMAC, FAL and EPA were acknowledged. The exercise also provided a unique opportunity for FRMAC personnel to observe EPA sample receipt and sample preparation processes and to gain familiarity with the MERL laboratory instrumentation and radiation detection capabilities. The areas for potential improvements and interoperability from this exercise will be critical for developing a more efficient, integrated response for future interactions between the FRMAC and EPA MERL assets.« less

Effects of Combined Phase III and Phase II Cardiac Exercise Therapy for Middle-aged Male Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

PubMed Central

Lee, Chih-Wei; Wang, Ji-Hung; Hsieh, Jen-Che; Hsieh, Tsung-Cheng; Huang, Chien-Hui

2013-01-01

[Purpose] To investigate the effects of cardiac exercise therapy (CET) on exercise capacity and coronary risk factors (CRFs) of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). [Methods] Patients who participated in an 8-week supervised, hospital-based phase II and 6-month home-based phase III CET with monthly telephone and/or home visits were defined as the exercise group (EG) (n=20), while those who did not receive phase II or phase III CET were defined as the no-exercise group (NEG) (n=10). CRFs were evaluated pre- and post-phase II and eight months after discharge. One and two-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to perform intra- and inter-group comparisons. [Results] Thirty men with AMI aged 49.3 ± 8.3 years were studied. EG increased their exercise capacity (METs) (6.8 ± 1.6 vs.10.0 ± 1.9) after phase II CET and was able to maintain it at 8-month follow-up. Both groups had significantly fewer persons who kept on smoking compared to the first examination. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased from 38.1 ± 11.0 to 43.7 ± 8.7 mg/dl at follow-up in EG while no significant difference was noted in NEG. [Conclusion] After phase III CET subjects had maintained the therapeutic effects of smoking cessation, and increasing exercise capacity obtained in phase II CET. HDL-C in EG continued to improve during phase III CET. PMID:24396201

Dose–response effects of aerobic exercise on energy compensation in postmenopausal women: combined results from two randomized controlled trials

PubMed Central

McNeil, J; Brenner, D R; Courneya, K S; Friedenreich, C M

2017-01-01

Background/objectives: Despite the clear health benefits of exercise, exercised-induced weight loss is often less than expected. The term ‘exercise energy compensation’ is used to define the amount of weight loss below what is expected for the amount of exercise energy expenditure. We examined the dose–response effects of exercise volume on energy compensation in postmenopausal women. Participants/methods: Data from Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Prevention (ALPHA) and Breast Cancer and Exercise Trial in Alberta (BETA) were combined for the present analysis. The ALPHA and BETA trials were two-centred, two-armed, 12-month randomized controlled trials. The ALPHA trial included 160 participants randomized to 225 min per week of aerobic exercise, and the BETA trial randomized 200 participants to each 150 and 300 min per week of aerobic exercise. All participants were aged 50–74 years, moderately inactive (<90 min per week of exercise), had no previous cancer diagnosis and a body mass index between 22 and 40 kg m−2. Energy compensation was based on changes in body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan) and estimated exercise energy expenditure from completed exercise volume. Associations between Δenergy intake, ΔVO2peak and Δphysical activity time with energy compensation were assessed. Results: No differences in energy compensation were noted between interventions. However, there were large inter-individual differences in energy compensation between participants; 9.4% experienced body composition changes that were greater than expected based on exercise energy expenditure, 64% experienced some degree of energy compensation and 26.6% experienced weight gain based on exercise energy expenditure. Increases in VO2peak were associated with reductions in energy compensation (β=−3.44 ml kg−1 min−1, 95% confidence interval for β=−4.71 to −2.17 ml kg−1 min−1; P=0.0001). Conclusions: Large inter-individual differences in energy compensation were noted, despite no differences between activity doses. In addition, increases in VO2peak were associated with lower energy compensation. Future studies are needed to identify behavioral and metabolic factors that may contribute to this large inter-individual variability in energy compensation. PMID:28360432

MCNPX simulation of proton dose distribution in homogeneous and CT phantoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. C.; Lee, Y. J.; Tung, C. J.; Cheng, H. W.; Chao, T. C.

2014-02-01

A dose simulation system was constructed based on the MCNPX Monte Carlo package to simulate proton dose distribution in homogeneous and CT phantoms. Conversion from Hounsfield unit of a patient CT image set to material information necessary for Monte Carlo simulation is based on Schneider's approach. In order to validate this simulation system, inter-comparison of depth dose distributions among those obtained from the MCNPX, GEANT4 and FLUKA codes for a 160 MeV monoenergetic proton beam incident normally on the surface of a homogeneous water phantom was performed. For dose validation within the CT phantom, direct comparison with measurement is infeasible. Instead, this study took the approach to indirectly compare the 50% ranges (R50%) along the central axis by our system to the NIST CSDA ranges for beams with 160 and 115 MeV energies. Comparison result within the homogeneous phantom shows good agreement. Differences of simulated R50% among the three codes are less than 1 mm. For results within the CT phantom, the MCNPX simulated water equivalent Req,50% are compatible with the CSDA water equivalent ranges from the NIST database with differences of 0.7 and 4.1 mm for 160 and 115 MeV beams, respectively.

A study on multiresolution lossless video coding using inter/intra frame adaptive prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakachi, Takayuki; Sawabe, Tomoko; Fujii, Tetsuro

2003-06-01

Lossless video coding is required in the fields of archiving and editing digital cinema or digital broadcasting contents. This paper combines a discrete wavelet transform and adaptive inter/intra-frame prediction in the wavelet transform domain to create multiresolution lossless video coding. The multiresolution structure offered by the wavelet transform facilitates interchange among several video source formats such as Super High Definition (SHD) images, HDTV, SDTV, and mobile applications. Adaptive inter/intra-frame prediction is an extension of JPEG-LS, a state-of-the-art lossless still image compression standard. Based on the image statistics of the wavelet transform domains in successive frames, inter/intra frame adaptive prediction is applied to the appropriate wavelet transform domain. This adaptation offers superior compression performance. This is achieved with low computational cost and no increase in additional information. Experiments on digital cinema test sequences confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Intra- and Inter-Individual Variation in Self-Reported Code-Switching Patterns of Adult Multilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewaele, Jean-Marc; Li, Wei

2014-01-01

The present study is a large-scale quantitative analysis of intra-individual variation (linked to type of interlocutor) and inter-individual variation (linked to multilingualism, sociobiographical variables and three personality traits) in self-reported frequency of code-switching (CS) among 2116 multilinguals. We found a significant effect of…

Vector quantization for efficient coding of upper subbands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeng, W. J.; Huang, Y. F.

1994-01-01

This paper examines the application of vector quantization (VQ) to exploit both intra-band and inter-band redundancy in subband coding. The focus here is on the exploitation of inter-band dependency. It is shown that VQ is particularly suitable and effective for coding the upper subbands. Three subband decomposition-based VQ coding schemes are proposed here to exploit the inter-band dependency by making full use of the extra flexibility of VQ approach over scalar quantization. A quadtree-based variable rate VQ (VRVQ) scheme which takes full advantage of the intra-band and inter-band redundancy is first proposed. Then, a more easily implementable alternative based on an efficient block-based edge estimation technique is employed to overcome the implementational barriers of the first scheme. Finally, a predictive VQ scheme formulated in the context of finite state VQ is proposed to further exploit the dependency among different subbands. A VRVQ scheme proposed elsewhere is extended to provide an efficient bit allocation procedure. Simulation results show that these three hybrid techniques have advantages, in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and complexity, over other existing subband-VQ approaches.

Inter-laboratory exercise on antibiotic drugs analysis in aqueous samples.

PubMed

Roig, B; Brogat, M; Mompelat, S; Leveque, J; Cadiere, A; Thomas, O

2012-08-30

An inter-laboratory exercise was organized under the PHARMAS EU project, by the Advanced School of Public Health (EHESP), in order to evaluate the performances of analytical methods for the measurement of antibiotics in waters (surface and tap). This is the first time such an exercise on antibiotics has been organized in Europe, using different kinds of analytical methods and devices. In this exercise thirteen laboratories from five countries (Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal) participated, and a total number of 78 samples were distributed. During the exercise, 2 testing samples (3 bottles of each) prepared from tap water and river water, respectively, spiked with antibiotics, were sent to participants and analyzed over a period of one month. A final number of 77 (98.7%) testing samples were considered. Depending on substances studied by each participant, 305 values in duplicate were collected, with the results for each sample being expressed as the target concentration. A statistical study was initiated using 611 results. The mean value, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, standard uncertainty of the mean, median, the minimum and maximum values of each series as well as the 95% confidence interval were obtained from each participant laboratory. In this exercise, 36 results (6% of accounted values) were outliers according to the distribution over the median (box plot). The outlier results were excluded. In order to establish the stability of testing samples in the course of the exercise, differences between variances obtained for every type of sample at different intervals were evaluated. The results showed no representative variations and it can be considered that all samples were stable during the exercise. The goals of this inter-laboratory study were to assess results variability when analysis is conducted by different laboratories, to evaluate the influence of different matrix samples, and to determine the rate at which participating laboratories successfully completed the tests initiated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic inter-limb resistance exercise device for long-duration space flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwandt, Douglas F.; Watenpaugh, Donald E.; Parazynski, Scott E.; Hargens, Alan R.

1991-01-01

Essential for fitness on Earth, resistive exercise is even more important for astronauts, who must maintain muscle and bone strength in the absence of gravity. To meet this need, designers and scientists at NASA Ames Research Center, Life Science Division, have worked to develop more effective exercise devices for long-duration exposure to microgravity. One of these concepts is the Inter-Limb Resistance Device which allows the subject to exercise one limb directly against another, strengthening muscle groups in the arms, legs, and back. It features a modular harness with an inelastic cable and instrumented pulley. Forces similar to other high resistance exercise equipment are generated. Sensors in the pulley measure force and velocity for performance feedback display and data acquisition. This free-floating apparatus avoids vibration of sensitive experiments on board spacecraft. Compact with low mass, this hardware is also well suited for a 'safe haven' from radiation on board Space Station Freedom, and may prove useful in confined environments on Earth, such as Antarctic stations, submarines, and other underwater habitats. Potential spin-offs of this technology include products for personal strengthening and cardiovascular conditioning, rehabilitation of hospital patients, fitness exercise for the disabled, and retraining after sports injuries.

Participating in and delivering the ATEAM trial (Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage) interventions for chronic back pain: A qualitative study of professional perspectives.

PubMed

Beattie, Angela; Shaw, Alison; Yardley, Lucy; Little, Paul; Sharp, Debbie

2010-01-01

To outline professionals' experiences of participation, perceived benefits and acceptability of the interventions delivered in the ATEAM trial (Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage), for patients with chronic or recurrent back pain. Qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted with a purposeful sample of twenty professionals (general practitioners (GPs), nurses, Alexander technique teachers, and massage therapists). Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically using the constant comparison method. Evidence of effectiveness GPs wanted an evidence base for the interventions, whilst nurses, Alexander technique teachers and massage therapists perceived patient reports of benefit as evidence. Professionals' perception of the acceptability of the intervention: professional perspectives differed, with GPs and nurses viewing the structured nature of exercise prescription and Alexander technique lessons as more beneficial and acceptable than massage in alleviating patients' back pain. Economic cost: the cost to patients pursuing Alexander technique lessons and massage was perceived to be a barrier outside the trial. Inter-professional communication: there was little communication between the professionals groups within the trial. Valuable insights have been gained into the perceived benefits and acceptability of exercise, Alexander technique lessons and massage as interventions for chronic back pain. Lessons in the Alexander technique with or without exercise, was perceived as more beneficial and acceptable than massage by professionals who participated and delivered the ATEAM trial interventions. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of core stabilization exercise in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Gür, Gözde; Ayhan, Cigdem; Yakut, Yavuz

2017-06-01

Core stabilization training is used to improve postural balance in musculoskeletal problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of stabilization training in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A randomized controlled trial, pretest-posttest design. In total, 25 subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were randomly divided into two groups: stabilization group ( n = 12) and control group ( n = 13). The stabilization group received core stabilization in addition to traditional rehabilitation, and the control group received traditional rehabilitation for 10 weeks. Assessment included Cobb's angle on radiograph, apical vertebral rotation in Adam's test, trunk asymmetry (Posterior Trunk Symmetry Index), cosmetic trunk deformity (Trunk Appearance Perception Scale), and quality of life (Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire). Inter-group comparisons showed significantly greater improvements in the mean change in lumbar apical vertebral rotation degree and the pain domain of Scoliosis Research Society-22 in the stabilization group than those in the control group ( p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for other measurements between the groups; however, trends toward greater improvement were observed in the stabilization group. Core stabilization training in addition to traditional exercises was more effective than traditional exercises alone in the correction of vertebral rotation and reduction of pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Clinical relevance Stabilization exercises are more effective in reducing rotation deformity and pain than traditional exercises in the conservative rehabilitation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. These improvements suggest that stabilization training should be added to rehabilitation programs in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

[Impact of a Senso-Motoric Intervention in COPD-Patients Participating in an Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial].

PubMed

Spielmanns, M; Müller, K; Schott, N; Winkler, A; Polanski, H; Nell, C; Boeselt, T; Koczulla, A R; Storre, J H; Windisch, W; Magnet, F S; Baum, K

2017-06-01

Objective Exercise training provides a cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in COPD-patients. However, the components of the training are not yet fully investigated. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of a sensory-motoric training (SMT) in comparison to a conventional strength training (KT) according to the physical performance. Patients and Methods: 43 COPD patients were randomized and participated either in the intervention group (SMT = 30 minutes SMT per day) or in the control group (KT = 30 minutes KT per day). The SMT was performed as circuit training with five stations. The primary endpoint was the difference between T1 (start of the PR) and T2 (end of the PR) in 5-Times Sit-to-stand test (5-STST) in the intergroup comparison. Secondary endpoints were the intra- and intergroup comparisons of T1 and T2 in the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Hospital Anxiety- and Depression Scale (HADS) and in lung function. Results No significant differences were seen in the results of the 5-STST between the groups. Likewise, in the 6-MWT, SGRQ, CAT, HADS and lung function. The intragroup comparison between T1 and T2 showed significant differences in 5-STST, 6-MWT, SGRQ, CAT and HADS in both groups. The differences in lung function were not significantly, neither in the inter- nor in the intragroup comparison. Conclusion Similarly to a conventional strength training improvements in exercise capacity could be achieved with a SMT during PR in COPD patients. Further studies are necessary to define the role of the SMT in regards to postural control. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Exercise economy in skiing and running

PubMed Central

Losnegard, Thomas; Schäfer, Daniela; Hallén, Jostein

2014-01-01

Substantial inter-individual variations in exercise economy exist even in highly trained endurance athletes. The variation is believed to be determined partly by intrinsic factors. Therefore, in the present study, we compared exercise economy in V2-skating, double poling, and uphill running. Ten highly trained male cross-country skiers (23 ± 3 years, 180 ± 6 cm, 75 ± 8 kg, VO2peak running: 76.3 ± 5.6 mL·kg−1·min−1) participated in the study. Exercise economy and VO2peak during treadmill running, ski skating (V2 technique) and double poling were compared based on correlation analysis. There was a very large correlation in exercise economy between V2-skating and double poling (r = 0.81) and large correlations between V2-skating and running (r = 0.53) and double poling and running (r = 0.58). There were trivial to moderate correlations between exercise economy and the intrinsic factors VO2peak (r = 0.00–0.23), cycle rate (r = 0.03–0.46), body mass (r = −0.09–0.46) and body height (r = 0.11–0.36). In conclusion, the inter-individual variation in exercise economy could be explained only moderately by differences in VO2peak, body mass and body height. Apparently other intrinsic factors contribute to the variation in exercise economy between highly trained subjects. PMID:24478718

Cerebellar sub-divisions differ in exercise-induced plasticity of noradrenergic axons and in their association with resilience to activity-based anorexia.

PubMed

Nedelescu, Hermina; Chowdhury, Tara G; Wable, Gauri S; Arbuthnott, Gordon; Aoki, Chiye

2017-01-01

The vermis or "spinocerebellum" receives input from the spinal cord and motor cortex for controlling balance and locomotion, while the longitudinal hemisphere region or "cerebro-cerebellum" is interconnected with non-motor cortical regions, including the prefrontal cortex that underlies decision-making. Noradrenaline release in the cerebellum is known to be important for motor plasticity but less is known about plasticity of the cerebellar noradrenergic (NA) system, itself. We characterized plasticity of dopamine β-hydroxylase-immunoreactive NA fibers in the cerebellum of adolescent female rats that are evoked by voluntary wheel running, food restriction (FR) or by both, in combination. When 8 days of wheel access was combined with FR during the last 4 days, some responded with excessive exercise, choosing to run even during the hours of food access: this exacerbated weight loss beyond that due to FR alone. In the vermis, exercise, with or without FR, shortened the inter-varicosity intervals and increased varicosity density along NA fibers, while excessive exercise, due to FR, also shortened NA fibers. In contrast, the hemisphere required the FR-evoked excessive exercise to evoke shortened inter-varicosity intervals along NA fibers and this change was exhibited more strongly by rats that suppressed the FR-evoked excessive exercise, a behavior that minimized weight loss. Presuming that shortened inter-varicosity intervals translate to enhanced NA release and synthesis of norepinephrine, this enhancement in the cerebellar hemisphere may contribute towards protection of individuals from the life-threatening activity-based anorexia via relays with higher-order cortical areas that mediate the animal's decision to suppress the innate FR-evoked hyperactivity.

Inter-Sentential Patterns of Code-Switching: A Gender-Based Investigation of Male and Female EFL Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulzar, Malik Ajmal; Farooq, Muhammad Umar; Umer, Muhammad

2013-01-01

This article has sought to contribute to discussions concerning the value of inter-sentential patterns of code-switching (henceforth ISPCS) particularly in the context of EFL classrooms. Through a detailed analysis of recorded data produced in that context, distinctive features in the discourse were discerned which were associated with males' and…

[Reliability and reproducibility of the Fitzpatrick phototype scale for skin sensitivity to ultraviolet light].

PubMed

Sánchez, Guillermo; Nova, John; Arias, Nilsa; Peña, Bibiana

2008-12-01

The Fitzpatrick phototype scale has been used to determine skin sensitivity to ultraviolet light. The reliability of this scale in estimating sensitivity permits risk evaluation of skin cancer based on phototype. Reliability and changes in intra and inter-observer concordance was determined for the Fitzpatrick phototype scale after the assessment methods for establishing the phototype were standardized. An analytical study of intra and inter-observer concordance was performed. The Fitzpatrick phototype scale was standardized using focus group methodology. To determine intra and inter-observer agreement, the weighted kappa statistical method was applied. The standardization effect was measured using the equal kappa contrast hypothesis and Wald test for dependent measurements. The phototype scale was applied to 155 patients over 15 years of age who were assessed four times by two independent observers. The sample was drawn from patients of the Centro Dermatol6gico Federico Lleras Acosta. During the pre-standardization phase, the baseline and six-week inter-observer weighted kappa were 0.31 and 0.40, respectively. The intra-observer kappa values for observers A and B were 0.47 and 0.51, respectively. After the standardization process, the baseline and six-week inter-observer weighted kappa values were 0.77, and 0.82, respectively. Intra-observer kappa coefficients for observers A and B were 0.78 and 0.82. Statistically significant differences were found between coefficients before and after standardization (p<0.001) in all comparisons. Following a standardization exercise, the Fitzpatrick phototype scale yielded reliable, reproducible and consistent results.

Comparison of Danish dichotomous and BI-RADS classifications of mammographic density.

PubMed

Hodge, Rebecca; Hellmann, Sophie Sell; von Euler-Chelpin, My; Vejborg, Ilse; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic

2014-06-01

In the Copenhagen mammography screening program from 1991 to 2001, mammographic density was classified either as fatty or mixed/dense. This dichotomous mammographic density classification system is unique internationally, and has not been validated before. To compare the Danish dichotomous mammographic density classification system from 1991 to 2001 with the density BI-RADS classifications, in an attempt to validate the Danish classification system. The study sample consisted of 120 mammograms taken in Copenhagen in 1991-2001, which tested false positive, and which were in 2012 re-assessed and classified according to the BI-RADS classification system. We calculated inter-rater agreement between the Danish dichotomous mammographic classification as fatty or mixed/dense and the four-level BI-RADS classification by the linear weighted Kappa statistic. Of the 120 women, 32 (26.7%) were classified as having fatty and 88 (73.3%) as mixed/dense mammographic density, according to Danish dichotomous classification. According to BI-RADS density classification, 12 (10.0%) women were classified as having predominantly fatty (BI-RADS code 1), 46 (38.3%) as having scattered fibroglandular (BI-RADS code 2), 57 (47.5%) as having heterogeneously dense (BI-RADS 3), and five (4.2%) as having extremely dense (BI-RADS code 4) mammographic density. The inter-rater variability assessed by weighted kappa statistic showed a substantial agreement (0.75). The dichotomous mammographic density classification system utilized in early years of Copenhagen's mammographic screening program (1991-2001) agreed well with the BI-RADS density classification system.

Financial and clinical governance implications of clinical coding accuracy in neurosurgery: a multidisciplinary audit.

PubMed

Haliasos, N; Rezajooi, K; O'neill, K S; Van Dellen, J; Hudovsky, Anita; Nouraei, Sar

2010-04-01

Clinical coding is the translation of documented clinical activities during an admission to a codified language. Healthcare Resource Groupings (HRGs) are derived from coding data and are used to calculate payment to hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland and to conduct national audit and benchmarking exercises. Coding is an error-prone process and an understanding of its accuracy within neurosurgery is critical for financial, organizational and clinical governance purposes. We undertook a multidisciplinary audit of neurosurgical clinical coding accuracy. Neurosurgeons trained in coding assessed the accuracy of 386 patient episodes. Where clinicians felt a coding error was present, the case was discussed with an experienced clinical coder. Concordance between the initial coder-only clinical coding and the final clinician-coder multidisciplinary coding was assessed. At least one coding error occurred in 71/386 patients (18.4%). There were 36 diagnosis and 93 procedure errors and in 40 cases, the initial HRG changed (10.4%). Financially, this translated to pound111 revenue-loss per patient episode and projected to pound171,452 of annual loss to the department. 85% of all coding errors were due to accumulation of coding changes that occurred only once in the whole data set. Neurosurgical clinical coding is error-prone. This is financially disadvantageous and with the coding data being the source of comparisons within and between departments, coding inaccuracies paint a distorted picture of departmental activity and subspecialism in audit and benchmarking. Clinical engagement improves accuracy and is encouraged within a clinical governance framework.

Comparison of lossless compression techniques for prepress color images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Assche, Steven; Denecker, Koen N.; Philips, Wilfried R.; Lemahieu, Ignace L.

1998-12-01

In the pre-press industry color images have both a high spatial and a high color resolution. Such images require a considerable amount of storage space and impose long transmission times. Data compression is desired to reduce these storage and transmission problems. Because of the high quality requirements in the pre-press industry only lossless compression is acceptable. Most existing lossless compression schemes operate on gray-scale images. In this case the color components of color images must be compressed independently. However, higher compression ratios can be achieved by exploiting inter-color redundancies. In this paper we present a comparison of three state-of-the-art lossless compression techniques which exploit such color redundancies: IEP (Inter- color Error Prediction) and a KLT-based technique, which are both linear color decorrelation techniques, and Interframe CALIC, which uses a non-linear approach to color decorrelation. It is shown that these techniques are able to exploit color redundancies and that color decorrelation can be done effectively and efficiently. The linear color decorrelators provide a considerable coding gain (about 2 bpp) on some typical prepress images. The non-linear interframe CALIC predictor does not yield better results, but the full interframe CALIC technique does.

Verification of the predictive capabilities of the 4C code cryogenic circuit model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanino, R.; Bonifetto, R.; Hoa, C.; Richard, L. Savoldi

2014-01-01

The 4C code was developed to model thermal-hydraulics in superconducting magnet systems and related cryogenic circuits. It consists of three coupled modules: a quasi-3D thermal-hydraulic model of the winding; a quasi-3D model of heat conduction in the magnet structures; an object-oriented a-causal model of the cryogenic circuit. In the last couple of years the code and its different modules have undergone a series of validation exercises against experimental data, including also data coming from the supercritical He loop HELIOS at CEA Grenoble. However, all this analysis work was done each time after the experiments had been performed. In this paper a first demonstration is given of the predictive capabilities of the 4C code cryogenic circuit module. To do that, a set of ad-hoc experimental scenarios have been designed, including different heating and control strategies. Simulations with the cryogenic circuit module of 4C have then been performed before the experiment. The comparison presented here between the code predictions and the results of the HELIOS measurements gives the first proof of the excellent predictive capability of the 4C code cryogenic circuit module.

Punjabi Sikh patients' perceived barriers to engaging in physical exercise following myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Galdas, Paul M; Oliffe, John L; Kang, H Bindy K; Kelly, Mary T

2012-11-01

The aim of this research was to describe Punjabi Sikh patients' perceived barriers to engaging in physical exercise following myocardial infarction (MI). A qualitative, interpretive descriptive methodology was used. The sample included 15 Punjabi Sikh patients who were attending a cardiac rehabilitation education program in an urban center of British Columbia, Canada, following MI. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and were audio recorded, translated from Punjabi to English, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic approach that involved a process of coding and constant comparison. Four key factors emerged that related to participants' perceived barriers to sustained engagement in physical activity: (1) difficulty in determining safe exertion levels independently; (2) fatigue and weakness; (3) preference for 'informal' exercise; and (4) migration-related challenges. The findings have implications for the design and delivery of health promotion strategies aimed at Punjabi Sikh patients' post-MI that is contingent on the use of 'formal' exercise settings to promote regular physical activity. The willingness among Punjabi Sikh patients to practise brisk walking offers a positive direction that public health nurses and other healthcare professionals may want to capitalize on in the delivery of exercise-related health promotion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Dual-Channel Acquisition Method Based on Extended Replica Folding Algorithm for Long Pseudo-Noise Code in Inter-Satellite Links.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongbo; Chen, Yuying; Feng, Wenquan; Zhuang, Chen

2018-05-25

Inter-satellite links are an important component of the new generation of satellite navigation systems, characterized by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), complex electromagnetic interference and the short time slot of each satellite, which brings difficulties to the acquisition stage. The inter-satellite link in both Global Positioning System (GPS) and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) adopt the long code spread spectrum system. However, long code acquisition is a difficult and time-consuming task due to the long code period. Traditional folding methods such as extended replica folding acquisition search technique (XFAST) and direct average are largely restricted because of code Doppler and additional SNR loss caused by replica folding. The dual folding method (DF-XFAST) and dual-channel method have been proposed to achieve long code acquisition in low SNR and high dynamic situations, respectively, but the former is easily affected by code Doppler and the latter is not fast enough. Considering the environment of inter-satellite links and the problems of existing algorithms, this paper proposes a new long code acquisition algorithm named dual-channel acquisition method based on the extended replica folding algorithm (DC-XFAST). This method employs dual channels for verification. Each channel contains an incoming signal block. Local code samples are folded and zero-padded to the length of the incoming signal block. After a circular FFT operation, the correlation results contain two peaks of the same magnitude and specified relative position. The detection process is eased through finding the two largest values. The verification takes all the full and partial peaks into account. Numerical results reveal that the DC-XFAST method can improve acquisition performance while acquisition speed is guaranteed. The method has a significantly higher acquisition probability than folding methods XFAST and DF-XFAST. Moreover, with the advantage of higher detection probability and lower false alarm probability, it has a lower mean acquisition time than traditional XFAST, DF-XFAST and zero-padding.

All-optical OFDM network coding scheme for all-optical virtual private communication in PON

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lijun; Gu, Rentao; Ji, Yuefeng; Bai, Lin; Huang, Zhitong

2014-03-01

A novel optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) network coding scheme is proposed over passive optical network (PON) system. The proposed scheme for all-optical virtual private network (VPN) does not only improve transmission efficiency, but also realize full-duplex communication mode in a single fiber. Compared with the traditional all-optical VPN architectures, the all-optical OFDM network coding scheme can support higher speed, more flexible bandwidth allocation, and higher spectrum efficiency. In order to reduce the difficulty of alignment for encoding operation between inter-communication traffic, the width of OFDM subcarrier pulse is stretched in our proposed scheme. The feasibility of all-optical OFDM network coding scheme for VPN is verified, and the relevant simulation results show that the full-duplex inter-communication traffic stream can be transmitted successfully. Furthermore, the tolerance of misalignment existing in inter-ONUs traffic is investigated and analyzed for all-optical encoding operation, and the difficulty of pulse alignment is proved to be lower.

An inter- laboratory proficiency testing exercise for rabies diagnosis in Latin America and the Caribbean

PubMed Central

Clavijo, Alfonso; Freire de Carvalho, Mary H.; Orciari, Lillian A.; Velasco-Villa, Andres; Ellison, James A.; Greenberg, Lauren; Yager, Pamela A.; Green, Douglas B.; Vigilato, Marco A.; Cosivi, Ottorino; Del Rio-Vilas, Victor J.

2017-01-01

The direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA), is performed in all rabies reference laboratories across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Despite DFA being a critical capacity in the control of rabies, there is not a standardized protocol in the region. We describe the results of the first inter-laboratory proficiency exercise of national rabies laboratories in LAC countries as part of the regional efforts towards dog-maintained rabies elimination in the American region. Twenty three laboratories affiliated to the Ministries of Health and Ministries of Agriculture participated in this exercise. In addition, the laboratories completed an online questionnaire to assess laboratory practices. Answers to the online questionnaire indicated large variability in the laboratories throughput, equipment used, protocols availability, quality control standards and biosafety requirements. Our results will inform actions to improve and harmonize laboratory rabies capacities across LAC in support for the regional efforts towards elimination of dog-maintained rabies. PMID:28369139

The role of inter-comparisons in radiocarbon quality assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Marian; Cook, Gordon; Naysmith, Philip

2016-04-01

Radiocarbon dating is used widely in many geochronology projects as a basis for the creation and testing of chronological constructs. Radiocarbon measurements are by their nature complex and the degree of sample pre-treatment varies considerably depending on the material. Within the UK and Europe, there are a number of well-established laboratories and increasingly, scientists are not just commissioning new dates, but also using statistical modelling of assemblages of dates, perhaps measured in different laboratories, to provide formal date estimates for their investigations. The issue of comparability of measurements (and thus bias, accuracy and precision of measurement) from the diverse laboratories is one which has been the focus of some attention both within the 14C community and the wider user communities for some time. As a result of this but also as part of laboratory benchmarking and quality assurance, the 14C community has undertaken a wide-scale, far-reaching and evolving programme of inter-comparisons, to the benefit of laboratories and users alike. This paper presents the results from the most recent exercise SIRI. The objectives of SIRI included, through choice of material, to contribute to the discussion concerning laboratory offsets and error multipliers in the context of IntCal (the International Calibration Programme) and to gain a better understanding of differences in background derived from a range of infinite age material types.

Association of cardiovascular response to an acute resistance training session with the ACE gene polymorphism in sedentary women: a randomized trial.

PubMed

de Souza, Jéssica Cardoso; Tibana, Ramires Alsamir; de Sousa, Nuno Manuel Frade; de Souza, Vinícius Carolino; Karnikowski, Margô G O; Prestes, Jonato; Campbell, Carmen Silvia Grubert

2013-01-10

The aim of the present study was to verify the effects of an acute resistance training (RT) session and insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean blood pressure (MBP), and heart rate (HR). The sample consisted of 27 sedentary women (33.3 ± 8.2 yrs; 69.1 ± 13.8 kg; 1.57 ± 0.05 m; 27.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2) divided into two groups according to their polymorphism I/D (DD = 9; II + ID = 18). Volunteers underwent two experimental sessions: RT - an acute session performed with three sets at 60% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) interspersed with 1 minute rest interval between exercises and sets, and a control session (CON) in which they remained seated for 30 minutes in the laboratory. SBP, DBP, MBP and HR were measured before exercise and during one hour every 10 minutes after sessions, in the seated position. A two-way ANOVA for repeated measures with Tukey's post hoc test was used for the intra and inter-group comparisons. There were no statistically significant differences on SBP, DBP and MBP after the experimental protocols, and no effect of ACE polymorphism (P > 0.05). However, comparing CON versus exercise effect size values (ES), homozygotic carriers of the allele D presented a drop in SBP which was considered moderate, while in allele I carriers it was small, 30 minutes after exercise. In MBP, homozygotic D carriers exhibited a large ES 20 minutes post-exercise. HR was higher at 10, 20 and 30 minutes after exercise as compared to pre-exercise only for carriers of the I allele (  < 0.05). Therefore, an acute RT session reduces clinical BP. In addition to this; it seems that ACE polymorphism had some influence on cardiovascular response to exercise. RBR-6GDYVZ.

A suite of exercises for verifying dynamic earthquake rupture codes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, Ruth A.; Barall, Michael; Aagaard, Brad T.; Ma, Shuo; Roten, Daniel; Olsen, Kim B.; Duan, Benchun; Liu, Dunyu; Luo, Bin; Bai, Kangchen; Ampuero, Jean-Paul; Kaneko, Yoshihiro; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Duru, Kenneth; Ulrich, Thomas; Wollherr, Stephanie; Shi, Zheqiang; Dunham, Eric; Bydlon, Sam; Zhang, Zhenguo; Chen, Xiaofei; Somala, Surendra N.; Pelties, Christian; Tago, Josue; Cruz-Atienza, Victor Manuel; Kozdon, Jeremy; Daub, Eric; Aslam, Khurram; Kase, Yuko; Withers, Kyle; Dalguer, Luis

2018-01-01

We describe a set of benchmark exercises that are designed to test if computer codes that simulate dynamic earthquake rupture are working as intended. These types of computer codes are often used to understand how earthquakes operate, and they produce simulation results that include earthquake size, amounts of fault slip, and the patterns of ground shaking and crustal deformation. The benchmark exercises examine a range of features that scientists incorporate in their dynamic earthquake rupture simulations. These include implementations of simple or complex fault geometry, off‐fault rock response to an earthquake, stress conditions, and a variety of formulations for fault friction. Many of the benchmarks were designed to investigate scientific problems at the forefronts of earthquake physics and strong ground motions research. The exercises are freely available on our website for use by the scientific community.

Mediating the gap between the white coat ceremony and the ethics and professionalism curriculum.

PubMed

Cohn, Felicia; Lie, Désirée

2002-11-01

Like many other medical schools, the University of California, Irvine annually conducts a White Coat ceremony in which incoming students take a professional oath of ethical conduct.(1) We report a new educational activity to connect the values expressed in the oath taken to the Ethics and Professionalism (EP) curriculum for first-year medical students(2) and its potential impact on physician training. Following the White Coat ceremony, students participated in the Patient Doctor Society course that integrates diverse curricular topics centered on physician-patient communication. During this course, the students were introduced to EP content through a collaborative peer exercise. With the assistance of background readings on professional values and ethics concepts, small groups of students were asked to construct their own codes of ethics. The process of working in a group became part of the learning. After developing a code of ethics, each group was asked to identify primary values embodied in its code; primary obligations to patients and their families, other members of the health care team, and the community; key factors influencing code development; and likely effects of the code on the conduct of medical students and physicians. The goals of the session were to recognize formally both individual values and the values to which students commit themselves during the White Coat ceremony, to facilitate understanding of those values, and to begin to reconcile differences between personal and professional values. The small groups convened to report their findings in a three-hour session. Common values expressed by the students included patient autonomy, respect, beneficence, and professionalism. The delivery of quality health care, communication, education, and the equitable distribution of health care were among the most often listed obligations. The students reported that culture, societal values, family, experience, religion, education, and assigned readings were the key sources of the values in their codes. Most of the students enjoyed and learned from the exercise, believing that a code of ethics will serve as a helpful educational guide while they are students and as an action guide in their future practices. Student evaluations, narrative feedback, and faculty observation indicated that the students appreciated the opportunity to work in teams and to explore professional values. The students' most common suggestion for improvement involved incorporating analysis of clinical cases in which questions about professional values arise. Medical educators suggest that students' values and professional behaviors change throughout medical school, but such change is difficult to assess. The code-development exercise established a baseline of values at entry to medical school. We plan to track this cohort of students by reintroducing this exercise in their fourth year and will compare the codes developed in their first and fourth years to identify changes in values and to suggest what the students have learned about values during medical school. The comparison will be used to inform further development of the EP curriculum toward the goal of shaping and supporting the positive professional growth of our student-physicians.

Determination of the exercise intensity that elicits maximal fat oxidation in individuals with obesity.

PubMed

Dandanell, Sune; Præst, Charlotte Boslev; Søndergård, Stine Dam; Skovborg, Camilla; Dela, Flemming; Larsen, Steen; Helge, Jørn Wulff

2017-04-01

Maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and the exercise intensity that elicits MFO (Fat Max ) are commonly determined by indirect calorimetry during graded exercise tests in both obese and normal-weight individuals. However, no protocol has been validated in individuals with obesity. Thus, the aims were to develop a graded exercise protocol for determination of Fat Max in individuals with obesity, and to test validity and inter-method reliability. Fat oxidation was assessed over a range of exercise intensities in 16 individuals (age: 28 (26-29) years; body mass index: 36 (35-38) kg·m -2 ; 95% confidence interval) on a cycle ergometer. The graded exercise protocol was validated against a short continuous exercise (SCE) protocol, in which Fat Max was determined from fat oxidation at rest and during 10 min of continuous exercise at 35%, 50%, and 65% of maximal oxygen uptake. Intraclass and Pearson correlation coefficients between the protocols were 0.75 and 0.72 and within-subject coefficient of variation (CV) was 5 (3-7)%. A Bland-Altman plot revealed a bias of -3% points of maximal oxygen uptake (limits of agreement: -12 to 7). A tendency towards a systematic difference (p = 0.06) was observed, where Fat Max occurred at 42 (40-44)% and 45 (43-47)% of maximal oxygen uptake with the graded and the SCE protocol, respectively. In conclusion, there was a high-excellent correlation and a low CV between the 2 protocols, suggesting that the graded exercise protocol has a high inter-method reliability. However, considerable intra-individual variation and a trend towards systematic difference between the protocols reveal that further optimization of the graded exercise protocol is needed to improve validity.

An open-source textbook for teaching climate-related risk analysis using the R computing environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Applegate, P. J.; Keller, K.

2015-12-01

Greenhouse gas emissions lead to increased surface air temperatures and sea level rise. In turn, sea level rise increases the risks of flooding for people living near the world's coastlines. Our own research on assessing sea level rise-related risks emphasizes both Earth science and statistics. At the same time, the free, open-source computing environment R is growing in popularity among statisticians and scientists due to its flexibility and graphics capabilities, as well as its large library of existing functions. We have developed a set of laboratory exercises that introduce students to the Earth science and statistical concepts needed for assessing the risks presented by climate change, particularly sea-level rise. These exercises will be published as a free, open-source textbook on the Web. Each exercise begins with a description of the Earth science and/or statistical concepts that the exercise teaches, with references to key journal articles where appropriate. Next, students are asked to examine in detail a piece of existing R code, and the exercise text provides a clear explanation of how the code works. Finally, students are asked to modify the existing code to produce a well-defined outcome. We discuss our experiences in developing the exercises over two separate semesters at Penn State, plus using R Markdown to interweave explanatory text with sample code and figures in the textbook.

Analysis of 161Tb by radiochemical separation and liquid scintillation counting

DOE PAGES

Jiang, J.; Davies, A.; Arrigo, L.; ...

2015-12-05

The determination of 161Tb activity is problematic due to its very low fission yield, short half-life, and the complication of its gamma spectrum. At AWE, radiochemically purified 161Tb solution was measured on a PerkinElmer 1220 Quantulus TM Liquid Scintillation Spectrometer. Since there was no 161Tb certified standard solution available commercially, the counting efficiency was determined by the CIEMAT/NIST Efficiency Tracing method. The method was validated during a recent inter-laboratory comparison exercise involving the analysis of a uranium sample irradiated with thermal neutrons. Lastly, the measured 161Tb result was in excellent agreement with the result using gamma spectrometry and the resultmore » obtained by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.« less

A soil sampling reference site: the challenge in defining reference material for sampling.

PubMed

de Zorzi, Paolo; Barbizzi, Sabrina; Belli, Maria; Fajgelj, Ales; Jacimovic, Radojko; Jeran, Zvonka; Sansone, Umberto; van der Perk, Marcel

2008-11-01

In the frame of the international SOILSAMP project, funded and coordinated by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency, an agricultural area was established as a reference site suitable for performing soil sampling inter-comparison exercises. The reference site was characterized for trace element content in soil, in terms of the spatial and temporal variability of their mass fraction. Considering that the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in soil can be expected to be similar to that of some stable trace elements and that the distribution of these trace elements in soil can simulate the distribution of radionuclides, the reference site characterised in term of trace elements, can be also used to compare the soil sampling strategies developed for radionuclide investigations.

Cross-verification of the GENE and XGC codes in preparation for their coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenko, Frank; Merlo, Gabriele; Bhattacharjee, Amitava; Chang, Cs; Dominski, Julien; Ku, Seunghoe; Parker, Scott; Lanti, Emmanuel

2017-10-01

A high-fidelity Whole Device Model (WDM) of a magnetically confined plasma is a crucial tool for planning and optimizing the design of future fusion reactors, including ITER. Aiming at building such a tool, in the framework of the Exascale Computing Project (ECP) the two existing gyrokinetic codes GENE (Eulerian delta-f) and XGC (PIC full-f) will be coupled, thus enabling to carry out first principle kinetic WDM simulations. In preparation for this ultimate goal, a benchmark between the two codes is carried out looking at ITG modes in the adiabatic electron limit. This verification exercise is also joined by the global Lagrangian PIC code ORB5. Linear and nonlinear comparisons have been carried out, neglecting for simplicity collisions and sources. A very good agreement is recovered on frequency, growth rate and mode structure of linear modes. A similarly excellent agreement is also observed comparing the evolution of the heat flux and of the background temperature profile during nonlinear simulations. Work supported by the US DOE under the Exascale Computing Project (17-SC-20-SC).

Assessing the Quality of Mobile Exercise Apps Based on the American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines: A Reliable and Valid Scoring Instrument.

PubMed

Guo, Yi; Bian, Jiang; Leavitt, Trevor; Vincent, Heather K; Vander Zalm, Lindsey; Teurlings, Tyler L; Smith, Megan D; Modave, François

2017-03-07

Regular physical activity can not only help with weight management, but also lower cardiovascular risks, cancer rates, and chronic disease burden. Yet, only approximately 20% of Americans currently meet the physical activity guidelines recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. With the rapid development of mobile technologies, mobile apps have the potential to improve participation rates in exercise programs, particularly if they are evidence-based and are of sufficient content quality. The goal of this study was to develop and test an instrument, which was designed to score the content quality of exercise program apps with respect to the exercise guidelines set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). We conducted two focus groups (N=14) to elicit input for developing a preliminary 27-item scoring instruments based on the ACSM exercise prescription guidelines. Three reviewers who were no sports medicine experts independently scored 28 exercise program apps using the instrument. Inter- and intra-rater reliability was assessed among the 3 reviewers. An expert reviewer, a Fellow of the ACSM, also scored the 28 apps to create criterion scores. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing nonexpert reviewers' scores to the criterion scores. Overall, inter- and intra-rater reliability was high with most coefficients being greater than .7. Inter-rater reliability coefficients ranged from .59 to .99, and intra-rater reliability coefficients ranged from .47 to 1.00. All reliability coefficients were statistically significant. Criterion validity was found to be excellent, with the weighted kappa statistics ranging from .67 to .99, indicating a substantial agreement between the scores of expert and nonexpert reviewers. Finally, all apps scored poorly against the ACSM exercise prescription guidelines. None of the apps received a score greater than 35, out of a possible maximal score of 70. We have developed and presented valid and reliable scoring instruments for exercise program apps. Our instrument may be useful for consumers and health care providers who are looking for apps that provide safe, progressive general exercise programs for health and fitness. ©Yi Guo, Jiang Bian, Trevor Leavitt, Heather K Vincent, Lindsey Vander Zalm, Tyler L Teurlings, Megan D Smith, François Modave. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 07.03.2017.

Revisiting Turbulence Model Validation for High-Mach Number Axisymmetric Compression Corner Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.; Rumsey, Christopher L.; Huang, George P.

2015-01-01

Two axisymmetric shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI) cases are used to benchmark one- and two-equation Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models. This validation exercise was executed in the philosophy of the NASA Turbulence Modeling Resource and the AIAA Turbulence Model Benchmarking Working Group. Both SWBLI cases are from the experiments of Kussoy and Horstman for axisymmetric compression corner geometries with SWBLI inducing flares of 20 and 30 degrees, respectively. The freestream Mach number was approximately 7. The RANS closures examined are the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model and the Menter family of kappa - omega two equation models including the Baseline and Shear Stress Transport formulations. The Wind-US and CFL3D RANS solvers are employed to simulate the SWBLI cases. Comparisons of RANS solutions to experimental data are made for a boundary layer survey plane just upstream of the SWBLI region. In the SWBLI region, comparisons of surface pressure and heat transfer are made. The effects of inflow modeling strategy, grid resolution, grid orthogonality, turbulent Prandtl number, and code-to-code variations are also addressed.

Region-Based Prediction for Image Compression in the Cloud.

PubMed

Begaint, Jean; Thoreau, Dominique; Guillotel, Philippe; Guillemot, Christine

2018-04-01

Thanks to the increasing number of images stored in the cloud, external image similarities can be leveraged to efficiently compress images by exploiting inter-images correlations. In this paper, we propose a novel image prediction scheme for cloud storage. Unlike current state-of-the-art methods, we use a semi-local approach to exploit inter-image correlation. The reference image is first segmented into multiple planar regions determined from matched local features and super-pixels. The geometric and photometric disparities between the matched regions of the reference image and the current image are then compensated. Finally, multiple references are generated from the estimated compensation models and organized in a pseudo-sequence to differentially encode the input image using classical video coding tools. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach yields significant rate-distortion performance improvements compared with the current image inter-coding solutions such as high efficiency video coding.

Modern gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation of fusion plasmas on top supercomputers

DOE PAGES

Wang, Bei; Ethier, Stephane; Tang, William; ...

2017-06-29

The Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code at Princeton (GTC-P) is a highly scalable and portable particle-in-cell (PIC) code. It solves the 5D Vlasov-Poisson equation featuring efficient utilization of modern parallel computer architectures at the petascale and beyond. Motivated by the goal of developing a modern code capable of dealing with the physics challenge of increasing problem size with sufficient resolution, new thread-level optimizations have been introduced as well as a key additional domain decomposition. GTC-P's multiple levels of parallelism, including inter-node 2D domain decomposition and particle decomposition, as well as intra-node shared memory partition and vectorization have enabled pushing the scalability ofmore » the PIC method to extreme computational scales. In this paper, we describe the methods developed to build a highly parallelized PIC code across a broad range of supercomputer designs. This particularly includes implementations on heterogeneous systems using NVIDIA GPU accelerators and Intel Xeon Phi (MIC) co-processors and performance comparisons with state-of-the-art homogeneous HPC systems such as Blue Gene/Q. New discovery science capabilities in the magnetic fusion energy application domain are enabled, including investigations of Ion-Temperature-Gradient (ITG) driven turbulence simulations with unprecedented spatial resolution and long temporal duration. Performance studies with realistic fusion experimental parameters are carried out on multiple supercomputing systems spanning a wide range of cache capacities, cache-sharing configurations, memory bandwidth, interconnects and network topologies. These performance comparisons using a realistic discovery-science-capable domain application code provide valuable insights on optimization techniques across one of the broadest sets of current high-end computing platforms worldwide.« less

Modern gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulation of fusion plasmas on top supercomputers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Bei; Ethier, Stephane; Tang, William

The Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code at Princeton (GTC-P) is a highly scalable and portable particle-in-cell (PIC) code. It solves the 5D Vlasov-Poisson equation featuring efficient utilization of modern parallel computer architectures at the petascale and beyond. Motivated by the goal of developing a modern code capable of dealing with the physics challenge of increasing problem size with sufficient resolution, new thread-level optimizations have been introduced as well as a key additional domain decomposition. GTC-P's multiple levels of parallelism, including inter-node 2D domain decomposition and particle decomposition, as well as intra-node shared memory partition and vectorization have enabled pushing the scalability ofmore » the PIC method to extreme computational scales. In this paper, we describe the methods developed to build a highly parallelized PIC code across a broad range of supercomputer designs. This particularly includes implementations on heterogeneous systems using NVIDIA GPU accelerators and Intel Xeon Phi (MIC) co-processors and performance comparisons with state-of-the-art homogeneous HPC systems such as Blue Gene/Q. New discovery science capabilities in the magnetic fusion energy application domain are enabled, including investigations of Ion-Temperature-Gradient (ITG) driven turbulence simulations with unprecedented spatial resolution and long temporal duration. Performance studies with realistic fusion experimental parameters are carried out on multiple supercomputing systems spanning a wide range of cache capacities, cache-sharing configurations, memory bandwidth, interconnects and network topologies. These performance comparisons using a realistic discovery-science-capable domain application code provide valuable insights on optimization techniques across one of the broadest sets of current high-end computing platforms worldwide.« less

Changes in Physiological Parameters after Combined Exercise according to the I/D Polymorphism of hUCP2 Gene in Middle-Aged Obese Females

PubMed Central

DUK OH, Sang

2014-01-01

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 45 bp insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in human uncoupling protein 2 (hUCP2) gene was associated with changes in several cardiovascular risk and physical fitness factors in response to combined exercise during 12 weeks in Korean middle-aged women. The changes in physiological parameters after combined exercise during 12 weeks were compared between each genotype subgroups of hUCP2 gene to clarify the inter-individual differences in exercised-induced changes according to genetic predisposition. Methods A total of 185 women aged over 40 years living in Seoul, Korea were participated in this study, and analyzed before and after 12 weeks on combined exercise including aerobic exercise and strength training for body composition, hemodynamic parameters, physical fitness and metabolic variables. A 45 bp I/D polymorphism in hUCP2 gene was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis method. Results Combined exercise program during 12 weeks indicated the significant health-promoting effects for our participants on multiple body composition, hemodynamic parameters, physical fitness factors and metabolic parameters, respectively. With respect to a 45 bp I/D polymorphism in hUCP2 gene, this polymorphism was significantly associated with baseline %body fat of our participants (P <.05). Moreover, this polymorphism was significantly associated with the changes in %body fat and serum triglyceride(TG) level after combined exercise program during 12 weeks(P <.05). Conclusion Our data suggest that a 45 bp I/D polymorphism in hUCP2 gene may at least in part contribute to the inter-individual differences on the changes in some clinical and metabolic parameters following combined exercise in middle-aged women. PMID:25909061

Subgroup A : nuclear model codes report to the Sixteenth Meeting of the WPEC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talou, P.; Chadwick, M. B.; Dietrich, F. S.

2004-01-01

The Subgroup A activities focus on the development of nuclear reaction models and codes, used in evaluation work for nuclear reactions from the unresolved energy region up to the pion threshold production limit, and for target nuclides from the low teens and heavier. Much of the efforts are devoted by each participant to the continuing development of their own Institution codes. Progresses in this arena are reported in detail for each code in the present document. EMPIRE-II is of public access. The release of the TALYS code has been announced for the ND2004 Conference in Santa Fe, NM, October 2004.more » McGNASH is still under development and is not expected to be released in the very near future. In addition, Subgroup A members have demonstrated a growing interest in working on common modeling and codes capabilities, which would significantly reduce the amount of duplicate work, help manage efficiently the growing lines of existing codes, and render codes inter-comparison much easier. A recent and important activity of the Subgroup A has therefore been to develop the framework and the first bricks of the ModLib library, which is constituted of mostly independent pieces of codes written in Fortran 90 (and above) to be used in existing and future nuclear reaction codes. Significant progresses in the development of ModLib have been made during the past year. Several physics modules have been added to the library, and a few more have been planned in detail for the coming year.« less

Caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms during mealtime interactions: development and feasibility of a coding scheme.

PubMed

Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Andrea L

2015-01-01

Mealtime behavioral symptoms are distressing and frequently interrupt eating for the individual experiencing them and others in the environment. A computer-assisted coding scheme was developed to measure caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms for nursing home residents with dementia during mealtime interactions. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility, ease of use, and inter-observer reliability of the coding scheme, and to explore the clinical utility of the coding scheme. Trained observers coded 22 observations. Data collection procedures were acceptable to participants. Overall, the coding scheme proved to be feasible, easy to execute and yielded good to very good inter-observer agreement following observer re-training. The coding scheme captured clinically relevant, modifiable antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, but would be enhanced by the inclusion of measures for resident engagement and consolidation of items for measuring caregiver person-centeredness that co-occurred and were difficult for observers to distinguish. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Determination of absorbed dose to water for high-energy photon and electron beams-comparison of the standards DIN 6800-2 (1997), IAEA TRS 398 (2000) and DIN 6800-2 (2006)

PubMed Central

Zakaria, Golam Abu; Schuette, Wilhelm

2007-01-01

For the determination of the absorbed dose to water for high-energy photon and electron beams the IAEA code of practice TRS-398 (2000) is applied internationally. In Germany, the German dosimetry protocol DIN 6800-2 (1997) is used. Recently, the DIN standard has been revised and published as Draft National Standard DIN 6800-2 (2006). It has adopted widely the methodology and dosimetric data of the code of practice. This paper compares these three dosimetry protocols systematically and identifies similarities as well as differences. The investigation was done with 6 and 18 MV photon as well as 5 to 21 MeV electron beams. While only cylindrical chambers were used for photon beams, measurements of electron beams were performed using cylindrical as well as plane-parallel chambers. The discrepancies in the determination of absorbed dose to water between the three protocols were 0.4% for photon beams and 1.5% for electron beams. Comparative measurements showed a deviation of less than 0.5% between our measurements following protocol DIN 6800-2 (2006) and TLD inter-comparison procedure in an external audit. PMID:21217912

Determination of absorbed dose to water for high-energy photon and electron beams-comparison of the standards DIN 6800-2 (1997), IAEA TRS 398 (2000) and DIN 6800-2 (2006).

PubMed

Zakaria, Golam Abu; Schuette, Wilhelm

2007-01-01

For the determination of the absorbed dose to water for high-energy photon and electron beams the IAEA code of practice TRS-398 (2000) is applied internationally. In Germany, the German dosimetry protocol DIN 6800-2 (1997) is used. Recently, the DIN standard has been revised and published as Draft National Standard DIN 6800-2 (2006). It has adopted widely the methodology and dosimetric data of the code of practice. This paper compares these three dosimetry protocols systematically and identifies similarities as well as differences. The investigation was done with 6 and 18 MV photon as well as 5 to 21 MeV electron beams. While only cylindrical chambers were used for photon beams, measurements of electron beams were performed using cylindrical as well as plane-parallel chambers. The discrepancies in the determination of absorbed dose to water between the three protocols were 0.4% for photon beams and 1.5% for electron beams. Comparative measurements showed a deviation of less than 0.5% between our measurements following protocol DIN 6800-2 (2006) and TLD inter-comparison procedure in an external audit.

Contextual effects on the perceived health benefits of exercise: the exercise rank hypothesis.

PubMed

Maltby, John; Wood, Alex M; Vlaev, Ivo; Taylor, Michael J; Brown, Gordon D A

2012-12-01

Many accounts of social influences on exercise participation describe how people compare their behaviors to those of others. We develop and test a novel hypothesis, the exercise rank hypothesis, of how this comparison can occur. The exercise rank hypothesis, derived from evolutionary theory and the decision by sampling model of judgment, suggests that individuals' perceptions of the health benefits of exercise are influenced by how individuals believe the amount of exercise ranks in comparison with other people's amounts of exercise. Study 1 demonstrated that individuals' perceptions of the health benefits of their own current exercise amounts were as predicted by the exercise rank hypothesis. Study 2 demonstrated that the perceptions of the health benefits of an amount of exercise can be manipulated by experimentally changing the ranked position of the amount within a comparison context. The discussion focuses on how social norm-based interventions could benefit from using rank information.

The validity and reliability of a simple semantic classification of foot posture.

PubMed

Cross, Hugh A; Lehman, Linda

2008-12-01

The Simple Semantic Classification (SSC) is described as a pragmatic method to assist in the assessment of the weight bearing foot. It was designed for application by therapists and technicians working in underdeveloped situations, after they have had basic orientation in foot function. To present evidence of the validity and inter observer reliability of the SSC. 13 physiotherapists from LEPRA India projects and 12 physical therapists functioning within the National Programme for the Elimination of Hansen's Disease (PNEH), Brazil, participated in an inter-observer exercise. Inter-observer agreement was gauged using the Kappa statistic. The results of the inter-observer exercise were dependent on observations of foot posture made from photographs. This was necessary to ensure that the procedure was standardised for participants in different countries. The method had limitations which were partly reflected in the results. The level of agreement between the principle investigator and Indian physiotherapists was Kappa = 058. The level of agreement between Brazilian physical therapists and the principle investigator was Kappa = 0.70. The authors opine that the results were sufficiently compelling to suggest that the Simple Semantic Classification can be used as a field method to identify people at increased risk of foot pathologies.

The Earth System Documentation (ES-DOC) Software Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenslade, M. A.; Murphy, S.; Treshansky, A.; DeLuca, C.; Guilyardi, E.; Denvil, S.

2013-12-01

Earth System Documentation (ES-DOC) is an international project supplying high-quality tools & services in support of earth system documentation creation, analysis and dissemination. It is nurturing a sustainable standards based documentation eco-system that aims to become an integral part of the next generation of exa-scale dataset archives. ES-DOC leverages open source software, and applies a software development methodology that places end-user narratives at the heart of all it does. ES-DOC has initially focused upon nurturing the Earth System Model (ESM) documentation eco-system and currently supporting the following projects: * Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5); * Dynamical Core Model Inter-comparison Project (DCMIP); * National Climate Predictions and Projections Platforms Quantitative Evaluation of Downscaling Workshop. This talk will demonstrate that ES-DOC implements a relatively mature software development process. Taking a pragmatic Agile process as inspiration, ES-DOC: * Iteratively develops and releases working software; * Captures user requirements via a narrative based approach; * Uses online collaboration tools (e.g. Earth System CoG) to manage progress; * Prototypes applications to validate their feasibility; * Leverages meta-programming techniques where appropriate; * Automates testing whenever sensibly feasible; * Streamlines complex deployments to a single command; * Extensively leverages GitHub and Pivotal Tracker; * Enforces strict separation of the UI from underlying API's; * Conducts code reviews.

A Naturalistic Examination of Social Comparisons and Disordered Eating Thoughts, Urges, and Behaviors in College Women

PubMed Central

Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E.; Ciao, Anna C.; Accurso, Erin C.

2015-01-01

Objective We examined the effects of body, eating, and exercise social comparisons on prospective disordered eating thoughts and urges (i.e., restriction thoughts, exercise thoughts, vomiting thoughts, binge eating urges) and behaviors (i.e., restriction attempts, exercising for weight/shape reasons, vomiting, binge eating) among college women using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Method Participants were 232 college women who completed a two-week EMA protocol, in which they used their personal electronic devices to answer questions three times per day. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess body, eating, and exercise comparisons as predictors of disordered eating thoughts, urges, and behaviors at the next report, adjusting for body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and the disordered eating thought/urge/behavior at the prior report, as well as body mass index. Results Body comparisons prospectively predicted more intense levels of certain disordered eating thoughts (i.e., thoughts about restriction and exercise). Eating comparisons prospectively predicted an increased likelihood of subsequent engagement in all disordered eating behaviors examined except vomiting. Exercise comparisons prospectively predicted less intense thoughts about exercise and an increased likelihood of subsequent vomiting. Discussion Social comparisons are associated with later disordered eating thoughts and behaviors in the natural environment and may need to be specifically targeted in eating disorder prevention and intervention efforts. Targeting body comparisons may be helpful in terms of reducing disordered eating thoughts, but eating and exercise comparisons are also important and may need to be addressed in order to decrease engagement in actual disordered eating behaviors. PMID:26610301

Integrating a framework for conducting public health systems research into statewide operations-based exercises to improve emergency preparedness

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Due to the uncommon nature of large-scale disasters and emergencies, public health practitioners often turn to simulated emergencies, known as “exercises”, for preparedness assessment and improvement. Under the right conditions, exercises can also be used to conduct original public health systems research. This paper describes the integration of a research framework into a statewide operations-based exercise program in California as a systems-based approach for studying public health emergency preparedness and response. Methods We developed a research framework based on the premise that operations-based exercises conducted by medical and public health agencies can be described using epidemiologic concepts. Using this framework, we conducted a survey of key local and regional medical and health agencies throughout California following the 2010 Statewide Medical and Health Exercise. The survey evaluated: (1) the emergency preparedness capabilities activated and functions performed in response to the emergency scenario, and (2) the major challenges to inter-organizational communications and information management. Results Thirty-five local health departments (LHDs), 24 local emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, 121 hospitals, and 5 Regional Disaster Medical and Health Coordinators/Specialists (RDMHC) responded to our survey, representing 57%, 77%, 26% and 83%, respectively, of target agencies in California. We found two sets of response capabilities were activated during the 2010 Statewide Exercise: a set of core capabilities that were common across all agencies, and a set of agency-specific capabilities that were more common among certain agency types. With respect to one response capability in particular, inter-organizational information sharing, we found that the majority of respondents’ comments were related to the complete or partial failure of communications equipment or systems. Conclusions Using the 2010 Statewide Exercise in California as an opportunity to develop our research framework, we characterized several aspects of the public health and medical system’s response to a standardized emergency scenario. From a research perspective, this study provides a potential new framework for conducting exercise-based research. From a practitioner’s perspective, our results provide a starting point for preparedness professionals’ dialogue about expected and actual organizational roles, responsibilities, and resource capacities within the public health system. Additionally, the identification of specific challenges to inter-organizational communications and information management offer specific areas for intervention. PMID:22905991

An increase in the number of admitted patients with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis.

PubMed

Aalborg, Christian; Rød-Larsen, Cecilie; Leiro, Ingjerd; Aasebø, Willy

2016-10-01

Rhabdomyolysis may lead to serious complications, and treatment is both time-consuming and costly. The condition can be caused by many factors, including intense exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the number of hospitalisations due to exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis has changed in recent years. We describe the disease course in hospitalised patients, and compare disease course in individuals with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis and rhabdomyolysis due to other causes. The study is a systematic review of medical records from Akershus University Hospital for the years 2008 and 2011 – 14. All hospitalised patients with diagnostic codes M62.8, M62.9 and T79.6 and creatine kinase levels > 5 000 IU/l were included. The cause of the rhabdomyolysis was recorded in addition to patient characteristics and the results of various laboratory tests. Of 161 patients who were hospitalised with rhabdomyolysis during the study period, 44 cases (27  %) were classified as exercise-induced. In 2008 there were no admissions due to exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis; in 2011 and 2012 there were six and four admissions respectively, while in 2014 there were 22. This gives an estimated incidence of 0.8/100 000 in 2012 and 4.6/100 000 in 2014. Strength-training was the cause of hospitalisation in 35 patients (80  % of the exercise-induced cases). Three patients (7  % of the exercise-induced cases) had transient stage 1 kidney injury, but there were no cases with stage 2 or stage 3 injury. By comparison, 52  % of patients with rhabdomyolysis due to another cause had kidney injury, of which 28  % was stage 2 or 3. The number of persons hospitalised with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis has increased four-fold from 2011 to 2014, possibly due to changes in exercise habits in the population. None of the patients with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis had serological signs of kidney injury upon hospital discharge.

Detection of Inter- and Intra-Specific Competition in the Insect Communities of British Trees: A Practical Exercise in Community Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putman, R. J.

1984-01-01

Describes an activity (suitable for high school or college) in which the effects of competition in the structuring of ecological communities are examined. The exercise also offers an introduction into species diversity; more advanced classes may be encouraged to seek reasons for differences in insect diversity on different trees. (Author/JN)

Effects of modified Pilates on variability of inter-joint coordination during walking in the elderly.

PubMed

Yoon, Sukhoon; Kim, Joo Nyeon; Lim, Hee Sung

2016-12-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week modified Pilates program on the variability of inter-joint coordination in the elderly during walking. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty elderly participants with no recent history of orthopedic abnormalities (age, 67.9 ± 2.7 years; height, 163.7 ± 8.9 cm; weight, 67.1 ± 11.6 kg) were recruited for this study and randomly allocated to a modified Pilates exercise group or a control group. Three-dimensional motion analysis was performed on both groups to evaluate the effects of the Pilates exercise. [Results] There was no significant difference in the joint variability of the ankle, knee, and hip joints between the groups, both before training and after training. However, there was a significant increase in the hip-knee deviation phase value in the exercise group after the program was completed, and this increase was also significant when compared with that in the control group. [Conclusion] This study has demonstrated that an 8-week modified Pilates exercise program can have a positive impact on the gait of elderly participants, potentially by enhancing neuromuscular adjustment, which may have positive implications for reducing their fall risk.

Generating Vegetation Leaf Area Index Earth System Data Record from Multiple Sensors. Part 2; Implementation, Analysis and Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganguly, Sangram; Samanta, Arindam; Schull, Mitchell A.; Shabanov, Nikolay V.; Milesi, Cristina; Nemani, Ramajrushna R,; Knyazikhin, Yuri; Myneni, Ranga B.

2008-01-01

The evaluation of a new global monthly leaf area index (LAI) data set for the period July 1981 to December 2006 derived from AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data is described. The physically based algorithm is detailed in the first of the two part series. Here, the implementation, production and evaluation of the data set are described. The data set is evaluated both by direct comparisons to ground data and indirectly through inter-comparisons with similar data sets. This indirect validation showed satisfactory agreement with existing LAI products, importantly MODIS, at a range of spatial scales, and significant correlations with key climate variables in areas where temperature and precipitation limit plant growth. The data set successfully reproduced well-documented spatio-temporal trends and inter-annual variations in vegetation activity in the northern latitudes and semi-arid tropics. Comparison with plot scale field measurements over homogeneous vegetation patches indicated a 7% underestimation when all major vegetation types are taken into account. The error in mean values obtained from distributions of AVHRR LAI and high-resolution field LAI maps for different biomes is within 0.5 LAI for six out of the ten selected sites. These validation exercises though limited by the amount of field data, and thus less than comprehensive, indicated satisfactory agreement between the LAI product and field measurements. Overall, the intercomparison with short-term LAI data sets, evaluation of long term trends with known variations in climate variables, and validation with field measurements together build confidence in the utility of this new 26 year LAI record for long term vegetation monitoring and modeling studies.

RELAP5-3D Results for Phase I (Exercise 2) of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW Benchmark

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerhard Strydom

2012-06-01

The coupling of the PHISICS code suite to the thermal hydraulics system code RELAP5-3D has recently been initiated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to provide a fully coupled prismatic Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) system modeling capability as part of the NGNP methods development program. The PHISICS code consists of three modules: INSTANT (performing 3D nodal transport core calculations), MRTAU (depletion and decay heat generation) and a perturbation/mixer module. As part of the verification and validation activities, steady state results have been obtained for Exercise 2 of Phase I of the newly-defined OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW Benchmark. This exercise requiresmore » participants to calculate a steady-state solution for an End of Equilibrium Cycle 350 MW Modular High Temperature Reactor (MHTGR), using the provided geometry, material, and coolant bypass flow description. The paper provides an overview of the MHTGR Benchmark and presents typical steady state results (e.g. solid and gas temperatures, thermal conductivities) for Phase I Exercise 2. Preliminary results are also provided for the early test phase of Exercise 3 using a two-group cross-section library and the Relap5-3D model developed for Exercise 2.« less

RELAP5-3D results for phase I (Exercise 2) of the OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW benchmark

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strydom, G.; Epiney, A. S.

2012-07-01

The coupling of the PHISICS code suite to the thermal hydraulics system code RELAP5-3D has recently been initiated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to provide a fully coupled prismatic Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) system modeling capability as part of the NGNP methods development program. The PHISICS code consists of three modules: INSTANT (performing 3D nodal transport core calculations), MRTAU (depletion and decay heat generation) and a perturbation/mixer module. As part of the verification and validation activities, steady state results have been obtained for Exercise 2 of Phase I of the newly-defined OECD/NEA MHTGR-350 MW Benchmark. This exercise requiresmore » participants to calculate a steady-state solution for an End of Equilibrium Cycle 350 MW Modular High Temperature Reactor (MHTGR), using the provided geometry, material, and coolant bypass flow description. The paper provides an overview of the MHTGR Benchmark and presents typical steady state results (e.g. solid and gas temperatures, thermal conductivities) for Phase I Exercise 2. Preliminary results are also provided for the early test phase of Exercise 3 using a two-group cross-section library and the Relap5-3D model developed for Exercise 2. (authors)« less

Novel inter and intra prediction tools under consideration for the emerging AV1 video codec

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Urvang; Mukherjee, Debargha; Han, Jingning; Chen, Yue; Parker, Sarah; Su, Hui; Chiang, Angie; Xu, Yaowu; Liu, Zoe; Wang, Yunqing; Bankoski, Jim; Wang, Chen; Keyder, Emil

2017-09-01

Google started the WebM Project in 2010 to develop open source, royalty- free video codecs designed specifically for media on the Web. The second generation codec released by the WebM project, VP9, is currently served by YouTube, and enjoys billions of views per day. Realizing the need for even greater compression efficiency to cope with the growing demand for video on the web, the WebM team embarked on an ambitious project to develop a next edition codec AV1, in a consortium of major tech companies called the Alliance for Open Media, that achieves at least a generational improvement in coding efficiency over VP9. In this paper, we focus primarily on new tools in AV1 that improve the prediction of pixel blocks before transforms, quantization and entropy coding are invoked. Specifically, we describe tools and coding modes that improve intra, inter and combined inter-intra prediction. Results are presented on standard test sets.

Recent advances in multiview distributed video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufaux, Frederic; Ouaret, Mourad; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2007-04-01

We consider dense networks of surveillance cameras capturing overlapped images of the same scene from different viewing directions, such a scenario being referred to as multi-view. Data compression is paramount in such a system due to the large amount of captured data. In this paper, we propose a Multi-view Distributed Video Coding approach. It allows for low complexity / low power consumption at the encoder side, and the exploitation of inter-view correlation without communications among the cameras. We introduce a combination of temporal intra-view side information and homography inter-view side information. Simulation results show both the improvement of the side information, as well as a significant gain in terms of coding efficiency.

Application of FUN3D and CFL3D to the Third Workshop on CFD Uncertainty Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, C. L.; Thomas, J. L.

2008-01-01

Two Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computer codes - one unstructured and one structured - are applied to two workshop cases (for the 3rd Workshop on CFD Uncertainty Analysis, held at Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, in October 2008) for the purpose of uncertainty analysis. The Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model is employed. The first case uses the method of manufactured solution and is intended as a verification case. In other words, the CFD solution is expected to approach the exact solution as the grid is refined. The second case is a validation case (comparison against experiment), for which modeling errors inherent in the turbulence model and errors/uncertainty in the experiment may prevent close agreement. The results from the two computer codes are also compared. This exercise verifies that the codes are consistent both with the exact manufactured solution and with each other. In terms of order property, both codes behave as expected for the manufactured solution. For the backward facing step, CFD uncertainty on the finest grid is computed and is generally very low for both codes (whose results are nearly identical). Agreement with experiment is good at some locations for particular variables, but there are also many areas where the CFD and experimental uncertainties do not overlap.

Adapting hierarchical bidirectional inter prediction on a GPU-based platform for 2D and 3D H.264 video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Sánchez, Rafael; Martínez, José Luis; Cock, Jan De; Fernández-Escribano, Gerardo; Pieters, Bart; Sánchez, José L.; Claver, José M.; de Walle, Rik Van

2013-12-01

The H.264/AVC video coding standard introduces some improved tools in order to increase compression efficiency. Moreover, the multi-view extension of H.264/AVC, called H.264/MVC, adopts many of them. Among the new features, variable block-size motion estimation is one which contributes to high coding efficiency. Furthermore, it defines a different prediction structure that includes hierarchical bidirectional pictures, outperforming traditional Group of Pictures patterns in both scenarios: single-view and multi-view. However, these video coding techniques have high computational complexity. Several techniques have been proposed in the literature over the last few years which are aimed at accelerating the inter prediction process, but there are no works focusing on bidirectional prediction or hierarchical prediction. In this article, with the emergence of many-core processors or accelerators, a step forward is taken towards an implementation of an H.264/AVC and H.264/MVC inter prediction algorithm on a graphics processing unit. The results show a negligible rate distortion drop with a time reduction of up to 98% for the complete H.264/AVC encoder.

Improved inter-layer prediction for light field content coding with display scalability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conti, Caroline; Ducla Soares, Luís.; Nunes, Paulo

2016-09-01

Light field imaging based on microlens arrays - also known as plenoptic, holoscopic and integral imaging - has recently risen up as feasible and prospective technology due to its ability to support functionalities not straightforwardly available in conventional imaging systems, such as: post-production refocusing and depth of field changing. However, to gradually reach the consumer market and to provide interoperability with current 2D and 3D representations, a display scalable coding solution is essential. In this context, this paper proposes an improved display scalable light field codec comprising a three-layer hierarchical coding architecture (previously proposed by the authors) that provides interoperability with 2D (Base Layer) and 3D stereo and multiview (First Layer) representations, while the Second Layer supports the complete light field content. For further improving the compression performance, novel exemplar-based inter-layer coding tools are proposed here for the Second Layer, namely: (i) an inter-layer reference picture construction relying on an exemplar-based optimization algorithm for texture synthesis, and (ii) a direct prediction mode based on exemplar texture samples from lower layers. Experimental results show that the proposed solution performs better than the tested benchmark solutions, including the authors' previous scalable codec.

Micromechanics-Based Progressive Failure Analysis of Composite Laminates Using Different Constituent Failure Theories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moncada, Albert M.; Chattopadhyay, Aditi; Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Arnold, Steven M.

2008-01-01

Predicting failure in a composite can be done with ply level mechanisms and/or micro level mechanisms. This paper uses the Generalized Method of Cells and High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics theories, coupled with classical lamination theory, as implemented within NASA's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells. The code is able to implement different failure theories on the level of both the fiber and the matrix constituents within a laminate. A comparison is made among maximum stress, maximum strain, Tsai-Hill, and Tsai-Wu failure theories. To verify the failure theories the Worldwide Failure Exercise (WWFE) experiments have been used. The WWFE is a comprehensive study that covers a wide range of polymer matrix composite laminates. The numerical results indicate good correlation with the experimental results for most of the composite layups, but also point to the need for more accurate resin damage progression models.

The effect of acute physical exercise on cytokine levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

da Silva, A E; dos Reis-Neto, E Torres; da Silva, N P; Sato, E I

2013-12-01

Acute exercise increases IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α levels in healthy subjects. There is no study evaluating the effect of exercise on cytokines level in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Our aim was to assess IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-α levels at baseline and after acute physical exercise in patients with SLE. In total, 27 female SLE patients and 30 healthy controls were evaluated. Serum levels of IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-α at baseline and soon after the ergospirometric test were measured by ELISA test. Student's t-tests and Mann-Whitney test were used for intra- and inter-group comparisons; p values <0.05 were considered significant. Patients with SLE presented worse ergospirometric parameters compared with controls: VO2max (25.78 ± 5.51 vs. 32.74 ± 5.85 ml/kg/min, p < 0.001); maximum heart rate (174.18 ± 12.36 vs. 185.15 ± 2.07 bpm, p = 0.001); maximum ventilation (65.51 ± 15.68 vs. 80.48 ± 18.98 l/min, p = 0.001) and maximum speed (7.70 ± 1.24 vs. 9.40 ± 1.22 km/h, p < 0.001). At baseline, SLE patients presented higher levels of IL-6 (2.38 ± 1.70 vs. 1.71 ± 0.29 pg/ml, p = 0.035) and IL-10 (1.09 ± 1.55 vs. 0.30 ± 0.11 pg/ml, p = 0.037) than controls. Acute exercise in controls increased IL-6 level (1.71 ± 0.29 vs. 2.01 ± 0.27 pg/ml, p = 0.003) without change in IL-10 and TNF-α levels. However, no significant change in cytokine levels was observed in SLE patients after acute exercise. This is the first study evaluating the effect of acute exercise on cytokine levels in patients with SLE. In contrast to healthy controls, acute physical exercise did not increase the levels of IL-6 in patients with SLE, and seems to be safe in those patients with inactive or mild active disease.

Association of cardiovascular response to an acute resistance training session with the ACE gene polymorphism in sedentary women: a randomized trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The aim of the present study was to verify the effects of an acute resistance training (RT) session and insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean blood pressure (MBP), and heart rate (HR). Methods The sample consisted of 27 sedentary women (33.3 ± 8.2 yrs; 69.1 ± 13.8 kg; 1.57 ± 0.05 m; 27.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2) divided into two groups according to their polymorphism I/D (DD = 9; II + ID = 18). Volunteers underwent two experimental sessions: RT – an acute session performed with three sets at 60% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) interspersed with 1 minute rest interval between exercises and sets, and a control session (CON) in which they remained seated for 30 minutes in the laboratory. SBP, DBP, MBP and HR were measured before exercise and during one hour every 10 minutes after sessions, in the seated position. A two-way ANOVA for repeated measures with Tukey’s post hoc test was used for the intra and inter-group comparisons. Results There were no statistically significant differences on SBP, DBP and MBP after the experimental protocols, and no effect of ACE polymorphism (P > 0.05). However, comparing CON versus exercise effect size values (ES), homozygotic carriers of the allele D presented a drop in SBP which was considered moderate, while in allele I carriers it was small, 30 minutes after exercise. In MBP, homozygotic D carriers exhibited a large ES 20 minutes post-exercise. HR was higher at 10, 20 and 30 minutes after exercise as compared to pre-exercise only for carriers of the I allele (P < 0.05). Conclusions Therefore, an acute RT session reduces clinical BP. In addition to this; it seems that ACE polymorphism had some influence on cardiovascular response to exercise. Trial Registration RBR-6GDYVZ PMID:23305118

The Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, A.; Ivins, E. R.

2015-12-01

Fluctuations in the mass of ice stored in Antarctica and Greenland are of considerable societal importance. The Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-Comparison Exercise (IMBIE) is a joint-initiative of ESA and NASA aimed at producing a single estimate of the global sea level contribution to polar ice sheet losses. Within IMBIE, estimates of ice sheet mass balance are developed from a variety of satellite geodetic techniques using a common spatial and temporal reference frame and a common appreciation of the contributions due to external signals. The project brings together the laboratories and space agencies that have been instrumental in developing independent estimates of ice sheet mass balance to date. In its first phase, IMBIE involved 27 science teams, and delivered a first community assessment of ice sheet mass imbalance to replace 40 individual estimates. The project established that (i) there is good agreement between the three main satellite-based techniques for estimating ice sheet mass balance, (ii) combining satellite data sets leads to significant improvement in certainty, (iii) the polar ice sheets contributed 11 ± 4 mm to global sea levels between 1992 and 2012, and (iv) that combined ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland have increased over time, rising from 10% of the global trend in the early 1990's to 30% in the late 2000's. Demand for an updated assessment has grown, and there are now new satellite missions, new geophysical corrections, new techniques, and new teams producing data. The period of overlap between independent satellite techniques has increased from 5 to 12 years, and the full period of satellite data over which an assessment can be performed has increased from 19 to 40 years. It is also clear that multiple satellite techniques are required to confidently separate mass changes associated with snowfall and ice dynamical imbalance - information that is of critical importance for climate modelling. This presentation outlines the approach for the second phase of IMBIE, including the project organisation, the work programme and schedule, the main science goals, and its current status, and reviews the recent and historical contributions that the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have made to global sea level rise.

Toward enhancing the distributed video coder under a multiview video codec framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Jiann-Jone; Tsai, Yao-Hong; Chen, Chin-Hua

2016-11-01

The advance of video coding technology enables multiview video (MVV) or three-dimensional television (3-D TV) display for users with or without glasses. For mobile devices or wireless applications, a distributed video coder (DVC) can be utilized to shift the encoder complexity to decoder under the MVV coding framework, denoted as multiview distributed video coding (MDVC). We proposed to exploit both inter- and intraview video correlations to enhance side information (SI) and improve the MDVC performance: (1) based on the multiview motion estimation (MVME) framework, a categorized block matching prediction with fidelity weights (COMPETE) was proposed to yield a high quality SI frame for better DVC reconstructed images. (2) The block transform coefficient properties, i.e., DCs and ACs, were exploited to design the priority rate control for the turbo code, such that the DVC decoding can be carried out with fewest parity bits. In comparison, the proposed COMPETE method demonstrated lower time complexity, while presenting better reconstructed video quality. Simulations show that the proposed COMPETE can reduce the time complexity of MVME to 1.29 to 2.56 times smaller, as compared to previous hybrid MVME methods, while the image peak signal to noise ratios (PSNRs) of a decoded video can be improved 0.2 to 3.5 dB, as compared to H.264/AVC intracoding.

Firing rate modulation of human motor units in different muscles during isometric contraction with various forces.

PubMed

Seki, K; Narusawa, M

1996-05-06

To examine the factors affecting the control of human motor units, rate coding strategies of the motor units were investigated in upper limb and intrinsic hand muscles during voluntary isometric contraction of steady force levels up to 80% of maximal voluntary contraction. Numerous spike trains from single motor units were recorded from the m. first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and the m. biceps brachii (BB) of eight human subjects by means of tungsten micro-electrodes, and the mean firing rate (MFR) was calculated for each subject and inter-individual comparisons made. The MFRs of the FDI were larger than that of the BB at the higher force level, and substantial differences were not found between these muscles at the lower force level. The slope of the linear regression line of MFRs vs. exerted forces for the FDI was more than twice that for the BB. Therefore, isometric force control of the FDI depends more on the rate coding strategy. The difference in rate coding between the FDI and BB motor units may be determined by factors other than muscle fiber composition, because both muscles are known to possess a similar composition of fiber types. Possible mechanisms underlying these characteristics of rate coding strategy are considered in this report.

Non-coding RNAs and exercise: pathophysiological role and clinical application in the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Gomes, Clarissa P C; de Gonzalo-Calvo, David; Toro, Rocio; Fernandes, Tiago; Theisen, Daniel; Wang, Da-Zhi; Devaux, Yvan

2018-05-23

There is overwhelming evidence that regular exercise training is protective against cardiovascular disease (CVD), the main cause of death worldwide. Despite the benefits of exercise, the intricacies of their underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been recognized as a major regulatory network governing gene expression in several physiological processes and appeared as pivotal modulators in a myriad of cardiovascular processes under physiological and pathological conditions. However, little is known about ncRNA expression and role in response to exercise. Revealing the molecular components and mechanisms of the link between exercise and health outcomes will catalyse discoveries of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here we review the current understanding of the ncRNA role in exercise-induced adaptations focused on the cardiovascular system and address their potential role in clinical applications for CVD. Finally, considerations and perspectives for future studies will be proposed. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Heterogeneity of muscle recruitment pattern during pedaling in professional road cyclists: a magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography study.

PubMed

Hug, François; Bendahan, David; Le Fur, Yann; Cozzone, Patrick J; Grélot, Laurent

2004-07-01

Although a number of studies have been devoted to the analysis of the activity pattern of the muscles involved in pedaling in sedentary subjects and/or amateur cyclists, data on professional cyclists are scarce and the issue of inter-individual differences has never been addressed in detail. In the present series of experiments, we performed a non-invasive investigation using functional magnetic resonance imaging and surface electromyography to determine the pattern of activity of lower limb muscles during two different exhausting pedaling exercises in eight French professional cyclists. Each subject performed an incremental exercise during which electromyographic activity of eight lower limb muscles and respiratory variables were recorded. After a 3-h recovery period, transverse relaxation times (T2) were measured before and just after a standardized constant-load maximal exercise in order to quantify exercise-related T2 changes. The global EMG activity illustrated by the root mean square clearly showed a large inter-individual difference during the incremental exercise regardless of the investigated muscle (variation coefficient up to 81%). In addition, for most of the muscles investigated, the constant-load exercise induced T2 increases, which varied noticeably among the subjects. This high level of variation in the recruitment of lower limb muscles in professional cyclists during both incremental and constant-load exercises is surprising given the homogeneity related to maximal oxygen consumption and training volume. The high degree of expertise of these professional cyclists was not linked to the production of a common pattern of pedaling and our results provide an additional evidence that the nervous system has multiple ways of accomplishing a given motor task, as has been suggested previously by neural control theorists and experimentalists.

RENEB intercomparisons applying the conventional Dicentric Chromosome Assay (DCA).

PubMed

Oestreicher, Ursula; Samaga, Daniel; Ainsbury, Elizabeth; Antunes, Ana Catarina; Baeyens, Ans; Barrios, Leonardo; Beinke, Christina; Beukes, Philip; Blakely, William F; Cucu, Alexandra; De Amicis, Andrea; Depuydt, Julie; De Sanctis, Stefania; Di Giorgio, Marina; Dobos, Katalin; Dominguez, Inmaculada; Duy, Pham Ngoc; Espinoza, Marco E; Flegal, Farrah N; Figel, Markus; Garcia, Omar; Monteiro Gil, Octávia; Gregoire, Eric; Guerrero-Carbajal, C; Güçlü, İnci; Hadjidekova, Valeria; Hande, Prakash; Kulka, Ulrike; Lemon, Jennifer; Lindholm, Carita; Lista, Florigio; Lumniczky, Katalin; Martinez-Lopez, Wilner; Maznyk, Nataliya; Meschini, Roberta; M'kacher, Radia; Montoro, Alegria; Moquet, Jayne; Moreno, Mercedes; Noditi, Mihaela; Pajic, Jelena; Radl, Analía; Ricoul, Michelle; Romm, Horst; Roy, Laurence; Sabatier, Laure; Sebastià, Natividad; Slabbert, Jacobus; Sommer, Sylwester; Stuck Oliveira, Monica; Subramanian, Uma; Suto, Yumiko; Que, Tran; Testa, Antonella; Terzoudi, Georgia; Vral, Anne; Wilkins, Ruth; Yanti, LusiYanti; Zafiropoulos, Demetre; Wojcik, Andrzej

2017-01-01

Two quality controlled inter-laboratory exercises were organized within the EU project 'Realizing the European Network of Biodosimetry (RENEB)' to further optimize the dicentric chromosome assay (DCA) and to identify needs for training and harmonization activities within the RENEB network. The general study design included blood shipment, sample processing, analysis of chromosome aberrations and radiation dose assessment. After manual scoring of dicentric chromosomes in different cell numbers dose estimations and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were submitted by the participants. The shipment of blood samples to the partners in the European Community (EU) were performed successfully. Outside the EU unacceptable delays occurred. The results of the dose estimation demonstrate a very successful classification of the blood samples in medically relevant groups. In comparison to the 1st exercise the 2nd intercomparison showed an improvement in the accuracy of dose estimations especially for the high dose point. In case of a large-scale radiological incident, the pooling of ressources by networks can enhance the rapid classification of individuals in medically relevant treatment groups based on the DCA. The performance of the RENEB network as a whole has clearly benefited from harmonization processes and specific training activities for the network partners.

Nursing EDGE: evaluating delegation guidelines in education.

PubMed

Henderson, Deborah; Sealover, Pamela; Sharrer, Vicki; Fusner, Sally; Jones, Sandy; Sweet, Stacie; Blake, Tim

2006-01-01

Delegation, an important concept for nursing students to learn and practice, is central to registered nurse (RN) performance, and important on the NCLEX-RN examination. Nursing faculty members from an ADN program designed a descriptive study to evaluate planned versus actual delegation in the curriculum, and a second study to evaluate an intervention on delegation. Study One assessed the presence of delegation in each nursing course. Statistical analysis compared the planned implementation with the results for student definitions of delegation, and identification of the five rights of delegation based on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) definition and five rights. Study one results are shared. Study Two utilized a comparison of pre-to-post intervention measures. Students were asked to complete eight steps of a delegation exercise and determine what could be delegated to an unlicensed assistant, and what should be completed by the RN. Answers were coded and entered into SPSS. Statistical analysis compared each student's ability to correctly identify the five rights of delegation prior to the exercise, against the ability to correctly answer five questions two weeks post exercise. Significant improvement (p< 0.05) occurred on each measure. Recommendations are discussed.

Results for Phase I of the IAEA Coordinated Research Program on HTGR Uncertainties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strydom, Gerhard; Bostelmann, Friederike; Yoon, Su Jong

2015-01-01

The quantification of uncertainties in design and safety analysis of reactors is today not only broadly accepted, but in many cases became the preferred way to replace traditional conservative analysis for safety and licensing analysis. The use of a more fundamental methodology is also consistent with the reliable high fidelity physics models and robust, efficient, and accurate codes available today. To facilitate uncertainty analysis applications a comprehensive approach and methodology must be developed and applied. High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGR) has its own peculiarities, coated particle design, large graphite quantities, different materials and high temperatures that also require other simulationmore » requirements. The IAEA has therefore launched a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the HTGR Uncertainty Analysis in Modeling (UAM) in 2013 to study uncertainty propagation specifically in the HTGR analysis chain. Two benchmark problems are defined, with the prismatic design represented by the General Atomics (GA) MHTGR-350 and a 250 MW modular pebble bed design similar to the HTR-PM (INET, China). This report summarizes the contributions of the HTGR Methods Simulation group at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) up to this point of the CRP. The activities at INL have been focused so far on creating the problem specifications for the prismatic design, as well as providing reference solutions for the exercises defined for Phase I. An overview is provided of the HTGR UAM objectives and scope, and the detailed specifications for Exercises I-1, I-2, I-3 and I-4 are also included here for completeness. The main focus of the report is the compilation and discussion of reference results for Phase I (i.e. for input parameters at their nominal or best-estimate values), which is defined as the first step of the uncertainty quantification process. These reference results can be used by other CRP participants for comparison with other codes or their own reference results. The status on the Monte Carlo modeling of the experimental VHTRC facility is also discussed. Reference results were obtained for the neutronics stand-alone cases (Ex. I-1 and Ex. I-2) using the (relatively new) Monte Carlo code Serpent, and comparisons were performed with the more established Monte Carlo codes MCNP and KENO-VI. For the thermal-fluids stand-alone cases (Ex. I-3 and I-4) the commercial CFD code CFX was utilized to obtain reference results that can be compared with lower fidelity tools.« less

Squat Biomechanical Modeling Results from Exercising on the Hybrid Ultimate Lifting Kit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallo, Christopher A.; Thompson, William K.; Lewandowski, Beth E.; Jagodnik, Kathleen M.

2016-01-01

Long duration space travel will expose astronauts to extended periods of reduced gravity. Since gravity is not present to aid loading, astronauts will use resistive and aerobic exercise regimes for the duration of the space flight to minimize loss of bone density, muscle mass and aerobic capacity that occurs during exposure to a reduced gravity environment. Unlike the International Space Station (ISS), the area available for an exercise device in the next generation of spacecraft is limited and therefore compact resistance exercise device prototypes are being developed. The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) currently on the ISS is being used as a benchmark for the functional performance of these new devices. Biomechanical data collection and computational modeling aid the device design process by quantifying the joint torques and the musculoskeletal forces that occur during exercises performed on the prototype devices. The computational models currently under development utilize the OpenSim software, an open source code for musculoskeletal modeling, with biomechanical input data from test subjects for estimation of muscle and joint loads. The subjects are instrumented with reflective markers for motion capture data collection while exercising on the Hybrid Ultimate Lifting Kit (HULK) prototype device. Ground reaction force data is collected with force plates under the feet and device loading is recorded through load cells internal to the HULK. Test variables include applied device load, narrow or wide foot stance, slow or fast cadence and the harness or long bar interface between the test subject and the device. Data is also obtained using free weights for a comparison to the resistively loaded exercise device. This data is input into the OpenSim biomechanical model, which has been scaled to match the anthropometrics of the test subject, to calculate the body loads. The focus of this presentation is to summarize the results from the full squat exercises across the different test variables.

Iterative decoding of SOVA and LDPC product code for bit-patterned media recoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Seongkwon; Lee, Jaejin

2018-05-01

The demand for high-density storage systems has increased due to the exponential growth of data. Bit-patterned media recording (BPMR) is one of the promising technologies to achieve the density of 1Tbit/in2 and higher. To increase the areal density in BPMR, the spacing between islands needs to be reduced, yet this aggravates inter-symbol interference and inter-track interference and degrades the bit error rate performance. In this paper, we propose a decision feedback scheme using low-density parity check (LDPC) product code for BPMR. This scheme can improve the decoding performance using an iterative approach with extrinsic information and log-likelihood ratio value between iterative soft output Viterbi algorithm and LDPC product code. Simulation results show that the proposed LDPC product code can offer 1.8dB and 2.3dB gains over the one LDPC code at the density of 2.5 and 3 Tb/in2, respectively, when bit error rate is 10-6.

Presentation of the Coding and Assessment System for Narratives of Trauma (CASNOT): Application in Spanish Battered Women and Preliminary Analyses.

PubMed

Fernández-Lansac, Violeta; Crespo, María

2017-07-26

This study introduces a new coding system, the Coding and Assessment System for Narratives of Trauma (CASNOT), to analyse several language domains in narratives of autobiographical memories, especially in trauma narratives. The development of the coding system is described. It was applied to assess positive and traumatic/negative narratives in 50 battered women (trauma-exposed group) and 50 nontrauma-exposed women (control group). Three blind raters coded each narrative. Inter-rater reliability analyses were conducted for the CASNOT language categories (multirater Kfree coefficients) and dimensions (intraclass correlation coefficients). High levels of inter-rater agreement were found for most of the language domains. Categories that did not reach the expected reliability were mainly those related to cognitive processes, which reflects difficulties in operationalizing constructs such as lack of control or helplessness, control or planning, and rationalization or memory elaboration. Applications and limitations of the CASNOT are discussed to enhance narrative measures for autobiographical memories.

Effects of modified Pilates on variability of inter-joint coordination during walking in the elderly

PubMed Central

Roh, SuYeon; Yoon, Sukhoon; Kim, Joo Nyeon; Lim, Hee Sung

2016-01-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week modified Pilates program on the variability of inter-joint coordination in the elderly during walking. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty elderly participants with no recent history of orthopedic abnormalities (age, 67.9 ± 2.7 years; height, 163.7 ± 8.9 cm; weight, 67.1 ± 11.6 kg) were recruited for this study and randomly allocated to a modified Pilates exercise group or a control group. Three-dimensional motion analysis was performed on both groups to evaluate the effects of the Pilates exercise. [Results] There was no significant difference in the joint variability of the ankle, knee, and hip joints between the groups, both before training and after training. However, there was a significant increase in the hip-knee deviation phase value in the exercise group after the program was completed, and this increase was also significant when compared with that in the control group. [Conclusion] This study has demonstrated that an 8-week modified Pilates exercise program can have a positive impact on the gait of elderly participants, potentially by enhancing neuromuscular adjustment, which may have positive implications for reducing their fall risk. PMID:28174474

The origins of informed consent: the International Scientific Commission on Medical War Crimes, and the Nuremburg code.

PubMed

Weindling, P

2001-01-01

The Nuremberg Code has generally been seen as arising from the Nuremberg Medical Trial. This paper examines developments prior to the Trial, involving the physiologist Andrew Conway Ivy and an inter-Allied Scientific Commission on Medical War Crimes. The paper traces the formulation of the concept of a medical war crime by the physiologist John West Thompson, as part of the background to Ivy's code on human experiments of 1 August 1946. It evaluates subsequent responses by the American Medical Association, and by other war crimes experts, notably Leo Alexander, who developed Ivy's conceptual framework. Ivy's interaction with the judges at Nuremberg alerted them to the importance of formulating ethical guidelines for clinical research.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckert-Gallup, Aubrey Celia; Lewis, John R.; Brooks, Dusty Marie

This report describes the methods, results, and conclusions of the analysis of 11 scenarios defined to exercise various options available in the xLPR (Extremely Low Probability of Rupture) Version 2 .0 code. The scope of the scenario analysis is three - fold: (i) exercise the various options and components comprising xLPR v2.0 and defining each scenario; (ii) develop and exercise methods for analyzing and interpreting xLPR v2.0 outputs ; and (iii) exercise the various sampling options available in xLPR v2.0. The simulation workflow template developed during the course of this effort helps to form a basis for the application ofmore » the xLPR code to problems with similar inputs and probabilistic requirements and address in a systematic manner the three points covered by the scope.« less

Further Development of the PCRTM Model and RT Model Inter Comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Qiguang; Liu, Xu; Wu, Wan; Kizer, Susan

2015-01-01

New results for the development of the PCRTM model will be presented. The new results were used for IASI retrieval validation inter comparison and better results were obtained compare to other fast radiative transfer models.

Inter-Laboratory Comparison for Calibration of Relative Humidity Devices Among Accredited Laboratories in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, F.; Khairuddin, S.; Othman, H.

2017-01-01

An inter-laboratory comparison in relative humidity measurements among accredited laboratories has been coordinated by the National Metrology Institute of Malaysia. It was carried out to determine the performance of the participating laboratories. The objective of the comparison was to acknowledge the participating laboratories competencies and to verify the level of accuracies declared in their scope of accreditation, in accordance with the MS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The measurement parameter involved was relative humidity for the range of 30-90 %rh at a nominal temperature of 50°C. Eight accredited laboratories participated in the inter-laboratory comparison. Two units of artifacts have been circulated among the participants as the transfer standards.

Modelling oil plumes from subsurface spills.

PubMed

Lardner, Robin; Zodiatis, George

2017-11-15

An oil plume model to simulate the behavior of oil from spills located at any given depth below the sea surface is presented, following major modifications to a plume model developed earlier by Malačič (2001) and drawing on ideas in a paper by Yapa and Zheng (1997). The paper presents improvements in those models and numerical testing of the various parameters in the plume model. The plume model described in this paper is one of the numerous modules of the well-established MEDSLIK oil spill model. The deep blowout scenario of the MEDEXPOL 2013 oil spill modelling exercise, organized by REMPEC, has been applied using the improved oil plume module of the MEDSLIK model and inter-comparison with results having the oil spill source at the sea surface are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are Creative Comparisons Developed by Prospective Chemistry Teachers Evidence of Their Conceptual Understanding? The Case of Inter- and Intramolecular Forces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sendur, Gulten

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine prospective chemistry teachers' creative comparisons about the basic concepts of inter- and intramolecular forces, and to uncover the relationship between these creative comparisons and prospective teachers' conceptual understanding. Based on a phenomenological research method, this study was conducted with…

Exercise Training Modifies Ghrelin and Adiponectin Concentrations and Is Related to Inflammation in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Carrillo, Andres E.; Timmerman, Kyle L.; Jennings, Kristofer; Coen, Paul M.; Pence, Brandt D.; Flynn, Michael G.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to observe exercise training–induced effects on adiponectin, leptin, and ghrelin. Twenty-nine older, healthy participants were classified as physically active (comparison group: N = 15, 70.9±1.2 years) or physically inactive (exercise group: N = 14, 70.5±1.4 years). Exercise group participants completed 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training, whereas comparison group participants maintained their current level of exercise and served as a physically active comparison group. Monocyte phenotype, as well as serum ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II were analyzed prior to and following the 12-week period. Ghrelin and adiponectin increased 47% and 55%, respectively, in exercise group participants following exercise training. Percent change in ghrelin (post and pre) was negatively correlated with the percent change in CD14+CD16+ monocytes (post and pre) in exercise group participants. Despite no changes in body mass, these data contribute to evidence for the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise. PMID:24013674

Water vapour inter-comparison effort in the framework of the hydrological cycle in the mediterranean experiment - special observation period (hymex-sop1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summa, Donato; Di Girolamo, Paolo; Flamant, Cyrille; De Rosa, Benedetto; Cacciani, Marco; Stelitano, Dario

2018-04-01

Accurate measurements of the vertical profiles of water vapour are of paramount importance for most key areas of atmospheric sciences. A comprehensive inter-comparison between different remote sensing and in-situ sensors has been carried out in the frame work of the first Special Observing Period of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment for the purpose of obtaining accurate error estimates for these sensors. The inter-comparison involves a ground-based Raman lidar (BASIL), an airborne DIAL (LEANDRE2), a microwave radiometer, radiosondes and aircraft in-situ sensors.

Application of discrete Fourier inter-coefficient difference for assessing genetic sequence similarity.

PubMed

King, Brian R; Aburdene, Maurice; Thompson, Alex; Warres, Zach

2014-01-01

Digital signal processing (DSP) techniques for biological sequence analysis continue to grow in popularity due to the inherent digital nature of these sequences. DSP methods have demonstrated early success for detection of coding regions in a gene. Recently, these methods are being used to establish DNA gene similarity. We present the inter-coefficient difference (ICD) transformation, a novel extension of the discrete Fourier transformation, which can be applied to any DNA sequence. The ICD method is a mathematical, alignment-free DNA comparison method that generates a genetic signature for any DNA sequence that is used to generate relative measures of similarity among DNA sequences. We demonstrate our method on a set of insulin genes obtained from an evolutionarily wide range of species, and on a set of avian influenza viral sequences, which represents a set of highly similar sequences. We compare phylogenetic trees generated using our technique against trees generated using traditional alignment techniques for similarity and demonstrate that the ICD method produces a highly accurate tree without requiring an alignment prior to establishing sequence similarity.

Extracellular Recording of Light Responses from Optic Nerve Fibers and the Caudal Photoreceptor in the Crayfish

PubMed Central

Nesbit, Steven C.; Van Hoof, Alexander G.; Le, Chi C.; Dearworth, James R.

2015-01-01

Few laboratory exercises have been developed using the crayfish as a model for teaching how neural processing is done by sensory organs that detect light stimuli. This article describes the dissection procedures and methods for conducting extracellular recording from light responses of both the optic nerve fibers found in the animal’s eyestalk and from the caudal photoreceptor located in the ventral nerve cord. Instruction for ADInstruments’ data acquisition system is also featured for the data collection and analysis of responses. The comparison provides students a unique view on how spike activities measured from neurons code image-forming and non-image-forming processes. Results from the exercise show longer latency and lower frequency of firing by the caudal photoreceptor compared to optic nerve fibers to demonstrate evidence of different functions. After students learn the dissection, recording procedure, and the functional anatomy, they can develop their own experiments to learn more about the photoreceptive mechanisms and the sensory integration of modalities by these light-responsive interneurons. PMID:26557793

Caregiver Person-Centeredness and Behavioral Symptoms during Mealtime Interactions: Development and Feasibility of a Coding Scheme

PubMed Central

Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Andrea L.

2015-01-01

Mealtime behavioral symptoms are distressing and frequently interrupt eating for the individual experiencing them and others in the environment. In order to enable identification of potential antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, a computer-assisted coding scheme was developed to measure caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms for nursing home residents with dementia during mealtime interactions. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of procedures for video-capturing naturally-occurring mealtime interactions between caregivers and residents with dementia, to assess the feasibility, ease of use, and inter-observer reliability of the coding scheme, and to explore the clinical utility of the coding scheme. Trained observers coded 22 observations. Data collection procedures were feasible and acceptable to caregivers, residents and their legally authorized representatives. Overall, the coding scheme proved to be feasible, easy to execute and yielded good to very good inter-observer agreement following observer re-training. The coding scheme captured clinically relevant, modifiable antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, but would be enhanced by the inclusion of measures for resident engagement and consolidation of items for measuring caregiver person-centeredness that co-occurred and were difficult for observers to distinguish. PMID:25784080

Clinical indicators for routine use in the evaluation of early psychosis intervention: development, training support and inter-rater reliability.

PubMed

Catts, Stanley V; Frost, Aaron D J; O'Toole, Brian I; Carr, Vaughan J; Lewin, Terry; Neil, Amanda L; Harris, Meredith G; Evans, Russell W; Crissman, Belinda R; Eadie, Kathy

2011-01-01

Clinical practice improvement carried out in a quality assurance framework relies on routinely collected data using clinical indicators. Herein we describe the development, minimum training requirements, and inter-rater agreement of indicators that were used in an Australian multi-site evaluation of the effectiveness of early psychosis (EP) teams. Surveys of clinician opinion and face-to-face consensus-building meetings were used to select and conceptually define indicators. Operationalization of definitions was achieved by iterative refinement until clinicians could be quickly trained to code indicators reliably. Calculation of percentage agreement with expert consensus coding was based on ratings of paper-based clinical vignettes embedded in a 2-h clinician training package. Consensually agreed upon conceptual definitions for seven clinical indicators judged most relevant to evaluating EP teams were operationalized for ease-of-training. Brief training enabled typical clinicians to code indicators with acceptable percentage agreement (60% to 86%). For indicators of suicide risk, psychosocial function, and family functioning this level of agreement was only possible with less precise 'broad range' expert consensus scores. Estimated kappa values indicated fair to good inter-rater reliability (kappa > 0.65). Inspection of contingency tables (coding category by health service) and modal scores across services suggested consistent, unbiased coding across services. Clinicians are able to agree upon what information is essential to routinely evaluate clinical practice. Simple indicators of this information can be designed and coding rules can be reliably applied to written vignettes after brief training. The real world feasibility of the indicators remains to be tested in field trials.

A low-cost Mr compatible ergometer to assess post-exercise phosphocreatine recovery kinetics.

PubMed

Naimon, Niels D; Walczyk, Jerzy; Babb, James S; Khegai, Oleksandr; Che, Xuejiao; Alon, Leeor; Regatte, Ravinder R; Brown, Ryan; Parasoglou, Prodromos

2017-06-01

To develop a low-cost pedal ergometer compatible with ultrahigh (7 T) field MR systems to reliably quantify metabolic parameters in human lower leg muscle using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We constructed an MR compatible ergometer using commercially available materials and elastic bands that provide resistance to movement. We recruited ten healthy subjects (eight men and two women, mean age ± standard deviation: 32.8 ± 6.0 years, BMI: 24.1 ± 3.9 kg/m 2 ). All subjects were scanned on a 7 T whole-body magnet. Each subject was scanned on two visits and performed a 90 s plantar flexion exercise at 40% maximum voluntary contraction during each scan. During the first visit, each subject performed the exercise twice in order for us to estimate the intra-exam repeatability, and once during the second visit in order to estimate the inter-exam repeatability of the time constant of phosphocreatine recovery kinetics. We assessed the intra and inter-exam reliability in terms of the within-subject coefficient of variation (CV). We acquired reliable measurements of PCr recovery kinetics with an intra- and inter-exam CV of 7.9% and 5.7%, respectively. We constructed a low-cost pedal ergometer compatible with ultrahigh (7 T) field MR systems, which allowed us to quantify reliably PCr recovery kinetics in lower leg muscle using 31 P-MRS.

The effect of inter-set rest intervals on resistance exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy.

PubMed

Henselmans, Menno; Schoenfeld, Brad J

2014-12-01

Due to a scarcity of longitudinal trials directly measuring changes in muscle girth, previous recommendations for inter-set rest intervals in resistance training programs designed to stimulate muscular hypertrophy were primarily based on the post-exercise endocrinological response and other mechanisms theoretically related to muscle growth. New research regarding the effects of inter-set rest interval manipulation on resistance training-induced muscular hypertrophy is reviewed here to evaluate current practices and provide directions for future research. Of the studies measuring long-term muscle hypertrophy in groups employing different rest intervals, none have found superior muscle growth in the shorter compared with the longer rest interval group and one study has found the opposite. Rest intervals less than 1 minute can result in acute increases in serum growth hormone levels and these rest intervals also decrease the serum testosterone to cortisol ratio. Long-term adaptations may abate the post-exercise endocrinological response and the relationship between the transient change in hormonal production and chronic muscular hypertrophy is highly contentious and appears to be weak. The relationship between the rest interval-mediated effect on immune system response, muscle damage, metabolic stress, or energy production capacity and muscle hypertrophy is still ambiguous and largely theoretical. In conclusion, the literature does not support the hypothesis that training for muscle hypertrophy requires shorter rest intervals than training for strength development or that predetermined rest intervals are preferable to auto-regulated rest periods in this regard.

Fingerprinting sea-level variations in response to continental ice loss: a benchmark exercise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barletta, Valentina R.; Spada, Giorgio; Riva, Riccardo E. M.; James, Thomas S.; Simon, Karen M.; van der Wal, Wouter; Martinec, Zdenek; Klemann, Volker; Olsson, Per-Anders; Hagedoorn, Jan; Stocchi, Paolo; Vermeersen, Bert

2013-04-01

Understanding the response of the Earth to the waxing and waning ice sheets is crucial in various contexts, ranging from the interpretation of modern satellite geodetic measurements to the projections of future sea level trends in response to climate change. All the processes accompanying Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) can be described solving the so-called Sea Level Equation (SLE), an integral equation that accounts for the interactions between the ice sheets, the solid Earth, and the oceans. Modern approaches to the SLE are based on various techniques that range from purely analytical formulations to fully numerical methods. Here we present the results of a benchmark exercise of independently developed codes designed to solve the SLE. The study involves predictions of current sea level changes due to present-day ice mass loss. In spite of the differences in the methods employed, the comparison shows that a significant number of GIA modellers can reproduce their sea-level computations within 2% for well defined, large-scale present-day ice mass changes. Smaller and more detailed loads need further and dedicated benchmarking and high resolution computation. This study shows how the details of the implementation and the inputs specifications are an important, and often underappreciated, aspect. Hence this represents a step toward the assessment of reliability of sea level projections obtained with benchmarked SLE codes.

INTER LABORATORY COMBAT HELMET BLUNT IMPACT TEST METHOD COMPARISON

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-26

HELMET BLUNT IMPACT TEST METHOD COMPARISON by Tony J. Kayhart Charles A. Hewitt and Jonathan Cyganik March 2018 Final...Report March 2016 – August 2017 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research ...INTER-LABORATORY COMBAT HELMET BLUNT IMPACT TEST METHOD COMPARISON 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR

R-Matrix Codes for Charged-Particle Induced Reactions in the Resolved Resonance Region (3), Summary Report of an IAEA Consultants' Meeting IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria, 28-30 June 2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leeb, Helmut; Dimitriou, Paraskevi; Thompson, Ian

A Consultants Meeting was held at the IAEA Headquarters, from 28 to 30 June 2017, to discuss the results of a test exercise that had been defined and assigned to all participants of the previous meeting held in December 2016. Five codes were used in this exercise: AMUR, AZURE2, RAC, SFRESCO and SAMMY. The results obtained from these codes were compared and further actions were proposed. Participants’ presentations and technical discussions, as well as proposed additional actions have been summarized in this report.

Exercises to Accompany Mathematics 301. Curriculum Support Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manitoba Dept. of Education, Winnipeg.

These sample problems, exercises, questions, and projects were compiled to supplement the guide for the Manitoba course Mathematics 301 in order to assist teachers in implementing the program. Arranged according to the modules of the course guide, they are coded to the objectives of the program. Review exercises follow either the subtopics within…

Joint Machine Learning and Game Theory for Rate Control in High Efficiency Video Coding.

PubMed

Gao, Wei; Kwong, Sam; Jia, Yuheng

2017-08-25

In this paper, a joint machine learning and game theory modeling (MLGT) framework is proposed for inter frame coding tree unit (CTU) level bit allocation and rate control (RC) optimization in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). First, a support vector machine (SVM) based multi-classification scheme is proposed to improve the prediction accuracy of CTU-level Rate-Distortion (R-D) model. The legacy "chicken-and-egg" dilemma in video coding is proposed to be overcome by the learning-based R-D model. Second, a mixed R-D model based cooperative bargaining game theory is proposed for bit allocation optimization, where the convexity of the mixed R-D model based utility function is proved, and Nash bargaining solution (NBS) is achieved by the proposed iterative solution search method. The minimum utility is adjusted by the reference coding distortion and frame-level Quantization parameter (QP) change. Lastly, intra frame QP and inter frame adaptive bit ratios are adjusted to make inter frames have more bit resources to maintain smooth quality and bit consumption in the bargaining game optimization. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MLGT based RC method can achieve much better R-D performances, quality smoothness, bit rate accuracy, buffer control results and subjective visual quality than the other state-of-the-art one-pass RC methods, and the achieved R-D performances are very close to the performance limits from the FixedQP method.

Estimating near-road pollutant dispersion: a model inter-comparison

EPA Science Inventory

A model inter-comparison study to assess the abilities of steady-state Gaussian dispersion models to capture near-road pollutant dispersion has been carried out with four models (AERMOD, run with both the area-source and volume-source options to represent roadways, CALINE, versio...

The Immediate Effects on Inter-rectus Distance of Abdominal Crunch and Drawing-in Exercises During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period.

PubMed

Mota, Patrícia; Pascoal, Augusto Gil; Carita, Ana Isabel; Bø, Kari

2015-10-01

Longitudinal descriptive exploratory study. To evaluate in primigravid women the immediate effect of drawing-in and abdominal crunch exercises on inter-rectus distance (IRD), measured at 4 time points during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. There is scant knowledge of the effect of different abdominal exercises on IRD in pregnant and postpartum women. The study included 84 primiparous participants. Ultrasound images were recorded with a 12-MHz linear transducer, at rest and during abdominal drawing-in and abdominal crunch exercises, at 3 locations on the linea alba. The IRD was measured at 4 time points: gestational weeks 35 to 41, 6 to 8 weeks postpartum, 12 to 14 weeks postpartum, and 24 to 26 weeks postpartum. Separate 2-way, repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed for each exercise (drawing-in and abdominal crunch) and each measurement location to evaluate the immediate effects of exercises on IRD at each of the 4 time points. Similarly, 2-way ANOVAs were used to contrast the effects of the 2 exercises on IRD. Performing the drawing-in exercise caused a significant change in width of the IRD at 2 cm below the umbilicus, narrowing the IRD by a mean of 3.8 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2, 6.4 mm) at gestational weeks 35 to 41, and widening the IRD by 3.0 mm (95% CI: 1.4, 4.6 mm) at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum, by 1.8 mm (95% CI: 0.6, 3.1 mm) at 12 to 14 weeks postpartum, and by 2.5 mm (95% CI: 1.4, 3.6 mm) at 24 to 26 weeks postpartum (P<.01). Performing the abdominal crunch exercise led to a significant narrowing of the IRD (P<.01) in all 3 locations at all 4 time points, with the exception of 2 cm below the umbilicus at postpartum weeks 24 to 26. The average amount of narrowing varied from 1.6 to 20.9 mm, based on time and location. Overall, there was a contrasting effect of the 2 exercises, with the abdominal crunch exercise consistently producing a significant narrowing of the IRD. In contrast, the drawing-in exercise generally led to a small widening of the IRD.

Bridging animal and human models of exercise-induced brain plasticity

PubMed Central

Voss, Michelle W.; Vivar, Carmen; Kramer, Arthur F.; van Praag, Henriette

2015-01-01

Significant progress has been made in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms through which exercise protects and restores the brain. In this feature review, we integrate animal and human research, examining physical activity effects across multiple levels of description (neurons up to inter-regional pathways). We evaluate the influence of exercise on hippocampal structure and function, addressing common themes such as spatial memory and pattern separation, brain structure and plasticity, neurotrophic factors, and vasculature. Areas of research focused more within species, such as hippocampal neurogenesis in rodents, also provide crucial insight into the protective role of physical activity. Overall, converging evidence suggests exercise benefits brain function and cognition across the mammalian lifespan, which may translate into reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in humans. PMID:24029446

A Methodological Inter-Comparison of Gridded Meteorological Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, A. J.; Clark, M. P.; Longman, R. J.; Giambelluca, T. W.; Arnold, J.

2017-12-01

Here we present a gridded meteorology inter-comparison using the state of Hawaíi as a testbed. This inter-comparison is motivated by two general goals: 1) the broad user community of gridded observation based meteorological fields should be aware of inter-product differences and the reasons they exist, which allows users to make informed choices on product selection to best meet their specific application(s); 2) we want to demonstrate the utility of inter-comparisons to meet the first goal, yet highlight that they are limited to mostly generic statements regarding attribution of differences that limits our understanding of these complex algorithms and obscures future research directions. Hawaíi is a useful testbed because it is a meteorologically complex region with well-known spatial features that are tied to specific physical processes (e.g. the trade wind inversion). From a practical standpoint, there are now several monthly climatological and daily precipitation and temperature datasets available that are being used for impact modeling. General conclusions that have emerged are: 1) differences in input station data significantly influence product differences; 2) prediction of precipitation occurrence is crucial across multiple metrics; 3) derived temperature statistics (e.g. diurnal temperature range) may have large spatial differences across products; and 4) attribution of differences to methodological choices is difficult and may limit the outcomes of these inter-comparisons, particularly from a development viewpoint. Thus, we want to continue to move the community towards frameworks that allow for multiple options throughout the product generation chain and allow for more systematic testing.

The Earthquake Source Inversion Validation (SIV) - Project: Summary, Status, Outlook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mai, P. M.

2017-12-01

Finite-fault earthquake source inversions infer the (time-dependent) displacement on the rupture surface from geophysical data. The resulting earthquake source models document the complexity of the rupture process. However, this kinematic source inversion is ill-posed and returns non-unique solutions, as seen for instance in multiple source models for the same earthquake, obtained by different research teams, that often exhibit remarkable dissimilarities. To address the uncertainties in earthquake-source inversions and to understand strengths and weaknesses of various methods, the Source Inversion Validation (SIV) project developed a set of forward-modeling exercises and inversion benchmarks. Several research teams then use these validation exercises to test their codes and methods, but also to develop and benchmark new approaches. In this presentation I will summarize the SIV strategy, the existing benchmark exercises and corresponding results. Using various waveform-misfit criteria and newly developed statistical comparison tools to quantify source-model (dis)similarities, the SIV platforms is able to rank solutions and identify particularly promising source inversion approaches. Existing SIV exercises (with related data and descriptions) and all computational tools remain available via the open online collaboration platform; additional exercises and benchmark tests will be uploaded once they are fully developed. I encourage source modelers to use the SIV benchmarks for developing and testing new methods. The SIV efforts have already led to several promising new techniques for tackling the earthquake-source imaging problem. I expect that future SIV benchmarks will provide further innovations and insights into earthquake source kinematics that will ultimately help to better understand the dynamics of the rupture process.

THE NORTH AMERICAN MERCURY MODEL INTER-COMPARISON STUDY (NAMMIS)

EPA Science Inventory

This paper describes the North American Mercury Model Inter-comparison Study (NAMMIS). The NAMMIS is an effort to apply atmospheric Hg models in a tightly constrained testing environment with a focus on North America. With each model using the same input data sets for initial co...

Setting maximum limits for trace elements in baby food in European legislation: the outcome of International Measurement Evaluation Programme®-33.

PubMed

Cordeiro, F; Baer, I; Robouch, P; Emteborg, H; Can, S Z; Krata, A; Zampella, M; Quétel, C R; Hearn, R; De la Calle, B

2013-01-01

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate-General of the European Commission, operates the International Measurement Evaluation Programme® (IMEP). It organises various types of inter-laboratory comparisons in support of European Union policies. This paper presents the results of a proficiency testing exercise (PT) focusing on the determination of total cadmium (Cd) and total lead (Pb) mass fractions in baby food in support to Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. The test material used in this exercise was soya-based baby food formula purchased in a local pharmacy and prepared by the Reference Materials Unit of the IRMM for this exercise. Sixty-six laboratories from 23 countries registered to the exercise and 61 of them reported results. Each participant received one bottle containing approximately 15 g of test material. Participants were asked to quantify the measurands in the powder and in the reconstituted formula. Reference values independent from the participants' results were established using isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The total Cd mass fraction was determined by IRMM and LGC Ltd (UK), while the total Pb was determined by IRMM. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment σ^ was set at 22% of the assigned value for all measurands. Laboratories were rated with z- and ζ- (zeta) scores in accordance with ISO 13528. The outcome of this exercise is clearly influenced by the very low level of Cd and Pb content in the test material which triggered: a high number of 'less than' values; overestimated values especially for Pb very likely due to contamination; and a visible method influence in the case of Pb (methods based on atomic absorption were not sensitive enough to attain such low limits of detection). The results were also evaluated with regard to the reported limit of detection and some incoherencies were observed.

Reliability in Cross-National Content Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peter, Jochen; Lauf, Edmund

2002-01-01

Investigates how coder characteristics such as language skills, political knowledge, coding experience, and coding certainty affected inter-coder and coder-training reliability. Shows that language skills influenced both reliability types. Suggests that cross-national researchers should pay more attention to cross-national assessments of…

Inter-synaptic learning of combination rules in a cortical network model

PubMed Central

Lavigne, Frédéric; Avnaïm, Francis; Dumercy, Laurent

2014-01-01

Selecting responses in working memory while processing combinations of stimuli depends strongly on their relations stored in long-term memory. However, the learning of XOR-like combinations of stimuli and responses according to complex rules raises the issue of the non-linear separability of the responses within the space of stimuli. One proposed solution is to add neurons that perform a stage of non-linear processing between the stimuli and responses, at the cost of increasing the network size. Based on the non-linear integration of synaptic inputs within dendritic compartments, we propose here an inter-synaptic (IS) learning algorithm that determines the probability of potentiating/depressing each synapse as a function of the co-activity of the other synapses within the same dendrite. The IS learning is effective with random connectivity and without either a priori wiring or additional neurons. Our results show that IS learning generates efficacy values that are sufficient for the processing of XOR-like combinations, on the basis of the sole correlational structure of the stimuli and responses. We analyze the types of dendrites involved in terms of the number of synapses from pre-synaptic neurons coding for the stimuli and responses. The synaptic efficacy values obtained show that different dendrites specialize in the detection of different combinations of stimuli. The resulting behavior of the cortical network model is analyzed as a function of inter-synaptic vs. Hebbian learning. Combinatorial priming effects show that the retrospective activity of neurons coding for the stimuli trigger XOR-like combination-selective prospective activity of neurons coding for the expected response. The synergistic effects of inter-synaptic learning and of mixed-coding neurons are simulated. The results show that, although each mechanism is sufficient by itself, their combined effects improve the performance of the network. PMID:25221529

Look at the Gato! Code-Switching in Speech to Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bail, Amelie; Morini, Giovanna; Newman, Rochelle S.

2015-01-01

We examined code-switching (CS) in the speech of twenty-four bilingual caregivers when speaking with their 18- to 24-month-old children. All parents CS at least once in a short play session, and some code-switched quite often (over 1/3 of utterances). This CS included both inter-sentential and intra-sentential switches, suggesting that at least…

Inter-view prediction of intra mode decision for high-efficiency video coding-based multiview video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Thaísa Leal; Agostini, Luciano Volcan; da Silva Cruz, Luis A.

2014-05-01

Intra prediction is a very important tool in current video coding standards. High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) intra prediction presents relevant gains in encoding efficiency when compared to previous standards, but with a very important increase in the computational complexity since 33 directional angular modes must be evaluated. Motivated by this high complexity, this article presents a complexity reduction algorithm developed to reduce the HEVC intra mode decision complexity targeting multiview videos. The proposed algorithm presents an efficient fast intra prediction compliant with singleview and multiview video encoding. This fast solution defines a reduced subset of intra directions according to the video texture and it exploits the relationship between prediction units (PUs) of neighbor depth levels of the coding tree. This fast intra coding procedure is used to develop an inter-view prediction method, which exploits the relationship between the intra mode directions of adjacent views to further accelerate the intra prediction process in multiview video encoding applications. When compared to HEVC simulcast, our method achieves a complexity reduction of up to 47.77%, at the cost of an average BD-PSNR loss of 0.08 dB.

SimilarityExplorer: A visual inter-comparison tool for multifaceted climate data

Treesearch

J. Poco; A. Dasgupta; Y. Wei; W. Hargrove; C. Schwalm; R. Cook; E. Bertini; C. Silva

2014-01-01

Inter-comparison and similarity analysis to gauge consensus among multiple simulation models is a critical visualization problem for understanding climate change patterns. Climate models, specifically, Terrestrial Biosphere Models (TBM) represent time and space variable ecosystem processes, for example, simulations of photosynthesis and respiration, using algorithms...

The Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC) - A Model for Inter-Agency and Inter-Sector Communication and Collaboration

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

of Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) and Sense, Interpret, Decide, Act ( SIDA ) loops is important to understand and research as part of this...C2 process loops, OODA, developed by John Boyd, (Coram 2002, Lind 1985) and/or SIDA , (Haeckel 2001) are functioning at multiple levels and the...model of C2 is grounded in OODA and SIDA loops addressed earlier in this paper. During exercises, the salient activity of moving through the process

Effects of exercise-induced intracellular acidosis on the phosphocreatine recovery kinetics: a 31P MRS study in three muscle groups in humans.

PubMed

Layec, Gwenael; Malucelli, Emil; Le Fur, Y; Manners, David; Yashiro, Kazuya; Testa, Claudia; Cozzone, Patrick J; Iotti, Stefano; Bendahan, David

2013-11-01

Little is known about the metabolic differences that exist among different muscle groups within the same subjects. Therefore, we used (31)P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) to investigate muscle oxidative capacity and the potential effects of pH on PCr recovery kinetics between muscles of different phenotypes (quadriceps (Q), finger (FF) and plantar flexors (PF)) in the same cohort of 16 untrained adults. The estimated muscle oxidative capacity was lower in Q (29 ± 12 mM min(-1), CV(inter-subject) = 42%) as compared with PF (46 ± 20 mM min(-1), CV(inter-subject) = 44%) and tended to be higher in FF (43 ± 35 mM min(-1), CV(inter-subject) = 80%). The coefficient of variation (CV) of oxidative capacity between muscles within the group was 59 ± 24%. PCr recovery time constant was correlated with end-exercise pH in Q (p < 0.01), FF (p < 0.05) and PF (p < 0.05) as well as proton efflux rate in FF (p < 0.01), PF (p < 0.01) and Q (p = 0.12). We also observed a steeper slope of the relationship between end-exercise acidosis and PCr recovery kinetics in FF compared with either PF or Q muscles. Overall, this study supports the concept of skeletal muscle heterogeneity by revealing a comparable inter- and intra-individual variability in oxidative capacity across three skeletal muscles in untrained individuals. These findings also indicate that the sensitivity of mitochondrial respiration to the inhibition associated with cytosolic acidosis is greater in the finger flexor muscles compared with locomotor muscles, which might be related to differences in permeability in the mitochondrial membrane and, to some extent, to proton efflux rates. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A comparison of technologies used for estimation of body temperature.

PubMed

Mangat, Jasdip; Standley, Thomas; Prevost, Andrew; Vasconcelos, Joana; White, Paul

2010-09-01

Body temperature measurement is an important clinical parameter. The performance of a number of non-invasive thermometers was measured by comparing intra- and inter-operator variability (n = 100) and clinical accuracy (n = 61). Variability was elevated in febrile compared to normothermic subjects for axillary and oral electronic contact thermometer measures and a temporal artery thermometer (p < 0.001 for both). Temporal artery thermometry and one mode of an infrared tympanic thermometer demonstrated significant clinical inaccuracy (p < 0.001 for both). Electronic contact thermometer repeatability and reproducibility are highly variable in febrile adults both in the axilla and oral cavity. Infrared thermometry of the skin over the superficial temporal artery is unreliable for measuring core body temperature, particularly in febrile subjects and patients in theatre. The infrared tympanic thermometers tested are acceptable for clinical practice; however, care should be exercised with the different modes of operation offered.

A comprehensive study of radon levels and associated radiation doses in Himalayan groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Mukesh; Kumar, G. Anil; Sahoo, B. K.; Ramola, R. C.

2018-03-01

The concentration of radon in groundwater is mainly governed by the radium content in the rocks of the aquifer. The internal exposure to high levels of radon in water is directly associated with the radiological risk to members of public. In this work, radon concentrations were measured in groundwater of Garhwal Himalaya, India, using scintillation detector-based RnDuo and silicon detector-based RAD7 monitors. An inter-comparison exercise was carried out between RnDuo and RAD7 techniques for a few samples to validate the results. The radiation doses associated with the exposure to radon in water were estimated from measured values of activity concentrations. An attempt has been made to see the effect of geology, geohydrology and different types of sources on radon levels in Himalayan groundwater. The experimental techniques and results obtained are discussed in detail.

Coding tools investigation for next generation video coding based on HEVC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jianle; Chen, Ying; Karczewicz, Marta; Li, Xiang; Liu, Hongbin; Zhang, Li; Zhao, Xin

2015-09-01

The new state-of-the-art video coding standard, H.265/HEVC, has been finalized in 2013 and it achieves roughly 50% bit rate saving compared to its predecessor, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. This paper provides the evidence that there is still potential for further coding efficiency improvements. A brief overview of HEVC is firstly given in the paper. Then, our improvements on each main module of HEVC are presented. For instance, the recursive quadtree block structure is extended to support larger coding unit and transform unit. The motion information prediction scheme is improved by advanced temporal motion vector prediction, which inherits the motion information of each small block within a large block from a temporal reference picture. Cross component prediction with linear prediction model improves intra prediction and overlapped block motion compensation improves the efficiency of inter prediction. Furthermore, coding of both intra and inter prediction residual is improved by adaptive multiple transform technique. Finally, in addition to deblocking filter and SAO, adaptive loop filter is applied to further enhance the reconstructed picture quality. This paper describes above-mentioned techniques in detail and evaluates their coding performance benefits based on the common test condition during HEVC development. The simulation results show that significant performance improvement over HEVC standard can be achieved, especially for the high resolution video materials.

Non-invasive measurement using cardiovascular magnetic resonance of changes in pulmonary artery stiffness with exercise.

PubMed

Forouzan, Omid; Warczytowa, Jared; Wieben, Oliver; François, Christopher J; Chesler, Naomi C

2015-12-13

Exercise stress tests are commonly used in clinical settings to monitor the functional state of the heart and vasculature. Large artery stiffness is one measure of arterial function that can be quantified noninvasively during exercise stress. Changes in proximal pulmonary artery stiffness are especially relevant to the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH), since pulmonary artery (PA) stiffness is the best current predictor of mortality from right ventricular failure. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was used to investigate the effect of exercise stress on PA pulse wave velocity (PWV) and relative area change (RAC), which are both non-invasive measures of PA stiffness, in healthy subjects. All 21 subjects (average age 26 ± 4 years; 13 female and 8 male) used a custom-made MR-compatible stepping device to exercise (two stages of mild-to-moderate exercise of 3-4 min duration each) in a supine position within the confines of the scanner. To measure the cross-sectional area and blood flow velocity in the main PA (MPA), two-dimensional phase-contrast (2D-PC) CMR images were acquired. To measure the reproducibility of metrics, CMR images were analyzed by two independent observers. Inter-observer agreements were calculated using the intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. From rest to the highest level of exercise, cardiac output increased from 5.9 ± 1.4 L/min to 8.2 ± 1.9 L/min (p < 0.05), MPA PWV increased from 1.6 ± 0.5 m/s to 3.6 ± 1.4 m/s (p < 0.05), and MPA RAC decreased from 0.34 ± 0.11 to 0.24 ± 0.1 (p < 0.05). While PWV also increased from the first to second exercise stage (from 2.7 ± 1.0 m/s to 3.6 ± 1.4 m/s, p < 0.05), there was no significant change in RAC between the two exercise stages. We found good inter-observer agreement for quantification of MPA flow, RAC and PWV. These results demonstrate that metrics of MPA stiffness increase in response to acute moderate exercise in healthy subjects and that CMR exercise stress offers great potential in clinical practice to noninvasively assess vascular function.

Assessing doses to terrestrial wildlife at a radioactive waste disposal site: inter-comparison of modelling approaches.

PubMed

Johansen, M P; Barnett, C L; Beresford, N A; Brown, J E; Černe, M; Howard, B J; Kamboj, S; Keum, D-K; Smodiš, B; Twining, J R; Vandenhove, H; Vives i Batlle, J; Wood, M D; Yu, C

2012-06-15

Radiological doses to terrestrial wildlife were examined in this model inter-comparison study that emphasised factors causing variability in dose estimation. The study participants used varying modelling approaches and information sources to estimate dose rates and tissue concentrations for a range of biota types exposed to soil contamination at a shallow radionuclide waste burial site in Australia. Results indicated that the dominant factor causing variation in dose rate estimates (up to three orders of magnitude on mean total dose rates) was the soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides that included variation in transfer parameter values as well as transfer calculation methods. Additional variation was associated with other modelling factors including: how participants conceptualised and modelled the exposure configurations (two orders of magnitude); which progeny to include with the parent radionuclide (typically less than one order of magnitude); and dose calculation parameters, including radiation weighting factors and dose conversion coefficients (typically less than one order of magnitude). Probabilistic approaches to model parameterisation were used to encompass and describe variable model parameters and outcomes. The study confirms the need for continued evaluation of the underlying mechanisms governing soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides to improve estimation of dose rates to terrestrial wildlife. The exposure pathways and configurations available in most current codes are limited when considering instances where organisms access subsurface contamination through rooting, burrowing, or using different localised waste areas as part of their habitual routines. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using goal attainment scaling to evaluate a needs-led exercise programme for people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Jones, Martyn C; Walley, Robert M; Leech, Amanda; Paterson, Marion; Common, Stephanie; Metcalf, Charlotte

2006-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether involvement in a 16 week exercise programme improved goal attainment in areas of behaviour, access to community-based experiences, health and physical competence. Participants were women with severe intellectual disability and associated challenging behaviour (setting A,N = 14) and male/female service users with profound physical and intellectual disabilities (setting B,N = 8). The exercise programme included active and passive exercise, walking, swimming, hydrotherapy, team games and rebound therapy. Significant gains in aggregated goal attainment were demonstrated by week 16. The reliability and validity of our goal attainment procedures were demonstrated with inter-rater reliabilities exceeding 80 percent. Changes in goal attainment were concurrent with global clinical impression scores in a series of single case studies. Continuing care settings should dedicate care staff to provide routinized, continuing exercise programmes.

Enhancing 'Whole-of-Government' Response to Biological Events in Korea: Able Response 2014.

PubMed

Tak, Sangwoo; Jareb, Anton; Choi, Suon; Sikes, Marvin; Choi, Yeon Hwa; Boo, Hyeong-Wook

2018-01-01

Since 2011, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States (U.S.) have been collaborating to conduct inter- and intra-governmental exercises to jointly respond to biological events in Korea. These exercises highlight U.S. interest in increasing its global biosurveillance capability and the ROK's interest in improving cooperation among ministries to respond to crises. With Able Response (AR) exercises, the ROK and U.S. have improved coordination among US and ROK government and defense agencies responding to potential bio-threats and identified additional areas on which to apply refinements in policies and practices. In 2014, the AR exercise employed a Biosurveillance Portal (BSP) to facilitate more effective communication among participating agencies and countries including Australia. In the present paper, we seek to provide a comprehensive assessment of the AR 2014 (AR14) exercise and make recommendations for future improvements. Incorporating a more realistic response in future scenarios by integrating a tactical response episode in the exercise is recommended.

Enhancing ‘Whole-of-Government’ Response to Biological Events in Korea: Able Response 2014

PubMed Central

Tak, Sangwoo; Jareb, Anton; Choi, Suon; Sikes, Marvin; Choi, Yeon Hwa; Boo, Hyeong-wook

2018-01-01

Since 2011, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States (U.S.) have been collaborating to conduct inter- and intra-governmental exercises to jointly respond to biological events in Korea. These exercises highlight U.S. interest in increasing its global biosurveillance capability and the ROK’s interest in improving cooperation among ministries to respond to crises. With Able Response (AR) exercises, the ROK and U.S. have improved coordination among US and ROK government and defense agencies responding to potential bio-threats and identified additional areas on which to apply refinements in policies and practices. In 2014, the AR exercise employed a Biosurveillance Portal (BSP) to facilitate more effective communication among participating agencies and countries including Australia. In the present paper, we seek to provide a comprehensive assessment of the AR 2014 (AR14) exercise and make recommendations for future improvements. Incorporating a more realistic response in future scenarios by integrating a tactical response episode in the exercise is recommended. PMID:29503803

Towards a next generation open-source video codec

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bankoski, Jim; Bultje, Ronald S.; Grange, Adrian; Gu, Qunshan; Han, Jingning; Koleszar, John; Mukherjee, Debargha; Wilkins, Paul; Xu, Yaowu

2013-02-01

Google has recently been developing a next generation opensource video codec called VP9, as part of the experimental branch of the libvpx repository included in the WebM project (http://www.webmproject.org/). Starting from the VP8 video codec released by Google in 2010 as the baseline, a number of enhancements and new tools have been added to improve the coding efficiency. This paper provides a technical overview of the current status of this project along with comparisons and other stateoftheart video codecs H. 264/AVC and HEVC. The new tools that have been added so far include: larger prediction block sizes up to 64x64, various forms of compound INTER prediction, more modes for INTRA prediction, ⅛pel motion vectors and 8tap switchable subpel interpolation filters, improved motion reference generation and motion vector coding, improved entropy coding and framelevel entropy adaptation for various symbols, improved loop filtering, incorporation of Asymmetric Discrete Sine Transforms and larger 16x16 and 32x32 DCTs, frame level segmentation to group similar areas together, etc. Other tools and various bitstream features are being actively worked on as well. The VP9 bitstream is expected to be finalized by earlyto mid2013. Results show VP9 to be quite competitive in performance with mainstream stateoftheart codecs.

[Variations in patient data coding affect hospital standardized mortality ratio (HSMR)].

PubMed

van den Bosch, Wim F; Silberbusch, Joseph; Roozendaal, Klaas J; Wagner, Cordula

2010-01-01

To investigate the impact of coding variations on 'hospital standardized mortality ratio' (HSMR) and to define variation reduction measures. Retrospective, descriptive. We analysed coding variations in HSMR parameters for main diagnosis, urgency of the admission and comorbidity in the national medical registration (LMR) database of admissions in 6 Dutch top clinical hospitals during 2003-2007. More than a quarter of these admission records had been included in the HSMR calculation. Admissions with ICD-9 main diagnosis codes that were excluded from HSMR calculations were investigated for inter-hospital variability and correct exclusion. Variation in coding admission type was signalled by analyzing admission records with diagnoses that had an emergency nature by their title. Variation in the average number of comorbidity diagnoses per admission was determined as an indicator for coding variation. Interviews with coding teams were used to check whether the conclusions of the analysis were correct. Over 165,000 admissions that were excluded from HSMR calculations showed large variability between hospitals. This figure was 40% of all admissions that were included. Of the admissions with a main diagnosis indicating an emergency, 34% to 93% were recorded as an emergency. The average number of comorbidity diagnoses varied between hospitals from 0.9 to 3.0 per admission. Coding of main diagnoses, urgency of admission and comorbidities showed strong inter-hospital variation with a potentially large impact on the HSMR outcomes of the hospitals. Coding variations originated from differences in interpretation of coding rules, differences in coding capacity, quality of patient records and discharge documentation and timely delivery of these.

Assessing the effects of cocaine dependence and pathological gambling using group-wise sparse representation of natural stimulus FMRI data.

PubMed

Ren, Yudan; Fang, Jun; Lv, Jinglei; Hu, Xintao; Guo, Cong Christine; Guo, Lei; Xu, Jiansong; Potenza, Marc N; Liu, Tianming

2017-08-01

Assessing functional brain activation patterns in neuropsychiatric disorders such as cocaine dependence (CD) or pathological gambling (PG) under naturalistic stimuli has received rising interest in recent years. In this paper, we propose and apply a novel group-wise sparse representation framework to assess differences in neural responses to naturalistic stimuli across multiple groups of participants (healthy control, cocaine dependence, pathological gambling). Specifically, natural stimulus fMRI (N-fMRI) signals from all three groups of subjects are aggregated into a big data matrix, which is then decomposed into a common signal basis dictionary and associated weight coefficient matrices via an effective online dictionary learning and sparse coding method. The coefficient matrices associated with each common dictionary atom are statistically assessed for each group separately. With the inter-group comparisons based on the group-wise correspondence established by the common dictionary, our experimental results demonstrated that the group-wise sparse coding and representation strategy can effectively and specifically detect brain networks/regions affected by different pathological conditions of the brain under naturalistic stimuli.

Unit Testing for the Application Control Language (ACL) Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinich, Christina Marie

2014-01-01

In the software development process, code needs to be tested before it can be packaged for release in order to make sure the program actually does what it says is supposed to happen as well as to check how the program deals with errors and edge cases (such as negative or very large numbers). One of the major parts of the testing process is unit testing, where you test specific units of the code to make sure each individual part of the code works. This project is about unit testing many different components of the ACL software and fixing any errors encountered. To do this, mocks of other objects need to be created and every line of code needs to be exercised to make sure every case is accounted for. Mocks are important to make because it gives direct control of the environment the unit lives in instead of attempting to work with the entire program. This makes it easier to achieve the second goal of exercising every line of code.

EARLINET Single Calculus Chain - technical - Part 1: Pre-processing of raw lidar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Giuseppe; Amodeo, Aldo; Mattis, Ina; Freudenthaler, Volker; Pappalardo, Gelsomina

2016-02-01

In this paper we describe an automatic tool for the pre-processing of aerosol lidar data called ELPP (EARLINET Lidar Pre-Processor). It is one of two calculus modules of the EARLINET Single Calculus Chain (SCC), the automatic tool for the analysis of EARLINET data. ELPP is an open source module that executes instrumental corrections and data handling of the raw lidar signals, making the lidar data ready to be processed by the optical retrieval algorithms. According to the specific lidar configuration, ELPP automatically performs dead-time correction, atmospheric and electronic background subtraction, gluing of lidar signals, and trigger-delay correction. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio of the pre-processed signals can be improved by means of configurable time integration of the raw signals and/or spatial smoothing. ELPP delivers the statistical uncertainties of the final products by means of error propagation or Monte Carlo simulations. During the development of ELPP, particular attention has been payed to make the tool flexible enough to handle all lidar configurations currently used within the EARLINET community. Moreover, it has been designed in a modular way to allow an easy extension to lidar configurations not yet implemented. The primary goal of ELPP is to enable the application of quality-assured procedures in the lidar data analysis starting from the raw lidar data. This provides the added value of full traceability of each delivered lidar product. Several tests have been performed to check the proper functioning of ELPP. The whole SCC has been tested with the same synthetic data sets, which were used for the EARLINET algorithm inter-comparison exercise. ELPP has been successfully employed for the automatic near-real-time pre-processing of the raw lidar data measured during several EARLINET inter-comparison campaigns as well as during intense field campaigns.

Pour une pedagogie integree du code oral et du code ecrit (Toward a Pedagogy Integrating Oral and Written Codes).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillen-Diaz, Carmen

1990-01-01

A classroom approach that brings oral and written language learning closer together is outlined. The strategy focuses on proper pronunciation using minimal pairs and uses exercises designed for listening and visualization, production, discrimination, re-use and reinforcement, and computer-assisted instruction. (MSE)

A Subband Coding Method for HDTV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, Wilson; Kossentini, Faouzi; Smith, Mark J. T.

1995-01-01

This paper introduces a new HDTV coder based on motion compensation, subband coding, and high order conditional entropy coding. The proposed coder exploits the temporal and spatial statistical dependencies inherent in the HDTV signal by using intra- and inter-subband conditioning for coding both the motion coordinates and the residual signal. The new framework provides an easy way to control the system complexity and performance, and inherently supports multiresolution transmission. Experimental results show that the coder outperforms MPEG-2, while still maintaining relatively low complexity.

Meta-analysis: aerobic exercise for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Bartley, Christine A; Hay, Madeleine; Bloch, Michael H

2013-08-01

This meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of exercise as a treatment for DSM-IV diagnosed anxiety disorders. We searched PubMED and PsycINFO for randomized, controlled trials comparing the anxiolytic effects of aerobic exercise to other treatment conditions for DSM-IV defined anxiety disorders. Seven trials were included in the final analysis, totaling 407 subjects. The control conditions included non-aerobic exercise, waitlist/placebo, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoeducation and meditation. A fixed-effects model was used to calculate the standardized mean difference of change in anxiety rating scale scores of aerobic exercise compared to control conditions. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the effects of (1) comparison condition; (2) whether comparison condition controlled for time spent exercising and (3) diagnostic indication. Aerobic exercise demonstrated no significant effect for the treatment of anxiety disorders (SMD=0.02 (95%CI: -0.20-0.24), z = 0.2, p = 0.85). There was significant heterogeneity between trials (χ(2) test for heterogeneity = 22.7, df = 6, p = 0.001). The reported effect size of aerobic exercise was highly influenced by the type of control condition. Trials utilizing waitlist/placebo controls and trials that did not control for exercise time reported large effects of aerobic exercise while other trials report no effect of aerobic exercise. Current evidence does not support the use of aerobic exercise as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders as compared to the control conditions. This remains true when controlling for length of exercise sessions and type of anxiety disorder. Future studies evaluating the efficacy of aerobic exercise should employ larger sample sizes and utilize comparison interventions that control for exercise time. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Strength training alone, exercise therapy alone, and exercise therapy with passive manual mobilisation each reduce pain and disability in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Jansen, Mariette J; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Lenssen, Antoine F; Hendriks, Erik J M; de Bie, Rob A

2011-01-01

What are the effects of strength training alone, exercise therapy alone, and exercise with additional passive manual mobilisation on pain and function in people with knee osteoarthritis compared to control? What are the effects of these interventions relative to each other? A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Adults with osteoarthritis of the knee. INTERVENTION TYPES: Strength training alone, exercise therapy alone (combination of strength training with active range of motion exercises and aerobic activity), or exercise with additional passive manual mobilisation, versus any non-exercise control. Comparisons between the three interventions were also sought. The primary outcome measures were pain and physical function. 12 trials compared one of the interventions against control. The effect size on pain was 0.38 (95% CI 0.23 to 0.54) for strength training, 0.34 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.49) for exercise, and 0.69 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.96) for exercise plus manual mobilisation. Each intervention also improved physical function significantly. No randomised comparisons of the three interventions were identified. However, meta-regression indicated that exercise plus manual mobilisations improved pain significantly more than exercise alone (p = 0.03). The remaining comparisons between the three interventions for pain and physical function were not significant. Exercise therapy plus manual mobilisation showed a moderate effect size on pain compared to the small effect sizes for strength training or exercise therapy alone. To achieve better pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis physiotherapists or manual therapists might consider adding manual mobilisation to optimise supervised active exercise programs. Copyright © 2011 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by .. All rights reserved.

Sonographic evaluation of the immediate effects of eccentric heel drop exercise on Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle stiffness using shear wave elastography

PubMed Central

Leung, Wilson K.C.; Chu, KL

2017-01-01

Background Mechanical loading is crucial for muscle and tendon tissue remodeling. Eccentric heel drop exercise has been proven to be effective in the management of Achilles tendinopathy, yet its induced change in the mechanical property (i.e., stiffness) of the Achilles tendon (AT), medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (MG and LG) was unknown. Given that shear wave elastography has emerged as a powerful tool in assessing soft tissue stiffness with promising intra- and inter-operator reliability, the objective of this study was hence to characterize the stiffness of the AT, MG and LG in response to an acute bout of eccentric heel drop exercise. Methods Forty-five healthy young adults (36 males and nine females) performed 10 sets of 15-repetition heel drop exercise on their dominant leg with fully-extended knee, during which the AT and gastrocnemius muscles, but not soleus, were highly stretched. Before and immediately after the heel drop exercise, elastic moduli of the AT, MG and LG were measured by shear wave elastography. Results After the heel drop exercise, the stiffness of AT increased significantly by 41.8 + 33.5% (P < 0.001), whereas the increases in the MG and LG stiffness were found to be more drastic by 75 + 47.7% (P < 0.001) and 71.7 + 51.8% (P < 0.001), respectively. Regarding the AT, MG and LG stiffness measurements, the inter-operator reliability was 0.940, 0.987 and 0.986, and the intra-operator reliability was 0.916 to 0.978, 0.801 to 0.961 and 0.889 to 0.985, respectively. Discussion The gastrocnemius muscles were shown to bear larger mechanical loads than the AT during an acute bout of eccentric heel drop exercise. The findings from this pilot study shed some light on how and to what extent the AT and gastrocnemius muscles mechanically responds to an isolated set of heel drop exercise. Taken together, appropriate eccentric load might potentially benefit mechanical adaptations of the AT and gastrocnemius muscles in the rehabilitation of patients with Achilles tendinopathy. PMID:28740756

Low-temperature plasma simulations with the LSP PIC code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlsson, Johan; Khrabrov, Alex; Kaganovich, Igor; Keating, David; Selezneva, Svetlana; Sommerer, Timothy

2014-10-01

The LSP (Large-Scale Plasma) PIC-MCC code has been used to simulate several low-temperature plasma configurations, including a gas switch for high-power AC/DC conversion, a glow discharge and a Hall thruster. Simulation results will be presented with an emphasis on code comparison and validation against experiment. High-voltage, direct-current (HVDC) power transmission is becoming more common as it can reduce construction costs and power losses. Solid-state power-electronics devices are presently used, but it has been proposed that gas switches could become a compact, less costly, alternative. A gas-switch conversion device would be based on a glow discharge, with a magnetically insulated cold cathode. Its operation is similar to that of a sputtering magnetron, but with much higher pressure (0.1 to 0.3 Torr) in order to achieve high current density. We have performed 1D (axial) and 2D (axial/radial) simulations of such a gas switch using LSP. The 1D results were compared with results from the EDIPIC code. To test and compare the collision models used by the LSP and EDIPIC codes in more detail, a validation exercise was performed for the cathode fall of a glow discharge. We will also present some 2D (radial/azimuthal) LSP simulations of a Hall thruster. The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DE-AR0000298.

Inter-comparison of hydro-climatic regimes across northern catchments: snychronicity, resistance and resilience

Treesearch

Sean K. Carey; Doerthe Tetzlaff; Jan Seibert; Chris Soulsby; Jim Buttle; Hjalmar Laudon; Jeff McDonnell; Kevin McGuire; Daniel Caissie; Jamie Shanley; Mike Kennedy; Kevin Devito; John W. Pomeroy

2010-01-01

The higher mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere are particularly sensitive to climate change as small differences in temperature determine frozen ground status, precipitation phase, and the magnitude and timing of snow accumulation and melt. An international inter-catchment comparison program, North-Watch, seeks to improve our understanding of the sensitivity of...

Component Framework for Loosely Coupled High Performance Integrated Plasma Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elwasif, W. R.; Bernholdt, D. E.; Shet, A. G.; Batchelor, D. B.; Foley, S.

2010-11-01

We present the design and implementation of a component-based simulation framework for the execution of coupled time-dependent plasma modeling codes. The Integrated Plasma Simulator (IPS) provides a flexible lightweight component model that streamlines the integration of stand alone codes into coupled simulations. Standalone codes are adapted to the IPS component interface specification using a thin wrapping layer implemented in the Python programming language. The framework provides services for inter-component method invocation, configuration, task, and data management, asynchronous event management, simulation monitoring, and checkpoint/restart capabilities. Services are invoked, as needed, by the computational components to coordinate the execution of different aspects of coupled simulations on Massive parallel Processing (MPP) machines. A common plasma state layer serves as the foundation for inter-component, file-based data exchange. The IPS design principles, implementation details, and execution model will be presented, along with an overview of several use cases.

LDPC product coding scheme with extrinsic information for bit patterned media recoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Seongkwon; Lee, Jaejin

2017-05-01

Since the density limit of the current perpendicular magnetic storage system will soon be reached, bit patterned media recording (BPMR) is a promising candidate for the next generation storage system to achieve an areal density beyond 1 Tb/in2. Each recording bit is stored in a fabricated magnetic island and the space between the magnetic islands is nonmagnetic in BPMR. To approach recording densities of 1 Tb/in2, the spacing of the magnetic islands must be less than 25 nm. Consequently, severe inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-track interference (ITI) occur. ITI and ISI degrade the performance of BPMR. In this paper, we propose a low-density parity check (LDPC) product coding scheme that exploits extrinsic information for BPMR. This scheme shows an improved bit error rate performance compared to that in which one LDPC code is used.

Utilizing Commercial Hardware and Open Source Computer Vision Software to Perform Motion Capture for Reduced Gravity Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphreys, Brad; Bellisario, Brian; Gallo, Christopher; Thompson, William K.; Lewandowski, Beth

2016-01-01

Long duration space travel to Mars or to an asteroid will expose astronauts to extended periods of reduced gravity. Since gravity is not present to aid loading, astronauts will use resistive and aerobic exercise regimes for the duration of the space flight to minimize the loss of bone density, muscle mass and aerobic capacity that occurs during exposure to a reduced gravity environment. Unlike the International Space Station (ISS), the area available for an exercise device in the next generation of spacecraft is limited. Therefore, compact resistance exercise device prototypes are being developed. The NASA Digital Astronaut Project (DAP) is supporting the Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) Project, Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures (ExPC) project and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) funded researchers by developing computational models of exercising with these new advanced exercise device concepts. To perform validation of these models and to support the Advanced Exercise Concepts Project, several candidate devices have been flown onboard NASAs Reduced Gravity Aircraft. In terrestrial laboratories, researchers typically have available to them motion capture systems for the measurement of subject kinematics. Onboard the parabolic flight aircraft it is not practical to utilize the traditional motion capture systems due to the large working volume they require and their relatively high replacement cost if damaged. To support measuring kinematics on board parabolic aircraft, a motion capture system is being developed utilizing open source computer vision code with commercial off the shelf (COTS) video camera hardware. While the systems accuracy is lower than lab setups, it provides a means to produce quantitative comparison motion capture kinematic data. Additionally, data such as required exercise volume for small spaces such as the Orion capsule can be determined. METHODS: OpenCV is an open source computer vision library that provides the ability to perform multi-camera 3 dimensional reconstruction. Utilizing OpenCV, via the Python programming language, a set of tools has been developed to perform motion capture in confined spaces using commercial cameras. Four Sony Video Cameras were intrinsically calibrated prior to flight. Intrinsic calibration provides a set of camera specific parameters to remove geometric distortion of the lens and sensor (specific to each individual camera). A set of high contrast markers were placed on the exercising subject (safety also necessitated that they be soft in case they become detached during parabolic flight); small yarn balls were used. Extrinsic calibration, the determination of camera location and orientation parameters, is performed using fixed landmark markers shared by the camera scenes. Additionally a wand calibration, the sweeping of the camera scenes simultaneously, was also performed. Techniques have been developed to perform intrinsic calibration, extrinsic calibration, isolation of the markers in the scene, calculation of marker 2D centroids, and 3D reconstruction from multiple cameras. These methods have been tested in the laboratory side-by-side comparison to a traditional motion capture system and also on a parabolic flight.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

van der Zwaan, Bob; Calvin, Katherine V.; Clarke, Leon E.

The CLIMACAP-LAMP project, completed in December 2015, was an inter-model comparison exercise that focused on energy and climate change economics issues in Latin America. The project partners – co-financed by the EC / EuropeAid (CLIMACAP part) and EPA / USAID (LAMP part) and co-coordinated by respectively the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) – report their main and detailed findings in this Special Issue of Energy Economics, exclusively dedicated to climate mitigation, low-carbon development and implications for energy and land use in Latin America. Our research endeavor included several of the mostmore » prominent regional energy modeling groups from Latin America, as well as a representative set of global integrated assessment modeling groups from a number of institutions from Europe and the US. About two dozen universities, research groups and environmental or consulting organizations took part in the CLIMACAP-LAMP cross-model comparison project, from both sides of the Atlantic. Over a handful of workshops were organized over the past four years in several countries in Latin America, attended by between 30 and 50 participants from, amongst others, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the EU, and the US.« less

GLM Proxy Data Generation: Methods for Stroke/Pulse Level Inter-Comparison of Ground-Based Lightning Reference Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cummins, Kenneth L.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Christopher J.; Bateman, Monte G.; Cecil, Daniel J.; Rudlosky, Scott D.; Petersen, Walter Arthur; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Goodman, Steven J.

2011-01-01

In order to produce useful proxy data for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in regions not covered by VLF lightning mapping systems, we intend to employ data produced by ground-based (regional or global) VLF/LF lightning detection networks. Before using these data in GLM Risk Reduction tasks, it is necessary to have a quantitative understanding of the performance of these networks, in terms of CG flash/stroke DE, cloud flash/pulse DE, location accuracy, and CLD/CG classification error. This information is being obtained through inter-comparison with LMAs and well-quantified VLF/LF lightning networks. One of our approaches is to compare "bulk" counting statistics on the spatial scale of convective cells, in order to both quantify relative performance and observe variations in cell-based temporal trends provided by each network. In addition, we are using microsecond-level stroke/pulse time correlation to facilitate detailed inter-comparisons at a more-fundamental level. The current development status of our ground-based inter-comparison and evaluation tools will be presented, and performance metrics will be discussed through a comparison of Vaisala s Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) with the NLDN at locations within and outside the U.S.

GLM Proxy Data Generation: Methods for Stroke/Pulse Level Inter-comparison of Ground-based Lightning Reference Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummins, K. L.; Carey, L. D.; Schultz, C. J.; Bateman, M. G.; Cecil, D. J.; Rudlosky, S. D.; Petersen, W. A.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Goodman, S. J.

2011-12-01

In order to produce useful proxy data for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in regions not covered by VLF lightning mapping systems, we intend to employ data produced by ground-based (regional or global) VLF/LF lightning detection networks. Before using these data in GLM Risk Reduction tasks, it is necessary to have a quantitative understanding of the performance of these networks, in terms of CG flash/stroke DE, cloud flash/pulse DE, location accuracy, and CLD/CG classification error. This information is being obtained through inter-comparison with LMAs and well-quantified VLF/LF lightning networks. One of our approaches is to compare "bulk" counting statistics on the spatial scale of convective cells, in order to both quantify relative performance and observe variations in cell-based temporal trends provided by each network. In addition, we are using microsecond-level stroke/pulse time correlation to facilitate detailed inter-comparisons at a more-fundamental level. The current development status of our ground-based inter-comparison and evaluation tools will be presented, and performance metrics will be discussed through a comparison of Vaisala's Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) with the NLDN at locations within and outside the U.S.

Evaluation of patients with painful total hip arthroplasty using combined single photon emission tomography and conventional computerized tomography (SPECT/CT) - a comparison of semi-quantitative versus 3D volumetric quantitative measurements.

PubMed

Barthassat, Emilienne; Afifi, Faik; Konala, Praveen; Rasch, Helmut; Hirschmann, Michael T

2017-05-08

It was the primary purpose of our study to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer reliability of a standardized SPECT/CT algorithm for evaluating patients with painful primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The secondary purpose was a comparison of semi-quantitative and 3D volumetric quantification method for assessment of bone tracer uptake (BTU) in those patients. A novel SPECT/CT localization scheme consisting of 14 femoral and 4 acetabular regions on standardized axial and coronal slices was introduced and evaluated in terms of inter- and intra-observer reliability in 37 consecutive patients with hip pain after THA. BTU for each anatomical region was assessed semi-quantitatively using a color-coded Likert type scale (0-10) and volumetrically quantified using a validated software. Two observers interpreted the SPECT/CT findings in all patients two times with six weeks interval between interpretations in random order. Semi-quantitative and quantitative measurements were compared in terms of reliability. In addition, the values were correlated using Pearson`s correlation. A factorial cluster analysis of BTU was performed to identify clinically relevant regions, which should be grouped and analysed together. The localization scheme showed high inter- and intra-observer reliabilities for all femoral and acetabular regions independent of the measurement method used (semiquantitative versus 3D volumetric quantitative measurements). A high to moderate correlation between both measurement methods was shown for the distal femur, the proximal femur and the acetabular cup. The factorial cluster analysis showed that the anatomical regions might be summarized into three distinct anatomical regions. These were the proximal femur, the distal femur and the acetabular cup region. The SPECT/CT algorithm for assessment of patients with pain after THA is highly reliable independent from the measurement method used. Three clinically relevant anatomical regions (proximal femoral, distal femoral, acetabular) were identified.

A practical guide to exercise training for heart failure patients.

PubMed

Smart, Neil; Fang, Zhi You; Marwick, Thomas H

2003-02-01

Exercise training has been shown to improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure. We sought to examine the optimal strategy of exercise training for patients with heart failure. Review of the published data on the characteristics of the training program, with comparison of physiologic markers of exercise capacity in heart failure patients and healthy individuals and comparison of the change in these characteristics after an exercise training program. Many factors, including the duration, supervision, and venue of exercise training; the volume of working muscle; the delivery mode (eg, continuous vs. intermittent exercise), training intensity; and the concurrent effects of medical treatments may influence the results of exercise training in heart failure. Starting in an individually prescribed and safely monitored hospital-based program, followed by progression to an ongoing and progressive home program of exercise appears to be the best solution to the barriers of anxiety, adherence, and "ease of access" encountered by the heart failure patient. Various exercise training programs have been shown to improve exercise capacity and symptom status in heart failure, but these improvements may only be preserved with an ongoing maintenance program.

On scalable lossless video coding based on sub-pixel accurate MCTF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yea, Sehoon; Pearlman, William A.

2006-01-01

We propose two approaches to scalable lossless coding of motion video. They achieve SNR-scalable bitstream up to lossless reconstruction based upon the subpixel-accurate MCTF-based wavelet video coding. The first approach is based upon a two-stage encoding strategy where a lossy reconstruction layer is augmented by a following residual layer in order to obtain (nearly) lossless reconstruction. The key advantages of our approach include an 'on-the-fly' determination of bit budget distribution between the lossy and the residual layers, freedom to use almost any progressive lossy video coding scheme as the first layer and an added feature of near-lossless compression. The second approach capitalizes on the fact that we can maintain the invertibility of MCTF with an arbitrary sub-pixel accuracy even in the presence of an extra truncation step for lossless reconstruction thanks to the lifting implementation. Experimental results show that the proposed schemes achieve compression ratios not obtainable by intra-frame coders such as Motion JPEG-2000 thanks to their inter-frame coding nature. Also they are shown to outperform the state-of-the-art non-scalable inter-frame coder H.264 (JM) lossless mode, with the added benefit of bitstream embeddedness.

Development and validation of an OECD reproductive toxicity test guideline with the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Mollusca, Gastropoda).

PubMed

Ducrot, Virginie; Askem, Clare; Azam, Didier; Brettschneider, Denise; Brown, Rebecca; Charles, Sandrine; Coke, Maïra; Collinet, Marc; Delignette-Muller, Marie-Laure; Forfait-Dubuc, Carole; Holbech, Henrik; Hutchinson, Thomas; Jach, Arne; Kinnberg, Karin L; Lacoste, Cédric; Le Page, Gareth; Matthiessen, Peter; Oehlmann, Jörg; Rice, Lynsey; Roberts, Edward; Ruppert, Katharina; Davis, Jessica Elphinstone; Veauvy, Clemence; Weltje, Lennart; Wortham, Ruth; Lagadic, Laurent

2014-12-01

The OECD test guideline development program has been extended in 2011 to establish a partial life-cycle protocol for assessing the reproductive toxicity of chemicals to several mollusk species, including the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. In this paper, we summarize the standard draft protocol for a reproduction test with this species, and present inter-comparison results obtained in a 56-day prevalidation ring-test using this protocol. Seven European laboratories performed semi-static tests with cultured snails of the strain Renilys® exposed to nominal concentrations of cadmium chloride (from 53 to 608μgCdL(-1)). Cd concentrations in test solutions were analytically determined to confirm accuracy in the metal exposure concentrations in all laboratories. Physico-chemical and biological validity criteria (namely dissolved oxygen content >60% ASV, water temperature 20±1°C, control snail survival >80% and control snail fecundity >8 egg-masses per snail over the test period) were met in all laboratories which consistently demonstrated the reproductive toxicity of Cd in snails using the proposed draft protocol. Effect concentrations for fecundity after 56days were reproducible between laboratories (68

Measurement of interstage fluid-annulus dynamical properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, M. L.; Makay, E.; Diaz-Tous, I. A.

1982-01-01

The work described in this paper is part of an Electric Power Research Institute sponsored effort to improve rotor vibrational performance on power plant feed water pumps. A major objective of this effort is to reduce vibration levels by devising inter-stage sealing configurations with optimized damping capacity, realizing that the typical multi-stage centrifugal pump has several ore inter-stage fluid annuli than it has journal bearings. Also, the fluid annuli are distributed between the journal bearings where vibration levels are highest and can therefore be 'exercised' more as dampers than can the bearings. Described in this paper is a test apparatus which has been built to experimentally determine fluid-annulus dynamical coefficients for various configurations of inter-stage sealing geometry.

Analysis of the influence of the heat transfer phenomena on the late phase of the ThAI Iod-12 test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonfiotti, B.; Paci, S.

2014-11-01

Iodine is one of the major contributors to the source term during a severe accident in a Nuclear Power Plant for its volatility and high radiological consequences. Therefore, large efforts have been made to describe the Iodine behaviour during an accident, especially in the containment system. Due to the lack of experimental data, in the last years many attempts were carried out to fill the gaps on the knowledge of Iodine behaviour. In this framework, two tests (ThAI Iod-11 and Iod-12) were carried out inside a multi-compartment steel vessel. A quite complex transient characterizes these two tests; therefore they are also suitable for thermal- hydraulic benchmarks. The two tests were originally released for a benchmark exercise during the SARNET2 EU Project. At the end of this benchmark a report covering the main findings was issued, stating that the common codes employed in SA studies were able to simulate the tests but with large discrepancies. The present work is then related to the application of the new versions of ASTEC and MELCOR codes with the aim of carry out a new code-to-code comparison vs. ThAI Iod-12 experimental data, focusing on the influence of the heat exchanges with the outer environment, which seems to be one of the most challenging issues to cope with.

Comparing the effectiveness of individualistic, altruistic, and competitive incentives in motivating completion of mental exercises.

PubMed

Schofield, Heather; Loewenstein, George; Kopsic, Jessica; Volpp, Kevin G

2015-12-01

This study examines the impact of individually oriented, purely altruistic, and a hybrid of competitive and cooperative monetary reward incentives on older adults' completion of cognitive exercises and cognitive function. We find that all three incentive structures approximately double the number of exercises completed during the six-week active experimental period relative to a no incentive control condition. However, the altruistic and cooperative/competitive incentives led to different patterns of participation, with significantly higher inter-partner correlations in utilization of the software, as well as greater persistence once incentives were removed. Provision of all incentives significantly improved performance on the incentivized exercises. However, results of an independent cognitive testing battery suggest no generalizable gains in cognitive function resulted from the training. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

BRDF Characterization and Calibration Inter-Comparison between Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS, and S-NPP VIIRS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Tiejun; Xiong, Xiaoxiong (Jack); Angal, Amit; Wu, Aisheng

2016-01-01

The inter-comparison of reflective solar bands (RSB) between Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS, and SNPP VIIRS is very important for assessment of each instrument's calibration and to identify calibration improvements. One of the limitations of using their ground observations for the assessment is a lack of the simultaneous nadir overpasses (SNOs) over selected pseudo-invariant targets. In addition, their measurements over a selected Earth view target have significant difference in solar and view angles, and these differences magnify the effects of Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF). In this work, an inter-comparison technique using a semi-empirical BRDF model is developed for reflectance correction. BRDF characterization requires a broad coverage of solar and view angles in the measurements over selected pseudo-invariant targets. Reflectance measurements over Libya 1, 2, and 4 desert sites from both the Aqua and Terra MODIS are regressed to a BRDF model with an adjustable coefficient accounting for the calibration difference between the two instruments. The BRDF coefficients for three desert sites for MODIS bands 1 to 9 are derived and the wavelength dependencies are presented. The analysis and inter-comparison are for MODIS bands 1 to 9 and VIIRS moderate resolution radiometric bands (M bands) M1, M2, M4, M5, M7, M8, M10 and imaging bands (I bands) I1-I3. Results show that the ratios from different sites are in good agreement. The ratios between Terra and Aqua MODIS from year 2003 to 2014 are presented. The inter-comparison between MODIS and VIIRS are analyzed for year 2014.

Supporting the Uptake of Nursing Guidelines: what you really need to know to move nursing guidelines into practice.

PubMed

Matthew-Maich, Nancy; Ploeg, Jenny; Dobbins, Maureen; Jack, Susan

2013-05-01

There is a current push to use best practice guidelines (BPGs) in health care to enhance client care and outcomes. Even though intensive resources have been invested internationally to develop BPGs, a gap in knowledge exists about how to consistently and efficiently move them into practice. Constructivist grounded theory was used to explore the complex processes of a breastfeeding BPG implementation and uptake in three acute care hospitals. Interviews (n = 120) with 112 participants representing clients, nurses, lactation consultants, midwives, physicians, managers, administrators, and nurse educators as well as document and field note analysis informed this study. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and coding steps outlined by Charmaz: initial coding, selective (focused) coding, then theoretical coding. Triangulation of data types and sources were used as well as theoretical sampling. Data were collected from 2009 to 2010. Two sites showed BPG uptake while one did not. Factors present in the uptake sites included, ongoing passionate frontline leaders, the use of multifaceted strategies, and processes that occurred at organizational, leadership, individual and social levels. Particularly noteworthy was the transformation of individual nurses to believing in and using the BPG. Impacts occurred at client, nurse, unit, inter-professional, organizational and system levels. A conceptual framework: Supporting the Uptake of Nursing Guidelines, was developed that reveals essential processes used to facilitate BPG uptake into nursing practice and a process of nurse transformation to believing in and using the BPG. © Sigma Theta Tau International.

HIGHER MODIFIED BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY SCORES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BODY, EATING, AND EXERCISE COMPARISONS BUT DECREASED EXERCISE AMOUNTS.

PubMed

Knepp, Michael M; Yoza, Jeffrey J; Quandt, Emily A

2015-06-01

Previous research has indicated that exercise can lead to decreased depression symptoms. The relationship of depression with right frontal lobe activity and self-image (body, eating, and exercise) were investigated as reasons why depressive symptoms might lead to decreased exercise. 120 college students (79 women) completed design fluency tasks followed by a set of questionnaires on depression and exercise. High (M = 23.03, SD = 5.92) and low quartiles (M = 3.11, SD = 1.59) were created using the Modified Beck Depression Inventory (mBDI) for primary analyses. The group with higher mBDI scores produced fewer unique designs (suggesting lower right frontal activity) and was more likely to make comparisons based on body shape, eating, and exercise. The group with higher mBDI scores reported significantly less strenuous and moderate exercise. These findings indicate that the relationship between exercise and depression could work in both directions. While exercise can be used as a potential treatment to decrease depression, increased depressive symptoms could be a hindrance to exercise.

A Comparison of Descriptive Tagging Practices by Library, Archive and Museum Professionals Using an Inter-Indexing Consistency Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angel, Christine Marie

2012-01-01

This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that…

An Inter-Industry Comparison of VET in Australian SMEs: Inter-Industry Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Janice

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the extent and nature of Vocational Education and Training (VET) vis-a-vis other forms of training in three size categories of small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from two industry sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The longitudinal panel data employed in this paper are drawn…

Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-04-01

JC - United States Central Command DoD 7045.7-H, April 2004 12 JCA - CJCS Controlled Activities JE - United States European Command JFC - United...Codes ARMY TITLECODE TITLECODE(H) = Historical (H) = Historical 1291 Line of Sight Anti-Tank (LOSAT) Battalion 1295 Armored Cavalry Squadrons (ACR) 1296...TRI-TAC) 0208010N Joint Tactical Communications Program (TRI-TAC) 0208011A CJCS Exercise Program 0208011F CJCS Exercise Program 0208011J CJCS Exercise

Chroma intra prediction based on inter-channel correlation for HEVC.

PubMed

Zhang, Xingyu; Gisquet, Christophe; François, Edouard; Zou, Feng; Au, Oscar C

2014-01-01

In this paper, we investigate a new inter-channel coding mode called LM mode proposed for the next generation video coding standard called high efficiency video coding. This mode exploits inter-channel correlation using reconstructed luma to predict chroma linearly with parameters derived from neighboring reconstructed luma and chroma pixels at both encoder and decoder to avoid overhead signaling. In this paper, we analyze the LM mode and prove that the LM parameters for predicting original chroma and reconstructed chroma are statistically the same. We also analyze the error sensitivity of the LM parameters. We identify some LM mode problematic situations and propose three novel LM-like modes called LMA, LML, and LMO to address the situations. To limit the increase in complexity due to the LM-like modes, we propose some fast algorithms with the help of some new cost functions. We further identify some potentially-problematic conditions in the parameter estimation (including regression dilution problem) and introduce a novel model correction technique to detect and correct those conditions. Simulation results suggest that considerable BD-rate reduction can be achieved by the proposed LM-like modes and model correction technique. In addition, the performance gain of the two techniques appears to be essentially additive when combined.

Effect of core stabilization exercises versus conventional exercises on pain and functional status in patients with non-specific low back pain: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Inani, Sumit B; Selkar, Sohan P

2013-01-01

Low Back Pain (LBP) results in significant level of disability, producing significant restriction on usual activity such as an inability to work. Nearly two third of the adults are affected by non-specific low back pain at some point in their lives. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of core stabilization exercises in comparison with conventional exercises on pain, functional status in patients with non-specific LBP. Thirty patients diagnosed with non-specific LBP participated with age group between 20-50 years and divided in to 2 groups, one with core stabilization exercises and other conventional exercises, 15 subjects each. Three months study, pre and post treatment outcome measures used were VAS for pain intensity and Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index for functional status (disability). Data were analyzed using student 't' test (paired and unpaired). Whereas both groups improved significantly from the initiation of treatment, a between-group comparison revealed significantly greater (p<0.001) improvements regarding pain and functional status for experimental group compared to control group. Core stabilization exercises were found to be more effective in reducing pain and improving functional status by decreasing disability of patients with non-specific low back pain in comparison with conventional exercises.

Effects of Schroth and Pilates exercises on the Cobb angle and weight distribution of patients with scoliosis.

PubMed

Kim, Gichul; HwangBo, Pil-Neo

2016-03-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of Schroth and Pilates exercises on the Cobb angle and body weight distribution of patients with idiopathic scoliosis. [Subjects] Twenty-four scoliosis patients with a Cobb angle of ≥20° were divided into the Schroth exercise group (SEG, n = 12) and the Pilates exercise group (PEG, n = 12). [Methods] The SEG and PEG performed Schroth and Pilates exercises, respectively, three times a week for 12 weeks. The Cobb angle was measured in the standing position with a radiography apparatus, and weight load was measured with Gait View Pro 1.0. [Results] In the intragroup comparison, both groups showed significant changes in the Cobb angle. For weight distribution, the SEG showed significant differences in the total weight between the concave and convex sides, but the PEG did not show significant differences. Furthermore, in the intragroup comparison, the SEG showed significant differences in the changes in the Cobb angle and weight distribution compared with the PEG. [Conclusion] Both Schroth and Pilates exercises were effective in changing the Cobb angle and weight distribution of scoliosis patients; however, the intergroup comparison showed that the Schroth exercise was more effective than the Pilates exercise.

Finite element analysis of inviscid subsonic boattail flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chima, R. V.; Gerhart, P. M.

1981-01-01

A finite element code for analysis of inviscid subsonic flows over arbitrary nonlifting planar or axisymmetric bodies is described. The code solves a novel primitive variable formulation of the coupled irrotationality and compressible continuity equations. Results for flow over a cylinder, a sphere, and a NACA 0012 airfoil verify the code. Computed subcritical flows over an axisymmetric boattailed afterbody compare well with finite difference results and experimental data. Interative coupling with an integral turbulent boundary layer code shows strong viscous effects on the inviscid flow. Improvements in code efficiency and extensions to transonic flows are discussed.

Practical methodological guide for hydrometric inter-laboratory organisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besson, David; Bertrand, Xavier

2015-04-01

Discharge measurements performed by the French governmental hydrometer team feed a national database. This data is available for general river flows knowkedge, flood forecasting, low water survey, statistical calculations flow, control flow regulatory and many other uses. Regularly checking the measurements quality and better quantifying its accuracy is therefore an absolute need. The practice of inter-laboratory comparison in hydrometry particularly developed during the last decade. Indeed, discharge measurement can not easily be linked to a standard. Therefore, on-site measurement accuracy control is very difficult. Inter-laboratory comparison is thus a practical solution to this issue. However, it needs some regulations in order to ease its practice and legitimize its results. To do so, the French government hydrometrics teams produced a practical methodological guide for hydrometric inter-laboratory organisation in destination of hydrometers community in view of ensure the harmonization of inter-laboratory comparison practices for different materials (ADCP, current meter on wadind rod or gauging van, tracer dilution, surface speed) and flow range (flood, low water). Ensure the results formalization and banking. The realisation of this practice guide is grounded on the experience of the governmental teams & their partners (or fellows), following existing approaches (Doppler group especially). The guide is designated to validate compliance measures and identify outliers : Hardware, methodological, environmental, or human. Inter-laboratory comparison provides the means to verify the compliance of the instruments (devices + methods + operators) and provides methods to determine an experimental uncertainty of the tested measurement method which is valid only for the site and the measurement conditions but does not address the calibration or periodic monitoring of the few materials. After some conceptual definitions, the guide describes the different stages of an inter-comparison campaign: the campaing creation: targets, participants ( instruments type and number) and site preparation of test protocols and schedule; the campaign set-up (organization): invitation and pre-information of the participants, logistics, field preparation; the campaign conduct: participants reception and information, sequences of tests, results analysis and communication, balance sheet; post-campaign work: further analysis, dissemination and periodic verification of the instruments. This guide is associated with measurement instruments forms, reminding their limits and conditions for use, land forms, used to record all the necessary information during the inter-comparison campaign (site description and measurement conditions, equipment and its settings, and the set of measurements or intermediate calculations to the final results) as well as a calculation tool and banking measures and results.

A comparison of the motivational factors between CrossFit participants and other resistance exercise modalities: a pilot study.

PubMed

Fisher, James; Sales, Adele; Carlson, Luke; Steele, James

2017-09-01

Understanding resistance exercise motives and participation is essential in increasing exercise adherence and reducing comorbidities. CrossFit is a fitness movement that has seen an explosive growth in popularity worldwide; however, little research has investigated the motivational factors within this "niche" resistance exercise environment. The aim of this study was to explore the motivational factors of CrossFit participants in comparison to other resistance exercise participants. Using an independent-group design, quantitative data was collected using exercise motivations inventory-2 (EMI-2) questionnaire, for a total of 314 male and female participants (CrossFit: N.=68, group resistance exercise: N.=55, alone: N.=125, personal trainer: N.=66). The present study suggest that CrossFit participants were more likely to report higher levels of intrinsic motives, such as enjoyment, challenge and affiliation, whereas personal training clients reported higher values for health related motives such as positive health, ill-health avoidance and weight management. The findings suggest that the motivations for engaging in CrossFit may be similar to those seen in sport participation, and therefore may have an influence on facilitating long-term adherence in comparison with other resistance exercise modalities. This article also discusses health related motives as being extrinsic in nature but reflecting intrinsic characteristics, potentially also facilitating long term adherence. The present research helps develop further understanding of motivational variables within differing resistance exercise modalities.

Neural networks distinguish between taste qualities based on receptor cell population responses.

PubMed

Varkevisser, B; Peterson, D; Ogura, T; Kinnamon, S C

2001-06-01

Response features of taste receptor cell action potentials were examined using an artificial neural network to determine whether they contain information about taste quality. Using the loose patch technique to record from hamster taste buds in vivo we recorded population responses of single fungiform papillae to NaCl (100 mM), sucrose (200 mM) and the synthetic sweetener NC-00274-01 (NC-01) (200 microM). Features of each response describing both burst and inter-burst characteristics were then presented to an artificial neural network for pairwise classification of taste stimuli. Responses to NaCl could be distinguished from those to both NC-01 and sucrose with accuracies of up to 86%. In contrast, pairwise comparisons between sucrose and NC-01 were not successful, scoring at chance (50%). Also, comparisons between two different concentrations of NaCl, 0.01 and 0.005 M, scored at chance. Pairwise comparisons using only those features that relate to the inter-burst behavior of the response (i.e. bursting rate) did not hinder the performance of the neural network as both sweeteners versus NaCl received scores of 75--85%. Comparisons using features corresponding to each individual burst scored poorly, receiving scores only slightly above chance. We then compared the sweeteners with varying concentrations of NaCl (0.1, 0.01, 0.005 and 0.001 M) using only those features corresponding to bursting rate within a 1 s time window. The neural network was capable of distinguishing between NaCl and NC-01 at all concentrations tested; while comparisons between NaCl and sucrose received high scores at all concentrations except 0.001 M. These results show that two different taste qualities can be distinguished from each other based solely on the bursting rates of action potentials in single taste buds and that this distinction is independent of stimulation intensity down to 0.001 M NaCl. These data suggest that action potentials in taste receptor cells may play a role in taste quality coding.

The Italian Code of Medical Deontology: characterizing features of its 2014 edition.

PubMed

Conti, Andrea Alberto

2015-09-14

The latest edition of the Italian Code of Medical Deontology has been released by the Italian Federation of the Registers of Physicians and Dentists in May 2014 (1). The previous edition of the Italian Code dated back to 2006 (2), and it has been integrated and updated by a multi-professional and inter-disciplinary panel involving, besides physicians, representatives of scientific societies and trade unions, jurisconsults and experts in bioethics....

Inter-rater agreement in the assessment of abnormal chest X-ray findings for tuberculosis between two Asian countries

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Inter-rater agreement in the interpretation of chest X-ray (CXR) films is crucial for clinical and epidemiological studies of tuberculosis. We compared the readings of CXR films used for a survey of tuberculosis between raters from two Asian countries. Methods Of the 11,624 people enrolled in a prevalence survey in Hanoi, Viet Nam, in 2003, we studied 258 individuals whose CXR films did not exclude the possibility of active tuberculosis. Follow-up films obtained from accessible individuals in 2006 were also analyzed. Two Japanese and two Vietnamese raters read the CXR films based on a coding system proposed by Den Boon et al. and another system newly developed in this study. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated by kappa statistics. Marginal homogeneity was evaluated by the generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results CXR findings suspected of tuberculosis differed between the four raters. The frequencies of infiltrates and fibrosis/scarring detected on the films significantly differed between the raters from the two countries (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0082, respectively, by GEE). The definition of findings such as primary cavity, used in the coding systems also affected the degree of agreement. Conclusions CXR findings were inconsistent between the raters with different backgrounds. High inter-rater agreement is a component necessary for an optimal CXR coding system, particularly in international studies. An analysis of reading results and a thorough discussion to achieve a consensus would be necessary to achieve further consistency and high quality of reading. PMID:22296612

Airborne hygrometer calibration inter-comparison against a metrological water vapour standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smorgon, Denis; Boese, Norbert; Ebert, Volker

2014-05-01

Water vapour is the most important atmospheric greenhouse gas, which causes a major feedback to warming and other changes in the climate system. Knowledge of the distribution of water vapour and its climate induced changes is especially important in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) where vapour plays a critical role in atmospheric radiative balance, cirrus cloud formation, and photochemistry. But, our understanding of water in the UT/LS is limited by significant uncertainties in current UT/LS water measurements. One of the most comprehensive inter-comparison campaigns for airborne hygrometers, termed AQUAVIT (AV1) [1], took place in 2007 at the AIDA chamber at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. AV1 was a well-defined, referred, blind inter-comparison of 22 airborne field instruments from 17 international research groups. One major metrological deficit of AV1, however, was, that no traceable reference instrument participated in the inter-comparison experiments and that the calibration procedures of the participating instruments were not monitored or interrogated. Consequently a follow-up inter-comparison was organized in April 2013, which for the first time also provides a traceable link to the international humidity scale. This AQUAVIT2 (AV2) campaign (details see: http://www.imk-aaf.kit.edu/aquavit/index.php/Main_Page) was again located at KIT/AIDA and organised by an international organizing committee including KIT, PTB, FZJ and others. Generally AV2 is divided in two parallel comparisons: 1) AV2-A uses the AIDA chamber for a simultaneous comparison of all instruments (incl. sampling and in-situ instruments) over a broad range of conditions characteristic for the UT/LS; 2) AV2-B, about which this paper is reporting, is a sequential comparison of selected hygrometers and (when possible) their reference calibration infrastructures by means of a chilled mirror hygrometer traced back to the primary National humidity standard of PTB and a validated, two-pressure generator acting as a highly stable and reproducible source of water vapour. The aim of AV2-B was to perform an absolute, metrological comparison of the field instruments/calibration infrastructures to the metrological humidity scale, and to collect essential information about methods and procedures used by the atmospheric community for instrument calibration and validation, in order to investigate e.g. the necessity and possible comparability advantage by a standardized calibration procedure. The work will give an overview over the concept of the AV2-B inter-comparison, the various general measurement and calibration principles, and discuss the outcome and consequences of the comparison effort. The AQUAVIT effort is linked to the EMRP project METEOMET (ENV07) and partially supported by the EMRP and ENV07. The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. [1] H. Saathoff, C. Schiller, V. Ebert, D. W. Fahey, R.-S. Gao, O. Möhler, and the aquavit team, The AQUAVIT formal intercomparison of atmospheric water measurement methods, 5th General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, 13-18 April 2008, Vienna, Austria Keywords: humidity, water vapour, inter-comparison, airborne instruments.

Network coding based joint signaling and dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme for inter optical network unit communication in passive optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Pei; Gu, Rentao; Ji, Yuefeng

2014-06-01

As an innovative and promising technology, network coding has been introduced to passive optical networks (PON) in recent years to support inter optical network unit (ONU) communication, yet the signaling process and dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) in PON with network coding (NC-PON) still need further study. Thus, we propose a joint signaling and DBA scheme for efficiently supporting differentiated services of inter ONU communication in NC-PON. In the proposed joint scheme, the signaling process lays the foundation to fulfill network coding in PON, and it can not only avoid the potential threat to downstream security in previous schemes but also be suitable for the proposed hybrid dynamic bandwidth allocation (HDBA) scheme. In HDBA, a DBA cycle is divided into two sub-cycles for applying different coding, scheduling and bandwidth allocation strategies to differentiated classes of services. Besides, as network traffic load varies, the entire upstream transmission window for all REPORT messages slides accordingly, leaving the transmission time of one or two sub-cycles to overlap with the bandwidth allocation calculation time at the optical line terminal (the OLT), so that the upstream idle time can be efficiently eliminated. Performance evaluation results validate that compared with the existing two DBA algorithms deployed in NC-PON, HDBA demonstrates the best quality of service (QoS) support in terms of delay for all classes of services, especially guarantees the end-to-end delay bound of high class services. Specifically, HDBA can eliminate queuing delay and scheduling delay of high class services, reduce those of lower class services by at least 20%, and reduce the average end-to-end delay of all services over 50%. Moreover, HDBA also achieves the maximum delay fairness between coded and uncoded lower class services, and medium delay fairness for high class services.

A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MILITARY COMMANDER MESSAGES ABOUT TOBACCO AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES IN MILITARY INSTALLATION NEWSPAPERS: WHAT DO MILITARY COMMANDERS SAY ABOUT TOBACCO?

PubMed Central

Poston, Walker S.C.; Haddock, Christopher K.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Hyder, Melissa L.; Jitnarin, Nattinee

2014-01-01

Military installation newspapers are a primary means used by military commanders to communicate information about topics important to military personnel including leadership, training issues, installation events, safety concerns, and vital health issues. We conducted a content analysis of military commanders’ messages about health issues that were published in online military installation newspapers/newsfeeds. We identified a total of 75 publicly accessible installation newspapers/newsfeeds with commanders’ messages (n=39 Air Force, n=19 Army, n=7 Navy, n=1 Marine, and n=9 Joint Bases). Commander messages published between January 2012–December 2012 were collected, screened, and coded. Coder inter-rater reliability was 98.9%. Among the 2,479 coded commanders’ messages, 132 (5.3%) addressed a health topic as the primary focus. There were no significant differences between service branches in the percentage of health-oriented messages (χ2=5.019, p=0.285). The most commonly addressed health topics were exercise/fitness (23.5%), other mental health concerns (19.7%), alcohol/DUI (13.6%), and suicide (12.1%). Tobacco use was directly addressed as a primary health aim in only two commanders’ messages (1.5%). Health topics, and particularly tobacco-related content, are rarely written about by military commanders. The absence of tobacco-related health messages from line leadership contributes to the perception that tobacco control is a low priority. PMID:26032388

Pretest aerosol code comparisons for LWR aerosol containment tests LA1 and LA2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, A.L.; Wilson, J.H.; Arwood, P.C.

The Light-Water-Reactor (LWR) Aerosol Containment Experiments (LACE) are being performed in Richland, Washington, at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) under the leadership of an international project board and the Electric Power Research Institute. These tests have two objectives: (1) to investigate, at large scale, the inherent aerosol retention behavior in LWR containments under simulated severe accident conditions, and (2) to provide an experimental data base for validating aerosol behavior and thermal-hydraulic computer codes. Aerosol computer-code comparison activities are being coordinated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For each of the six LACE tests, ''pretest'' calculations (for code-to-code comparisons) andmore » ''posttest'' calculations (for code-to-test data comparisons) are being performed. The overall goals of the comparison effort are (1) to provide code users with experience in applying their codes to LWR accident-sequence conditions and (2) to evaluate and improve the code models.« less

GEDAE-LaB: A Free Software to Calculate the Energy System Contributions during Exercise

PubMed Central

Bertuzzi, Rômulo; Melegati, Jorge; Bueno, Salomão; Ghiarone, Thaysa; Pasqua, Leonardo A.; Gáspari, Arthur Fernandes; Lima-Silva, Adriano E.; Goldman, Alfredo

2016-01-01

Purpose The aim of the current study is to describe the functionality of free software developed for energy system contributions and energy expenditure calculation during exercise, namely GEDAE-LaB. Methods Eleven participants performed the following tests: 1) a maximal cycling incremental test to measure the ventilatory threshold and maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max); 2) a cycling workload constant test at moderate domain (90% ventilatory threshold); 3) a cycling workload constant test at severe domain (110% V˙O2max). Oxygen uptake and plasma lactate were measured during the tests. The contributions of the aerobic (AMET), anaerobic lactic (LAMET), and anaerobic alactic (ALMET) systems were calculated based on the oxygen uptake during exercise, the oxygen energy equivalents provided by lactate accumulation, and the fast component of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, respectively. In order to assess the intra-investigator variation, four different investigators performed the analyses independently using GEDAE-LaB. A direct comparison with commercial software was also provided. Results All subjects completed 10 min of exercise at moderate domain, while the time to exhaustion at severe domain was 144 ± 65 s. The AMET, LAMET, and ALMET contributions during moderate domain were about 93, 2, and 5%, respectively. The AMET, LAMET, and ALMET contributions during severe domain were about 66, 21, and 13%, respectively. No statistical differences were found between the energy system contributions and energy expenditure obtained by GEDAE-LaB and commercial software for both moderate and severe domains (P > 0.05). The ICC revealed that these estimates were highly reliable among the four investigators for both moderate and severe domains (all ICC ≥ 0.94). Conclusion These findings suggest that GEDAE-LaB is a free software easily comprehended by users minimally familiarized with adopted procedures for calculations of energetic profile using oxygen uptake and lactate accumulation during exercise. By providing availability of the software and its source code we hope to facilitate future related research. PMID:26727499

GEDAE-LaB: A Free Software to Calculate the Energy System Contributions during Exercise.

PubMed

Bertuzzi, Rômulo; Melegati, Jorge; Bueno, Salomão; Ghiarone, Thaysa; Pasqua, Leonardo A; Gáspari, Arthur Fernandes; Lima-Silva, Adriano E; Goldman, Alfredo

2016-01-01

The aim of the current study is to describe the functionality of free software developed for energy system contributions and energy expenditure calculation during exercise, namely GEDAE-LaB. Eleven participants performed the following tests: 1) a maximal cycling incremental test to measure the ventilatory threshold and maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max); 2) a cycling workload constant test at moderate domain (90% ventilatory threshold); 3) a cycling workload constant test at severe domain (110% V̇O2max). Oxygen uptake and plasma lactate were measured during the tests. The contributions of the aerobic (AMET), anaerobic lactic (LAMET), and anaerobic alactic (ALMET) systems were calculated based on the oxygen uptake during exercise, the oxygen energy equivalents provided by lactate accumulation, and the fast component of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, respectively. In order to assess the intra-investigator variation, four different investigators performed the analyses independently using GEDAE-LaB. A direct comparison with commercial software was also provided. All subjects completed 10 min of exercise at moderate domain, while the time to exhaustion at severe domain was 144 ± 65 s. The AMET, LAMET, and ALMET contributions during moderate domain were about 93, 2, and 5%, respectively. The AMET, LAMET, and ALMET contributions during severe domain were about 66, 21, and 13%, respectively. No statistical differences were found between the energy system contributions and energy expenditure obtained by GEDAE-LaB and commercial software for both moderate and severe domains (P > 0.05). The ICC revealed that these estimates were highly reliable among the four investigators for both moderate and severe domains (all ICC ≥ 0.94). These findings suggest that GEDAE-LaB is a free software easily comprehended by users minimally familiarized with adopted procedures for calculations of energetic profile using oxygen uptake and lactate accumulation during exercise. By providing availability of the software and its source code we hope to facilitate future related research.

Multiloop integral system test (MIST): Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gloudemans, J.R.

1991-04-01

The Multiloop Integral System Test (MIST) is part of a multiphase program started in 1983 to address small-break loss-of-coolant accidents (SBLOCAs) specific to Babcock and Wilcox designed plants. MIST is sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Babcock Wilcox Owners Group, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Babcock and Wilcox. The unique features of the Babcock and Wilcox design, specifically the hot leg U-bends and steam generators, prevented the use of existing integral system data or existing integral facilities to address the thermal-hydraulic SBLOCA questions. MIST was specifically designed and constructed for this program, and an existing facility --more » the Once Through Integral System (OTIS) -- was also used. Data from MIST and OTIS are used to benchmark the adequacy of system codes, such as RELAP5 and TRAC, for predicting abnormal plant transients. The MIST program is reported in 11 volumes. Volumes 2 through 8 pertain to groups of Phase 3 tests by type; Volume 9 presents inter-group comparisons; Volume 10 provides comparisons between the RELAP5/MOD2 calculations and MIST observations, and Volume 11 (with addendum) presents the later Phase 4 tests. This is Volume 1 of the MIST final report, a summary of the entire MIST program. Major topics include, Test Advisory Group (TAG) issues, facility scaling and design, test matrix, observations, comparison of RELAP5 calculations to MIST observations, and MIST versus the TAG issues. MIST generated consistent integral-system data covering a wide range of transient interactions. MIST provided insight into integral system behavior and assisted the code effort. The MIST observations addressed each of the TAG issues. 11 refs., 29 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Towards the reanalysis of void coefficients measurements at proteus for high conversion light water reactor lattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hursin, M.; Koeberl, O.; Perret, G.

2012-07-01

High Conversion Light Water Reactors (HCLWR) allows a better usage of fuel resources thanks to a higher breeding ratio than standard LWR. Their uses together with the current fleet of LWR constitute a fuel cycle thoroughly studied in Japan and the US today. However, one of the issues related to HCLWR is their void reactivity coefficient (VRC), which can be positive. Accurate predictions of void reactivity coefficient in HCLWR conditions and their comparisons with representative experiments are therefore required. In this paper an inter comparison of modern codes and cross-section libraries is performed for a former Benchmark on Void Reactivitymore » Effect in PWRs conducted by the OECD/NEA. It shows an overview of the k-inf values and their associated VRC obtained for infinite lattice calculations with UO{sub 2} and highly enriched MOX fuel cells. The codes MCNPX2.5, TRIPOLI4.4 and CASMO-5 in conjunction with the libraries ENDF/B-VI.8, -VII.0, JEF-2.2 and JEFF-3.1 are used. A non-negligible spread of results for voided conditions is found for the high content MOX fuel. The spread of eigenvalues for the moderated and voided UO{sub 2} fuel are about 200 pcm and 700 pcm, respectively. The standard deviation for the VRCs for the UO{sub 2} fuel is about 0.7% while the one for the MOX fuel is about 13%. This work shows that an appropriate treatment of the unresolved resonance energy range is an important issue for the accurate determination of the void reactivity effect for HCLWR. A comparison to experimental results is needed to resolve the presented discrepancies. (authors)« less

What influences acceptability and engagement with a high intensity exercise programme for people with stroke? A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Signal, Nada; McPherson, Kathryn; Lewis, Gwyn; Kayes, Nicola; Saywell, Nicola; Mudge, Suzie; Taylor, Denise

2016-10-14

Intensity refers to the amount of effort or rate of work undertaken during exercise. People receiving rehabilitation after stroke frequently do not reach the moderate to high intensity exercise recommended to maximise gains. To explore the factors that influence the acceptability of, and engagement with, a high intensity group-based exercise programme for people with stroke. This qualitative descriptive study included 14 people with stroke who had completed a 12-week, high intensity group-based exercise rehabilitation programme. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the acceptability of high intensity exercise and the barriers and facilitators to engagement. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The participants found high intensity exercise rehabilitation acceptable despite describing the exercise intensity as hard and reporting post-exercise fatigue. Participants accepted the fatigue as a normal response to exercise, and it did not appear to negatively influence engagement. The ease with which an individual engaged in high intensity exercise rehabilitation appeared to be mediated by inter-related factors, including: seeing progress, sourcing motivation, working hard, the people involved and the fit with the person and their life. Participants directly related the intensity of their effort to the gains that they made. In this study, people with stroke viewed training at higher intensities as a facilitator, not a barrier, to engagement in exercise rehabilitation. The findings may challenge assumptions about the influence of exercise intensity on engagement.

Effectiveness of motor sequential learning according to practice schedules in healthy adults; distributed practice versus massed practice

PubMed Central

Kwon, Yong Hyun; Kwon, Jung Won; Lee, Myoung Hee

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of motor sequential learning according to two different types of practice schedules, distributed practice schedule (two 12-hour inter-trial intervals) and massed practice schedule (two 10-minute inter-trial intervals) using a serial reaction time (SRT) task. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty healthy subjects were recruited and then randomly and evenly assigned to either the distributed practice group or the massed practice group. All subjects performed three consecutive sessions of the SRT task following one of the two different types of practice schedules. Distributed practice was scheduled for two 12-hour inter-session intervals including sleeping time, whereas massed practice was administered for two 10-minute inter-session intervals. Response time (RT) and response accuracy (RA) were measured in at pre-test, mid-test, and post-test. [Results] For RT, univariate analysis demonstrated significant main effects in the within-group comparison of the three tests as well as the interaction effect of two groups × three tests, whereas the between-group comparison showed no significant effect. The results for RA showed no significant differences in neither the between-group comparison nor the interaction effect of two groups × three tests, whereas the within-group comparison of the three tests showed a significant main effect. [Conclusion] Distributed practice led to enhancement of motor skill acquisition at the first inter-session interval as well as at the second inter-interval the following day, compared to massed practice. Consequentially, the results of this study suggest that a distributed practice schedule can enhance the effectiveness of motor sequential learning in 1-day learning as well as for two days learning formats compared to massed practice. PMID:25931727

Bud's World. Grade 3. New York Agriculture in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolanyk, Betty

This collection of classroom exercises was designed to maximize teacher time, while creating an awareness of our food and fiber system among New York third graders. The materials are color-coded, falling into four categories: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each exercise includes background information, concepts, and…

Exercise Administrator Administrative Instructions for Age Classes 1, 2 & 3. Year 11, October 1979-May 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Research Triangle Inst., Durham, NC.

This manual for Exercise Administrators of the National Assessment of Educational Progress; Second Literature Third Reading Assessment, consists of administrative instructions for use immediately preceding, during and after assessment sessions in schools. Definitions of racial/ethnic categories, associated codes, and guidelines for solicting…

New York Agriculture in the Classroom. Grade 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolanyk, Betty

These classroom exercises have been designed to maximize teacher time, while creating an awareness of our food and fiber system among New York fourth graders. The materials are color-coded, falling into four categories: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each exercise includes background information, concepts, and objectives…

New York Agriculture in the Classroom. Grade 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolanyk, Betty

These classroom exercises have been designed to maximize teacher time, while creating an awareness of our food and fiber system among New York sixth graders. The materials are color-coded, falling into four categories: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each exercise includes background information, concepts, and objectives…

New York Agriculture in the Classroom. Grade 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolanyk, Betty

These classroom exercises have been designed to maximize teacher time, while creating an awareness of our food and fiber system among New York fifth graders. The materials are color-coded, falling into four categories: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each exercise includes background information, concepts, and objectives…

A Bootstrap Algorithm for Mixture Models and Interval Data in Inter-Comparisons

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-07-01

parametric bootstrap. The present algorithm will be applied to a thermometric inter-comparison, where data cannot be assumed to be normally distributed. 2 Data...experimental methods, used in each laboratory) often imply that the statistical assumptions are not satisfied, as for example in several thermometric ...triangular). Indeed, in thermometric experiments these three probabilistic models can represent several common stochastic variabilities for

The Earth's Magnetic Field Fuels Inter-Disciplinary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul-Razzaq, Wathiq; Biller, R. Dale; Wilson, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

There is no doubt that integrated concepts inspire students and take learning to a new level. As we fly, we fly through the magnetic field of the Earth. We used the concepts involved in flying to develop an exercise that bonds geology, physics and life sciences.

Mobile e-Learning for Next Generation Communication Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Tin-Yu; Chao, Han-Chieh

2008-01-01

This article develops an environment for mobile e-learning that includes an interactive course, virtual online labs, an interactive online test, and lab-exercise training platform on the fourth generation mobile communication system. The Next Generation Learning Environment (NeGL) promotes the term "knowledge economy." Inter-networking…

InterRett, a Model for International Data Collection in a Rare Genetic Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louise, Sandra; Fyfe, Sue; Bebbington, Ami; Bahi-Buisson, Nadia; Anderson, Alison; Pineda, Merce; Percy, Alan; Zeev, Bruria Ben; Wu, Xi Ru; Bao, Xinhua; MacLeod, Patrick; Armstrong, Judith; Leonard, Helen

2009-01-01

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare genetic disorder within the autistic spectrum. This study compared socio-demographic, clinical and genetic characteristics of the international database, InterRett, and the population-based Australian Rett syndrome database (ARSD). It also explored the strengths and limitations of InterRett in comparison with other…

The Nuclear Energy Knowledge and Validation Center – Summary of Activities Conducted in FY15

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gougar, Hans David; Hong, Bonnie Colleen

2016-05-01

The Nuclear Energy Knowledge and Validation Center (NEKVaC) is a new initiative by the Department of Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory to coordinate and focus the resources and expertise that exist with the DOE Complex toward solving issues in modern nuclear code validation. In time, code owners, users, and developers will view the Center as a partner and essential resource for acquiring the best practices and latest techniques for validating codes, for guidance in planning and executing experiments, for facilitating access to, and maximizing the usefulness of, existing data, and for preserving knowledge for continual use by nuclear professionalsmore » and organizations for their own validation needs. The scope of the center covers many inter-related activities which will need to be cultivated carefully in the near-term and managed properly once the Center is fully functional. Three areas comprise the principal mission: 1) identification and prioritization of projects that extend the field of validation science and its application to modern codes, 2) adapt or develop best practices and guidelines for high fidelity multiphysics/multiscale analysis code development and associated experiment design, and 3) define protocols for data acquisition and knowledge preservation and provide a portal for access to databases currently scattered among numerous organizations. These mission areas, while each having a unique focus, are inter-dependent and complementary. Likewise, all activities supported by the NEKVaC, both near-term and long-term), must possess elements supporting all three. This cross-cutting nature is essential to ensuring that activities and supporting personnel do not become ‘stove-piped’, i.e. focused so much on a specific function that the activity itself becomes the objective rather than the achieving the larger vision. Achieving the broader vision will require a healthy and accountable level of activity in each of the areas. This will take time and significant DOE support. Growing too fast (budget-wise) will not allow ideas to mature, lessons to be learned, and taxpayer money to be spent responsibly. The process should be initiated with a small set of tasks, executed over a short but reasonable term, that will exercise most if not all aspects of the Center’s potential operation. The initial activities described in this report have a high potential for near-term success in demonstrating Center objectives but also to work out some of the issues in task execution, communication between functional elements, and the ability to raise awareness of the Center and cement stakeholder buy-in. This report begins with a description of the Mission areas; specifically the role played by each and the types of activities for which they are responsible. It then lists and describes the proposed near-term tasks upon which future efforts can build.« less

Fast depth decision for HEVC inter prediction based on spatial and temporal correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gaoxing; Liu, Zhenyu; Ikenaga, Takeshi

2016-07-01

High efficiency video coding (HEVC) is a video compression standard that outperforms the predecessor H.264/AVC by doubling the compression efficiency. To enhance the compression accuracy, the partition sizes ranging is from 4x4 to 64x64 in HEVC. However, the manifold partition sizes dramatically increase the encoding complexity. This paper proposes a fast depth decision based on spatial and temporal correlation. Spatial correlation utilize the code tree unit (CTU) Splitting information and temporal correlation utilize the motion vector predictor represented CTU in inter prediction to determine the maximum depth in each CTU. Experimental results show that the proposed method saves about 29.1% of the original processing time with 0.9% of BD-bitrate increase on average.

The Pluralisation of Family Life: Implications for Preschool Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Šebart, Mojca Kovac; Kuhar, Roman

2017-01-01

The article takes as its starting point the public debate about the newly proposed Family Code in Slovenia in 2009. Inter alia, the Code introduced a new, inclusive definition of the family in accordance with the contemporary pluralisation of family life. This raised a number of questions about how--if at all--various families are addressed in the…

Variations in the non-coding transcriptome as a driver of inter-strain divergence and physiological adaptation in bacteria.

PubMed

Kopf, Matthias; Klähn, Stephan; Scholz, Ingeborg; Hess, Wolfgang R; Voß, Björn

2015-04-22

In all studied organisms, a substantial portion of the transcriptome consists of non-coding RNAs that frequently execute regulatory functions. Here, we have compared the primary transcriptomes of the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6714 and PCC 6803 under 10 different conditions. These strains share 2854 protein-coding genes and a 16S rRNA identity of 99.4%, indicating their close relatedness. Conserved major transcriptional start sites (TSSs) give rise to non-coding transcripts within the sigB gene, from the 5'UTRs of cmpA and isiA, and 168 loci in antisense orientation. Distinct differences include single nucleotide polymorphisms rendering promoters inactive in one of the strains, e.g., for cmpR and for the asRNA PsbA2R. Based on the genome-wide mapped location, regulation and classification of TSSs, non-coding transcripts were identified as the most dynamic component of the transcriptome. We identified a class of mRNAs that originate by read-through from an sRNA that accumulates as a discrete and abundant transcript while also serving as the 5'UTR. Such an sRNA/mRNA structure, which we name 'actuaton', represents another way for bacteria to remodel their transcriptional network. Our findings support the hypothesis that variations in the non-coding transcriptome constitute a major evolutionary element of inter-strain divergence and capability for physiological adaptation.

Automatic benchmarking of homogenization packages applied to synthetic monthly series within the frame of the MULTITEST project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guijarro, José A.; López, José A.; Aguilar, Enric; Domonkos, Peter; Venema, Victor; Sigró, Javier; Brunet, Manola

2017-04-01

After the successful inter-comparison of homogenization methods carried out in the COST Action ES0601 (HOME), many methods kept improving their algorithms, suggesting the need of performing new inter-comparison exercises. However, manual applications of the methodologies to a large number of testing networks cannot be afforded without involving the work of many researchers over an extended time. The alternative is to make the comparisons as automatic as possible, as in the MULTITEST project, which, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, tests homogenization methods by applying them to a large number of synthetic networks of monthly temperature and precipitation. One hundred networks of 10 series were sampled from different master networks containing 100 series of 720 values (60 years times 12 months). Three master temperature networks were built with different degree of cross-correlations between the series in order to simulate conditions of different station densities or climatic heterogeneity. Also three master synthetic networks were developed for precipitation, this time mimicking the characteristics of three different climates: Atlantic temperate, Mediterranean and monsoonal. Inhomogeneities were introduced in every network sampled from the master networks, and all publicly available homogenization methods that we could run in an automatic way were applied to them: ACMANT 3.0, Climatol 3.0, MASH 3.03, RHTestV4, USHCN v52d and HOMER 2.6. Most of them were tested with different settings, and their comparative results can be inspected in box-plot graphics of Root Mean Squared Errors and trend biases computed between the homogenized data and their original homogeneous series. In a first stage, inhomogeneities were applied to the synthetic homogeneous series with five different settings with increasing difficulty and realism: i) big shifts in half of the series; ii) the same with a strong seasonality; iii) short term platforms and local trends; iv) random number of shifts with random size and location in all series; and v) the same plus seasonality of random amplitude. The shifts were additive for temperature and multiplicative for precipitation. The second stage is dedicated to study the impact of the number of series in the networks, seasonalities other than sinusoidal, and the occurrence of simultaneous shifts in a high number of series. Finally, tests will be performed on a longer and more realistic benchmark, with varying number of missing data along time, similar to that used in the COST Action ES0601. These inter-comparisons will be valuable both to the users and to the developers of the tested packages, who can see how their algorithms behave under varied climate conditions.

The Latest SORCE Solar Spectral Irradiance Data Release: Inter-Comparison and a First Look at TSIS SIM Measurement.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beland, S.; Sandoval, L.; Vanier, B.; Elliott, J.; Harder, J. W.; Snow, M. A.; Woods, T. N.; Richard, E. C.; Pilewskie, P.

2017-12-01

The Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), the SOLar STellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE), and the XUV Photometer System (XPS) instruments on board the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission have been taking daily Solar spectral irradiance (SSI) measurements since April 2003. We present the latest data releases from these instruments, describing the improvements in the new datasets and the trends measured during Solar cycles 23 and 24. An inter-comparison of the SSI over the overlapping wavelengths for SIM and SOLSTICE is presented as well as, if the data is available, a comparison with the first light measurements from TSIS-SIM.

Overview of the Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heeg, Jennifer; Chwalowski, Pawel; Florance, Jennifer P.; Wieseman, Carol D.; Schuster, David M.; Perry, Raleigh B.

2013-01-01

The Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop brought together an international community of computational fluid dynamicists as a step in defining the state of the art in computational aeroelasticity. This workshop's technical focus was prediction of unsteady pressure distributions resulting from forced motion, benchmarking the results first using unforced system data. The most challenging aspects of the physics were identified as capturing oscillatory shock behavior, dynamic shock-induced separated flow and tunnel wall boundary layer influences. The majority of the participants used unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes codes. These codes were exercised at transonic Mach numbers for three configurations and comparisons were made with existing experimental data. Substantial variations were observed among the computational solutions as well as differences relative to the experimental data. Contributing issues to these differences include wall effects and wall modeling, non-standardized convergence criteria, inclusion of static aeroelastic deflection, methodology for oscillatory solutions, post-processing methods. Contributing issues pertaining principally to the experimental data sets include the position of the model relative to the tunnel wall, splitter plate size, wind tunnel expansion slot configuration, spacing and location of pressure instrumentation, and data processing methods.

An integrated theoretical and practical approach for teaching hydrogeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonomi, Tullia; Fumagalli, Letizia; Cavallin, Angelo

2013-04-01

Hydrogeology as an earth science intersects the broader disciplines of geology, engineering, and environmental studies but it does not overlap fully with any of them. It is focused on its own range of problems and over time has developed a rich variety of methods and approaches. The resolution of many hydrogeological problems requires knowledge of elements of geology, hydraulics, physics and chemistry; moreover in recent years the knowledge of modelling techniques has become a necessary ability. Successful transfer of all this knowledge to the students depends on the breadth of material taught in courses, the natural skills of the students and any practical experience the students can obtain. In the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Milano-Bicocca, the teaching of hydrogeology is developed in three inter-related courses: 1) general hydrogeology, 2) applied hydrogeology, 3) groundwater pollution and remediation. The sequence focuses on both groundwater flux and contaminant transport, supplemented by workshops involving case studies and computer labs, which provide the students with practical translation of the theoretical aspects of the science into the world of work. A second key aspect of the program utilizes the students' skill at learning through online approaches, and this is done through three approaches: A) by developing the courses on a University e-learning platform that allows the students to download lectures, articles, and teacher comments, and to participate in online forums; B) by carring out exercises through computer labs where the student analyze and process hydrogeological data by means of different numerical codes, that in turn enable them to manage databases and to perform aquifer test analysis, geostatistical analysis, and flux and transport modelling both in the unsaturated and saturated zone. These exercises are of course preceded by theoretical lectures on codes and software, highlighting their features and their limitations; C) by an evaluation process whose results contribute to the final examination, so that the students are evaluated on the basis of their ability to discuss theoretical subjects and/or projects and to resolving exercises and case studies either by hand calculations or by modelling. The applied hydrogeology examination is an example of the evaluation process. It involves development of a plan to resolve a real hydrogeological issue, such as the design of a hydraulic barrier for a landfill, the design of a well field to meet the supply requirements of a muncipality, or the control of possible seepage from a contaminated site close to to sensitive discharge features such as wells, springs, rivers. The students are allowed to work on computers for three consecutive mornings for a total 15 hours, and in the end are required to produce a technical report and a hydrogeological model. Obviously their solutions are neither unique nor completely optimized (just as in the real world), but the comparisons and debates among the students are important portals to learning and improvement. A second example: the groundwater pollution and remediation examination is based on the discussion of a remediation project elaborated in stages during the course, with the addition of increasing complex types of data and information. The students have one hour a week, during the course, to submit to the teacher their analysis of the problem and possible solutions. In ten years of experience all students have considered this method of examination a challenge, and found it engaging and helpful, even if unusual, at least in Italy. The University of Milano Bicocca has recently drilled a piezometric well both to monitor the flow of groundwater and to allow students to perform aquifer tests and to conduct standard groundwater sampling procedure, without any longer needing to rely on outside private donors for access to a field site. The overall approach, which includes, lectures, exercises, modelling and applied projects, help the students to consider hydrogeology from various points of view and to gain tools to support the management and protection of groundwater resources.

When 'just doing it' is not enough: assessing the fidelity of player performance of an injury prevention exercise program.

PubMed

Fortington, Lauren V; Donaldson, Alex; Lathlean, Tim; Young, Warren B; Gabbe, Belinda J; Lloyd, David; Finch, Caroline F

2015-05-01

To obtain benefits from sports injury prevention programs, players are instructed to perform the exercises as prescribed. We developed an observational checklist to measure the quality of exercise performance by players participating in FootyFirst, a coach-led, exercise-based, lower-limb injury prevention program in community Australian Football (AF). Observational. The essential performance criteria for each FootyFirst exercise were described in terms of the technique, volume and intensity required to perform each exercise. An observational checklist was developed to evaluate each criterion through direct visual observation of players at training. The checklist was trialled by two independent raters who observed the same 70 players completing the exercises at eight clubs. Agreement between observers was assessed by Kappa-statistics. Exercise fidelity was defined as the proportion of observed players who performed all aspects of their exercises correctly. The raters agreed on 61/70 observations (87%) (Kappa=0.72, 95% CI: 0.55; 0.89). Of the observations with agreed ratings, 41 (67%) players were judged as performing the exercises as prescribed. The observational checklist demonstrated high inter-rater reliability. Many players observed did not perform the exercises as prescribed, raising concern as to whether they would be receiving anticipated program benefits. Where quality of exercise performance is important, evaluation and reporting of program fidelity should include direct observations of participants. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Verifying a computational method for predicting extreme ground motion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, R.A.; Barall, M.; Andrews, D.J.; Duan, B.; Ma, S.; Dunham, E.M.; Gabriel, A.-A.; Kaneko, Y.; Kase, Y.; Aagaard, Brad T.; Oglesby, D.D.; Ampuero, J.-P.; Hanks, T.C.; Abrahamson, N.

2011-01-01

In situations where seismological data is rare or nonexistent, computer simulations may be used to predict ground motions caused by future earthquakes. This is particularly practical in the case of extreme ground motions, where engineers of special buildings may need to design for an event that has not been historically observed but which may occur in the far-distant future. Once the simulations have been performed, however, they still need to be tested. The SCEC-USGS dynamic rupture code verification exercise provides a testing mechanism for simulations that involve spontaneous earthquake rupture. We have performed this examination for the specific computer code that was used to predict maximum possible ground motion near Yucca Mountain. Our SCEC-USGS group exercises have demonstrated that the specific computer code that was used for the Yucca Mountain simulations produces similar results to those produced by other computer codes when tackling the same science problem. We also found that the 3D ground motion simulations produced smaller ground motions than the 2D simulations.

Connecting with patients and instilling realism in an era of emerging communication possibilities: a review on palliative care communication heading to telecare practice.

PubMed

van Gurp, Jelle; Hasselaar, Jeroen; van Leeuwen, Evert; Hoek, Patrick; Vissers, Kris; van Selm, Martine

2013-12-01

Appropriate palliative care communication is pivotal to optimizing the quality of life in dying patients and their families. This review aims at describing communication patterns in palliative care and discussing potential relations between communication patterns and upcoming telecare in the practice of palliative care. This review builds on a systematic five-step qualitative analysis of the selected articles: 1. Development of a 'descriptive table of studies reviewed' based on the concept of genre, 2. Open coding of table content and first broad clustering of codes, 3. Intracluster categorization of inductive codes into substantive categories, 4. Constant inter- and intracluster comparison results in identification of genres, and 5. Labeling of genres. This review includes 71 articles. In the analysis, two communication genres in palliative care proved to be dominant: the conversation to connect, about creating and maintaining a professional-patient/family relationship, and the conversation to instill realism, about telling a clinical truth without diminishing hope. The abovementioned two genres clarify a logical intertwinement between communicative purposes, the socio-ethical background underlying palliative care practice and elements of form. Our study supports understanding of current communication in palliative care and anticipates future communicative actions in an era of new communication technologies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Messages Delivered by Mobile Phone on Increasing Compliance With Shoulder Exercises Among Patients With a Frozen Shoulder.

PubMed

Chen, Hui-Chun; Chuang, Tai-Yuan; Lin, Pi-Chu; Lin, Yen-Kuang; Chuang, Yeu-Hui

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of reminders, encouragement, and educational messages delivered by mobile phone on shoulder exercise compliance and improvements in shoulder function among patients with a frozen shoulder. A randomized controlled trial design was used. A convenience sample of patients with a frozen shoulder in an orthopedic outpatient clinic was recruited. All participants were instructed on how to do shoulder exercises and were provided with a printed pamphlet about shoulder exercises. Then, the intervention group received reminders, encouragement, and educational messages by mobile phone daily for the next 2 weeks, while the comparison group did not. The intervention group had higher compliance with shoulder exercises than did the comparison group (t = 2.263, p = .03) and had significant improvements in shoulder forward flexion (F = 12.067, p = .001), external rotation (F = 13.61, p = .001), and internal rotation (F = 5.903, p = .018) compared to those in the comparison group after the 2-week intervention. The text messages significantly increased patient compliance with shoulder exercises and thus improved patients' shoulder range of motion. Hospital or clinics can send appropriate messages to patients via text message platforms in order to remind and encourage them to do shoulder exercises. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

The Quantitative Crunch: The Impact of Bibliometric Research Quality Assessment Exercises on Academic Development at Small Conferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Michael; Shurville, Simon; Fernstrom, Ken

2009-01-01

Purpose: Small and specialist inter-disciplinary conferences, particularly those relating to technology enhanced learning such as International Conference on Information and Communications Technology in Education, provide valuable opportunities for academics and academic-related/professional staff to report upon their research and development…

Problem Solving Interactions on Electronic Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waugh, Michael; And Others

Arguing that electronic networking provides a medium which is qualitatively superior to the traditional classroom for conducting certain types of problem solving exercises, this paper details the Water Problem Solving Project, which was conducted on the InterCultural Learning Network in 1985 and 1986 with students from the United States, Mexico,…

Usability: A Teaching and School Service Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Johnny

2009-01-01

Your next usability project could be waiting for you in the college library, registration office, or online admissions process that your college or university utilizes in their daily transactions. As an added bonus, these exercises supplement the IS2002 curriculum model, benefit the instructor's institution, build inter-departmental collaboration,…

Sci—Thur AM: YIS - 03: irtGPUMCD: a new GPU-calculated dosimetry code for {sup 177}Lu-octreotate radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montégiani, Jean-François; Gaudin, Émilie; Després, Philippe

2014-08-15

In peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), huge inter-patient variability in absorbed radiation doses per administered activity mandates the utilization of individualized dosimetry to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and toxicity. We created a reliable GPU-calculated dosimetry code (irtGPUMCD) and assessed {sup 177}Lu-octreotate renal dosimetry in eight patients (4 cycles of approximately 7.4 GBq). irtGPUMCD was derived from a brachytherapy dosimetry code (bGPUMCD), which was adapted to {sup 177}Lu PRRT dosimetry. Serial quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were obtained from three SPECT/CT acquisitions performed at 4, 24 and 72 hours after {sup 177}Lu-octreotate administration, and registered with non-rigid deformation of CTmore » volumes, to obtain {sup 177}Lu-octreotate 4D quantitative biodistribution. Local energy deposition from the β disintegrations was assumed. Using Monte Carlo gamma photon transportation, irtGPUMCD computed dose rate at each time point. Average kidney absorbed dose was obtained from 1-cm{sup 3} VOI dose rate samples on each cortex, subjected to a biexponential curve fit. Integration of the latter time-dose rate curve yielded the renal absorbed dose. The mean renal dose per administered activity was 0.48 ± 0.13 Gy/GBq (range: 0.30–0.71 Gy/GBq). Comparison to another PRRT dosimetry code (VRAK: Voxelized Registration and Kinetics) showed fair accordance with irtGPUMCD (11.4 ± 6.8 %, range: 3.3–26.2%). These results suggest the possibility to use the irtGPUMCD code in order to personalize administered activity in PRRT. This could allow improving clinical outcomes by maximizing per-cycle tumor doses, without exceeding the tolerable renal dose.« less

Determination of methylmercury in marine biota samples with advanced mercury analyzer: method validation.

PubMed

Azemard, Sabine; Vassileva, Emilia

2015-06-01

In this paper, we present a simple, fast and cost-effective method for determination of methyl mercury (MeHg) in marine samples. All important parameters influencing the sample preparation process were investigated and optimized. Full validation of the method was performed in accordance to the ISO-17025 (ISO/IEC, 2005) and Eurachem guidelines. Blanks, selectivity, working range (0.09-3.0ng), recovery (92-108%), intermediate precision (1.7-4.5%), traceability, limit of detection (0.009ng), limit of quantification (0.045ng) and expanded uncertainty (15%, k=2) were assessed. Estimation of the uncertainty contribution of each parameter and the demonstration of traceability of measurement results was provided as well. Furthermore, the selectivity of the method was studied by analyzing the same sample extracts by advanced mercury analyzer (AMA) and gas chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (GC-AFS). Additional validation of the proposed procedure was effectuated by participation in the IAEA-461 worldwide inter-laboratory comparison exercises. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 143.207 - Requirements for foreign MODUs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the International Maritime Organization (IMO, formerly Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization or IMCO) (IMO) Code for Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (IMO Assembly...

Dose and effect of inhaled ozone in resting versus exercising human subjects: comparison with resting rats

EPA Science Inventory

Dose and effect of inhaled ozone in resting versus exercising human subjects: comparison with resting rats Authors: Gary E. Hatch, John McKee, James Brown, Bill McDonnell, Elston Seal, Joleen Soukup, Ralph Slade, Kay Crissman and Robert Devlin, National Health and Environmental...

Case Comparison of Response To Aquatic Exercise: Acute versus Chronic Conditions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobily, Kenneth E.; Mobily, Paula R.; Lessard, Kerry A.; Berkenpas, Molly S.

2000-01-01

Describes the effects of individualized aquatic exercise programs on people with knee impairments. An adolescent athlete with an acute injury demonstrated significant functional improvement. A 33-year-old with arthritis demonstrated only marginal progress. Comparison of cases relative to valid data collection methods and response to aquatic…

Validation of numerical codes for impact and explosion cratering: Impacts on strengthless and metal targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierazzo, E.; Artemieva, N.; Asphaug, E.; Baldwin, E. C.; Cazamias, J.; Coker, R.; Collins, G. S.; Crawford, D. A.; Davison, T.; Elbeshausen, D.; Holsapple, K. A.; Housen, K. R.; Korycansky, D. G.; Wünnemann, K.

2008-12-01

Over the last few decades, rapid improvement of computer capabilities has allowed impact cratering to be modeled with increasing complexity and realism, and has paved the way for a new era of numerical modeling of the impact process, including full, three-dimensional (3D) simulations. When properly benchmarked and validated against observation, computer models offer a powerful tool for understanding the mechanics of impact crater formation. This work presents results from the first phase of a project to benchmark and validate shock codes. A variety of 2D and 3D codes were used in this study, from commercial products like AUTODYN, to codes developed within the scientific community like SOVA, SPH, ZEUS-MP, iSALE, and codes developed at U.S. National Laboratories like CTH, SAGE/RAGE, and ALE3D. Benchmark calculations of shock wave propagation in aluminum-on-aluminum impacts were performed to examine the agreement between codes for simple idealized problems. The benchmark simulations show that variability in code results is to be expected due to differences in the underlying solution algorithm of each code, artificial stability parameters, spatial and temporal resolution, and material models. Overall, the inter-code variability in peak shock pressure as a function of distance is around 10 to 20%. In general, if the impactor is resolved by at least 20 cells across its radius, the underestimation of peak shock pressure due to spatial resolution is less than 10%. In addition to the benchmark tests, three validation tests were performed to examine the ability of the codes to reproduce the time evolution of crater radius and depth observed in vertical laboratory impacts in water and two well-characterized aluminum alloys. Results from these calculations are in good agreement with experiments. There appears to be a general tendency of shock physics codes to underestimate the radius of the forming crater. Overall, the discrepancy between the model and experiment results is between 10 and 20%, similar to the inter-code variability.

The Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Response to Exercise in Adolescent Swimmers

PubMed Central

Wilson, Lori D.; Zaldivar, Frank P.; Schwindt, Christina D.; Cooper, Dan M.

2014-01-01

Objective Whether or not individuals with allergy and asthma experience different patterns of change in the balance of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators with acute exercise is not known. We hypothesized that adolescent swimmers with a clinical diagnosis of respiratory allergy would have an exaggerated proinflammatory response to laboratory exercise relative to a no-allergy comparison group. Methods Adolescent swimmers (17 with clinical symptoms of respiratory allergy (CSRA) and 17 in comparison group) completed the American Thoracic Society (ATS) exercise challenge on cycle ergometer. Blood was collected at baseline and immediately post-exercise. All study tests were conducted at the Institute for Clinical Translational Science at the University of California, Irvine. Circulating cytokines, growth factors, and adhesion molecules were measured using ELISAs including transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, P-selectin, and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Results There was a trend toward higher resting levels of TNF-α in the CSRA group (P = 0.076). Exercise induced a significant increase in P-selectin and TGF-β1 in both groups. TNF-α increased significantly (17%) in the comparison group (pre = 0.6, post = 0.7 pg/mL), but not in the CSRA group. IL-6 increased significantly in the CSRA group (pre = 0.7, post = 0.8 pg/mL), but not in the comparison group. Circulating levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were not altered immediately post-exercise in either group. Conclusions A short bout of intense exercise increased inflammatory growth factors and adhesion molecules, namely TGF-β1 and P-selectin, both of which are known to be involved in allergic airway diseases. Differences in resting IL-6 and TNF-α and exercise alterations in these cytokines may also contribute to allergic disease in adolescent elite swimmers. PMID:25414542

33 CFR 146.205 - Requirements for foreign MODUs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) The operating standards for mobile offshore drilling units contained in the International Maritime Organization (IMO, formerly Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization or IMCO) (IMO) Code for the...

Identification and analysis of functional elements in 1% of the human genome by the ENCODE pilot project.

PubMed

Birney, Ewan; Stamatoyannopoulos, John A; Dutta, Anindya; Guigó, Roderic; Gingeras, Thomas R; Margulies, Elliott H; Weng, Zhiping; Snyder, Michael; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T; Thurman, Robert E; Kuehn, Michael S; Taylor, Christopher M; Neph, Shane; Koch, Christoph M; Asthana, Saurabh; Malhotra, Ankit; Adzhubei, Ivan; Greenbaum, Jason A; Andrews, Robert M; Flicek, Paul; Boyle, Patrick J; Cao, Hua; Carter, Nigel P; Clelland, Gayle K; Davis, Sean; Day, Nathan; Dhami, Pawandeep; Dillon, Shane C; Dorschner, Michael O; Fiegler, Heike; Giresi, Paul G; Goldy, Jeff; Hawrylycz, Michael; Haydock, Andrew; Humbert, Richard; James, Keith D; Johnson, Brett E; Johnson, Ericka M; Frum, Tristan T; Rosenzweig, Elizabeth R; Karnani, Neerja; Lee, Kirsten; Lefebvre, Gregory C; Navas, Patrick A; Neri, Fidencio; Parker, Stephen C J; Sabo, Peter J; Sandstrom, Richard; Shafer, Anthony; Vetrie, David; Weaver, Molly; Wilcox, Sarah; Yu, Man; Collins, Francis S; Dekker, Job; Lieb, Jason D; Tullius, Thomas D; Crawford, Gregory E; Sunyaev, Shamil; Noble, William S; Dunham, Ian; Denoeud, France; Reymond, Alexandre; Kapranov, Philipp; Rozowsky, Joel; Zheng, Deyou; Castelo, Robert; Frankish, Adam; Harrow, Jennifer; Ghosh, Srinka; Sandelin, Albin; Hofacker, Ivo L; Baertsch, Robert; Keefe, Damian; Dike, Sujit; Cheng, Jill; Hirsch, Heather A; Sekinger, Edward A; Lagarde, Julien; Abril, Josep F; Shahab, Atif; Flamm, Christoph; Fried, Claudia; Hackermüller, Jörg; Hertel, Jana; Lindemeyer, Manja; Missal, Kristin; Tanzer, Andrea; Washietl, Stefan; Korbel, Jan; Emanuelsson, Olof; Pedersen, Jakob S; Holroyd, Nancy; Taylor, Ruth; Swarbreck, David; Matthews, Nicholas; Dickson, Mark C; Thomas, Daryl J; Weirauch, Matthew T; Gilbert, James; Drenkow, Jorg; Bell, Ian; Zhao, XiaoDong; Srinivasan, K G; Sung, Wing-Kin; Ooi, Hong Sain; Chiu, Kuo Ping; Foissac, Sylvain; Alioto, Tyler; Brent, Michael; Pachter, Lior; Tress, Michael L; Valencia, Alfonso; Choo, Siew Woh; Choo, Chiou Yu; Ucla, Catherine; Manzano, Caroline; Wyss, Carine; Cheung, Evelyn; Clark, Taane G; Brown, James B; Ganesh, Madhavan; Patel, Sandeep; Tammana, Hari; Chrast, Jacqueline; Henrichsen, Charlotte N; Kai, Chikatoshi; Kawai, Jun; Nagalakshmi, Ugrappa; Wu, Jiaqian; Lian, Zheng; Lian, Jin; Newburger, Peter; Zhang, Xueqing; Bickel, Peter; Mattick, John S; Carninci, Piero; Hayashizaki, Yoshihide; Weissman, Sherman; Hubbard, Tim; Myers, Richard M; Rogers, Jane; Stadler, Peter F; Lowe, Todd M; Wei, Chia-Lin; Ruan, Yijun; Struhl, Kevin; Gerstein, Mark; Antonarakis, Stylianos E; Fu, Yutao; Green, Eric D; Karaöz, Ulaş; Siepel, Adam; Taylor, James; Liefer, Laura A; Wetterstrand, Kris A; Good, Peter J; Feingold, Elise A; Guyer, Mark S; Cooper, Gregory M; Asimenos, George; Dewey, Colin N; Hou, Minmei; Nikolaev, Sergey; Montoya-Burgos, Juan I; Löytynoja, Ari; Whelan, Simon; Pardi, Fabio; Massingham, Tim; Huang, Haiyan; Zhang, Nancy R; Holmes, Ian; Mullikin, James C; Ureta-Vidal, Abel; Paten, Benedict; Seringhaus, Michael; Church, Deanna; Rosenbloom, Kate; Kent, W James; Stone, Eric A; Batzoglou, Serafim; Goldman, Nick; Hardison, Ross C; Haussler, David; Miller, Webb; Sidow, Arend; Trinklein, Nathan D; Zhang, Zhengdong D; Barrera, Leah; Stuart, Rhona; King, David C; Ameur, Adam; Enroth, Stefan; Bieda, Mark C; Kim, Jonghwan; Bhinge, Akshay A; Jiang, Nan; Liu, Jun; Yao, Fei; Vega, Vinsensius B; Lee, Charlie W H; Ng, Patrick; Shahab, Atif; Yang, Annie; Moqtaderi, Zarmik; Zhu, Zhou; Xu, Xiaoqin; Squazzo, Sharon; Oberley, Matthew J; Inman, David; Singer, Michael A; Richmond, Todd A; Munn, Kyle J; Rada-Iglesias, Alvaro; Wallerman, Ola; Komorowski, Jan; Fowler, Joanna C; Couttet, Phillippe; Bruce, Alexander W; Dovey, Oliver M; Ellis, Peter D; Langford, Cordelia F; Nix, David A; Euskirchen, Ghia; Hartman, Stephen; Urban, Alexander E; Kraus, Peter; Van Calcar, Sara; Heintzman, Nate; Kim, Tae Hoon; Wang, Kun; Qu, Chunxu; Hon, Gary; Luna, Rosa; Glass, Christopher K; Rosenfeld, M Geoff; Aldred, Shelley Force; Cooper, Sara J; Halees, Anason; Lin, Jane M; Shulha, Hennady P; Zhang, Xiaoling; Xu, Mousheng; Haidar, Jaafar N S; Yu, Yong; Ruan, Yijun; Iyer, Vishwanath R; Green, Roland D; Wadelius, Claes; Farnham, Peggy J; Ren, Bing; Harte, Rachel A; Hinrichs, Angie S; Trumbower, Heather; Clawson, Hiram; Hillman-Jackson, Jennifer; Zweig, Ann S; Smith, Kayla; Thakkapallayil, Archana; Barber, Galt; Kuhn, Robert M; Karolchik, Donna; Armengol, Lluis; Bird, Christine P; de Bakker, Paul I W; Kern, Andrew D; Lopez-Bigas, Nuria; Martin, Joel D; Stranger, Barbara E; Woodroffe, Abigail; Davydov, Eugene; Dimas, Antigone; Eyras, Eduardo; Hallgrímsdóttir, Ingileif B; Huppert, Julian; Zody, Michael C; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Estivill, Xavier; Bouffard, Gerard G; Guan, Xiaobin; Hansen, Nancy F; Idol, Jacquelyn R; Maduro, Valerie V B; Maskeri, Baishali; McDowell, Jennifer C; Park, Morgan; Thomas, Pamela J; Young, Alice C; Blakesley, Robert W; Muzny, Donna M; Sodergren, Erica; Wheeler, David A; Worley, Kim C; Jiang, Huaiyang; Weinstock, George M; Gibbs, Richard A; Graves, Tina; Fulton, Robert; Mardis, Elaine R; Wilson, Richard K; Clamp, Michele; Cuff, James; Gnerre, Sante; Jaffe, David B; Chang, Jean L; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Lander, Eric S; Koriabine, Maxim; Nefedov, Mikhail; Osoegawa, Kazutoyo; Yoshinaga, Yuko; Zhu, Baoli; de Jong, Pieter J

2007-06-14

We report the generation and analysis of functional data from multiple, diverse experiments performed on a targeted 1% of the human genome as part of the pilot phase of the ENCODE Project. These data have been further integrated and augmented by a number of evolutionary and computational analyses. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge about human genome function in several major areas. First, our studies provide convincing evidence that the genome is pervasively transcribed, such that the majority of its bases can be found in primary transcripts, including non-protein-coding transcripts, and those that extensively overlap one another. Second, systematic examination of transcriptional regulation has yielded new understanding about transcription start sites, including their relationship to specific regulatory sequences and features of chromatin accessibility and histone modification. Third, a more sophisticated view of chromatin structure has emerged, including its inter-relationship with DNA replication and transcriptional regulation. Finally, integration of these new sources of information, in particular with respect to mammalian evolution based on inter- and intra-species sequence comparisons, has yielded new mechanistic and evolutionary insights concerning the functional landscape of the human genome. Together, these studies are defining a path for pursuit of a more comprehensive characterization of human genome function.

Effects of questionnaire-based diagnosis and training on inter-rater reliability among practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Mist, Scott; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Aickin, Mikel

2009-07-01

To investigate whether a training process that focused on a questionnaire-based diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and developing diagnostic consensus, would improve the agreement of TCM diagnoses among 10 TCM practitioners evaluating patients with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). Evaluation of a diagnostic training program at the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, Portland, Oregon. Screened participants for a study of TCM for TMJD. PRACTITIONERS: Ten (10) licensed acupuncturists with a minimum of 5 years licensure and education in Chinese herbs. A training session using a questionnaire-based diagnostic form was conducted, followed by waves of diagnostic sessions. Between sessions, practitioners discussed the results of the previous round of participants with a focus on reducing variability in primary diagnosis and severity rating of each diagnosis: 3 waves of 5 patients were assessed by 4 practitioner pairs for a total of 120 diagnoses. At 18 months, practitioners completed a recalibration exercise with a similar format with a total of 32 diagnoses. These diagnoses were then examined with respect to the rate of agreement among the 10 practitioners using inter-rater correlations and kappas. The inter-rater correlation with respect to the TCM diagnoses among the 10 practitioners increased from 0.112 to 0.618 with training. Statistically significant improvements were found between the baseline and 18 month exercises (p < 0.01). Inter-rater reliability of TCM diagnosis may be improved through a training process and a questionnaire-based diagnosis process. The improvements varied by diagnosis, with the greatest congruence among primary and more severe diagnoses. Future TCM studies should consider including calibration training to improve the validity of results.

Effect of cooling during inter-exercise periods on subsequent intramuscular water movement and muscle performance.

PubMed

Yanagisawa, O; Otsuka, S; Fukubayashi, T

2014-02-01

To evaluate the effects of cooling between exercise sessions on intramuscular water movement and muscle performance, the lower extremities of nine untrained men were assigned to either a cooling protocol (20-min water immersion, 15 °C) or a noncooling protocol. Each subject performed two exercise sessions involving maximal concentric knee extension and flexion (three repetitions, 60°/s; followed by 50 repetitions, 180°/s). The peak torque at 60°/s and total work, mean power, and decrease rate of torque value at 180°/s were evaluated. Axial magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted images of the mid-thigh were obtained before and after each exercise session. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for the quadriceps and hamstrings were calculated for evaluating intramuscular water movement. Both groups exhibited significantly increased ADC values for the quadriceps and hamstrings after each exercise session. These ADC values returned to the pre-exercise level after water immersion. No significant difference was observed in muscle performance from first exercise session to the next in either group, except for increased total work and mean power in knee flexion in the cooled group. Cooling intervention between exercise sessions decreased exercise-induced elevation of intramuscular water movement and had some beneficial effects on muscle endurance of knee flexors, but not knee extensors. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Inter-laboratory comparisons of hexenuronic acid measurements in kraft eucalyptus pulps using a UV-Vis spectroscopic method

Treesearch

J.Y. Zhu; H.F Zhou; Chai X.S.; Donna Johannes; Richard Pope; Cristina Valls; M. Blanca Roncero

2014-01-01

An inter-laboratory comparison of a UV-Vis spectroscopic method (TAPPI T 282 om-13 “Hexeneuronic acid content of chemical pulp”) for hexeneuronic acid measurements was conducted using three eucalyptus kraft pulps. The pulp samples were produced in a laboratory at kappa numbers of approximately 14, 20, and 35. The hexeneuronic acid contents of the three pulps were...

International round-robin inter-comparison of dye-sensitized and crystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chia-Yuan; Ahn, Seung Kyu; Aoki, Dasiuke; Kokubo, Junichi; Yoon, Kyung Hoon; Saito, Hidenori; Lee, Kyung Sik; Magaino, Shinichi; Takagi, Katsuhiko; Lin, Ling-Chuan; Lee, Kun-Mu; Wu, Chun-Guey; Zhou, Hong; Igari, Sanekazu

2017-02-01

An international round-robin inter-comparison of the spectral responsivity (SR) and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and crystalline silicon solar cells is reported for the first time. The crystalline silicon cells with various spectral responsivities were also calibrated by AIST to validate this round-robin activity. On the basis of the remarkable consistency in Pmax (within ±1.4% among participants) and Isc (within ±1.2% compared to the primary calibration of AIST) of the silicon specimens, the discrepancy in the SR and photovoltaic parameters of five DSCs among three national laboratories can be verified and diagnosed. Recommendations about sample packages, SR and I-V measurement methods as well as the inter-comparison protocol for improving the performance characterization of the mesoscopic DSCs are presented according to the consolidated data and the experience of the participants.

In-Depth Analysis of Simulation Engine Codes for Comparison with DOE s Roof Savings Calculator and Measured Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

New, Joshua Ryan; Levinson, Ronnen; Huang, Yu

The Roof Savings Calculator (RSC) was developed through collaborations among Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), White Box Technologies, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the Environmental Protection Agency in the context of a California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy Research project to make cool-color roofing materials a market reality. The RSC website and a simulation engine validated against demonstration homes were developed to replace the liberal DOE Cool Roof Calculator and the conservative EPA Energy Star Roofing Calculator, which reported different roof savings estimates. A preliminary analysis arrived at a tentative explanation for why RSC results differed from previous LBNLmore » studies and provided guidance for future analysis in the comparison of four simulation programs (doe2attic, DOE-2.1E, EnergyPlus, and MicroPas), including heat exchange between the attic surfaces (principally the roof and ceiling) and the resulting heat flows through the ceiling to the building below. The results were consolidated in an ORNL technical report, ORNL/TM-2013/501. This report is an in-depth inter-comparison of four programs with detailed measured data from an experimental facility operated by ORNL in South Carolina in which different segments of the attic had different roof and attic systems.« less

Keep It Simple. Teaching Tips for Special Olympic Athletes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Judith E.; And Others

1996-01-01

Physical educators can help Special Olympics athletes learn cross-lateral delivery techniques for bowling or throwing softballs by color coding the throwing arm and opposing foot. The article explains color coding, presenting teaching tips for both sports. A series of workshops on modifying exercise principles for individuals with physical…

Inter-BSs virtual private network for privacy and security enhanced 60 GHz radio-over-fiber system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chongfu; Chen, Chen; Zhang, Wei; Jin, Wei; Qiu, Kun; Li, Changchun; Jiang, Ning

2013-06-01

A novel inter-basestations (inter-BSs) based virtual private network (VPN) for the privacy and security enhanced 60 GHz radio-over-fiber (RoF) system using optical code-division multiplexing (OCDM) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. By establishing inter-BSs VPN overlaying the network structure of a 60 GHz RoF system, the express and private paths for the communication of end-users under different BSs can be offered. In order to effectively establish the inter-BSs VPN, the OCDM encoding/decoding technology is employed in the RoF system. In each BS, a 58 GHz millimeter-wave (MMW) is used as the inter-BSs VPN channel, while a 60 GHz MMW is used as the common central station (CS)-BSs communication channel. The optical carriers used for the downlink, uplink and VPN link transmissions are all simultaneously generated in a lightwave-centralized CS, by utilizing four-wave mixing (FWM) effect in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The obtained results properly verify the feasibility of our proposed configuration of the inter-BSs VPN in the 60 GHz RoF system.

Transfer Standard Uncertainty Can Cause Inconclusive Inter-Laboratory Comparisons

PubMed Central

Wright, John; Toman, Blaza; Mickan, Bodo; Wübbeler, Gerd; Bodnar, Olha; Elster, Clemens

2016-01-01

Inter-laboratory comparisons use the best available transfer standards to check the participants’ uncertainty analyses, identify underestimated uncertainty claims or unknown measurement biases, and improve the global measurement system. For some measurands, instability of the transfer standard can lead to an inconclusive comparison result. If the transfer standard uncertainty is large relative to a participating laboratory’s uncertainty, the commonly used standardized degree of equivalence ≤ 1 criterion does not always correctly assess whether a participant is working within their uncertainty claims. We show comparison results that demonstrate this issue and propose several criteria for assessing a comparison result as passing, failing, or inconclusive. We investigate the behavior of the standardized degree of equivalence and alternative comparison measures for a range of values of the transfer standard uncertainty relative to the individual laboratory uncertainty values. The proposed alternative criteria successfully discerned between passing, failing, and inconclusive comparison results for the cases we examined. PMID:28090123

InterGeo II: International Geographical Achievement Test. Field Trials Report and Test (Secondary Schools, Grade 8).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemz, Gunter; Stoltman, Joseph P.

InterGeo II, a project of the Commission on Geographical Education (CGE) of the International Geographical Union (IGU), has developed a broadly based, field-trialed testing instrument for making cross-national comparisons of achievement in geography. Field trials of InterGeo II were held in 23 countries. Data were analyzed for national achievement…

The health benefits of yoga and exercise: a review of comparison studies.

PubMed

Ross, Alyson; Thomas, Sue

2010-01-01

Exercise is considered an acceptable method for improving and maintaining physical and emotional health. A growing body of evidence supports the belief that yoga benefits physical and mental health via down-regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The purpose of this article is to provide a scholarly review of the literature regarding research studies comparing the effects of yoga and exercise on a variety of health outcomes and health conditions. Using PubMed((R)) and the key word "yoga," a comprehensive search of the research literature from core scientific and nursing journals yielded 81 studies that met inclusion criteria. These studies subsequently were classified as uncontrolled (n = 30), wait list controlled (n = 16), or comparison (n = 35). The most common comparison intervention (n = 10) involved exercise. These studies were included in this review. In the studies reviewed, yoga interventions appeared to be equal or superior to exercise in nearly every outcome measured except those involving physical fitness. The studies comparing the effects of yoga and exercise seem to indicate that, in both healthy and diseased populations, yoga may be as effective as or better than exercise at improving a variety of health-related outcome measures. Future clinical trials are needed to examine the distinctions between exercise and yoga, particularly how the two modalities may differ in their effects on the SNS/HPA axis. Additional studies using rigorous methodologies are needed to examine the health benefits of the various types of yoga.

Climate Mitigation in Latin America: Implications for Energy and Land Use: Preface to the Special Section on the findings of the CLIMACAP-LAMP Project

DOE PAGES

van der Zwaan, Bob; Calvin, Katherine V.; Clarke, Leon E.

2016-05-01

The CLIMACAP-LAMP project, completed in December 2015, was an inter-model comparison exercise that focused on energy and climate change economics issues in Latin America. The project partners – co-financed by the EC / EuropeAid (CLIMACAP part) and EPA / USAID (LAMP part) and co-coordinated by respectively the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) – report their main and detailed findings in this Special Issue of Energy Economics, exclusively dedicated to climate mitigation, low-carbon development and implications for energy and land use in Latin America. Our research endeavor included several of the mostmore » prominent regional energy modeling groups from Latin America, as well as a representative set of global integrated assessment modeling groups from a number of institutions from Europe and the US. About two dozen universities, research groups and environmental or consulting organizations took part in the CLIMACAP-LAMP cross-model comparison project, from both sides of the Atlantic. Over a handful of workshops were organized over the past four years in several countries in Latin America, attended by between 30 and 50 participants from, amongst others, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the EU, and the US.« less

Variations in the non-coding transcriptome as a driver of inter-strain divergence and physiological adaptation in bacteria

PubMed Central

Kopf, Matthias; Klähn, Stephan; Scholz, Ingeborg; Hess, Wolfgang R.; Voß, Björn

2015-01-01

In all studied organisms, a substantial portion of the transcriptome consists of non-coding RNAs that frequently execute regulatory functions. Here, we have compared the primary transcriptomes of the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6714 and PCC 6803 under 10 different conditions. These strains share 2854 protein-coding genes and a 16S rRNA identity of 99.4%, indicating their close relatedness. Conserved major transcriptional start sites (TSSs) give rise to non-coding transcripts within the sigB gene, from the 5′UTRs of cmpA and isiA, and 168 loci in antisense orientation. Distinct differences include single nucleotide polymorphisms rendering promoters inactive in one of the strains, e.g., for cmpR and for the asRNA PsbA2R. Based on the genome-wide mapped location, regulation and classification of TSSs, non-coding transcripts were identified as the most dynamic component of the transcriptome. We identified a class of mRNAs that originate by read-through from an sRNA that accumulates as a discrete and abundant transcript while also serving as the 5′UTR. Such an sRNA/mRNA structure, which we name ‘actuaton’, represents another way for bacteria to remodel their transcriptional network. Our findings support the hypothesis that variations in the non-coding transcriptome constitute a major evolutionary element of inter-strain divergence and capability for physiological adaptation. PMID:25902393

Teaching Sustainable and Integrated Resource Management Using an Interactive Nexus Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bajzelj, Bojana; Fenner, Richard A.; Curmi, Elizabeth; Richards, Keith S.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to enhance and complement teaching about resource system feedbacks and environmental modelling. Students were given an interactive exercise based on a research model (ForeseerTM), developed by an inter-disciplinary research team, that explores the interconnectivity of water, energy and land resources. Two…

Teaching Inorganic Photophysics and Photochemistry with Three Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes: A Computer-Based Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garino, Claudio; Terenzi, Alessio; Barone, Giampaolo; Salassa, Luca

2016-01-01

Among computational methods, DFT (density functional theory) and TD-DFT (time-dependent DFT) are widely used in research to describe, "inter alia," the optical properties of transition metal complexes. Inorganic/physical chemistry courses for undergraduate students treat such methods, but quite often only from the theoretical point of…

Foreign Personnel Exchange Programs: A Supporting Effort in Building Partnership Capacity

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

New Zealand Defence Force Relating to the Conduct ofExercise Long Look, (obtained from Daryl J. Cambell , 16 January, 2008). 45. U.S. Department...Daryl J. Cambell , 16 January, 2008). Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1STHALF CY 2008 A VIATION PERSONNEL EXCHANGE PROGRAM (PEP) AND lINTER-SERVICE

A review of clinical effects associated with metabolic syndrome and exercise in prostate cancer patients.

PubMed

Kiwata, J L; Dorff, T B; Schroeder, E T; Gross, M E; Dieli-Conwright, C M

2016-12-01

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a primary treatment for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, is associated with the adverse effects on numerous physiologic parameters, including alterations in cardiometabolic variables that overlap with components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). As MetS is an established risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and treatment for prostate cancer has been associated with the development of MetS, interventions targeting cardiometabolic factors have been investigated in prostate cancer patients to attenuate the detrimental effects of ADT. Much support exists for exercise interventions in improving MetS variables in insulin-resistant adults, but less evidence is available in men with prostate cancer. Regular exercise, when performed at appropriate intensities and volumes, can elicit improvements in ADT-related adverse effects, including MetS, and contributes to the growing body of literature supporting the role of exercise in cancer survivorship. This review (1) discusses the biologic inter-relationship between prostate cancer, ADT and MetS, (2) evaluates the current literature in support of exercise in targeting MetS and (3) describes the physiological mechanisms by which exercise may favorably alter MetS risk factors in prostate cancer patients on ADT.

A review of clinical effects associated with metabolic syndrome and exercise in prostate cancer patients

PubMed Central

Kiwata, J L; Dorff, T B; Schroeder, E T; Gross, M E; Dieli-Conwright, C M

2016-01-01

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a primary treatment for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, is associated with the adverse effects on numerous physiologic parameters, including alterations in cardiometabolic variables that overlap with components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). As MetS is an established risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and treatment for prostate cancer has been associated with the development of MetS, interventions targeting cardiometabolic factors have been investigated in prostate cancer patients to attenuate the detrimental effects of ADT. Much support exists for exercise interventions in improving MetS variables in insulin-resistant adults, but less evidence is available in men with prostate cancer. Regular exercise, when performed at appropriate intensities and volumes, can elicit improvements in ADT-related adverse effects, including MetS, and contributes to the growing body of literature supporting the role of exercise in cancer survivorship. This review (1) discusses the biologic inter-relationship between prostate cancer, ADT and MetS, (2) evaluates the current literature in support of exercise in targeting MetS and (3) describes the physiological mechanisms by which exercise may favorably alter MetS risk factors in prostate cancer patients on ADT. PMID:27349496

A comparison of theoretical and experimental pressure distributions for two advanced fighter wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haney, H. P.; Hicks, R. M.

1981-01-01

A comparison was made between experimental pressure distributions measured during testing of the Vought A-7 fighter and the theoretical predictions of four transonic potential flow codes. Isolated wind and three wing-body codes were used for comparison. All comparisons are for transonic Mach numbers and include both attached and separate flows. In general, the wing-body codes gave better agreement with the experiment than did the isolated wing code but, because of the greater complexity of the geometry, were found to be considerably more expensive and less reliable.

Psychometric properties of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale in Mexican elderly women

PubMed Central

Enríquez-Reyna, María Cristina; Cruz-Castruita, Rosa María; Ceballos-Gurrola, Oswaldo; García-Cadena, Cirilo Humberto; Hernández-Cortés, Perla Lizeth; Guevara-Valtier, Milton Carlos

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: analyze and assess the psychometric properties of the subscales in the Spanish version of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale in an elderly population in the Northeast of Mexico. Method: methodological study. The sample consisted of 329 elderly associated with one of the five public centers for senior citizens in the metropolitan area of Northeast Mexico. The psychometric properties included the assessment of the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, the Kaiser Meyer Olkin coefficient, the inter-item correlation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: in the principal components analysis, two components were identified based on the 43 items in the scale. The item-total correlation coefficient of the exercise benefits subscale was good. Nevertheless, the coefficient for the exercise barriers subscale revealed inconsistencies. The reliability and validity were acceptable. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the elimination of items improved the goodness of fit of the baseline scale, without affecting its validity or reliability. Conclusion: the Exercise Benefits/Barriers subscale presented satisfactory psychometric properties for the Mexican context. A 15-item short version is presented with factorial structure, validity and reliability similar to the complete scale. PMID:28591306

Inter-comparison between AIRS and IASI through Retrieved Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Steve

2008-01-01

A State-of-the-art retrieval algorithm dealing with all-weather conditions has been applied to satellite/aircraft instruments retrieving cloud/surface and atmospheric conditions. High quality retrievals have been achieved from IASI data. Surface, cloud, and atmospheric structure and variation are well captured by IASI measurements and/or retrievals. The same retrieval algorithm is also applied to AIRS for retrieval inter-comparison. Both AIRS and IASI have a similar FOV size but AIRS has a higher horizontal resolution. AIRS data can be interpolated to IASI horizontal resolution for inter-comparison at the same geophysical locations, however a temporal variation between AIRS and IASI observations need to be considered. JAIVEx has employed aircraft to obtain the atmospheric variation filling the temporal gap between two satellites. First results show that both AIRS and IASI have a very similar vertical resolving power, atmospheric conditions are well captured by both instruments, and radiances are well calibrated. AIRS data shown in retrievals (e.g., surface emissivity and moisture) have a relatively higher noise level. Since the this type of retrieval is very sensitive to its radiance quality, retrieval products inter-comparison is an effective way to identify/compare their radiance quality, in terms of a combination of spectral resolution and noise level, and to assess instrument performance. Additional validation analyses are needed to provide more-definitive conclusions.

Home-Based Exercise Program Improves Balance and Fear of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Padala, Kalpana P; Padala, Prasad R; Lensing, Shelly Y; Dennis, Richard A; Bopp, Melinda M; Roberson, Paula K; Sullivan, Dennis H

2017-01-01

Balance problems are common in older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The objective was to study the effects of a Wii-Fit interactive video-game-led physical exercise program to a walking program on measures of balance in older adults with mild AD. A prospective randomized controlled parallel-group trial (Wii-Fit versus walking) was conducted in thirty community-dwelling older adults (73±6.2 years) with mild AD. Home-based exercises were performed under caregiver supervision for 8 weeks. Primary (Berg Balance Scale, BBS) and secondary outcomes (fear of falls and quality of life) were measured at baseline, 8 weeks (end of intervention), and 16 weeks (8-weeks post-intervention). At 8 weeks, there was a significantly greater improvement (average inter-group difference [95% CI]) in the Wii-Fit group compared to the walking group in BBS (4.8 [3.3-6.2], p < 0.001), after adjusting for baseline. This improvement was sustained at 16 weeks (3.5 [2.0-5.0], p < 0.001). Analyses of the secondary outcome measures indicated that there was a significantly greater improvement in the Wii-Fit group compared to walking group in Activity-specific Balance Confidence scale (6.5 [3.6-9.4], p < 0.001) and Falls Efficacy Scale (-4.8 [-7.6 to -2.0], p = 0.002) at 8 weeks. However, this effect was not sustained at 16 weeks. Quality of life improved in both groups at 8 weeks; however, there were no inter-group differences (p = 0.445). Home-based, caregiver-supervised Wii-Fit exercises improve balance and may reduce fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults with mild AD.

Simulated vs. empirical weather responsiveness of crop yields: US evidence and implications for the agricultural impacts of climate change

DOE PAGES

Mistry, Malcolm N.; Wing, Ian Sue; De Cian, Enrica

2017-07-10

Global gridded crop models (GGCMs) are the workhorse of assessments of the agricultural impacts of climate change. Yet the changes in crop yields projected by different models in response to the same meteorological forcing can differ substantially. Through an inter-method comparison, we provide a first glimpse into the origins and implications of this divergence—both among GGCMs and between GGCMs and historical observations. We examine yields of rainfed maize, wheat, and soybeans simulated by six GGCMs as part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project-Fast Track (ISIMIP-FT) exercise, comparing 1981–2004 hindcast yields over the coterminous United States (US) against US Departmentmore » of Agriculture (USDA) time series for about 1000 counties. Leveraging the empirical climate change impacts literature, we estimate reduced-form econometric models of crop yield responses to temperature and precipitation exposures for both GGCMs and observations. We find that up to 60% of the variance in both simulated and observed yields is attributable to weather variation. A majority of the GGCMs have difficulty reproducing the observed distribution of percentage yield anomalies, and exhibit aggregate responses that show yields to be more weather-sensitive than in the observational record over the predominant range of temperature and precipitation conditions. In conclusion, this disparity is largely attributable to heterogeneity in GGCMs' responses, as opposed to uncertainty in historical weather forcings, and is responsible for widely divergent impacts of climate on future crop yields.« less

Simulated vs. empirical weather responsiveness of crop yields: US evidence and implications for the agricultural impacts of climate change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mistry, Malcolm N.; Wing, Ian Sue; De Cian, Enrica

Global gridded crop models (GGCMs) are the workhorse of assessments of the agricultural impacts of climate change. Yet the changes in crop yields projected by different models in response to the same meteorological forcing can differ substantially. Through an inter-method comparison, we provide a first glimpse into the origins and implications of this divergence—both among GGCMs and between GGCMs and historical observations. We examine yields of rainfed maize, wheat, and soybeans simulated by six GGCMs as part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project-Fast Track (ISIMIP-FT) exercise, comparing 1981–2004 hindcast yields over the coterminous United States (US) against US Departmentmore » of Agriculture (USDA) time series for about 1000 counties. Leveraging the empirical climate change impacts literature, we estimate reduced-form econometric models of crop yield responses to temperature and precipitation exposures for both GGCMs and observations. We find that up to 60% of the variance in both simulated and observed yields is attributable to weather variation. A majority of the GGCMs have difficulty reproducing the observed distribution of percentage yield anomalies, and exhibit aggregate responses that show yields to be more weather-sensitive than in the observational record over the predominant range of temperature and precipitation conditions. In conclusion, this disparity is largely attributable to heterogeneity in GGCMs' responses, as opposed to uncertainty in historical weather forcings, and is responsible for widely divergent impacts of climate on future crop yields.« less

Simulated vs. empirical weather responsiveness of crop yields: US evidence and implications for the agricultural impacts of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mistry, Malcolm N.; Wing, Ian Sue; De Cian, Enrica

2017-07-01

Global gridded crop models (GGCMs) are the workhorse of assessments of the agricultural impacts of climate change. Yet the changes in crop yields projected by different models in response to the same meteorological forcing can differ substantially. Through an inter-method comparison, we provide a first glimpse into the origins and implications of this divergence—both among GGCMs and between GGCMs and historical observations. We examine yields of rainfed maize, wheat, and soybeans simulated by six GGCMs as part of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project-Fast Track (ISIMIP-FT) exercise, comparing 1981-2004 hindcast yields over the coterminous United States (US) against US Department of Agriculture (USDA) time series for about 1000 counties. Leveraging the empirical climate change impacts literature, we estimate reduced-form econometric models of crop yield responses to temperature and precipitation exposures for both GGCMs and observations. We find that up to 60% of the variance in both simulated and observed yields is attributable to weather variation. A majority of the GGCMs have difficulty reproducing the observed distribution of percentage yield anomalies, and exhibit aggregate responses that show yields to be more weather-sensitive than in the observational record over the predominant range of temperature and precipitation conditions. This disparity is largely attributable to heterogeneity in GGCMs’ responses, as opposed to uncertainty in historical weather forcings, and is responsible for widely divergent impacts of climate on future crop yields.

Peer-review for selection of oral presentations for conferences: Are we reliable?

PubMed

Deveugele, Myriam; Silverman, Jonathan

2017-11-01

Although peer-review for journal submission, grant-applications and conference submissions has been called 'a counter- stone of science', and even 'the gold standard for evaluating scientific merit', publications on this topic remain scares. Research that has investigated peer-review reveals several issues and criticisms concerning bias, poor quality review, unreliability and inefficiency. The most important weakness of the peer review process is the inconsistency between reviewers leading to inadequate inter-rater reliability. To report the reliability of ratings for a large international conference and to suggest possible solutions to overcome the problem. In 2016 during the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare, organized by EACH: International Association for Communication in Healthcare, a calibration exercise was proposed and feedback was reported back to the participants of the exercise. Most abstracts, as well as most peer-reviewers, receive and give scores around the median. Contrary to the general assumption that there are high and low scorers, in this group only 3 peer-reviewers could be identified with a high mean, while 7 has a low mean score. Only 2 reviewers gave only high ratings (4 and 5). Of the eight abstracts included in this exercise, only one abstract received a high mean score and one a low mean score. Nevertheless, both these abstracts received both low and high scores; all other abstracts received all possible scores. Peer-review of submissions for conferences are, in accordance with the literature, unreliable. New and creative methods will be needed to give the participants of a conference what they really deserve: a more reliable selection of the best abstracts. More raters per abstract improves the inter-rater reliability; training of reviewers could be helpful; providing feedback to reviewers can lead to less inter-rater disagreement; fostering negative peer-review (rejecting the inappropriate submissions) rather than a positive (accepting the best) could be fruitful for selecting abstracts for conferences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and validation of the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (BEECOM) among college women.

PubMed

Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Bardone-Cone, Anna M; Harney, Megan B

2012-09-01

We constructed and validated a measure of comparison dimensions associated with eating pathology, namely, the body, eating, and exercise comparison orientation measure (BEECOM). Participants were 441 undergraduate women. In Study 1, items were generated and refined via exploratory factor analysis, yielding three interpretable factors (i.e., body, eating, and exercise comparison orientation). Confirmatory factor analysis was then used to confirm the three-factor structure of the BEECOM and to investigate the potential presence of a higher-order factor. Given that the lower-order factors loaded strongly onto a higher-order factor, it is appropriate to use a total BEECOM score, in addition to subscale scores. Further, the BEECOM's scores yielded evidence of internal consistency and construct validity in this sample. Study 2 demonstrated two-week test-retest reliability of the BEECOM among college women. Overall, the BEECOM demonstrated good psychometric properties and may be useful for more comprehensively assessing eating disorder-related social comparison behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Athletes and Sedentary Individuals: An Intergroup Comparison Utilizing a Pulmonary Function Ratio Obtained During Submaximal Exercise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maud, Peter J.

A pulmonary function ratio describing oxygen extraction from alveolar ventilation was used for an intergroup comparison between three groups of athletes (rugby, basketball, and football players) and one group of sedentary subjects during steady-state submaximal exercise. The ratio and its component parts are determined from only three gas…

Decisions: "Carltona" and the CUC Code

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, G. R.

2006-01-01

The Committee of University Chairman publishes a code of good practice designed, among other things, to ensure clarity about the authority on which decisions are taken on behalf of universities, subordinate domestic legislation created and the exercise of discretion regulated. In Carltona Ltd.v. Commissioners of Works [1943] 2 All ER 560 AC the…

Children-Adult Comparisons of VO2 and HR Kinetics during Submaximum Exercise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sady, Stanley P.; And Others

1983-01-01

Oxygen uptake and heart rate kinetics for submaximum exercise (bicycle riding) were compared in prepubescent boys and adult men. Resulting data suggest that children and adults do not differ significantly in cardiorespiratory adjustments during low-intensity exercise. (Authors/PP)

Compression performance of HEVC and its format range and screen content coding extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bin; Xu, Jizheng; Sullivan, Gary J.

2015-09-01

This paper presents a comparison-based test of the objective compression performance of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, its format range extensions (RExt), and its draft screen content coding extensions (SCC). The current dominant standard, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, is used as an anchor reference in the comparison. The conditions used for the comparison tests were designed to reflect relevant application scenarios and to enable a fair comparison to the maximum extent feasible - i.e., using comparable quantization settings, reference frame buffering, intra refresh periods, rate-distortion optimization decision processing, etc. It is noted that such PSNR-based objective comparisons generally provide more conservative estimates of HEVC benefit than are found in subjective studies. The experimental results show that, when compared with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HEVC version 1 provides a bit rate savings for equal PSNR of about 23% for all-intra coding, 34% for random access coding, and 38% for low-delay coding. This is consistent with prior studies and the general characterization that HEVC can provide about a bit rate savings of about 50% for equal subjective quality for most applications. The HEVC format range extensions provide a similar bit rate savings of about 13-25% for all-intra coding, 28-33% for random access coding, and 32-38% for low-delay coding at different bit rate ranges. For lossy coding of screen content, the HEVC screen content coding extensions achieve a bit rate savings of about 66%, 63%, and 61% for all-intra coding, random access coding, and low-delay coding, respectively. For lossless coding, the corresponding bit rate savings are about 40%, 33%, and 32%, respectively.

Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Sherrington, Catherine; Michaleff, Zoe A; Fairhall, Nicola; Paul, Serene S; Tiedemann, Anne; Whitney, Julie; Cumming, Robert G; Herbert, Robert D; Close, Jacqueline C T; Lord, Stephen R

2017-12-01

Previous meta-analyses have found that exercise prevents falls in older people. This study aimed to test whether this effect is still present when new trials are added, and it explores whether characteristics of the trial design, sample or intervention are associated with greater fall prevention effects. Update of a systematic review with random effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. Cochrane Library, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, PEDro and SafetyLit were searched from January 2010 to January 2016. We included randomised controlled trials that compared fall rates in older people randomised to receive exercise as a single intervention with fall rates in those randomised to a control group. 99 comparisons from 88 trials with 19 478 participants were available for meta-analysis. Overall, exercise reduced the rate of falls in community-dwelling older people by 21% (pooled rate ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.85, p<0.001, I 2 47%, 69 comparisons) with greater effects seen from exercise programmes that challenged balance and involved more than 3 hours/week of exercise. These variables explained 76% of the between-trial heterogeneity and in combination led to a 39% reduction in falls (incident rate ratio 0.61, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.72, p<0.001). Exercise also had a fall prevention effect in community-dwelling people with Parkinson's disease (pooled rate ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.73, p=0.001, I 2 65%, 6 comparisons) or cognitive impairment (pooled rate ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.83, p=0.004, I 2 21%, 3 comparisons). There was no evidence of a fall prevention effect of exercise in residential care settings or among stroke survivors or people recently discharged from hospital. Exercise as a single intervention can prevent falls in community-dwelling older people. Exercise programmes that challenge balance and are of a higher dose have larger effects. The impact of exercise as a single intervention in clinical groups and aged care facility residents requires further investigation, but promising results are evident for people with Parkinson's disease and cognitive impairment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A new PUB-working group on SLope InterComparison Experiments (SLICE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuire, K.; Retter, M.; Freer, J.; Troch, P.; McDonnell, J.

2006-05-01

The International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) decade on Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB) has the scientific goal to shift hydrology from calibration reliant models to new and rich understanding- based models. To support this, six PUB science themes have been developed under the PUB Science Steering group. Theme 1 covers basin inter-comparison and classification. The SLope InterComparison Experiment (SLICE) is a newly-formed working group aligned with theme 1. Its 2- year target is to promote the improved understanding of regional hydrological characteristics via hillslope inter- comparison studies and top-down analysis of data from hillslope experiments from around the world. It will further deliver the major building blocks of a catchment classification system. A first workshop of SLICE took place 26-28 September 2005 at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, USA. 40 participants from seven countries were in attendance. The program consisted of keynote presentations on the state-of-the-art of hillslope hydrology, outlining a hillslope classification system, and through small group discussion, a focus on the following questions: a.) How can we capture flow path heterogeneity at the hillslope scale with residence time distributions? b.) Can networks help characterize hillslope subsurface systems? c.) What patterns are useful to characterize in a hillslope comparison context? d.) How does bedrock permeability condition hillslope response? e.) Can we actually observe pressure waves in the field and/or how likely are they to exist at the hillslope continuum scale? The poster presents an overview of the workshop outcomes and directions of future work.

Effect of calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic paste as intracanal medicaments on the incidence of inter-appointment flare-up in diabetic patients: An in vivo study.

PubMed

Pai, Swathi; Vivekananda Pai, A R; Thomas, Manuel S; Bhat, Vishal

2014-05-01

To evaluate and compare the effect of antibacterial intracanal medicaments on inter-appointment flare-up in diabetic patients. Fifty diabetic patients requiring root canal treatment were assigned into groups I, II, and III. In group I, no intracanal medicament was placed. In groups II and III, calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic pastes were placed as intracanal medicaments, respectively. Patients were instructed to record their pain on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14. Inter-appointment flare-up was evaluated using verbal rating scale (VRS). Overall incidence of inter-appointment flare-up among diabetic patients was found to be 16%. In group I, 50% of the patients and in group II, 15% of the patients developed inter-appointment flare-up. However, no patients in group III developed inter-appointment flare-up. The comparison of these results was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.002; χ(2) = 12.426). However, with respect to intergroup comparison, only the difference between groups I and III was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.002; χ(2) = 12.00). Calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic paste are effective for managing inter-appointment flare-ups in diabetic patients. Triple antibiotic paste is more effective than calcium hydroxide in preventing the occurrence of flare-up in diabetic patients.

Effect of calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic paste as intracanal medicaments on the incidence of inter-appointment flare-up in diabetic patients: An in vivo study

PubMed Central

Pai, Swathi; Vivekananda Pai, A. R.; Thomas, Manuel S.; Bhat, Vishal

2014-01-01

Aim: To evaluate and compare the effect of antibacterial intracanal medicaments on inter-appointment flare-up in diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: Fifty diabetic patients requiring root canal treatment were assigned into groups I, II, and III. In group I, no intracanal medicament was placed. In groups II and III, calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic pastes were placed as intracanal medicaments, respectively. Patients were instructed to record their pain on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14. Inter-appointment flare-up was evaluated using verbal rating scale (VRS). Results: Overall incidence of inter-appointment flare-up among diabetic patients was found to be 16%. In group I, 50% of the patients and in group II, 15% of the patients developed inter-appointment flare-up. However, no patients in group III developed inter-appointment flare-up. The comparison of these results was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.002; χ2 = 12.426). However, with respect to intergroup comparison, only the difference between groups I and III was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.002; χ2 = 12.00). Conclusions: Calcium hydroxide and triple antibiotic paste are effective for managing inter-appointment flare-ups in diabetic patients. Triple antibiotic paste is more effective than calcium hydroxide in preventing the occurrence of flare-up in diabetic patients. PMID:24944440

Perceived exercise barriers, enablers, and benefits among exercising and nonexercising adults with arthritis: results from a qualitative study.

PubMed

Wilcox, Sara; Der Ananian, Cheryl; Abbott, Jill; Vrazel, JoEllen; Ramsey, Cornelia; Sharpe, Patricia A; Brady, Teresa

2006-08-15

Rates of participation in regular exercise are lower among individuals with arthritis than those without arthritis. This study examined perceived exercise barriers, benefits, and enablers in exercising and nonexercising adults with arthritis. Twelve focus groups were conducted with 68 adults with arthritis. Groups were segmented by exercise status, socioeconomic status, and race. Focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and coded. NVivo software was used to extract themes for exercisers and nonexercisers. A wide range of physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors were perceived to influence exercise. Some of these factors were similar to those in general adult samples, whereas others were unique to individuals with chronic disease. Symptoms of arthritis were barriers to exercise, yet improvements in these outcomes were also seen as potential benefits of and motivations for exercise. Exercisers had experienced these benefits and were more likely to have adapted their exercise to accommodate the disease, whereas nonexercisers desired these benefits and were more likely to have stopped exercising since developing arthritis. Health care providers' advice to exercise and the availability of arthritis-specific programs were identified as needs. This study has implications for how to market exercise to individuals with arthritis and how communities and health care professionals can facilitate the uptake of exercise. These implications are discussed.

Comparison of the effects of virtual reality-based balance exercises and conventional exercises on balance and fall risk in older adults living in nursing homes in Turkey.

PubMed

Yeşilyaprak, Sevgi Sevi; Yıldırım, Meriç Şenduran; Tomruk, Murat; Ertekin, Özge; Algun, Z Candan

2016-01-01

There is limited information on effective balance training techniques including virtual reality (VR)-based balance exercises in residential settings and no studies have been designed to compare the effects of VR-based balance exercises with conventional balance exercises in older adults living in nursing homes in Turkey. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of VR-based balance exercises on balance and fall risk in comparison to conventional balance exercises in older adults living in nursing homes. A total sample of 18 subjects (65-82 years of age) with fall history who were randomly assigned to either the VR group (Group 1, n = 7) or the conventional exercise group (Group 2, n = 11) completed the exercise training. In both groups, Berg balance score (BBS), timed up & go duration, and left leg stance and tandem stance duration with eyes closed significantly improved with time (p < 0.05), but changes were similar in both groups (p > 0.05) after training, indicating that neither the exercise method was superior. Similar improvements were found in balance and fall risk with VR-based balance training and conventional balance training in older adults living in the nursing home. Both exercise trainings can be preferable by health care professionals considering fall prevention. Appropriate patient selection is essential.

A worksite intervention to enhance social cognitive theory constructs to promote exercise adherence.

PubMed

Hallam, J; Petosa, R

1998-01-01

The results suggest social cognitive theory variables associated with the adoption of exercise are changeable in a brief worksite intervention. Self-regulation techniques and outcome-expectancy value improved, but self-efficacy did not improve for the treatment group. One possible explanation is, the intervention did not adequately address the ability to overcome barriers to exercise faced by participants in the intervention. Another explanation may be the effect of experiencing the barriers to exercise faced by subjects during the first 4 weeks of a self-regulated exercise program. Before engaging in exercise, the participants had a perceived level of confidence to overcome barriers to exercise. Once faced with real barriers to exercise, the subjects may have reevaluated their ability to overcome these barriers. It is interesting that the comparison group reported small decreases in all social cognitive theory variables measured in this study. The comparison group received a program of assessment, instruction, and access to facilities that is common to many worksite-based fitness promotion programs. Clearly, this approach did not have a favorable impact on psychosocial variables associated with exercise adherence. These results may be explained by a reevaluation of beliefs and perceived capabilities to exercise, once faced with the real experiences and barriers related to the adoption of an exercise program. The small decreases in social cognitive theory variables in the comparison group may explain high dropout rates in many fitness center programs and warrant further study. Health promotion specialists at the worksite need intervention programs that are safe, effective, and efficient for their employees. This intervention was based in the classroom, and no exercise was performed during class. This is appealing to employees who do not have access to shower facilities at the worksite. Moreover, in many interventions, subjects exercise during class and have limited time to learn specific skills to help them adopt and maintain exercise outside the structure of the intervention. Having established favorable changes in social cognitive theory constructs attributable to the intervention, a follow-up study should be conducted to determine the extent to which these changes predict adherence to regular exercise. These studies would establish the causal linkages between social cognitive theory constructs and regular exercise. There were specific limitations, and the results should be interpreted cautiously. The sample size was relatively small, although similar to other exercise intervention research reviewed by Dishman. Another limitation of the sample was no random assignment to treatment or comparison group. The results apply only to the subjects who volunteered for this study. The measure of outcome-expectancy value is the most vulnerable of those used to measure outcome expectations and outcome expectancies. It is possible that the results of the study would be substantially altered if a better measure were available. The data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. It was assumed the subjects would provide accurate information, but reliance on self-reported data introduces potential sources of error.

EARLINET Single Calculus Chain - technical - Part 1: Pre-processing of raw lidar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, G.; Amodeo, A.; Mattis, I.; Freudenthaler, V.; Pappalardo, G.

2015-10-01

In this paper we describe an automatic tool for the pre-processing of lidar data called ELPP (EARLINET Lidar Pre-Processor). It is one of two calculus modules of the EARLINET Single Calculus Chain (SCC), the automatic tool for the analysis of EARLINET data. The ELPP is an open source module that executes instrumental corrections and data handling of the raw lidar signals, making the lidar data ready to be processed by the optical retrieval algorithms. According to the specific lidar configuration, the ELPP automatically performs dead-time correction, atmospheric and electronic background subtraction, gluing of lidar signals, and trigger-delay correction. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio of the pre-processed signals can be improved by means of configurable time integration of the raw signals and/or spatial smoothing. The ELPP delivers the statistical uncertainties of the final products by means of error propagation or Monte Carlo simulations. During the development of the ELPP module, particular attention has been payed to make the tool flexible enough to handle all lidar configurations currently used within the EARLINET community. Moreover, it has been designed in a modular way to allow an easy extension to lidar configurations not yet implemented. The primary goal of the ELPP module is to enable the application of quality-assured procedures in the lidar data analysis starting from the raw lidar data. This provides the added value of full traceability of each delivered lidar product. Several tests have been performed to check the proper functioning of the ELPP module. The whole SCC has been tested with the same synthetic data sets, which were used for the EARLINET algorithm inter-comparison exercise. The ELPP module has been successfully employed for the automatic near-real-time pre-processing of the raw lidar data measured during several EARLINET inter-comparison campaigns as well as during intense field campaigns.

Quality theory paper writing for medical examinations.

PubMed

Shukla, Samarth; Acharya, Sourya; Acharya, Neema; Shrivastava, Tripti; Kale, Anita

2014-04-01

Aim & Objectives: Developing a tactful paper writing skill, through delivery and depiction of the necessary expressions required for in standard or superior essay writing. Understanding relevance and tact of theoretical expression in exam paper writing Learning Indices of standard or quality theory/essay answer (SAQ/LAQ). Applying knowledge and skill gained through these theory writing exercises and assignments to achieve high or better scores in examinations. The study subjects were divided into two groups- Group A (17 students) and Group B students (10students). The students were selected from II M.B.B.S 4(th) term. Students of Group A were sensitized on how to write a theory paper and went through 4 phases namely pre-sensitization test, sensitization (imparting them with skills of good theory paper writing through home assignments and deliberations/ guidance), post-sensitization test and Evaluation. Students of Group A (17 students) undertook theory tests (twice, i.e. before and after sensitization) and Students of Group B (10 students) who were not sensitized and took the theory test with post sensitized Group A students (random 10 students). Both groups were given general pathology as the test syllabus, taught to both groups in didactic lectures during the last 6 months. The results of pre and Post-sensitization tests from both groups were analyzed. Intra group comparisons (pre sensitized Group A with Post sensitized Group A) and inter group comparisons (Non-sensitized group B with Sensitized Group A) were made. Significant results were found between results of pre and Post-sensitization tests in Group A (intra group analysis) and inter group (Group A and B) Post-sensitization tests, as there was remarkable improvement in student theory paper writing skills post sensitizing the students of Group A. Medical students should be mandatorily guided and exposed to the nuances and tact of writing the theory paper for their examinations, as it definitely gives them better understanding of presentations ultimately improving their score in the theory exams.

Amino acid racemization dating of fossil bones, I. inter-laboratory comparison of racemization measurements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bada, J.L.; Hoopes, E.; Darling, D.; Dungworth, G.; Kessels, H.J.; Kvenvolden, K.A.; Blunt, D.J.

1979-01-01

Enantiomeric measurements for aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine in twenty-one different fossil bone samples have been carried out by three different laboratories using different analytical methods. These inter-laboratory comparisons demonstrate that D/L aspartic acid measurements are highly reproducible, whereas the enantiomeric measurements for the other amino acids show a wide variation between the three laboratories. At present, aspartic acid measurements are the most suitable for racemization dating of bone because of their superior analytical precision. ?? 1979.

Application of Aeroelastic Solvers Based on Navier-Stokes Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keith, Theo G., Jr.; Srivastava, Rakesh

1998-01-01

A pre-release version of the Navier-Stokes solver (TURBO) was obtained from MSU. Along with Dr. Milind Bakhle of the University of Toledo, subroutines for aeroelastic analysis were developed and added to the TURBO code to develop versions 1 and 2 of the TURBO-AE code. For specified mode shape, frequency and inter-blade phase angle the code calculates the work done by the fluid on the rotor for a prescribed sinusoidal motion. Positive work on the rotor indicates instability of the rotor. The version 1 of the code calculates the work for in-phase blade motions only. In version 2 of the code, the capability for analyzing all possible inter-blade phase angles, was added. The version 2 of TURBO-AE code was validated and delivered to NASA and the industry partners of the AST project. The capabilities and the features of the code are summarized in Refs. [1] & [2]. To release the version 2 of TURBO-AE, a workshop was organized at NASA Lewis, by Dr. Srivastava and Dr. M. A. Bakhle, both of the University of Toledo, in October of 1996 for the industry partners of NASA Lewis. The workshop provided the potential users of TURBO-AE, all the relevant information required in preparing the input data, executing the code, interpreting the results and bench marking the code on their computer systems. After the code was delivered to the industry partners, user support was also provided. A new version of the Navier-Stokes solver (TURBO) was later released by MSU. This version had significant changes and upgrades over the previous version. This new version was merged with the TURBO-AE code. Also, new boundary conditions for 3-D unsteady non-reflecting boundaries, were developed by researchers from UTRC, Ref. [3]. Time was spent on understanding, familiarizing, executing and implementing the new boundary conditions into the TURBO-AE code. Work was started on the phase lagged (time-shifted) boundary condition version (version 4) of the code. This will allow the users to calculate non-zero interblade phase angles using, only one blade passage for analysis.

Relationship between perceived exertion during exercise and subsequent recovery measurements.

PubMed

Mann, T N; Lamberts, R P; Nummela, A; Lambert, M I

2017-03-01

The return towards resting homeostasis in the post-exercise period has the potential to represent the internal training load of the preceding exercise bout. However, the relative potential of metabolic and autonomic recovery measurements in this role has not previously been established. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate which of 4 recovery measurements was most closely associated with Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), a measurement widely acknowledged as an integrated measurement of the homeostatic stress of an exercise bout. A heterogeneous group of trained and untrained participants (n = 36) completed a bout of exercise on the treadmill (3 km at 70% of maximal oxygen uptake) followed by 1 hour of controlled recovery. Expired respiratory gases and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the exercise and recovery phases of the trial with recovery measurements used to calculate the magnitude of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC MAG ), the time constant of the EPOC curve (EPOCτ), 1 min heart rate recovery (HRR 60s ) and the time constant of the HR recovery curve (HRRτ) for each participant. RPE taken in the last minute of exercise was significantly associated with HRR 60s (r=-0.69), EPOCτ (r=0.52) and HRRτ (r=0.43) but not with EPOC MAG . This finding suggests that, of the 4 recovery measurements under investigation, HRR 60s shows modest potential to represent inter-individual variation in the homeostatic stress of a standardized exercise bout, in a group with a range of fitness levels.

Relationship between perceived exertion during exercise and subsequent recovery measurements

PubMed Central

Lamberts, RP; Nummela, A; Lambert, MI

2016-01-01

The return towards resting homeostasis in the post-exercise period has the potential to represent the internal training load of the preceding exercise bout. However, the relative potential of metabolic and autonomic recovery measurements in this role has not previously been established. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate which of 4 recovery measurements was most closely associated with Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), a measurement widely acknowledged as an integrated measurement of the homeostatic stress of an exercise bout. A heterogeneous group of trained and untrained participants (n = 36) completed a bout of exercise on the treadmill (3 km at 70% of maximal oxygen uptake) followed by 1 hour of controlled recovery. Expired respiratory gases and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the exercise and recovery phases of the trial with recovery measurements used to calculate the magnitude of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOCMAG), the time constant of the EPOC curve (EPOCτ), 1 min heart rate recovery (HRR60s) and the time constant of the HR recovery curve (HRRτ) for each participant. RPE taken in the last minute of exercise was significantly associated with HRR60s (r=-0.69), EPOCτ (r=0.52) and HRRτ (r=0.43) but not with EPOCMAG. This finding suggests that, of the 4 recovery measurements under investigation, HRR60s shows modest potential to represent inter-individual variation in the homeostatic stress of a standardized exercise bout, in a group with a range of fitness levels. PMID:28416890

Risk and supervised exercise: the example of anorexia to illustrate a new ethical issue in the traditional debates of medical ethics

PubMed Central

Giordano, S

2005-01-01

Sport and physical activity is an area that remains relatively unexplored by contemporary bioethics. It is, however, an area in which important ethical issues arise. This paper explores the case of the participation of people with anorexia nervosa in exercise. Exercise is one of the central features of anorexia. The presence of anorexics in exercise classes is becoming an increasingly sensitive issue for instructors and fitness professionals. The ethics of teaching exercise to anorexics has, however, seldom, if ever, been addressed. Codes of ethics and legislation do not offer guidelines pertinent to the case and it is left unclear whether anorexics should be allowed to participate in exercise classes. It is shown by this paper that there are strong ethical reasons to let anorexics participate in exercise classes. However, the paper also explains why, despite these apparently cogent ethical reasons, there is no moral obligation to allow a person with anorexia to take part in exercise/sports activities. PMID:15634747

Dual Coding, Reasoning and Fallacies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hample, Dale

1982-01-01

Develops the theory that a fallacy is not a comparison of a rhetorical text to a set of definitions but a comparison of one person's cognition with another's. Reviews Paivio's dual coding theory, relates nonverbal coding to reasoning processes, and generates a limited fallacy theory based on dual coding theory. (PD)

Kinetic Analysis of Horizontal Plyometric Exercise Intensity.

PubMed

Kossow, Andrew J; Ebben, William P

2018-05-01

Kossow, AJ, DeChiara, TG, Neahous, SM, and Ebben, WP. Kinetic analysis of horizontal plyometric exercise intensity. J Strength Cond Res 32(5): 1222-1229, 2018-Plyometric exercises are frequently performed as part of a strength and conditioning program. Most studies assessed the kinetics of plyometric exercises primarily performed in the vertical plane. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the multiplanar kinetic characteristics of a variety of plyometric exercises, which have a significant horizontal component. This study also sought to assess sex differences in the intensity progression of these exercises. Ten men and 10 women served as subjects. The subjects performed a variety of plyometric exercises including the double-leg hop, standing long jump, single-leg standing long jump, bounding, skipping, power skipping, cone hops, and 45.72-cm hurdle hops. Subjects also performed the countermovement jump for comparison. All plyometric exercises were evaluated using a force platform. Dependent variables included the landing rate of force development and landing ground reaction forces for each exercise in the vertical, frontal, and sagittal planes. A 2-way mixed analysis of variance with repeated-measures for plyometric exercise type demonstrated main effects for exercise type for all dependent variables (p ≤ 0.001). There was no significant interaction between plyometric exercise type and sex for any of the variable assessed. Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons identified a number of differences between the plyometric exercises for the dependent variables assessed (p ≤ 0.05). These findings should be used to guide practitioners in the progression of plyometric exercise intensity, and thus program design, for those who require significant horizontal power in their sport.

Planning for the Future: Students Learn the Value of Resource Management Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Karen

1994-01-01

Reports activities at the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society's annual National Inter-Tribal Youth Practicum held to enhance student interest in natural resource careers. This year, 94 high school students from tribes around the United States participated in the week-long experiential field exercise on the Yakima Reservation and prepared a…

Inter-Professional Primary Care Practices Addressing Diabetes Prevention and Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beagrie, Lesley

2011-01-01

Imagine a partnership of university and community which addresses the needs of the community to keep its citizens healthy as long as possible. Through a planning exercise to address the community's needs in primary health care and health promotion, the university has developed key strategic directions to help support the needs of the community it…

Global Inter-Laboratory Fecal Source Identification Methods Comparison Study

EPA Science Inventory

Source tracking is key to identifying sources of fecal contamination for remediation as well as risk assessment. Previous intra- and inter-lab studies have investigated the performance of human and cow-associated source tracking markers, as well as library-dependent fecal source ...

The estimation of absorbed dose rates for non-human biota : an extended inter-comparison.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Batlle, J. V. I.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Beresford, N. A.

An exercise to compare 10 approaches for the calculation of unweighted whole-body absorbed dose rates was conducted for 74 radionuclides and five of the ICRP's Reference Animals and Plants, or RAPs (duck, frog, flatfish egg, rat and elongated earthworm), selected for this exercise to cover a range of body sizes, dimensions and exposure scenarios. Results were analysed using a non-parametric method requiring no specific hypotheses about the statistical distribution of data. The obtained unweighted absorbed dose rates for internal exposure compare well between the different approaches, with 70% of the results falling within a range of variation of {+-}20%. Themore » variation is greater for external exposure, although 90% of the estimates are within an order of magnitude of one another. There are some discernible patterns where specific models over- or under-predicted. These are explained based on the methodological differences including number of daughter products included in the calculation of dose rate for a parent nuclide; source-target geometry; databases for discrete energy and yield of radionuclides; rounding errors in integration algorithms; and intrinsic differences in calculation methods. For certain radionuclides, these factors combine to generate systematic variations between approaches. Overall, the technique chosen to interpret the data enabled methodological differences in dosimetry calculations to be quantified and compared, allowing the identification of common issues between different approaches and providing greater assurance on the fundamental dose conversion coefficient approaches used in available models for assessing radiological effects to biota.« less

Comparison of choroidal and optic nerve head blood flow regulation during changes in ocular perfusion pressure.

PubMed

Schmidl, Doreen; Boltz, Agnes; Kaya, Semira; Werkmeister, Rene; Dragostinoff, Nikolaus; Lasta, Michael; Polska, Elzbieta; Garhöfer, Gerhard; Schmetterer, Leopold

2012-07-01

We compared the response of choroidal and optic nerve head blood flow (ChBF, ONHBF) in response to an increase in ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) during isometric exercise and during a decrease in OPP during an artificial increase in intraocular pressure (IOP). We included 96 healthy subjects in our study. In 48 subjects OPP was increased by 6 minutes of squatting, and either ONHBF (n = 24) or ChBF (n = 24) was measured continuously. In 48 other healthy subjects either ONHBF (n = 24) or ChBF (n = 24) was measured continuously during a period of artificial increase in IOP using a suction cup. All blood flow measurements were done using laser Doppler flowmetry. During all experiments the response in blood flow was less pronounced than the response in OPP, indicating for flow regulation. During isometric exercise ChBF regulated better than ONHBF (P = 0.023). During artificial IOP increase ONHBF regulated better than ChBF (P = 0.001). Inter-individual variability in blood flow responses was high. During squatting ONHBF decreased considerably below baseline ONHBF when OPP fluctuated in 3 subjects, although OPP still was much higher than at baseline. This phenomenon was not observed in the choroid. Our data indicate that regulation of ChBF and ONHBF during changes in OPP is different and complex. In some subjects performing squatting, considerable ONHBF reductions were observed during OPP fluctuations, although OPP still was high. Whether this predisposes to ocular disease remains unclear.

Acute physiological responses to different circuit training protocols.

PubMed

Monteiro, A G; Alveno, D A; Prado, M; Monteiro, G A; Ugrinowitsch, C; Aoki, M S; Piçarro, I C

2008-12-01

The purpose of present study was to compare the acute physiological responses to a circuit weight training with the responses to a combined circuit training (weight training and treadmill run). The sample consisted of 25 individuals at an average state of training, 10 men and 15 female, between 18 and 35 year old. There were selected 60 second sets of resistance exercises to the circuit weight training (CWT). Whereas in the combined circuit training (CCT), the subjects spent 30 seconds on the same resistance exercises and 30 seconds running on the treadmill. The rest intervals between the sets lasted 15 seconds. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 5% significance level was utilized to the statistical analysis of the results. Comparing circuit training protocols, it was noted that CCT elicits a higher relative and absolute VO2 and energy expenditure values than CWT for both genders (P<0.05). Regarding inter-gender comparison, males showed higher absolute and relative VO2 and absolute energy expenditure values for both CWT and CCT than females (P<0.05). Females showed a significant greater %VO2max value for both CWT and CCT. Due to the experimental conditions used to state both circuit training bouts (CWT and CCT), the VO2 rate found was higher than the values reported by previous studies which used heavier weight lift. CCT seems adequate to produce cardiovascular improvements and greater energy expenditure for both men and women, while CWT group classes are sufficient only for unfit women.

Effects of cardiovascular exercise early after stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in chronic stroke. Most motor and functional recovery occurs in the first months after stroke. Improving cardiovascular capacity may have potential to precipitate recovery during early stroke rehabilitation. Currently, little is known about the effects of early cardiovascular exercise in stroke survivors. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of cardiovascular exercise early after stroke. Methods A systematic literature search was performed. For this review, randomized and non-randomized prospective controlled cohort studies using a cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary or aerobic training intervention starting within 6 months post stroke were considered. The PEDro scale was used to detect risk of bias in individual studies. Inter-rater agreement was calculated (kappa). Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Results A total of 11 trials were identified for inclusion. Inter-rater agreement was considered to be “very good” (Kappa: 0.81, Standard Error: 0.06, CI95%: 0.70–0.92), and the methodological quality was “good” (7 studies) to “fair” (4 studies). Peak oxygen uptake data were available for 155 participants. Pooled analysis yielded homogenous effects favouring the intervention group (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.83, CI95% = 0.50–1.16, Z = 4.93, P < 0.01). Walking endurance assessed with the 6 Minute Walk Test comprised 278 participants. Pooled analysis revealed homogenous effects favouring the cardiovascular training intervention group (SMD = 0.69, CI95% = 0.45–0.94, Z = 5.58, P < 0.01). Gait speed, measured in 243 participants, did not show significant results (SMD = 0.51, CI95% = −0.25–1.26, Z = 1.31, P = 0.19) in favour of early cardiovascular exercise. Conclusion This meta-analysis shows that stroke survivors may benefit from cardiovascular exercise during sub-acute stages to improve peak oxygen uptake and walking distance. Thus, cardiovascular exercise should be considered in sub-acute stroke rehabilitation. However, concepts to influence and evaluate aerobic capacity in severely affected individuals with sub-acute stroke, as well as in the very early period after stroke, are lacking. Further research is needed to develop appropriate methods for cardiovascular rehabilitation early after stroke and to evaluate long-term effects of cardiovascular exercise on aerobic capacity, physical functioning, and quality-of-life. PMID:22727172

Omics analysis of mouse brain models of human diseases.

PubMed

Paban, Véronique; Loriod, Béatrice; Villard, Claude; Buee, Luc; Blum, David; Pietropaolo, Susanna; Cho, Yoon H; Gory-Faure, Sylvie; Mansour, Elodie; Gharbi, Ali; Alescio-Lautier, Béatrice

2017-02-05

The identification of common gene/protein profiles related to brain alterations, if they exist, may indicate the convergence of the pathogenic mechanisms driving brain disorders. Six genetically engineered mouse lines modelling neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders were considered. Omics approaches, including transcriptomic and proteomic methods, were used. The gene/protein lists were used for inter-disease comparisons and further functional and network investigations. When the inter-disease comparison was performed using the gene symbol identifiers, the number of genes/proteins involved in multiple diseases decreased rapidly. Thus, no genes/proteins were shared by all 6 mouse models. Only one gene/protein (Gfap) was shared among 4 disorders, providing strong evidence that a common molecular signature does not exist among brain diseases. The inter-disease comparison of functional processes showed the involvement of a few major biological processes indicating that brain diseases of diverse aetiologies might utilize common biological pathways in the nervous system, without necessarily involving similar molecules. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An overview of sensor calibration inter-comparison and applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Cao, Changyong; Chander, Gyanesh

2010-01-01

Long-term climate data records (CDR) are often constructed using observations made by multiple Earth observing sensors over a broad range of spectra and a large scale in both time and space. These sensors can be of the same or different types operated on the same or different platforms. They can be developed and built with different technologies and are likely operated over different time spans. It has been known that the uncertainty of climate models and data records depends not only on the calibration quality (accuracy and stability) of individual sensors, but also on their calibration consistency across instruments and platforms. Therefore, sensor calibration inter-comparison and validation have become increasingly demanding and will continue to play an important role for a better understanding of the science product quality. This paper provides an overview of different methodologies, which have been successfully applied for sensor calibration inter-comparison. Specific examples using different sensors, including MODIS, AVHRR, and ETM+, are presented to illustrate the implementation of these methodologies.

Paleoclimate reconstruction along the Pole-Equator-Pole transect of the Americas (PEP 1)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markgraf, Vera; Baumgartner, T.R.; Bradbury, J.P.; Diaz, Henry F.; Dunbar, R.B.; Luckman, B.H.; Seltzer, G.O.; Swetnam, T.W.; Villalba, R.

2000-01-01

Examples are presented of inter-hemispheric comparison of instrumental climate and paleoclimate proxy records from the Americas for different temporal scales. Despite a certain symmetry of seasonal precipitation patterns along the PEP I transect, decadal variability of winter precipitation shows different characteristics in terms of amplitude and frequency in both the last 100 and last 1000 years. Such differences in variability are also seen in a comparison of time series of different El Nino/Southern Oscillation proxy records from North and South America, however, these differences do not appear to affect the spatial correlation with Pacific sea surface temperature patterns. Local and regional differences in response to climate change are even more pronounced for records with lower temporal resolution, and inter-hemispheric synchroneity may or may not be indicative of the same forcing. This aspect is illustrated in an inter-hemispheric comparison of the last 1000 years of glacier variability, and of the full- and lateglacial lake level history.

National Guard Logistics (NGLOG) Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

ROCiRE.ME-., NSTRUiMENr, DE ,’TrF CA7:0.%,JU’,BEZ ORGANIZATION (dfappiicaolei National Guard Bureau NGB-ARL 8C ADDRESS (City, State. inc ZI Code) 𔃺 SOURCE...which is accounted for by the USPFO of a state. This property can be distributed inter - and intrastate and redistributed without permission of any...reuimesso to upae then C-aigs, Stfor equipment funhes (Ea ofy uts within thean An. Not:l incositAenc betweenSA) dAOCentin interates handsutoaned rethatA which

Inter Annual Variability of the Acoustic Propagation in the Yellow Sea Identified from a Synoptic Monthly Gridded Database as Compared with GDEM

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

the world climate is in fact warming due to anthropogenic causes (Anderegg et al. 2010; Solomon et al. 2009). To put this in terms for this research ...2006). The present research uses a 0.5’ resolution. B. SEDIMENTS DATABASE There are four openly available sediment databases: Enhanced, Standard...DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This research investigates the inter-annual acoustic variability in the Yellow Sea identified from

Development and feasibility testing of the Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme.

PubMed

Curran, Janet A; Taylor, Alexandra; Chorney, Jill; Porter, Stephen; Murphy, Andrea; MacPhee, Shannon; Bishop, Andrea; Haworth, Rebecca

2017-08-01

Discharge communication is an important aspect of high-quality emergency care. This study addresses the gap in knowledge on how to describe discharge communication in a paediatric emergency department (ED). The objective of this feasibility study was to develop and test a coding scheme to characterize discharge communication between health-care providers (HCPs) and caregivers who visit the ED with their children. The Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme (PEDICS) and coding manual were developed following a review of the literature and an iterative refinement process involving HCP observations, inter-rater assessments and team consensus. The coding scheme was pilot-tested through observations of HCPs across a range of shifts in one urban paediatric ED. Overall, 329 patient observations were carried out across 50 observational shifts. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated in 16% of the observations. The final version of the PEDICS contained 41 communication elements. Kappa scores were greater than .60 for the majority of communication elements. The most frequently observed communication elements were under the Introduction node and the least frequently observed were under the Social Concerns node. HCPs initiated the majority of the communication. Pediatric Emergency Discharge Interaction Coding Scheme addresses an important gap in the discharge communication literature. The tool is useful for mapping patterns of discharge communication between HCPs and caregivers. Results from our pilot test identified deficits in specific areas of discharge communication that could impact adherence to discharge instructions. The PEDICS would benefit from further testing with a different sample of HCPs. © 2017 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transonic Drag Prediction on a DLR-F6 Transport Configuration Using Unstructured Grid Solvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee-Rausch, E. M.; Frink, N. T.; Mavriplis, D. J.; Rausch, R. D.; Milholen, W. E.

2004-01-01

A second international AIAA Drag Prediction Workshop (DPW-II) was organized and held in Orlando Florida on June 21-22, 2003. The primary purpose was to inves- tigate the code-to-code uncertainty. address the sensitivity of the drag prediction to grid size and quantify the uncertainty in predicting nacelle/pylon drag increments at a transonic cruise condition. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the DPW-II computational results from three state-of-the-art unstructured grid Navier-Stokes flow solvers exercised on similar families of tetrahedral grids. The flow solvers are USM3D - a tetrahedral cell-centered upwind solver. FUN3D - a tetrahedral node-centered upwind solver, and NSU3D - a general element node-centered central-differenced solver. For the wingbody, the total drag predicted for a constant-lift transonic cruise condition showed a decrease in code-to-code variation with grid refinement as expected. For the same flight condition, the wing/body/nacelle/pylon total drag and the nacelle/pylon drag increment predicted showed an increase in code-to-code variation with grid refinement. Although the range in total drag for the wingbody fine grids was only 5 counts, a code-to-code comparison of surface pressures and surface restricted streamlines indicated that the three solvers were not all converging to the same flow solutions- different shock locations and separation patterns were evident. Similarly, the wing/body/nacelle/pylon solutions did not appear to be converging to the same flow solutions. Overall, grid refinement did not consistently improve the correlation with experimental data for either the wingbody or the wing/body/nacelle pylon configuration. Although the absolute values of total drag predicted by two of the solvers for the medium and fine grids did not compare well with the experiment, the incremental drag predictions were within plus or minus 3 counts of the experimental data. The correlation with experimental incremental drag was not significantly changed by specifying transition. Although the sources of code-to-code variation in force and moment predictions for the three unstructured grid codes have not yet been identified, the current study reinforces the necessity of applying multiple codes to the same application to assess uncertainty.

Biomechanical Modeling Analysis of Loads Configuration for Squat Exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallo, Christopher A.; Thompson, William K.; Lewandowski, Beth E.; Jagodnik, Kathleen; De Witt, John K.

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Long duration space travel will expose astronauts to extended periods of reduced gravity. Since gravity is not present to assist loading, astronauts will use resistive and aerobic exercise regimes for the duration of the space flight to minimize loss of bone density, muscle mass and aerobic capacity that occurs during exposure to a reduced gravity environment. Unlike the International Space Station (ISS), the area available for an exercise device in the next generation of spacecraft for travel to the Moon or to Mars is limited and therefore compact resistance exercise device prototypes are being developed. The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) currently on the ISS is being used as a benchmark for the functional performance of these new devices. Biomechanical data collection and computational modeling aid the device design process by quantifying the joint torques and the musculoskeletal forces that occur during exercises performed on the prototype devices. METHODS The computational models currently under development utilize the OpenSim [1] software platform, consisting of open source code for musculoskeletal modeling, using biomechanical input data from test subjects for estimation of muscle and joint loads. The OpenSim Full Body Model [2] is used for all analyses. The model incorporates simplified wrap surfaces, a new knee model and updated lower body muscle parameters derived from cadaver measurements and magnetic resonance imaging of young adults. The upper body uses torque actuators at the lumbar and extremity joints. The test subjects who volunteer for this study are instrumented with reflective markers for motion capture data collection while performing squat exercising on the Hybrid Ultimate Lifting Kit (HULK) prototype device (ZIN Technologies, Middleburg Heights, OH). Ground reaction force data is collected with force plates under the feet, and device loading is recorded through load cells internal to the HULK. Test variables include the applied device load and the dual cable long bar or single cable T-bar interface between the test subject and the device. Data is also obtained using free weights with the identical loading for a comparison to the resistively loaded exercise device trials. The data drives the OpenSim biomechanical model, which has been scaled to match the anthropometrics of the test subject, to calculate the body loads. RESULTS Lower body kinematics, joint moments, joint forces and muscle forces are obtained from the OpenSim biomechanical analysis of the squat exercises under different loading conditions. Preliminary results from the model for the loading conditions will be presented as will hypotheses developed for follow on work.

An Assessment of Current Fan Noise Prediction Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Edmane; Woodward, Richard P.; Elliott, David M.; Fite, E. Brian; Hughes, Christopher E.; Podboy, Gary G.; Sutliff, Daniel L.

2008-01-01

In this paper, the results of an extensive assessment exercise carried out to establish the current state of the art for predicting fan noise at NASA are presented. Representative codes in the empirical, analytical, and computational categories were exercised and assessed against a set of benchmark acoustic data obtained from wind tunnel tests of three model scale fans. The chosen codes were ANOPP, representing an empirical capability, RSI, representing an analytical capability, and LINFLUX, representing a computational aeroacoustics capability. The selected benchmark fans cover a wide range of fan pressure ratios and fan tip speeds, and are representative of modern turbofan engine designs. The assessment results indicate that the ANOPP code can predict fan noise spectrum to within 4 dB of the measurement uncertainty band on a third-octave basis for the low and moderate tip speed fans except at extreme aft emission angles. The RSI code can predict fan broadband noise spectrum to within 1.5 dB of experimental uncertainty band provided the rotor-only contribution is taken into account. The LINFLUX code can predict interaction tone power levels to within experimental uncertainties at low and moderate fan tip speeds, but could deviate by as much as 6.5 dB outside the experimental uncertainty band at the highest tip speeds in some case.

NASA Giovanni: A Tool for Visualizing, Analyzing, and Inter-Comparing Soil Moisture Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William; Rui, Hualan; Vollmer, Bruce; deJeu, Richard; Fang, Fan; Lei, Guang-Dih

2012-01-01

There are many existing satellite soil moisture algorithms and their derived data products, but there is no simple way for a user to inter-compare the products or analyze them together with other related data (e.g., precipitation). An environment that facilitates such inter-comparison and analysis would be useful for validation of satellite soil moisture retrievals against in situ data and for determining the relationships between different soil moisture products. The latter relationships are particularly important for applications users, for whom the continuity of soil moisture data, from whatever source, is critical. A recent example was provided by the sudden demise of EOS Aqua AMSR-E and the end of its soil moisture data production, as well as the end of other soil moisture products that had used the AMSR-E brightness temperature data. The purpose of the current effort is to create an environment, as part of the NASA Giovanni family of portals, that facilitates inter-comparisons of soil moisture algorithms and their derived data products.

“Any Movement at All Is Exercise”: A Focused Ethnography of Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults' Perceptions and Experiences of Exercise as Self-Care

PubMed Central

Connelly, Denise M.

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: To understand rural community-dwelling older adult participants' shared values, beliefs, and behaviours related to exercise as self-care. Methods: We conducted a constructivist-focused ethnography involving semi-structured interviews and participant observation with 17 individuals 65 years and older. Interviews were transcribed and inductively coded to develop themes related to exercise, self-care, and exercise as self-care. Field notes were triangulated with follow-up interviews and dialogue between authors to enhance interpretation. Results: Participants described exercise broadly as movement and not as a central self-care behaviour. However, awareness of the importance and health-related benefits of exercise increased after a significant personal health-related event. Participants preferred exercise that was enjoyable and previously experienced. Conclusions: Prescribing exercise for older adults may be particularly effective if the focus is on enjoyable and previously experienced physical activity and if it incorporates interpretation of exercise guidelines and training principles in relation to chronic conditions and potential health benefits. PMID:24396160

Effect of bed rest and exercise on body balance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, R. F.

1974-01-01

A battery of 11 body balance tests was administered to 7 men before and after 14 days of bedrest. Seven men who had not undergone bed rest served as controls. During bed rest, each subject underwent daily either isotonic, isometric, or no leg exercise. The results showed that, for the bed-rested no exercise, isotonic exercise, and isometric exercise groups, 2 weeks of bed rest produces significant body balance decrements on 3, 4, and 5 of the 11 tests, respectively. Daily leg exercise did not prevent the debilitating effects of bed rest on body balance. After bed rest, balance skill was relearned rapidly so that in most tests, performance had reached prebed-rest levels by the third recovery day. These data suggest that balance impairment is not due to loss of muscular strength in the legs but, perhaps, to a bed-rest-related change in the neurally coded information to postural control centers.

Exercise during Pregnancy

MedlinePlus

... Bulletins Patient Education Green Journal Clinical Updates Practice Management Coding Health Info Technology Professional Liability Managing Your Practice Patient Safety & Quality Payment Reform (MACRA) Education & Events Annual Meeting CME ...

RELAP5-3D Resolution of Known Restart/Backup Issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mesina, George L.; Anderson, Nolan A.

2014-12-01

The state-of-the-art nuclear reactor system safety analysis computer program developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), RELAP5-3D, continues to adapt to changes in computer hardware and software and to develop to meet the ever-expanding needs of the nuclear industry. To continue at the forefront, code testing must evolve with both code and industry developments, and it must work correctly. To best ensure this, the processes of Software Verification and Validation (V&V) are applied. Verification compares coding against its documented algorithms and equations and compares its calculations against analytical solutions and the method of manufactured solutions. A form of this, sequentialmore » verification, checks code specifications against coding only when originally written then applies regression testing which compares code calculations between consecutive updates or versions on a set of test cases to check that the performance does not change. A sequential verification testing system was specially constructed for RELAP5-3D to both detect errors with extreme accuracy and cover all nuclear-plant-relevant code features. Detection is provided through a “verification file” that records double precision sums of key variables. Coverage is provided by a test suite of input decks that exercise code features and capabilities necessary to model a nuclear power plant. A matrix of test features and short-running cases that exercise them is presented. This testing system is used to test base cases (called null testing) as well as restart and backup cases. It can test RELAP5-3D performance in both standalone and coupled (through PVM to other codes) runs. Application of verification testing revealed numerous restart and backup issues in both standalone and couple modes. This document reports the resolution of these issues.« less

Argon Intercalibration Pipette System (APIS): Smoking from the Same Pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, B. D.; Swisher, C. C., III; Hemming, S. R.; Renne, P. R.; Deino, A. L.; Hodges, K. V.; Van Soest, M. C.; Heizler, M. T.

2014-12-01

40Ar/39Ar age inter-calibration experiments, conducted as part of the US NSF sponsored EARTHTIME initiative, (http://www.earth-time.org), using two of the most commonly used 40Ar/39Ar mineral standards, Fish Canyon (FC, ~28.2 Ma) and Alder Creek (AC, ~1.2 Ma) sanidines, have revealed significant inter-laboratory inconsistencies. The reported ages for the AC sanidines range from 1.173 to 1.200 Ma (FC 28.02) (±~2%), ~4 times greater than the reported precision. These experiments have caused the 40Ar/39Ar community to scrutinize procedures and several informal lab intercalibrations have been conducted among different labs. This exercise is leading to better agreement, but discrepancies remain that need to be addressed. In an effort to isolate the cause(s) of these inconsistencies, two Argon Inter-calibration Pipette System (APIS) were designed and constructed. Each consists of three gas canisters; one contains atmospheric Ar, while the other two contain artificial gas mixtures with 40Ar/39Ar ratios similar to those of FC and AC. Each canister has 4x10-10 moles of 40Ar, is equipped with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 cc pipettes, and can deliver gas volumes from 0.1-0.7 cc. All volumes were determined manometrically to 0.4% or better and then filled to uniform pressure with Ar standard gases. This experimental design eliminates sample heterogeneity, leaving only interlaboratory variations in gas purification, data reduction, and isotopic measurement as potential sources of interlaboratory calibration discrepancies. APIS-1 was designated as a traveling unit that is brought to participating labs. APIS-2 is the reserve/master standard. Currently, APIS-1 is in its early stages in the voyage and has been to three labs (Rutgers, LDEO, and New Mexico Tech) as of this writing. The interlaboratory comparisons are ongoing, and will include ASU, BGC, Univ. of Wisconsin, and Oregon State University, plus additional laboratories of opportunity. A progress report will be presented at AGU.

Benchmarking Exercises To Validate The Updated ELLWF GoldSim Slit Trench Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, G. A.; Hiergesell, R. A.

2013-11-12

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) results of the 2008 Performance Assessment (PA) (WSRC, 2008) sensitivity/uncertainty analyses conducted for the trenches located in the EArea LowLevel Waste Facility (ELLWF) were subject to review by the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Federal Review Group (LFRG) (LFRG, 2008). LFRG comments were generally approving of the use of probabilistic modeling in GoldSim to support the quantitative sensitivity analysis. A recommendation was made, however, that the probabilistic models be revised and updated to bolster their defensibility. SRS committed to addressing those comments and, in response, contracted with Neptunemore » and Company to rewrite the three GoldSim models. The initial portion of this work, development of Slit Trench (ST), Engineered Trench (ET) and Components-in-Grout (CIG) trench GoldSim models, has been completed. The work described in this report utilizes these revised models to test and evaluate the results against the 2008 PORFLOW model results. This was accomplished by first performing a rigorous code-to-code comparison of the PORFLOW and GoldSim codes and then performing a deterministic comparison of the two-dimensional (2D) unsaturated zone and three-dimensional (3D) saturated zone PORFLOW Slit Trench models against results from the one-dimensional (1D) GoldSim Slit Trench model. The results of the code-to-code comparison indicate that when the mechanisms of radioactive decay, partitioning of contaminants between solid and fluid, implementation of specific boundary conditions and the imposition of solubility controls were all tested using identical flow fields, that GoldSim and PORFLOW produce nearly identical results. It is also noted that GoldSim has an advantage over PORFLOW in that it simulates all radionuclides simultaneously - thus avoiding a potential problem as demonstrated in the Case Study (see Section 2.6). Hence, it was concluded that the follow-on work using GoldSim to develop 1D equivalent models of the PORFLOW multi-dimensional models was justified. The comparison of GoldSim 1D equivalent models to PORFLOW multi-dimensional models was made at two locations in the model domains - at the unsaturated-saturated zone interface and at the 100m point of compliance. PORFLOW model results from the 2008 PA were utilized to investigate the comparison. By making iterative adjustments to certain water flux terms in the GoldSim models it was possible to produce contaminant mass fluxes and water concentrations that were highly similar to the PORFLOW model results at the two locations where comparisons were made. Based on the ability of the GoldSim 1D trench models to produce mass flux and concentration curves that are sufficiently similar to multi-dimensional PORFLOW models for all of the evaluated radionuclides and their progeny, it is concluded that the use of the GoldSim 1D equivalent Slit and Engineered trenches models for further probabilistic sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of ELLWF trench units is justified. A revision to the original report was undertaken to correct mislabeling on the y-axes of the compliance point concentration graphs, to modify the terminology used to define the ''blended'' source term Case for the saturated zone to make it consistent with terminology used in the 2008 PA, and to make a more definitive statement regarding the justification of the use of the GoldSim 1D equivalent trench models for follow-on probabilistic sensitivity and uncertainty analysis.« less

A systematic analysis of a mi-RNA inter-pathway regulatory motif

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The continuing discovery of new types and functions of small non-coding RNAs is suggesting the presence of regulatory mechanisms far more complex than the ones currently used to study and design Gene Regulatory Networks. Just focusing on the roles of micro RNAs (miRNAs), they have been found to be part of several intra-pathway regulatory motifs. However, inter-pathway regulatory mechanisms have been often neglected and require further investigation. Results In this paper we present the result of a systems biology study aimed at analyzing a high-level inter-pathway regulatory motif called Pathway Protection Loop, not previously described, in which miRNAs seem to play a crucial role in the successful behavior and activation of a pathway. Through the automatic analysis of a large set of public available databases, we found statistical evidence that this inter-pathway regulatory motif is very common in several classes of KEGG Homo Sapiens pathways and concurs in creating a complex regulatory network involving several pathways connected by this specific motif. The role of this motif seems also confirmed by a deeper review of other research activities on selected representative pathways. Conclusions Although previous studies suggested transcriptional regulation mechanism at the pathway level such as the Pathway Protection Loop, a high-level analysis like the one proposed in this paper is still missing. The understanding of higher-level regulatory motifs could, as instance, lead to new approaches in the identification of therapeutic targets because it could unveil new and “indirect” paths to activate or silence a target pathway. However, a lot of work still needs to be done to better uncover this high-level inter-pathway regulation including enlarging the analysis to other small non-coding RNA molecules. PMID:24152805

Growth Trajectories of Exercise Self-Efficacy in Older Adults: Influence of Measures and Initial Status

PubMed Central

McAuley, Edward; Mailey, Emily L.; Mullen, Sean P.; Szabo, Amanda N.; Wójcicki, Thomas R.; White, Siobhan M.; Gothe, Neha; Olson, Erin A.; Kramer, Arthur F.

2012-01-01

Objective This study examines differential trajectories of exercise-related self-efficacy beliefs across a 12-month randomized controlled exercise trial. Methods Previously inactive older adults (N = 144; M age = 66.5) were randomly assigned to one of two exercise conditions (walking, flexibility-toning-balance) and completed measures of barriers self-efficacy (BARSE), exercise self-efficacy (EXSE), and self-efficacy for walking (SEW) across a 12-month period. Changes in efficacy were examined according to efficacy type and inter-individual differences. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to (a) examine average levels and change in each type of efficacy for the collapsed sample and by intervention condition, and (b) explore subpopulations (i.e., latent classes) within the sample that differ in their baseline efficacy and trajectory. Results Analyses revealed two negative trends in BARSE and EXSE at predicted transition points, in addition to a positive linear trend in SEW. Two subgroups with unique baseline efficacy and trajectory profiles were also identified. Conclusions These results shed new light on the relationship between exercise and self-efficacy in older adults, and highlight the need for strategies for increasing and maintaining efficacy within interventions, namely targeting participants who start with a disadvantage (lower efficacy) and integrating efficacy-boosting strategies for all participants prior to program end. PMID:21038962

Exercise ASKARI SERPENT: enabling clinical data collection during exercises and operations to support future contingency planning and assurance of category-based reporting systems.

PubMed

Parsons, Iain T; Wheatley, R J; Carter, P

2016-02-01

Exercise ASKARI SERPENT (Ex AS) is a British Army exercise that provides primary healthcare (PHC) to Kenyan civilians in support of local health authorities. It is conducted in partnership with the Kenya Defence Force Medical Services (KDFMS). Accurate epidemiological data is critical in planning the exercise and for any future short-notice contingency operations in similar environments. This paper reports epidemiological data for Ex AS using a novel data collection system. PHC on Ex AS was delivered by trained and validated combat medical technicians (CMTs) using a set of Read-coded protocols. The CMTs were also directly supported and supervised by medical officers and nurses. A total of 3093 consultations were conducted over a 16-day period. Of these, 2707 (87.5%) consultations fell within the remit of the CMT protocols, with only 386 consultations (12.5%) being conducted exclusively by the medical officers or nurses. A Read-coded matrix built on CMT protocols is a simple and useful tool, particularly in civilian populations, for collecting morbidity data with the vast majority of conditions accounted for in the protocols. It is anticipated that such a system can better inform training, manning, medical material and pharmaceutical procurement than current category-based morbidity surveillance systems such as EPINATO (NATO epidemiological data). There is clear advantage to directly linking data capture to treatment algorithms. Accuracy, both in terms of numbers and condition, is likely improved. Data is also captured contemporaneously rather than after indeterminate time. Read coding has the added benefit of being an established electronic standard. In addition, the system would support traditional reporting methods such as EPINATO by providing increased assurance. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A Radiation Chemistry Code Based on the Greens Functions of the Diffusion Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plante, Ianik; Wu, Honglu

2014-01-01

Ionizing radiation produces several radiolytic species such as.OH, e-aq, and H. when interacting with biological matter. Following their creation, radiolytic species diffuse and chemically react with biological molecules such as DNA. Despite years of research, many questions on the DNA damage by ionizing radiation remains, notably on the indirect effect, i.e. the damage resulting from the reactions of the radiolytic species with DNA. To simulate DNA damage by ionizing radiation, we are developing a step-by-step radiation chemistry code that is based on the Green's functions of the diffusion equation (GFDE), which is able to follow the trajectories of all particles and their reactions with time. In the recent years, simulations based on the GFDE have been used extensively in biochemistry, notably to simulate biochemical networks in time and space and are often used as the "gold standard" to validate diffusion-reaction theories. The exact GFDE for partially diffusion-controlled reactions is difficult to use because of its complex form. Therefore, the radial Green's function, which is much simpler, is often used. Hence, much effort has been devoted to the sampling of the radial Green's functions, for which we have developed a sampling algorithm This algorithm only yields the inter-particle distance vector length after a time step; the sampling of the deviation angle of the inter-particle vector is not taken into consideration. In this work, we show that the radial distribution is predicted by the exact radial Green's function. We also use a technique developed by Clifford et al. to generate the inter-particle vector deviation angles, knowing the inter-particle vector length before and after a time step. The results are compared with those predicted by the exact GFDE and by the analytical angular functions for free diffusion. This first step in the creation of the radiation chemistry code should help the understanding of the contribution of the indirect effect in the formation of DNA damage and double-strand breaks.

Incentive structure in team-based learning: graded versus ungraded Group Application exercises.

PubMed

Deardorff, Adam S; Moore, Jeremy A; McCormick, Colleen; Koles, Paul G; Borges, Nicole J

2014-04-21

Previous studies on team-based learning (TBL) in medical education demonstrated improved learner engagement, learner satisfaction, and academic performance; however, a paucity of information exists on modifications of the incentive structure of "traditional" TBL practices. The current study investigates the impact of modification to conventional Group Application exercises by examining student preference and student perceptions of TBL outcomes when Group Application exercises are excluded from TBL grades. During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years, 175 students (95.6% response rate) completed a 22-item multiple choice survey followed by 3 open response questions at the end of their second year of medical school. These students had participated in a TBL supplemented preclinical curriculum with graded Group Application exercises during year one and ungraded Group Application exercises during year two of medical school. Chi-square analyses showed significant differences between grading categories for general assessment of TBL, participation and communication, intra-team discussion, inter-team discussion, student perceptions of their own effort and development of teamwork skills. Furthermore, 83.8% of students polled prefer ungraded Group Application exercises with only 7.2% preferring graded and 9.0% indicating no preference. The use of ungraded Group Application exercises appears to be a successful modification of TBL, making it more "student-friendly" while maintaining the goals of active learning and development of teamwork skills.

Do inter-hospital comparisons of in-hospital, acute myocardial infarction case-fatality rates serve the purpose of fostering quality improvement? An evaluative study.

PubMed

Aelvoet, Willem; Terryn, Nathalie; Molenberghs, Geert; De Backer, Guy; Vrints, Christiaan; van Sprundel, Marc

2010-12-08

In-hospital case-fatality rates in patients, admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CFRs), are internationally used as a quality indicator. Attempting to encourage the hospitals to assume responsibility, the Belgian Ministry of Health decided to stimulate initiatives of quality improvement by means of a limited set of indicators, among which AMI-CFR, to be routinely analyzed. In this study we aimed, by determining the existence of inter-hospital differences in AMI-CFR, (1) to evaluate to which extent Belgian discharge records allow the assessment of quality of care in the field of AMI, and (2) to identify starting points for quality improvement. Hospital discharge records from all the Belgian short-term general hospitals in the period 2002-2005. The study population (N = 46,287) included patients aged 18 years and older, hospitalized for AMI. No unique patient identifier being present, we tried to track transferred patients. We assessed data quality through a comparison of MCD with data from two registers for acute coronary events and through transfer and sensitivity analyses. We compared AMI-CFRs across hospitals, using multivariable logistic regression models. In the main model hospitals, Charlson's co-morbidity index, age, gender and shock constituted the covariates. We carried out two types of analyses: a first one wherein transferred-out cases were excluded, to avoid double counting of patients when computing rates, and a second one with exclusion of all transferred cases, to allow the study of patients admitted into, treated in and discharged from the same hospital. We identified problems regarding both the CFR's numerator and denominator.Sensitivity analyses revealed differential coding and/or case management practices. In the model with exclusion of transfer-out cases, the main determinants of AMI-CFR were cardiogenic shock (OR(adj) 23.0; 95% CI [20.9;25.2]), and five-year age groups OR(adj) 1.23; 95% CI [1.11;1.36]). Sizable inter-hospital and inter-type of hospital differences {(OR(comunity vs tertiary hospitals)1.36; 95% CI [1.34;1.39]) and (OR(intermediary vs tertiary hospitals)1.36; 95% CI [1.34;1.39])}, and nonconformities to guidelines for treatment were observed. Despite established data quality shortcomings, the magnitude of the observed differences and the nonconformities constitute leads to quality improvement. However, to measure progress, ways to improve and routinely monitor data quality should be developed.

Do inter-hospital comparisons of in-hospital, acute myocardial infarction case-fatality rates serve the purpose of fostering quality improvement? An evaluative study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In-hospital case-fatality rates in patients, admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CFRs), are internationally used as a quality indicator. Attempting to encourage the hospitals to assume responsibility, the Belgian Ministry of Health decided to stimulate initiatives of quality improvement by means of a limited set of indicators, among which AMI-CFR, to be routinely analyzed. In this study we aimed, by determining the existence of inter-hospital differences in AMI-CFR, (1) to evaluate to which extent Belgian discharge records allow the assessment of quality of care in the field of AMI, and (2) to identify starting points for quality improvement. Methods Hospital discharge records from all the Belgian short-term general hospitals in the period 2002-2005. The study population (N = 46,287) included patients aged 18 years and older, hospitalized for AMI. No unique patient identifier being present, we tried to track transferred patients. We assessed data quality through a comparison of MCD with data from two registers for acute coronary events and through transfer and sensitivity analyses. We compared AMI-CFRs across hospitals, using multivariable logistic regression models. In the main model hospitals, Charlson's co-morbidity index, age, gender and shock constituted the covariates. We carried out two types of analyses: a first one wherein transferred-out cases were excluded, to avoid double counting of patients when computing rates, and a second one with exclusion of all transferred cases, to allow the study of patients admitted into, treated in and discharged from the same hospital. Results We identified problems regarding both the CFR's numerator and denominator. Sensitivity analyses revealed differential coding and/or case management practices. In the model with exclusion of transfer-out cases, the main determinants of AMI-CFR were cardiogenic shock (ORadj 23.0; 95% CI [20.9;25.2]), and five-year age groups ORadj 1.23; 95% CI [1.11;1.36]). Sizable inter-hospital and inter-type of hospital differences {(ORcomunity vs tertiary hospitals1.36; 95% CI [1.34;1.39]) and (ORintermediary vs tertiary hospitals1.36; 95% CI [1.34;1.39])}, and nonconformities to guidelines for treatment were observed. Conclusions Despite established data quality shortcomings, the magnitude of the observed differences and the nonconformities constitute leads to quality improvement. However, to measure progress, ways to improve and routinely monitor data quality should be developed. PMID:21143853

One-year temporal stability and predictive and incremental validity of the body, eating, and exercise comparison orientation measure (BEECOM) among college women.

PubMed

Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Bardone-Cone, Anna M

2014-01-01

This study examined the one-year temporal stability and the predictive and incremental validity of the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Measure (BEECOM) in a sample of 237 college women who completed study measures at two time points about one year apart. One-year temporal stability was high for the BEECOM total and subscale (i.e., Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation) scores. Additionally, the BEECOM exhibited predictive validity in that it accounted for variance in body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptomatology one year later. These findings held even after controlling for body mass index and existing measures of social comparison orientation. However, results regarding the incremental validity of the BEECOM, or its ability to predict change in these constructs over time, were more mixed. Overall, this study demonstrated additional psychometric properties of the BEECOM among college women, further establishing the usefulness of this measure for more comprehensively assessing eating disorder-related social comparison. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of platelet adhesion and activation on polymers: Round-robin study to assess inter-center variability.

PubMed

Braune, S; Sperling, C; Maitz, M F; Steinseifer, U; Clauser, J; Hiebl, B; Krajewski, S; Wendel, H P; Jung, F

2017-10-01

The regulatory agencies provide recommendations rather than protocols or standard operation procedures for the hemocompatibility evaluation of novel materials e.g. for cardiovascular applications. Thus, there is a lack of specifications with regard to test setups and procedures. As a consequence, laboratories worldwide perform in vitro assays under substantially different test conditions, so that inter-laboratory and inter-study comparisons are impossible. Here, we report about a prospective, randomized and double-blind multicenter trial which demonstrates that standardization of in vitro test protocols allows a reproducible assessment of platelet adhesion and activation from fresh human platelet rich plasma as possible indicators of the thrombogenicity of cardiovascular implants. Standardization of the reported static in vitro setup resulted in a laboratory independent scoring of the following materials: poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(tetrafluoro ethylene) (PTFE). The results of this in vitro study provide evidence that inter-laboratory and inter-study comparisons can be achieved for the evaluation of the adhesion and activation of platelets on blood-contacting biomaterials by stringent standardization of test protocols. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swimming exercise demonstrates advantages over running exercise in reducing proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Totou, N L; Moura, S S; Coelho, D B; Oliveira, E C; Becker, L K; Lima, W G

2018-03-01

Experimental studies in animal models have described the benefits of physical exercise (PE) to kidney diseases associated with hypertension. Land- and water-based exercises induce different responses in renal function. Our aim was to evaluate the renal alterations induced by different environments of PE in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The SHRs were divided into sedentary (S), swimming exercise (SE), and running exercise (RE) groups, and were trained for 8 weeks under similar intensities (60 min/day). Arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded. The renal function was evaluated through urinary volume at each week of training; sodium and potassium excretions, plasma and urinary osmolarities, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), levels of proteinuria, and renal damage were determined. SE and RE rats presented reduced mean AP, systolic blood pressure, and HR in comparison with S group. SE and RE rats showed higher urine osmolarity compared with S. SE rats showed higher free water clearance (P < 0.01), lower urinary density (P < 0.0001), and increased weekly urine volume (P < 0.05) in comparison with RE and S groups. GFR was increased in both SE and RE rats. The proteinuria of SE (7.0 ± 0.8 mg/24 h) rats was decreased at the 8th week of the PE in comparison with RE (9.6 ± 0.8 mg/24 h) and S (9.8 ± 0.5 mg/24 h) groups. The glomerulosclerosis was reduced in SE rats (P < 0.02). SE produced different response in renal function in comparison with RE, in which only swimming-trained rats had better profile for proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis.

THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTER-LABORATORY VERIFICATION OF LC-MS LIBRARIES FOR ORGANIC CHEMICALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN

EPA Science Inventory

The development, verification, and comparison study between LC-MS libraries for two manufacturers’ instruments and a verified protocol are discussed. The LC-MS library protocol was verified through an inter-laboratory study that involved Federal, State, and private laboratories. ...

Empirical analysis on the human dynamics of blogging behavior on GitHub

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Deng-Cheng; Wei, Zong-Wen; Han, Xiao-Pu; Wang, Bing-Hong

2017-01-01

GitHub is a social collaborative coding platform on which software developers not only collaborate on codes but also share knowledge through blogs using GitHub Pages. In this article, we analyze the blogging behavior of software developers on GitHub Pages. The results show that both the commit number and the inter-event time of two consecutive blogging actions follow heavy-tailed distribution. We further observe a significant variety of activity among individual developers, and a strongly positive correlation between the activity and the power-law exponent of the inter-event time distribution. We also find a difference between the user behaviors of GitHub Pages and other online systems which is driven by the diversity of users and length of contents. In addition, our result shows an obvious difference between the majority of developers and elite developers in their burstiness property.

Combined proportional and additive residual error models in population pharmacokinetic modelling.

PubMed

Proost, Johannes H

2017-11-15

In pharmacokinetic modelling, a combined proportional and additive residual error model is often preferred over a proportional or additive residual error model. Different approaches have been proposed, but a comparison between approaches is still lacking. The theoretical background of the methods is described. Method VAR assumes that the variance of the residual error is the sum of the statistically independent proportional and additive components; this method can be coded in three ways. Method SD assumes that the standard deviation of the residual error is the sum of the proportional and additive components. Using datasets from literature and simulations based on these datasets, the methods are compared using NONMEM. The different coding of methods VAR yield identical results. Using method SD, the values of the parameters describing residual error are lower than for method VAR, but the values of the structural parameters and their inter-individual variability are hardly affected by the choice of the method. Both methods are valid approaches in combined proportional and additive residual error modelling, and selection may be based on OFV. When the result of an analysis is used for simulation purposes, it is essential that the simulation tool uses the same method as used during analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lidar-Radiometer Inversion Code (LIRIC) for the Retrieval of Vertical Aerosol Properties from Combined Lidar Radiometer Data: Development and Distribution in EARLINET

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaikovsky, A.; Dubovik, O.; Holben, Brent N.; Bril, A.; Goloub, P.; Tanre, D.; Pappalardo, G.; Wandinger, U.; Chaikovskaya, L.; Denisov, S.;

MIST final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gloudemans, J.R.

1991-08-01

The multiloop integral system test (MIST) was part of a multiphase program started in 1983 to address small-break loss-of-coolant accidents (SBLOCAs) specific to Babcock Wilcox-designed plants. MIST was sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Babcock Wilcox Owners Group, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Babcock Wilcox. The unique features of the Babcock Wilcox design, specifically the hot leg U-bends and steam generators, prevented the use of existing integral system data or existing integral system facilities to addresss the thermal-hydraulic SBLOCA questions. MIST was specifically designed and constructed for this program, and an existing facility -- the once-through integralmore » system (OTIS) -- was also used. Data from MIST and OTIS are used to benchmark the adequacy of system codes, such as RELAP5 and TRAC, for predicting abnormal plant transients. The MIST program is reported in eleven volumes; Volumes 2 through 8 pertain to groups of Phase 3 tests by type, Volume 9 presents inter-group comparisons. Volume 10 provides comparisons between the RELAP5 MOD2 calculations and MIST observations, and Volume 11 (with addendum) presents the later, Phase 4 tests. This is Volume 1 of the MIST final report, a summary of the entire MIST program. Major topics include: test advisory grop (TAG) issues; facility scaling and design; test matrix; observations; comparisons of RELAP5 calculations to MIST observations; and MIST versus the TAG issues. 11 refs., 29 figs., 9 tabs.« less

interPopula: a Python API to access the HapMap Project dataset

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The HapMap project is a publicly available catalogue of common genetic variants that occur in humans, currently including several million SNPs across 1115 individuals spanning 11 different populations. This important database does not provide any programmatic access to the dataset, furthermore no standard relational database interface is provided. Results interPopula is a Python API to access the HapMap dataset. interPopula provides integration facilities with both the Python ecology of software (e.g. Biopython and matplotlib) and other relevant human population datasets (e.g. Ensembl gene annotation and UCSC Known Genes). A set of guidelines and code examples to address possible inconsistencies across heterogeneous data sources is also provided. Conclusions interPopula is a straightforward and flexible Python API that facilitates the construction of scripts and applications that require access to the HapMap dataset. PMID:21210977

Absolute and relative reliability of acute effects of aerobic exercise on executive function in seniors.

PubMed

Donath, Lars; Ludyga, Sebastian; Hammes, Daniel; Rossmeissl, Anja; Andergassen, Nadin; Zahner, Lukas; Faude, Oliver

2017-10-25

Aging is accompanied by a decline of executive function. Aerobic exercise training induces moderate improvements of cognitive domains (i.e., attention, processing, executive function, memory) in seniors. Most conclusive data are obtained from studies with dementia or cognitive impairment. Confident detection of exercise training effects requires adequate between-day reliability and low day-to-day variability obtained from acute studies, respectively. These absolute and relative reliability measures have not yet been examined for a single aerobic training session in seniors. Twenty-two healthy and physically active seniors (age: 69 ± 3 y, BMI: 24.8 ± 2.2, VO 2peak : 32 ± 6 mL/kg/bodyweight) were enrolled in this randomized controlled cross-over study. A repeated between-day comparison [i.e., day 1 (habituation) vs. day 2 & day 2 vs. day 3] of executive function testing (Eriksen-Flanker-Test, Stroop-Color-Test, Digit-Span, Five-Point-Test) before and after aerobic cycling exercise at 70% of the heart rate reserve [0.7 × (HR max - HR rest )] was conducted. Reliability measures were calculated for pre, post and change scores. Large between-day differences between day 1 and 2 were found for reaction times (Flanker- and Stroop Color testing) and completed figures (Five-Point test) at pre and post testing (0.002 < p < 0.05, 0.16 < ɳ p 2  < 0.38). These differences notably declined when comparing day 2 and 3. Absolute between days variability (CoV) dropped from 10 to 5% when comparing day 2 vs. day 3 instead of day 1 vs. day 2. Also ICC ranges increased from day 1 vs. day 2 (0.65 < ICC < 0.87) to day 2 vs. day 3 (0.40 < ICC < 0.93). Interestingly, reliability measures for pre-post change scores were low (0.02 < ICC < 0.71). These data did not improve when comparing day 2 with day 3. During inhibition tests, reaction times showed excellent reliability values compared to the poor to fair reliability of accuracy. Notable habituation to the whole testing procedure should be considered as it increased the reliability of different executive function tests. Change scores of executive function after acute aerobic exercise cannot be detected reliably. Large intra- and inter-individual of responses to acute aerobic exercise in seniors can be presumed.

Inter-laboratory validation of bioaccessibility testing for metals.

PubMed

Henderson, Rayetta G; Verougstraete, Violaine; Anderson, Kim; Arbildua, José J; Brock, Thomas O; Brouwers, Tony; Cappellini, Danielle; Delbeke, Katrien; Herting, Gunilla; Hixon, Greg; Odnevall Wallinder, Inger; Rodriguez, Patricio H; Van Assche, Frank; Wilrich, Peter; Oller, Adriana R

2014-10-01

Bioelution assays are fast, simple alternatives to in vivo testing. In this study, the intra- and inter-laboratory variability in bioaccessibility data generated by bioelution tests were evaluated in synthetic fluids relevant to oral, inhalation, and dermal exposure. Using one defined protocol, five laboratories measured metal release from cobalt oxide, cobalt powder, copper concentrate, Inconel alloy, leaded brass alloy, and nickel sulfate hexahydrate. Standard deviations of repeatability (sr) and reproducibility (sR) were used to evaluate the intra- and inter-laboratory variability, respectively. Examination of the sR:sr ratios demonstrated that, while gastric and lysosomal fluids had reasonably good reproducibility, other fluids did not show as good concordance between laboratories. Relative standard deviation (RSD) analysis showed more favorable reproducibility outcomes for some data sets; overall results varied more between- than within-laboratories. RSD analysis of sr showed good within-laboratory variability for all conditions except some metals in interstitial fluid. In general, these findings indicate that absolute bioaccessibility results in some biological fluids may vary between different laboratories. However, for most applications, measures of relative bioaccessibility are needed, diminishing the requirement for high inter-laboratory reproducibility in absolute metal releases. The inter-laboratory exercise suggests that the degrees of freedom within the protocol need to be addressed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON TRAINED INDIVIDUALS SUBJECTED TO MAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST.

PubMed Central

Salicio, Viviane Martins Mana; Fett, Carlos Alexandre; Salicio, Marcos Adriano; Brandäo, Camila Fernanda Costa Cunha Moraes; Stoppiglia, Luiz Fabrizio; Fett, Waléria Christiane Rezende; Botelho, and Clovis

2017-01-01

Background: Intense physical training increases oxidative stress and inflammation, resulting into muscle and cellular damage. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of caffeine supplementation on trained young individuals subjected to two treadmill maximal tests. Materials and Methods: It was a double-blind and crossover study comprising 24 active individuals within the age group 18-30 years. The comparisons were conducted: the effect of exercise (week 1 x 2) and caffeine intake (GC x GP) on thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) variables during pre-exercise time (30 min. after caffeine or placebo intake) and post-exercise (5 min after treadmill test). Results: The comparison between weeks 1 and 2 showed increase in the first week, in the following items: TBARS, IL-6 and IL-10 in the GC and GP groups. The comparison within the same week showed that GC individuals presented lower post-exercise TBARS values in the first and second weeks; IL- 6 presented higher post-exercise values in the GC group in both weeks. The paired analysis comparing pre- and post-exercise, with and without caffeine showed that IL-6 presented higher post-exercise values in the GC group. Conclusion: Caffeine used by athletes can decrease oxidative stress. The increased IL-6 suggest that this ergogenic supplement may stimulate muscle hypertrophy, since IL-6 has myokine effect. However, the caffeine effect on IL-6 level and muscle hypertrophy increase should be better investigated in future studies. PMID:28480382

[New methodological aspects in the use of cryotherapy, ultrasound, magnetotherapy and therapeutic physical exercise in the rehabilitation of gonarthrosis patients].

PubMed

Grigor'eva, V D; Fedorova, N E

1996-01-01

Gonarthritis complicated by synovitis was treated by cryo-ultrasound or cryo-magnetotherapy in combination with therapeutic exercise. The comparison of the response has shown that both complexes are highly effective. In the absence of concomitant diseases and contraindications to ultrasound it is better to use cryo-ultrasound and exercise, otherwise cryo-magnetotherapy and exercise is preferential.

Electromyographic Assessment of Functional Symmetry of Paraspinal Muscles during Static Exercises in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis

PubMed Central

Chwała, Wiesław; Koziana, Agnieszka; Kasperczyk, Tadeusz; Płaszewski, Maciej

2014-01-01

Background. The question of how to correct and rehabilitate scoliosis remains one of the most difficult problems of orthopaedics. Controversies continue to arise regarding various types of both symmetric and asymmetric scoliosis-specific therapeutic exercises. Objective. The aim of the present paper was to conduct an electromyographic assessment of functional symmetry of paraspinal muscles during symmetric and asymmetric exercises in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in a group of 82 girls, mean age 12.4 ± 2.3 years with single- or double-major-idiopathic scoliosis, Cobb angle 24 ± 9.4°. The functional biopotentials during isometric work of paraspinal muscles in “at rest” position and during two symmetric and four asymmetric exercises were measured with the use of the Muscle Tester ME 6000 electromyograph. Results. In general, asymmetric exercises were characterised by larger differences in bioelectrical activity of paraspinal muscles, in comparison with symmetric exercises, both in the groups of patients with single-curve and double-curve scoliosis. Conclusion. During symmetric and asymmetric exercises, muscle tension patterns differed significantly in both groups, in comparison with the examination at rest, in most cases generating positive corrective patterns. Asymmetric exercises generated divergent muscle tension patterns on the convex and concave sides of the deformity. PMID:25258713

Modern Teaching Methods in Physics with the Aid of Original Computer Codes and Graphical Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivanov, Anisoara; Neacsu, Andrei

2011-01-01

This study describes the possibility and advantages of utilizing simple computer codes to complement the teaching techniques for high school physics. The authors have begun working on a collection of open source programs which allow students to compare the results and graphics from classroom exercises with the correct solutions and further more to…

Using a Serious Game Approach to Teach Secure Coding in Introductory Programming: Development and Initial Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Oania, Marcus; Cooper, Stephen

2013-01-01

We report the development and initial evaluation of a serious game that, in conjunction with appropriately designed matching laboratory exercises, can be used to teach secure coding and Information Assurance (IA) concepts across a range of introductory computing courses. The IA Game is a role-playing serious game (RPG) in which the student travels…

Coding Instructions, Worksheets, and Keypunch Sheets for M.E.T.R.O.-APEX Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor. Environmental Simulation Lab.

Compiled in this resource are coding instructions, worksheets, and keypunch sheets for use in the M.E.T.R.O.-APEX simulation, described in detail in documents ED 064 530 through ED 064 550. Air Pollution Exercise (APEX) is a computerized college and professional level "real world" simulation of a community with urban and rural problems, industrial…

The Effects of Regular Exercise Programs for Visually Impaired and Sighted Schoolchildren.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blessing, D. L.; And Others

1993-01-01

This study examined effects of a 16-week aerobic exercise training program on the cardiovascular fitness and body composition of 30 students with visual impairments. In comparison with traditional physical education provided to sighted students, the exercise training program resulted in a significant increase in cardiovascular fitness and a…

Employee Responses to Flexible Work Schedules: An Inter-Organization, Inter-System Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Jon L.; Newstrom, John W.

1982-01-01

Compared employee affective and behavioral responses to four work schedules--a fixed-hour schedule and three variations of flexible working hours. Hypothesized systematic differences in employee responses reflecting increased flexibility were not supported. Employees generally responded more favorably to flexible hour systems as contrasted with…

Automated UMLS-Based Comparison of Medical Forms

PubMed Central

Dugas, Martin; Fritz, Fleur; Krumm, Rainer; Breil, Bernhard

2013-01-01

Medical forms are very heterogeneous: on a European scale there are thousands of data items in several hundred different systems. To enable data exchange for clinical care and research purposes there is a need to develop interoperable documentation systems with harmonized forms for data capture. A prerequisite in this harmonization process is comparison of forms. So far – to our knowledge – an automated method for comparison of medical forms is not available. A form contains a list of data items with corresponding medical concepts. An automatic comparison needs data types, item names and especially item with these unique concept codes from medical terminologies. The scope of the proposed method is a comparison of these items by comparing their concept codes (coded in UMLS). Each data item is represented by item name, concept code and value domain. Two items are called identical, if item name, concept code and value domain are the same. Two items are called matching, if only concept code and value domain are the same. Two items are called similar, if their concept codes are the same, but the value domains are different. Based on these definitions an open-source implementation for automated comparison of medical forms in ODM format with UMLS-based semantic annotations was developed. It is available as package compareODM from http://cran.r-project.org. To evaluate this method, it was applied to a set of 7 real medical forms with 285 data items from a large public ODM repository with forms for different medical purposes (research, quality management, routine care). Comparison results were visualized with grid images and dendrograms. Automated comparison of semantically annotated medical forms is feasible. Dendrograms allow a view on clustered similar forms. The approach is scalable for a large set of real medical forms. PMID:23861827

[Comparative review of the Senegalese and French deontology codes].

PubMed

Soumah, M; Mbaye, I; Bah, H; Gaye Fall, M C; Sow, M L

2005-01-01

The medical deontology regroups duties of the physicians and regulate the exercise of medicine. The code of medical deontology of Senegal inspired of the French medical deontology code, has not been revised since its institution whereas the French deontology code knew three revisions. Comparing the two codes of deontology titles by title and article by article, this work beyond a parallel between the two codes puts in inscription the progress in bioethics that are to the basis of the revisions of the French medical deontology code. This article will permit an advocacy of the health professionals, in favor of a setting to level of the of Senegalese medical deontology code. Because legal litigation, that is important in the developed countries, intensify in our developing countries. It is inherent to the technological progress and to the awareness of the patients of their rights.

Effect of Hypohydration and Altitude Exposure on Aerobic Exercise Performance and Acute Mountain Sickness

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

code) 2010 Journal Article-Journal of Applied Physiology Effect of hypohydration and altitude exposure on aerobic exercise performance and acute...1563. Visit our website at http://www.the-aps.org/. Physiological Society, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20814-3991. Copyright © 2010 by the American... Physiological Society. those papers emphasizing adaptive and integrative mechanisms. It is published 12 times a year (monthly) by the American

A comparison of the effects of exercises plus connective tissue massage to exercises alone in women with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Toprak Celenay, Seyda; Anaforoglu Kulunkoglu, Bahar; Yasa, Mustafa Ertugrul; Sahbaz Pirincci, Cansu; Un Yildirim, Necmiye; Kucuksahin, Orhan; Ugurlu, Fatma Gulcin; Akkus, Selami

2017-11-01

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a 6-week combined exercise program with and without connective tissue massage (CTM) on pain, fatigue, sleep problem, health status, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Patients were randomly allocated into Exercise (n = 20) and Exercise + CTM (n = 20) groups. The exercise program with and without CTM was carried out 2 days a week for 6 weeks. Pain, fatigue, sleep problem with Visual Analog Scales, health status with Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and quality of life with Short Form-36 were evaluated. After the program, pain, fatigue and sleep problem reduced, health status (except of the scores of FIQ-1 and FIQ-10), physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, role limitations due to emotional health, vitality, and general health perceptions parameters related to quality of life improved in the Exercise group, (P < 0.05). In the Exercise + CTM group, pain, fatigue and sleep problem decreased, health status and quality of life improved (P < 0.05). Pain, fatigue, sleep problem, and role limitations due to physical health improved in the Exercise + CTM group in comparison to the Exercise group (P < 0.05). The study suggested that exercises with and without CTM might be effective for decreasing pain, fatigue and sleep problem whereas increasing health status and quality of life in patients with FMS. However, exercises with CTM might be superior in improving pain, fatigue, sleep problem, and role limitations due to physical health compared to exercise alone.

RELIABILITY OF ANKLE-FOOT MORPHOLOGY, MOBILITY, STRENGTH, AND MOTOR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

PubMed

Fraser, John J; Koldenhoven, Rachel M; Saliba, Susan A; Hertel, Jay

2017-12-01

Assessment of foot posture, morphology, intersegmental mobility, strength and motor control of the ankle-foot complex are commonly used clinically, but measurement properties of many assessments are unclear. To determine test-retest and inter-rater reliability, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change of morphology, joint excursion and play, strength, and motor control of the ankle-foot complex. Reliability study. 24 healthy, recreationally-active young adults without history of ankle-foot injury were assessed by two clinicians on two occasions, three to ten days apart. Measurement properties were assessed for foot morphology (foot posture index, total and truncated length, width, arch height), joint excursion (weight-bearing dorsiflexion, rearfoot and hallux goniometry, forefoot inclinometry, 1 st metatarsal displacement) and joint play, strength (handheld dynamometry), and motor control rating during intrinsic foot muscle (IFM) exercises. Clinician order was randomized using a Latin Square. The clinicians performed independent examinations and did not confer on the findings for the duration of the study. Test-retest and inter-tester reliability and agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,k ) and weighted kappa ( K w ). Test-retest reliability ICC were as follows: morphology: .80-1.00, joint excursion: .58-.97, joint play: -.67-.84, strength: .67-.92, IFM motor rating: K W -.01-.71. Inter-rater reliability ICC were as follows: morphology: .81-1.00, joint excursion: .32-.97, joint play: -1.06-1.00, strength: .53-.90, and IFM motor rating: K w .02-.56. Measures of ankle-foot posture, morphology, joint excursion, and strength demonstrated fair to excellent test-retest and inter-rater reliability. Test-retest reliability for rating of perceived difficulty and motor performance was good to excellent for short-foot, toe-spread-out, and hallux exercises and poor to fair for lesser toe extension. Joint play measures had poor to fair reliability overall. The findings of this study should be considered when choosing methods of clinical assessment and outcome measures in practice and research. 3.

Inter-laboratory consistency and variability in the buccal micronucleus cytome assay depends on biomarker scored and laboratory experience: results from the HUMNxl international inter-laboratory scoring exercise.

PubMed

Bolognesi, Claudia; Knasmueller, Siegfried; Nersesyan, Armen; Roggieri, Paola; Ceppi, Marcello; Bruzzone, Marco; Blaszczyk, Ewa; Mielzynska-Svach, Danuta; Milic, Mirta; Bonassi, Stefano; Benedetti, Danieli; Da Silva, Juliana; Toledo, Raphael; Salvadori, Daisy Maria Fávero; Groot de Restrepo, Helena; Filipic, Metka; Hercog, Klara; Aktas, Ayça; Burgaz, Sema; Kundi, Michael; Grummt, Tamara; Thomas, Philip; Hor, Maryam; Escudero-Fung, Maria; Holland, Nina; Fenech, Michael

2017-03-01

The buccal micronucleus cytome (BMNcyt) assay in uncultured exfoliated epithelial cells from oral mucosa is widely applied in biomonitoring human exposures to genotoxic agents and is also proposed as a suitable test for prescreening and follow-up of precancerous oral lesions. The main limitation of the assay is the large variability observed in the baseline values of micronuclei (MNi) and other nuclear anomalies mainly related to different scoring criteria. The aim of this international collaborative study, involving laboratories with different level of experience, was to evaluate the inter- and intra-laboratory variations in the BMNcyt parameters, using recently implemented guidelines, in scoring cells from the same pooled samples obtained from healthy subjects (control group) and from cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (treated group). The results indicate that all laboratories correctly discriminated samples from the two groups by a significant increase of micronucleus (MN) and nuclear bud (NBUD) frequencies and differentiated binucleated (BN) cells, associated with the exposure to ionizing radiation. The experience of the laboratories was shown to play an important role in the identification of the different cell types and nuclear anomalies. MN frequency in differentiated mononucleated (MONO) and BN cells showed the greatest consistency among the laboratories and low variability was also detected in the frequencies of MONO and BN cells. A larger variability was observed in classifying the different cell types, indicating the subjectivity in the interpretation of some of the scoring criteria while reproducibility of the results between scoring sessions was very good. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise is strongly recommended before starting studies with BMNcyt assay involving multiple research centers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Staying Active: Physical Activity and Exercise

MedlinePlus

... Bulletins Patient Education Green Journal Clinical Updates Practice Management Coding Health Info Technology Professional Liability Managing Your Practice Patient Safety & Quality Payment Reform (MACRA) Education & Events Annual Meeting CME ...

Next-generation sequencing of the Trichinella murrelli mitochondrial genome allows comprehensive comparison of its divergence from the principal agent of human trichinellosis, Trichinella spiralis.

PubMed

Webb, Kristen M; Rosenthal, Benjamin M

2011-01-01

The mitochondrial genome's non-recombinant mode of inheritance and relatively rapid rate of evolution has promoted its use as a marker for studying the biogeographic history and evolutionary interrelationships among many metazoan species. A modest portion of the mitochondrial genome has been defined for 12 species and genotypes of parasites in the genus Trichinella, but its adequacy in representing the mitochondrial genome as a whole remains unclear, as the complete coding sequence has been characterized only for Trichinella spiralis. Here, we sought to comprehensively describe the extent and nature of divergence between the mitochondrial genomes of T. spiralis (which poses the most appreciable zoonotic risk owing to its capacity to establish persistent infections in domestic pigs) and Trichinella murrelli (which is the most prevalent species in North American wildlife hosts, but which poses relatively little risk to the safety of pork). Next generation sequencing methodologies and scaffold and de novo assembly strategies were employed. The entire protein-coding region was sequenced (13,917 bp), along with a portion of the highly repetitive non-coding region (1524 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of T. murrelli with a combined average read depth of 250 reads. The accuracy of base calling, estimated from coding region sequence was found to exceed 99.3%. Genome content and gene order was not found to be significantly different from that of T. spiralis. An overall inter-species sequence divergence of 9.5% was estimated. Significant variation was identified when the amount of variation between species at each gene is compared to the average amount of variation between species across the coding region. Next generation sequencing is a highly effective means to obtain previously unknown mitochondrial genome sequence. Particular to parasites, the extremely deep coverage achieved through this method allows for the detection of sequence heterogeneity between the multiple individuals that necessarily comprise such templates. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media, traditional media, and in person in women's everyday lives.

PubMed

Fardouly, Jasmine; Pinkus, Rebecca T; Vartanian, Lenny R

2017-03-01

Appearance comparisons are an important sociocultural factor influencing women's body image. These comparisons can occur in different contexts (e.g., through magazines, social media, in person). However, little is known about the frequency and outcome of appearance comparisons made in different contexts in women's everyday lives. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment methods, female undergraduate students (n=146) completed a brief online survey at random times every day for 5 days. They reported the frequency, direction (upward, lateral, downward), and context of appearance comparisons, and also reported their appearance satisfaction, mood, and diet and exercise thoughts and behaviors. Upward appearance comparisons were the most common across all contexts. Upward comparisons through social media were associated with more negative outcomes on all measures (except diet and exercise behavior) than comparisons made in person, and with more negative mood than comparisons in any other context. These findings highlight the importance of the appearance comparison context. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validity and reliability of the robotic objective structured assessment of technical skills

PubMed Central

Siddiqui, Nazema Y.; Galloway, Michael L.; Geller, Elizabeth J.; Green, Isabel C.; Hur, Hye-Chun; Langston, Kyle; Pitter, Michael C.; Tarr, Megan E.; Martino, Martin A.

2015-01-01

Objective Objective structured assessments of technical skills (OSATS) have been developed to measure the skill of surgical trainees. Our aim was to develop an OSATS specifically for trainees learning robotic surgery. Study Design This is a multi-institutional study in eight academic training programs. We created an assessment form to evaluate robotic surgical skill through five inanimate exercises. Obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, and urology residents, fellows, and faculty completed five robotic exercises on a standard training model. Study sessions were recorded and randomly assigned to three blinded judges who scored performance using the assessment form. Construct validity was evaluated by comparing scores between participants with different levels of surgical experience; inter- and intra-rater reliability were also assessed. Results We evaluated 83 residents, 9 fellows, and 13 faculty, totaling 105 participants; 88 (84%) were from obstetrics/gynecology. Our assessment form demonstrated construct validity, with faculty and fellows performing significantly better than residents (mean scores: 89 ± 8 faculty; 74 ± 17 fellows; 59 ± 22 residents, p<0.01). In addition, participants with more robotic console experience scored significantly higher than those with fewer prior console surgeries (p<0.01). R-OSATS demonstrated good inter-rater reliability across all five drills (mean Cronbach's α: 0.79 ± 0.02). Intra-rater reliability was also high (mean Spearman's correlation: 0.91 ± 0.11). Conclusions We developed an assessment form for robotic surgical skill that demonstrates construct validity, inter- and intra-rater reliability. When paired with standardized robotic skill drills this form may be useful to distinguish between levels of trainee performance. PMID:24807319

Influence of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle blood flow, O2 extraction and O2 uptake on-kinetics

PubMed Central

Jones, Andrew M; Krustrup, Peter; Wilkerson, Daryl P; Berger, Nicolas J; Calbet, José A; Bangsbo, Jens

2012-01-01

Following the start of low-intensity exercise in healthy humans, it has been established that the kinetics of skeletal muscle O2 delivery is faster than, and does not limit, the kinetics of muscle O2 uptake (). Direct data are lacking, however, on the question of whether O2 delivery might limit kinetics during high-intensity exercise. Using multiple exercise transitions to enhance confidence in parameter estimation, we therefore investigated the kinetics of, and inter-relationships between, muscle blood flow (), a– difference and following the onset of low-intensity (LI) and high-intensity (HI) exercise. Seven healthy males completed four 6 min bouts of LI and four 6 min bouts of HI single-legged knee-extension exercise. Blood was frequently drawn from the femoral artery and vein during exercise and , a– difference and were calculated and subsequently modelled using non-linear regression techniques. For LI, the fundamental component mean response time (MRTp) for kinetics was significantly shorter than kinetics (mean ± SEM, 18 ± 4 vs. 30 ± 4 s; P < 0.05), whereas for HI, the MRTp for and was not significantly different (27 ± 5 vs. 29 ± 4 s, respectively). There was no difference in the MRTp for either or between the two exercise intensities; however, the MRTp for a– difference was significantly shorter for HI compared with LI (17 ± 3 vs. 28 ± 4 s; P < 0.05). Excess O2, i.e. oxygen not taken up (×), was significantly elevated within the first 5 s of exercise and remained unaltered thereafter, with no differences between LI and HI. These results indicate that bulk O2 delivery does not limit kinetics following the onset of LI or HI knee-extension exercise. PMID:22711961

Body-related envy: a social comparison perspective in sport and exercise.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Stamiris, Angela; Castonguay, Andree; Sabiston, Catherine M

2014-02-01

These three studies sought to better understand experiences of body-related envy and to examine the association with motivation and exercise behavior in young adult males and females. In an interview study, participants (N = 11) discussed body-related envy within a framework of social comparison. In Study 2, a thematic content analysis was conducted on self-reported narratives of body-related envy experiences reported by 288 participants. Themes of body-related envy triggers, cognitions, and cognitive and behavioral outcomes were identified. Findings from Studies 1 and 2 highlighted the possible link between body-related envy and exercise motivation and behavior. Study 3 tested these associations with males and females (N = 595) who completed a self-report questionnaire. In the structural equation model, body-related envy was positively associated with external, introjected, and identified regulations, and identified regulation was positively associated with exercise behavior. Taken together, the importance of body-related envy in the experience of cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes related to sport and exercise contexts is highlighted.

Possible Aural Activities in the Listening Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhiqian, Wu

1989-01-01

Some aural activities are described that can help language students with their listening comprehension. They include dictation, a "who am I?" exercise, sketch-drawing, chart completion, a comparison exercise, and a flow diagram. (LB)

Geometry of torn boudin-An indicator of relative viscosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Susanta Kumar; Basu Majumder, Debojyoti; Sarkar, Goutam

2017-11-01

The present study determines the role of viscosity on the development of rectangular torn boudin and its various types, defined by the curvature of their exterior and face margins. Numerical modeling was performed with the help of Finite Element Method considering Maxwell visco-elastic materials in commercial code ANSYS. Seven different viscosities were used and interchanged among the boudin, inter-boudin and matrix materials to understand the effect of viscosity ratios, specifically of relative viscosity of inter-boudin material. Results show that the viscosity of inter-boudin material has significant control on the shape of torn boudins apart from the viscosity ratio of boudin to matrix material. Bone-shaped boudin develops only when the inter-boudin is more competent than boudin and it becomes more prominent when matrix is also competent than boudin, but incompetent than inter-boudin. When boudins are stiffer than inter-boudin, barrel-shaped and fish-head boudins with concave faces develop. Exterior or face margins remain almost straight when boudin is relatively rigid compared to its surrounding matrix materials, or when there is no or very little viscosity contrast between boudin and inter-boudin material even in case of large boudin-matrix viscosity contrast. Therefore, the relative viscosity among the boudin, inter-boudin and matrix materials can be estimated qualitatively by studying the shape of boudin in the field.

GMMIP (v1.0) contribution to CMIP6: Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tianjun; Turner, Andrew G.; Kinter, James L.; Wang, Bin; Qian, Yun; Chen, Xiaolong; Wu, Bo; Wang, Bin; Liu, Bo; Zou, Liwei; He, Bian

2016-10-01

The Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project (GMMIP) has been endorsed by the panel of Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP) as one of the participating model inter-comparison projects (MIPs) in the sixth phase of CMIP (CMIP6). The focus of GMMIP is on monsoon climatology, variability, prediction and projection, which is relevant to four of the "Grand Challenges" proposed by the World Climate Research Programme. At present, 21 international modeling groups are committed to joining GMMIP. This overview paper introduces the motivation behind GMMIP and the scientific questions it intends to answer. Three tiers of experiments, of decreasing priority, are designed to examine (a) model skill in simulating the climatology and interannual-to-multidecadal variability of global monsoons forced by the sea surface temperature during historical climate period; (b) the roles of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in driving variations of the global and regional monsoons; and (c) the effects of large orographic terrain on the establishment of the monsoons. The outputs of the CMIP6 Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima experiments (DECK), "historical" simulation and endorsed MIPs will also be used in the diagnostic analysis of GMMIP to give a comprehensive understanding of the roles played by different external forcings, potential improvements in the simulation of monsoon rainfall at high resolution and reproducibility at decadal timescales. The implementation of GMMIP will improve our understanding of the fundamental physics of changes in the global and regional monsoons over the past 140 years and ultimately benefit monsoons prediction and projection in the current century.

Video Monitoring a Simulation-Based Quality Improvement Program in Bihar, India.

PubMed

Dyer, Jessica; Spindler, Hilary; Christmas, Amelia; Shah, Malay Bharat; Morgan, Melissa; Cohen, Susanna R; Sterne, Jason; Mahapatra, Tanmay; Walker, Dilys

2018-04-01

Simulation-based training has become an accepted clinical training andragogy in high-resource settings with its use increasing in low-resource settings. Video recordings of simulated scenarios are commonly used by facilitators. Beyond using the videos during debrief sessions, researchers can also analyze the simulation videos to quantify technical and nontechnical skills during simulated scenarios over time. Little is known about the feasibility and use of large-scale systems to video record and analyze simulation and debriefing data for monitoring and evaluation in low-resource settings. This manuscript describes the process of designing and implementing a large-scale video monitoring system. Mentees and Mentors were consented and all simulations and debriefs conducted at 320 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) were video recorded. The system design, number of video recordings, and inter-rater reliability of the coded videos were assessed. The final dataset included a total of 11,278 videos. Overall, a total of 2,124 simulation videos were coded and 183 (12%) were blindly double-coded. For the double-coded sample, the average inter-rater reliability (IRR) scores were 80% for nontechnical skills, and 94% for clinical technical skills. Among 4,450 long debrief videos received, 216 were selected for coding and all were double-coded. Data quality of simulation videos was found to be very good in terms of recorded instances of "unable to see" and "unable to hear" in Phases 1 and 2. This study demonstrates that video monitoring systems can be effectively implemented at scale in resource limited settings. Further, video monitoring systems can play several vital roles within program implementation, including monitoring and evaluation, provision of actionable feedback to program implementers, and assurance of program fidelity.

Inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance in children aged 5 to 16.

PubMed

Meijs, Celeste; Hurks, Petra P M; Wassenberg, Renske; Feron, Frans J M; Jolles, Jelle

2016-01-01

This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance. Children aged 5 to 16 performed a verbal learning test within one of three presentation modalities: pictorial, auditory, or textual. The results indicated that a beneficial effect of pictures exists over auditory and textual presentation modalities and that this effect increases with age. However, this effect is only found if the information to be learned is presented once (or at most twice) and only in children above the age of 7. The results may be explained in terms of single or dual coding of information in which the phonological loop is involved. Development of the (sub)vocal rehearsal system in the phonological loop is believed to be a gradual process that begins developing around the age of 7. The developmental trajectories are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, auditory information and textual information both seemed to be processed in a similar manner, namely without labeling or recoding, leading to single coding. In contrast, pictures are assumed to be processed by the dual coding of both the visual information and a (verbal) labeling of the pictures.

Perceived exercise benefits and barriers among power wheelchair soccer players.

PubMed

Barfield, J P; Malone, Laurie A

2013-01-01

Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for secondary conditions among persons dependent upon motorized wheelchairs. Power wheelchair soccer is a unique exercise opportunity for this population, and understanding factors that influence exercise decision-making is necessary for clinicians to help those in motorized chairs reduce their secondary risk. Therefore, this study examined differences in perceived benefits and barriers to exercise among power wheelchair soccer players using a mixed-methods analysis. The most common perceived benefit to exercise was "Exercising lets me have contact with friends and persons I enjoy." Post hoc comparisons of quantitative data indicated that persons with muscular dystrophy perceived exercise to be significantly less important than did other disability groups (p < 0.05). "Exercise is hard work for me," "Exercise tires me," and "There are too few places for me to exercise" were the most common perceived barriers. These findings can assist with development of exercise opportunities for power wheelchair users.

Comparison of SAND-II and FERRET

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wootan, D.W.; Schmittroth, F.

1981-01-01

A comparison was made of the advantages and disadvantages of two codes, SAND-II and FERRET, for determining the neutron flux spectrum and uncertainty from experimental dosimeter measurements as anticipated in the FFTF Reactor Characterization Program. This comparison involved an examination of the methodology and the operational performance of each code. The merits of each code were identified with respect to theoretical basis, directness of method, solution uniqueness, subjective influences, and sensitivity to various input parameters.

High-fidelity plasma codes for burn physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooley, James; Graziani, Frank; Marinak, Marty

Accurate predictions of equation of state (EOS), ionic and electronic transport properties are of critical importance for high-energy-density plasma science. Transport coefficients inform radiation-hydrodynamic codes and impact diagnostic interpretation, which in turn impacts our understanding of the development of instabilities, the overall energy balance of burning plasmas, and the efficacy of self-heating from charged-particle stopping. Important processes include thermal and electrical conduction, electron-ion coupling, inter-diffusion, ion viscosity, and charged particle stopping. However, uncertainties in these coefficients are not well established. Fundamental plasma science codes, also called high-fidelity plasma codes, are a relatively recent computational tool that augments both experimental datamore » and theoretical foundations of transport coefficients. This paper addresses the current status of HFPC codes and their future development, and the potential impact they play in improving the predictive capability of the multi-physics hydrodynamic codes used in HED design.« less

Intramuscular deoxygenation during exercise in patients who have chronic anterior compartment syndrome of the leg

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohler, L. R.; Styf, J. R.; Pedowitz, R. A.; Hargens, A. R.; Gershuni, D. H.

1997-01-01

Currently, the definitive diagnosis of chronic compartment syndrome is based on invasive measurements of intracompartmental pressure. We measured the intramuscular pressure and the relative oxygenation in the anterior compartment of the leg in eighteen patients who were suspected of having chronic compartment syndrome as well as in ten control subjects before, during, and after exercise. Chronic compartment syndrome was considered to be present if the intramuscular pressure was at least fifteen millimeters of mercury (2.00 kilopascals) before exercise, at least thirty millimeters of mercury (4.00 kilopascals) one minute after exercise, or at least twenty millimeters of mercury (2.67 kilopascals) five minutes after exercise. Changes in relative oxygenation were measured with use of the non-invasive method of near-infrared spectroscopy. In all patients and subjects, there was rapid relative deoxygenation after the initiation of exercise, the level of oxygenation remained relatively stable during continued exercise, and there was reoxygenation to a level that exceeded the pre-exercise resting level after the cessation of exercise. During exercise, maximum relative deoxygenation in the patients who had chronic compartment syndrome (mean relative deoxygenation [and standard error], -290 +/- 39 millivolts) was significantly greater than that in the patients who did not have chronic compartment syndrome (-190 +/- 10 millivolts) and that in the control subjects (-179 +/- 14 millivolts) (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). In addition, the interval between the cessation of exercise and the recovery of the pre-exercise resting level of oxygenation was significantly longer for the patients who had chronic compartment syndrome (184 +/- 54 seconds) than for the patients who did not have chronic compartment syndrome (39 +/- 19 seconds) and the control subjects (33 +/- 10 seconds) (p < 0.05 for both comparisons).

Exploring the role narrative free-text plays in discrepancies between physician coding and the InterVA regarding determination of malaria as cause of death, in a malaria holo-endemic region

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In countries where tracking mortality and clinical cause of death are not routinely undertaken, gathering verbal autopsies (VA) is the principal method of estimating cause of death. The most common method for determining probable cause of death from the VA interview is Physician-Certified Verbal Autopsy (PCVA). A recent alternative method to interpret Verbal Autopsy (InterVA) is a computer model using a Bayesian approach to derive posterior probabilities for causes of death, given an a priori distribution at population level and a set of interview-based indicators. The model uses the same input information as PCVA, with the exception of narrative text information, which physicians can consult but which were not inputted into the model. Comparing the results of physician coding with the model, large differences could be due to difficulties in diagnosing malaria, especially in holo-endemic regions. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore whether physicians' access to electronically unavailable narrative text helps to explain the large discrepancy in malaria cause-specific mortality fractions (CSMFs) in physician coding versus the model. Methods Free-texts of electronically available records (N = 5,649) were summarised and incorporated into the InterVA version 3 (InterVA-3) for three sub-groups: (i) a 10%-representative subsample (N = 493) (ii) records diagnosed as malaria by physicians and not by the model (N = 1035), and (iii) records diagnosed by the model as malaria, but not by physicians (N = 332). CSMF results before and after free-text incorporation were compared. Results There were changes of between 5.5-10.2% between models before and after free-text incorporation. No impact on malaria CSMFs was seen in the representative sub-sample, but the proportion of malaria as cause of death increased in the physician sub-sample (2.7%) and saw a large decrease in the InterVA subsample (9.9%). Information on 13/106 indicators appeared at least once in the free-texts that had not been matched to any item in the structured, electronically available portion of the Nouna questionnaire. Discussion Free-texts are helpful in gathering information not adequately captured in VA questionnaires, though access to free-text does not explain differences in physician and model determination of malaria as cause of death. PMID:22353802

Exploring the role narrative free-text plays in discrepancies between physician coding and the InterVA regarding determination of malaria as cause of death, in a malaria holo-endemic region.

PubMed

Rankin, Johanna C; Lorenz, Eva; Neuhann, Florian; Yé, Maurice; Sié, Ali; Becher, Heiko; Ramroth, Heribert

2012-02-21

In countries where tracking mortality and clinical cause of death are not routinely undertaken, gathering verbal autopsies (VA) is the principal method of estimating cause of death. The most common method for determining probable cause of death from the VA interview is Physician-Certified Verbal Autopsy (PCVA). A recent alternative method to interpret Verbal Autopsy (InterVA) is a computer model using a Bayesian approach to derive posterior probabilities for causes of death, given an a priori distribution at population level and a set of interview-based indicators. The model uses the same input information as PCVA, with the exception of narrative text information, which physicians can consult but which were not inputted into the model. Comparing the results of physician coding with the model, large differences could be due to difficulties in diagnosing malaria, especially in holo-endemic regions. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore whether physicians' access to electronically unavailable narrative text helps to explain the large discrepancy in malaria cause-specific mortality fractions (CSMFs) in physician coding versus the model. Free-texts of electronically available records (N = 5,649) were summarised and incorporated into the InterVA version 3 (InterVA-3) for three sub-groups: (i) a 10%-representative subsample (N = 493) (ii) records diagnosed as malaria by physicians and not by the model (N = 1035), and (iii) records diagnosed by the model as malaria, but not by physicians (N = 332). CSMF results before and after free-text incorporation were compared. There were changes of between 5.5-10.2% between models before and after free-text incorporation. No impact on malaria CSMFs was seen in the representative sub-sample, but the proportion of malaria as cause of death increased in the physician sub-sample (2.7%) and saw a large decrease in the InterVA subsample (9.9%). Information on 13/106 indicators appeared at least once in the free-texts that had not been matched to any item in the structured, electronically available portion of the Nouna questionnaire. Free-texts are helpful in gathering information not adequately captured in VA questionnaires, though access to free-text does not explain differences in physician and model determination of malaria as cause of death.

DefEX: Hands-On Cyber Defense Exercise for Undergraduate Students

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

Injection, and 4) File Upload. Next, the students patched the associated flawed Perl and PHP Hypertext Preprocessor ( PHP ) code. Finally, students...underlying script. The Zora XSS vulnerability existed in a PHP file that echoed unfiltered user input back to the screen. To eliminate the...vulnerability, students filtered the input using the PHP htmlentities function and retested the code. The htmlentities function translates certain ambiguous

A COMPARISON OF INTER-ANALYST DIFFERENCES IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF A LANDSAT TEM+ SCENE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL VIRGINIA

EPA Science Inventory

This study examined inter-analyst classification variability based on training site signature selection only for six classifications from a 10 km² Landsat ETM+ image centered over a highly heterogeneous area in south-central Virginia. Six analysts classified the image...

The Factor Replicability of the Litwin and Stringer Organizational Climate Questionnaire: An Inter- and Intra-Organizational Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Evan D.; And Others

1980-01-01

Four recent factor analytic studies of the Litwin and Stringer Organizational Climate Questionnaire (LSOCQ) are compared. Although there is somewhat more intra- than inter-organizational replicability of factors, both comparisons raise considerable doubt about the validity of the Litwin and Stringer instrument. (Author)

Does Physical Loading Affect The Speed and Accuracy of Tactical Decision-Making in Elite Junior Soccer Players?

PubMed

Frýbort, Pavel; Kokštejn, Jakub; Musálek, Martin; Süss, Vladimír

2016-06-01

A soccer player's capability to control and manage his behaviour in a game situation is a prerequisite, reflecting not only swift and accurate tactical decision-making, but also prompt implementation of a motor task during intermittent exercise conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between varying exercise intensity and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of motor response in an offensive game situation in soccer. The participants (n = 42) were male, semi-professional, soccer players (M age 18.0 ± 0.9 years) and trained five times a week. Each player performed four different modes of exercise intensity on the treadmill (motor inactivity, aerobic, intermittent and anaerobic activity). After the end of each exercise, visual-motor response time and accuracy of motor response were assessed. Players' motion was captured by digital video camera. ANOVA indicated no significant difference (p = 0.090) in the accuracy of motor response between the four exercise intensity modes. Practical significance (Z-test = 0.31) was found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism, and intense intermittent exercise. A medium size effect (Z-test = 0.34) was also found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism and exercise with dominant involvement of anaerobic metabolism, which was confirmed by ANOVA (897.02 ± 57.46 vs. 940.95 ± 71.14; p = 0.002). The results showed that different modes of exercise intensity do not adversely affect the accuracy of motor responses; however, high-intensity exercise has a negative effect on visual-motor response time in comparison to moderate intensity exercise. Key pointsDifferent exercise intensity modes did not affect the accuracy of motor response.Anaerobic, highly intensive short-term exercise significantly decreased the visual-motor response time in comparison with aerobic exercise.Further research should focus on the assessment of VMRT from a player's real - field position view rather than a perspective view.

NASA Giovanni: A Tool for Visualizing, Analyzing, and Inter-comparing Soil Moisture Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William; Rui, Hualan; Vollmer, Bruce; deJeu, Richard; Fang, Fan; Lei, Guang-Dih; Parinussa, Robert

2014-01-01

There are many existing satellite soil moisture algorithms and their derived data products, but there is no simple way for a user to inter-compare the products or analyze them together with other related data. An environment that facilitates such inter-comparison and analysis would be useful for validation of satellite soil moisture retrievals against in situ data and for determining the relationships between different soil moisture products. As part of the NASA Giovanni (Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure) family of portals, which has provided users worldwide with a simple but powerful way to explore NASA data, a beta prototype Giovanni Inter-comparison of Soil Moisture Products portal has been developed. A number of soil moisture data products are currently included in the prototype portal. More will be added, based on user requirements and feedback and as resources become available. Two application examples for the portal are provided. The NASA Giovanni Soil Moisture portal is versatile and extensible, with many possible uses, for research and applications, as well as for the education community.

Comparison between the effect of lumbopelvic belt and home based pelvic stabilizing exercise on pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain; a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kordi, Ramin; Abolhasani, Maryam; Rostami, Mohsen; Hantoushzadeh, Sedigheh; Mansournia, Mohammad Ali; Vasheghani-Farahani, Farzaneh

2013-01-01

Pelvic girdle pain is a common complaint of pregnant women. There are limited data on comparison between the effectiveness of stabilizing exercises and lumbopelvic belt on the treatment of these patients. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of lumbopelvic belt plus information, home based pelvic girdle stabilizing exercises plus information and information alone on pain intensity, functional status and quality of life of pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain. In this randomized clinical trial pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain (n=105) were randomly allocated to three groups; Control group (n=35) that received general information, exercise group (n=31) that in addition to general information were asked to perform specific pelvic stabilizing exercises at home and belt group (n=31) that received non-rigid lumbopelvic belt and the information. The primary outcome variables were pain intensity and functional status of the participants which were measured using visual analogue scale and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) respectively. Quality of life of participants was measured using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. All measurements were performed at baseline, 3 and 6 weeks after the study conduction. The pain intensity of patients in belt group in comparison to other groups was decreased significantly at both 3 and 6 weeks follow-ups. The mean score of ODI of patients in belt group was also improved more than exercise and control groups significantly. On base of our results, it can be found that in short term lumbopelvic belt and information in treatment of pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain is superior to exercise plus information or information alone.

Radiofrequency Radiation Dosimetry Handbook. 4th Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-01

reasonable. Such an equivalence was demon- strated by -Nielsen and Nielsen (1965) when they measured identical thermoregu- latory responses to exercise ...Circulatory and sweating responses during exercise and heat stress, pp. 251-276. In E. R. Adair (ed.). Microwavcs and Thermoregula- tion. ISBN:0-12-044020-2... RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 22b. TELEPHONE (Include Area Code) 22c. OFFICE SYMBOL Y.Williami D. Hurt ( 512) 536-20 USAFSAM/RZP DD FORM 1473, 84 MAR 83 APR

Inter-institutional Development of a Poster-Based Cancer Biology Learning Tool

PubMed Central

Andraos-Selim, Cecile; Modzelewski, Ruth A.; Steinman, Richard A.

2010-01-01

There is a paucity of African-American Cancer researchers. To help address this, an educational collaboration was developed between a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a distant undergraduate biology department at a minority institution that sought to teach students introductory cancer biology while modeling research culture. A student-centered active learning curriculum was established that incorporated scientific poster presentations and simulated research exercises to foster learning of cancer biology. Students successfully mined primary literature for supportive data to test cancer-related hypotheses. Student feedback indicated that the poster project substantially enhanced depth of understanding of cancer biology and laid the groundwork for subsequent laboratory work. This inter-institutional collaboration modeled the research process while conveying facts and concepts about cancer. PMID:20237886

Variability of human brain and muscle optical pathlength in different experimental conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, Marco; Wei, Qingnong; De Blasi, Roberto A.; Quaresima, Valentina; Zaccanti, Giovanni

1993-09-01

Pathlength can be evaluated by measuring the time taken from a picosecond (psec) near infrared (IR) laser pulse to cross tissue. Differential pathlength factor (DPF) is calculated by dividing the mean pathlength by the inter-fiber distance. Data on DPF variability on humans are scarce. We investigated the forehead and forearm DPF in resting conditions and dynamically during brain hypoxic hypoxia, muscle ischemia and voluntary isometric exercise. At 3 cm inter optode spacing DPF at 800 nm was 4.3 +/- 0.2 (n equals 14, mean +/- SD) on the forearm, and 6.5 +/- 0.5 (n equals 8) on the forehead. Brain, muscle, and breast DPF values were almost constant over the inter optode spacing 2.5 - 4 cm. DPF was roughly constant in the central region of forehead. DPF drastically decreased under the fronto- temporal junction for the presence of muscle in the optical field. DPF decreased 5 - 10% during forearm ischemia with and without maximal voluntary contraction and during brain hypoxic hypoxia.

InterSpread Plus: a spatial and stochastic simulation model of disease in animal populations.

PubMed

Stevenson, M A; Sanson, R L; Stern, M W; O'Leary, B D; Sujau, M; Moles-Benfell, N; Morris, R S

2013-04-01

We describe the spatially explicit, stochastic simulation model of disease spread, InterSpread Plus, in terms of its epidemiological framework, operation, and mode of use. The input data required by the model, the method for simulating contact and infection spread, and methods for simulating disease control measures are described. Data and parameters that are essential for disease simulation modelling using InterSpread Plus are distinguished from those that are non-essential, and it is suggested that a rational approach to simulating disease epidemics using this tool is to start with core data and parameters, adding additional layers of complexity if and when the specific requirements of the simulation exercise require it. We recommend that simulation models of disease are best developed as part of epidemic contingency planning so decision makers are familiar with model outputs and assumptions and are well-positioned to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to make informed decisions in times of crisis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Half-Cell RF Gun Simulations with the Electromagnetic Particle-in-Cell Code VORPAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, K.; Dimitrov, D. A.; Busby, R.; Bruhwiler, D. L.; Smithe, D.; Cary, J. R.; Kewisch, J.; Kayran, D.; Calaga, R.; Ben-Zvi, I.

2009-01-01

We have simulated Brookhaven National Laboratory's half-cell superconducting RF gun design for a proposed high-current ERL using the three-dimensional, electromagnetic particle-in-cell code VORPAL. VORPAL computes the fully self-consistent electromagnetic fields produced by the electron bunches, meaning that it accurately models space-charge effects as well as bunch-to-bunch beam loading effects and the effects of higher-order cavity modes, though these are beyond the scope of this paper. We compare results from VORPAL to the well-established space-charge code PARMELA, using RF fields produced by SUPERFISH, as a benchmarking exercise in which the two codes should agree well.

Comparison of laser anemometer measurements and theory in an annular turbine cascade with experimental accuracy determined by parameter estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldman, L. J.; Seasholtz, R. G.

1982-01-01

Experimental measurements of the velocity components in the blade to blade (axial tangential) plane were obtained with an axial flow turbine stator passage and were compared with calculations from three turbomachinery computer programs. The theoretical results were calculated from a quasi three dimensional inviscid code, a three dimensional inviscid code, and a three dimensional viscous code. Parameter estimation techniques and a particle dynamics calculation were used to assess the accuracy of the laser measurements, which allow a rational basis for comparison of the experimenal and theoretical results. The general agreement of the experimental data with the results from the two inviscid computer codes indicates the usefulness of these calculation procedures for turbomachinery blading. The comparison with the viscous code, while generally reasonable, was not as good as for the inviscid codes.

Characterising smoking cessation smartphone applications in terms of behaviour change techniques, engagement and ease-of-use features.

PubMed

Ubhi, Harveen Kaur; Michie, Susan; Kotz, Daniel; van Schayck, Onno C P; Selladurai, Abiram; West, Robert

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether or not behaviour change techniques (BCTs) as well as engagement and ease-of-use features used in smartphone applications (apps) to aid smoking cessation can be identified reliably. Apps were coded for presence of potentially effective BCTs, and engagement and ease-of-use features. Inter-rater reliability for this coding was assessed. Inter-rater agreement for identifying presence of potentially effective BCTs ranged from 66.8 to 95.1 % with 'prevalence and bias adjusted kappas' (PABAK) ranging from 0.35 to 0.90 (p < 0.001). The intra-class correlation coefficients between the two coders for scores denoting the proportions of (a) a set of engagement features and (b) a set of ease-of-use features, which were included, were 0.77 and 0.75, respectively (p < 0.001). Prevalence estimates for BCTs ranged from <10 % for medication advice to >50 % for rewarding abstinence. The average proportions of specified engagement and ease-of-use features included in the apps were 69 and 83 %, respectively. The study found that it is possible to identify potentially effective BCTs, and engagement and ease-of-use features in smoking cessation apps with fair to high inter-rater reliability.

Influence of physical exercise on traumatic brain injury deficits: scaffolding effect.

PubMed

Archer, Trevor

2012-05-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be due to a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function; it presents an ever-growing, serious public health problem that causes a considerable number of fatalities and cases of permanent disability annually. Physical exercise restores the healthy homeostatic regulation of stress, affect and the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Physical activity attenuates or reverses the performance deficits observed in neurocognitive tasks. It induces anti-apoptotic effects and buttresses blood-brain barrier intactness. Exercise offers a unique non-pharmacologic, non-invasive intervention that incorporates different regimes, whether dynamic or static, endurance, or resistance. Exercise intervention protects against vascular risk factors that include hypertension, diabetes, cellular inflammation, and aortic rigidity. It induces direct changes in cerebrovasculature that produce beneficial changes in cerebral blood flow, angiogenesis and vascular disease improvement. The improvements induced by physical exercise regimes in brain plasticity and neurocognitive performance are evident both in healthy individuals and in those afflicted by TBI. The overlap and inter-relations between TBI effects on brain and cognition as related to physical exercise and cognition may provide lasting therapeutic benefits for recovery from TBI. It seems likely that some modification of the notion of scaffolding would postulate that physical exercise reinforces the adaptive processes of the brain that has undergone TBI thereby facilitating the development of existing networks, albeit possibly less efficient, that compensate for those lost through damage. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Self-regulatory mode (locomotion and assessment), well-being (subjective and psychological), and exercise behavior (frequency and intensity) in relation to high school pupils’ academic achievement

PubMed Central

Jimmefors, Alexander; Mousavi, Fariba; Adrianson, Lillemor; Rosenberg, Patricia; Archer, Trevor

2015-01-01

Background. Self-regulation is the procedure implemented by an individual striving to reach a goal and consists of two inter-related strategies: assessment and locomotion. Moreover, both subjective and psychological well-being along exercise behaviour might also play a role on adolescents academic achievement. Method. Participants were 160 Swedish high school pupils (111 boys and 49 girls) with an age mean of 17.74 (sd = 1.29). We used the Regulatory Mode Questionnaire to measure self-regulation strategies (i.e., locomotion and assessment). Well-being was measured using Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scales short version, the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule. Exercise behaviour was self-reported using questions pertaining to frequency and intensity of exercise compliance. Academic achievement was operationalized through the pupils’ mean value of final grades in Swedish, Mathematics, English, and Physical Education. Both correlation and regressions analyses were conducted. Results. Academic achievement was positively related to assessment, well-being, and frequent/intensive exercise behaviour. Assessment was, however, negatively related to well-being. Locomotion on the other hand was positively associated to well-being and also to exercise behaviour. Conclusions. The results suggest a dual (in)direct model to increase pupils’ academic achievement and well-being—assessment being directly related to higher academic achievement, while locomotion is related to frequently exercising and well-being, which in turn, increase academic achievement. PMID:25861553

Skeletal muscle adaptation in response to supervised exercise training for intermittent claudication.

PubMed

Beckitt, T A; Day, J; Morgan, M; Lamont, P M

2012-09-01

There is evidence that the improvement following supervised exercise for claudication results from skeletal muscle adaptation. The myosin heavy chain (MHC) determines muscle fibre type and therefore efficiency. Immunohistochemical analysis has failed to take account of hybrid MHC expression within myofibres. This study sought evidence of differential MHC protein expression following supervised exercise for claudication. 38 claudicants were recruited. Subjects undertook a three-month supervised exercise programme. Controls were patients awaiting angioplasty for claudication. Subjects underwent paired gastrocnemius biopsy. Relative expression of MHC proteins was determined by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. Non-parametric data is presented as median with the inter-quartile range and parametric as the mean ± standard deviation. Upon completion of the exercise programme there was a 94% increase (124 (106-145) to 241 (193-265) metres, p = 0.002) in maximum walking distance, which was not evident in the control group. An 11.1% (p = 0.02) increase in MHC I expression was observed in the exercise but not the control group (34.3% ± 6.8 to 45.4% ± 4.4). There was a positive correlation between the change in MHC I expression and the improvement in claudication distance (r = 0.69, p < 0.05). Supervised exercise training for claudication results in an increase in the proportion of MHC type I expression within the symptomatic gastrocnemius muscle. Copyright © 2012 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-Dimensional Simulation of LWR Fuel Behavior in the BISON Fuel Performance Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, R. L.; Capps, N. A.; Liu, W.; Rashid, Y. R.; Wirth, B. D.

2016-11-01

Nuclear fuel operates in an extreme environment that induces complex multiphysics phenomena occurring over distances ranging from inter-atomic spacing to meters, and times scales ranging from microseconds to years. To simulate this behavior requires a wide variety of material models that are often complex and nonlinear. The recently developed BISON code represents a powerful fuel performance simulation tool based on its material and physical behavior capabilities, finite-element versatility of spatial representation, and use of parallel computing. The code can operate in full three dimensional (3D) mode, as well as in reduced two dimensional (2D) modes, e.g., axisymmetric radial-axial ( R- Z) or plane radial-circumferential ( R- θ), to suit the application and to allow treatment of global and local effects. A BISON case study was used to illustrate analysis of Pellet Clad Mechanical Interaction failures from manufacturing defects using combined 2D and 3D analyses. The analysis involved commercial fuel rods and demonstrated successful computation of metrics of interest to fuel failures, including cladding peak hoop stress and strain energy density. In comparison with a failure threshold derived from power ramp tests, results corroborate industry analyses of the root cause of the pellet-clad interaction failures and illustrate the importance of modeling 3D local effects around fuel pellet defects, which can produce complex effects including cold spots in the cladding, stress concentrations, and hot spots in the fuel that can lead to enhanced cladding degradation such as hydriding, oxidation, CRUD formation, and stress corrosion cracking.

Multi-Dimensional Simulation of LWR Fuel Behavior in the BISON Fuel Performance Code

DOE PAGES

Williamson, R. L.; Capps, N. A.; Liu, W.; ...

2016-09-27

Nuclear fuel operates in an extreme environment that induces complex multiphysics phenomena occurring over distances ranging from inter-atomic spacing to meters, and times scales ranging from microseconds to years. To simulate this behavior requires a wide variety of material models that are often complex and nonlinear. The recently developed BISON code represents a powerful fuel performance simulation tool based on its material and physical behavior capabilities, finite-element versatility of spatial representation, and use of parallel computing. The code can operate in full three dimensional (3D) mode, as well as in reduced two dimensional (2D) modes, e.g., axisymmetric radial-axial (R-Z) ormore » plane radial-circumferential (R-θ), to suit the application and to allow treatment of global and local effects. A BISON case study was used in this paper to illustrate analysis of Pellet Clad Mechanical Interaction failures from manufacturing defects using combined 2D and 3D analyses. The analysis involved commercial fuel rods and demonstrated successful computation of metrics of interest to fuel failures, including cladding peak hoop stress and strain energy density. Finally, in comparison with a failure threshold derived from power ramp tests, results corroborate industry analyses of the root cause of the pellet-clad interaction failures and illustrate the importance of modeling 3D local effects around fuel pellet defects, which can produce complex effects including cold spots in the cladding, stress concentrations, and hot spots in the fuel that can lead to enhanced cladding degradation such as hydriding, oxidation, CRUD formation, and stress corrosion cracking.« less

Inter-comparison of boron concentration measurements at INFN-University of Pavia (Italy) and CNEA (Argentina).

PubMed

Portu, Agustina; Postuma, Ian; Gadan, Mario Alberto; Saint Martin, Gisela; Olivera, María Silvina; Altieri, Saverio; Protti, Nicoletta; Bortolussi, Silva

2015-11-01

An inter-comparison of three boron determination techniques was carried out between laboratories from INFN-University of Pavia (Italy) and CNEA (Argentina): alpha spectrometry (alpha-spect), neutron capture radiography (NCR) and quantitative autoradiography (QTA). Samples of different nature were analysed: liquid standards, liver homogenates and tissue samples from different treatment protocols. The techniques showed a good agreement in a concentration range of interest in BNCT (1-100ppm), thus demonstrating their applicability as precise methods to quantify boron and determine its distribution in tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting Motor Cortical Plasticity with Acute Aerobic Exercise: A Role for Cerebellar Circuits

PubMed Central

Mang, Cameron S.; Brown, Katlyn E.; Neva, Jason L.; Snow, Nicholas J.; Campbell, Kristin L.; Boyd, Lara A.

2016-01-01

Acute aerobic exercise facilitated long-term potentiation-like plasticity in the human primary motor cortex (M1). Here, we investigated the effect of acute aerobic exercise on cerebellar circuits, and their potential contribution to altered M1 plasticity in healthy individuals (age: 24.8 ± 4.1 years). In Experiment   1, acute aerobic exercise reduced cerebellar inhibition (CBI) (n = 10, p = 0.01), elicited by dual-coil paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. In Experiment   2, we evaluated the facilitatory effects of aerobic exercise on responses to paired associative stimulation, delivered with a 25 ms (PAS25) or 21 ms (PAS21) interstimulus interval (n = 16 per group). Increased M1 excitability evoked by PAS25, but not PAS21, relies on trans-cerebellar sensory pathways. The magnitude of the aerobic exercise effect on PAS response was not significantly different between PAS protocols (interaction effect: p = 0.30); however, planned comparisons indicated that, relative to a period of rest, acute aerobic exercise enhanced the excitatory response to PAS25 (p = 0.02), but not PAS21 (p = 0.30). Thus, the results of these planned comparisons indirectly provide modest evidence that modulation of cerebellar circuits may contribute to exercise-induced increases in M1 plasticity. The findings have implications for developing aerobic exercise strategies to “prime” M1 plasticity for enhanced motor skill learning in applied settings. PMID:27127659

Electromyographic analysis of gluteus maximus and hamstring activity during the supine resisted hip extension exercise versus supine unilateral bridge to neutral.

PubMed

Youdas, James W; Hartman, James P; Murphy, Brooke A; Rundle, Ashley M; Ugorowski, Jenna M; Hollman, John H

2017-02-01

Hip extension strengthening exercises which maximize gluteus maximus contributions and minimize hamstring influences may be beneficial for persons with hip pain. This study's aim was to compare muscle activation of the gluteus maximus and hamstrings from healthy subjects during a supine resisted hip extension exercise versus supine unilateral bridge to neutral. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were obtained from the right gluteus maximus and hamstrings in 13 healthy male and 13 healthy female subjects. Maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) were collected to normalize data and permit meaningful comparisons across muscles. Peak median activation of the gluteus maximus was 33.8% MVIC for the bridge and 34.7% MVIC for the hip extension exercise, whereas peak median recruitment for hamstrings was 28.4% MVIC for the bridge and 51% MVIC for the hip extension exercise. The gluteus maximus to hamstrings ratio was compared between the two exercises using the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test (α = 0.05). The ratio (p = 0.014) was greater in the supine unilateral bridge (median = 111.3%) than supine hip extension exercise (median = 59.2%), suggesting a reduction of hamstring recruitment in the unilateral bridge to neutral compared to the supine resisted hip extension exercise. The supine hip extension exercise demonstrated higher EMG activity of hamstrings in comparison with supine unilateral bridge and, therefore, may be less appropriate in subjects who need to increase gluteus maximus activation.

Does scoliosis-specific exercise treatment in adolescence alter adult quality of life?

PubMed

Płaszewski, Maciej; Cieśliński, Igor; Kowalski, Paweł; Truszczyńska, Aleksandra; Nowobilski, Roman

2014-01-01

Health-related quality of life in adults, who in adolescence participated in a scoliosis-specific exercise program, was not previously studied. Design. Cross-sectional study, with retrospective data collection. Homogenous groups of 68 persons (43 women) aged 30.10 (25-39) years, with mild or moderate scoliosis, and 76 (38 women) able-bodied persons, aged 30.11 (24-38) years, who 16.5 (12-26) years earlier had completed scoliosis-specific exercise or observation regimes, participated. Their respiratory characteristics did not differ from predicted values. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, and pain scale (VAS) were applied. The transformed WHOQOL-BREF scores ranged from 54.6 ± 11.19 in the physical domain in the mild scoliotic subgroup to 77.1 ± 16.05 in the social domain in the able-bodied subgroup. The ODQ values did not generally exceed 5.3 ± 7.53. Inter- and intragroup differences were nonsignificant. Age, marital status, education, and gender were significantly associated with the ODQ scores. Significant association between the ODQ and WHOQOL-BREF social relationships domain scores with the participation in exercise treatment was found. Participants with the history of exercise treatment generally did not differ significantly from their peers who were only under observation. This study cannot conclude that scoliosis-specific exercise treatment in adolescence alters quality of life in adulthood.

Safety and health in the construction of fixed offshore installations in the petroleum industry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-01-01

A meeting convened by the ILO (International Labor Office) on safety problems in the offshore petroleum industry recommended the preparation of a code of practice setting out standards for safety and health during the construction of fixed offshore installations. Such a code, to be prepared by the ILO in co-operation with other bodies, including the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO), was to take into consideration existing standards applicable to offshore construction activities and to supplement the ILO codes of practice on safety and health in building and civil engineering work, shipbuilding and ship repairing. (Copyright (c) International Labour Organisation 1981.)

Comparison of Transport Codes, HZETRN, HETC and FLUKA, Using 1977 GCR Solar Minimum Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinbockel, John H.; Slaba, Tony C.; Tripathi, Ram K.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Norbury, John W.; Badavi, Francis F.; Townsend, Lawrence W.; Handler, Thomas; Gabriel, Tony A.; Pinsky, Lawrence S.;

The Comparison between Effects of 12 weeks Combined Training and Vitamin D Supplement on Improvement of Sensory-motor Neuropathy in type 2 Diabetic Women.

PubMed

Nadi, Maryam; Marandi, Seyyed Mohammad; Esfarjani, Fahimeh; Saleki, Mohammad; Mohammadi, Mahboobeh

2017-01-01

Peripheral neuropathy is a common complaint of diabetes. This study aimed to determine the effects of 12 weeks combined training with Vitamin D supplement on improvement of sensory-motor neuropathy in women with diabetic neuropathy. This clinical trial study conducted on 90 patients were selected and randomly divided into two groups. Finally, 81 adult females with diabetes type II (20-55 years old) were interred in this study. The control group had no training, but received Vitamin D. The experimental group received Vitamin D and 12 weeks training program (3 days a week, 60 min/session) including aerobic exercises, strength, and flexibility. Aerobic exercise intensity was set at 60-70% maximum heart rate and resistance training intensity was determined by 10 R.M. Michigan neuropathy questionnaire, reflex hammer and tuning fork 128 Hz used to screening tense of neuropathy (Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument) that were used for pretest and posttest. Following 3 months combined training and supplementation with Vitamin D, had observed a significant reduction in numbness ( P = 0.001), pain (0.002), tingling ( P = 0.001), and weakness ( P = 0.002) in the lower limb and also increases in sense of touch intervention ( P = 0.005), detects the position of the fingers ( P = 0.001) and vibration perception ( P = 0.001) in tissues. Knee reflexes ( P = 0.77) and ankles reflexes ( P = 0.47) did not significantly change after interventions. It seems that taking part in combined training and supplementation with Vitamin D can improve the symptoms of sensory-motor neuropathy.

Modulation and coding for throughput-efficient optical free-space links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georghiades, Costas N.

1993-01-01

Optical direct-detection systems are currently being considered for some high-speed inter-satellite links, where data-rates of a few hundred megabits per second are evisioned under power and pulsewidth constraints. In this paper we investigate the capacity, cutoff-rate and error-probability performance of uncoded and trellis-coded systems for various modulation schemes and under various throughput and power constraints. Modulation schemes considered are on-off keying (OOK), pulse-position modulation (PPM), overlapping PPM (OPPM) and multi-pulse (combinatorial) PPM (MPPM).

Physical Activity and Exercise: Perspectives of Adults With Ankylosing Spondylitis.

PubMed

O'Dwyer, Tom; McGowan, Emer; O'Shea, Finbar; Wilson, Fiona

2016-05-01

Exercise is a key component of the management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Despite numerous benefits, compliance with exercise programs is low. Little attention has been accorded to the experiences of individuals with AS toward physical activity (PA). This study aimed to explore the attitudes toward PA and exercise of adults with AS. A qualitative descriptive design using thematic analysis was used. Seventeen adults with AS participated in individual, semistructured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes and subthemes. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) benefits, (2) barriers, (3) motivation, and (4) strategies and enablers. Benefits included amelioration of symptoms, improvements in general health, and enhancement of quality of life. Subthemes of barriers to PA included lack of resources, negative attitudes to exercise, misinformation, and condition-related factors. Motivation to exercise was influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Participants proposed strategies to enhance PA participation and exercise engagement. Awareness of the benefits of PA appears insufficient to motivate individuals with AS to exercise; a number of factors influence individual motivation to exercise. Many perceived barriers to PA may be considered modifiable. Individually-tailored interventions, collaboratively developed by the individual and the healthcare professionals, were proposed as strategies for effective PA and exercise prescription.

Regional gray matter volume increases following 7days of voluntary wheel running exercise: a longitudinal VBM study in rats.

PubMed

Sumiyoshi, Akira; Taki, Yasuyuki; Nonaka, Hiroi; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Kawashima, Ryuta

2014-09-01

The effects of physical exercise on brain morphology in rodents have been well documented in histological studies. However, to further understand when and where morphological changes occur in the whole brain, a noninvasive neuroimaging method allowing an unbiased, comprehensive, and longitudinal investigation of brain morphology should be used. In this study, we investigated the effects of 7days of voluntary wheel running exercise on regional gray matter volume (rGMV) using longitudinal voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in rats. Eighteen pairs of adult male naïve Wistar rats were randomized to the exercise or control condition (one rat for each condition from each pair). Each rat was scanned in a 7.0-T MRI scanner at three time points: before exercise, after 7days of exercise, and after 7days of follow-up. The T2-weighted MRI images were segmented using the rat brain tissue priors that were recently published by our laboratory, and the intra- and inter-subject template creation steps were followed. Longitudinal VBM analysis revealed significant increases in rGMV in the motor, somatosensory, association, and visual cortices in the exercise group. Among these brain regions, rGMV changes in the motor cortex were positively correlated with the total distance that was run during the 7days of exercise. In addition, the effects of 7days of exercise on rGMV persisted after 7days of follow-up. These results support the utility of a longitudinal VBM study in rats and provide new insights into experience-dependent structural brain plasticity in naïve adult animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Effects of a Stage-Based Intervention for Changing Exercise Intentions and Behavior in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greaney, Mary L.; Riebe, Deborah; Garber, Carol Ewing; Rossi, Joseph S.; Lees, Faith D.; Burbank, Patricia A.; Nigg, Claudio R.; Ferrone, Christine L.; Clark, Phillip G.

2008-01-01

Purpose: We examined the efficacy of an intervention tailored to the individual's stage of change for exercise adoption on exercise stage of change, physical activity, and physical function in community-dwelling older adults. Design and Methods: We randomized participants to a print and telephone intervention or a contact comparison group. Through…

Comparison of Effects of Running and Playing Exercises on Differential Leucocyte Count in Young Elite Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cenikli, Abdullah

2016-01-01

The aims of the present research are to test the effects of running and playing exercises on leucocyte and differential leucocyte accounts, and to test the possible differences between running and playing exercises in terms of leucocyte accounts. They were thirty two male young soccer players. Participants arrived at the laboratory after a 12-hour…

Comparison of Effectiveness of Supervised Exercise Program and Cyriax Physiotherapy in Patients with Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): A Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Viswas, Rajadurai; Ramachandran, Rejeeshkumar; Korde Anantkumar, Payal

2012-01-01

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of supervised exercise program and Cyriax physiotherapy in the treatment of tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Design. Randomized clinical trial. Setting. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre. Subjects. This study was carried out with 20 patients, who had tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Intervention. Group A (n = 10) had received supervised exercise program. Group B (n = 10) was treated with Cyriax physiotherapy. All patients received three treatment sessions per week for four weeks (12 treatment sessions). Outcome measures. Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and functional status was evaluated by completion of the Tennis Elbow Function Scale (TEFS) which were recorded at base line and at the end of fourth week. Results. Both the supervised exercise program and Cyriax physiotherapy were found to be significantly effective in reduction of pain and in the improvement of functional status. The supervised exercise programme resulted in greater improvement in comparison to those who received Cyriax physiotherapy. Conclusion. The results of this clinical trial demonstrate that the supervised exercise program may be the first treatment choice for therapist in managing tennis elbow. PMID:22629225

Effects of music aerobic exercise on depression and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in community dwelling women.

PubMed

Yeh, Shu-Hui; Lin, Li-Wei; Chuang, Yu Kuan; Liu, Cheng-Ling; Tsai, Lu-Jen; Tsuei, Feng-Shiou; Lee, Ming-Tsung; Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh; Yang, Kuender D

2015-01-01

A randomized clinical trial was utilized to compare the improvement of depression and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels between community women with and without music aerobic exercise (MAE) for 12 weeks. The MAE group involved 47 eligible participants, whereas the comparison group had 59 participants. No significant differences were recorded in the demographic characteristics between the participants in the MAE group and the comparison group. Forty-one participants in the MAE group and 26 in the comparison group completed a pre- and posttest. The MAE group displayed significant improvement in depression scores (p = 0.016), decreased depression symptoms in crying (p = 0.03), appetite (p = 0.006), and fatigue (p = 0.011). The BDNF levels of the participants significantly increased after the 12-week MAE (p = 0.042). The parallel comparison group revealed no significant changes in depression scores or BDNF levels. In summary, the 12-week MAE had a significant impact on the enhancement of BDNF levels and improvement of depression symptoms. Middle-aged community women are encouraged to exercise moderately to improve their depression symptoms and BDNF levels.

Automatic Testcase Generation for Flight Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushnell, David Henry; Pasareanu, Corina; Mackey, Ryan M.

2008-01-01

The TacSat3 project is applying Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) technologies to an Air Force spacecraft for operational evaluation in space. The experiment will demonstrate the effectiveness and cost of ISHM and vehicle systems management (VSM) technologies through onboard operation for extended periods. We present two approaches to automatic testcase generation for ISHM: 1) A blackbox approach that views the system as a blackbox, and uses a grammar-based specification of the system's inputs to automatically generate *all* inputs that satisfy the specifications (up to prespecified limits); these inputs are then used to exercise the system. 2) A whitebox approach that performs analysis and testcase generation directly on a representation of the internal behaviour of the system under test. The enabling technologies for both these approaches are model checking and symbolic execution, as implemented in the Ames' Java PathFinder (JPF) tool suite. Model checking is an automated technique for software verification. Unlike simulation and testing which check only some of the system executions and therefore may miss errors, model checking exhaustively explores all possible executions. Symbolic execution evaluates programs with symbolic rather than concrete values and represents variable values as symbolic expressions. We are applying the blackbox approach to generating input scripts for the Spacecraft Command Language (SCL) from Interface and Control Systems. SCL is an embedded interpreter for controlling spacecraft systems. TacSat3 will be using SCL as the controller for its ISHM systems. We translated the SCL grammar into a program that outputs scripts conforming to the grammars. Running JPF on this program generates all legal input scripts up to a prespecified size. Script generation can also be targeted to specific parts of the grammar of interest to the developers. These scripts are then fed to the SCL Executive. ICS's in-house coverage tools will be run to measure code coverage. Because the scripts exercise all parts of the grammar, we expect them to provide high code coverage. This blackbox approach is suitable for systems for which we do not have access to the source code. We are applying whitebox test generation to the Spacecraft Health INference Engine (SHINE) that is part of the ISHM system. In TacSat3, SHINE will execute an on-board knowledge base for fault detection and diagnosis. SHINE converts its knowledge base into optimized C code which runs onboard TacSat3. SHINE can translate its rules into an intermediate representation (Java) suitable for analysis with JPF. JPF will analyze SHINE's Java output using symbolic execution, producing testcases that can provide either complete or directed coverage of the code. Automatically generated test suites can provide full code coverage and be quickly regenerated when code changes. Because our tools analyze executable code, they fully cover the delivered code, not just models of the code. This approach also provides a way to generate tests that exercise specific sections of code under specific preconditions. This capability gives us more focused testing of specific sections of code.

Systematic Review of the Effect of Taping Techniques on Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

PubMed

Logan, Catherine A; Bhashyam, Abhiram R; Tisosky, Ashley J; Haber, Daniel B; Jorgensen, Anna; Roy, Adam; Provencher, Matthew T

Taping is commonly used in the management of several musculoskeletal conditions, including patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Specific guidelines for taping are unknown. To investigate the efficacy of knee taping in the management of PFPS. Our hypothesis was that tension taping and exercise would be superior to placebo taping and exercise as well as to exercise or taping alone. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Source, and CINAHL databases were reviewed for English-language randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of various taping techniques that were published between 1995 and April 2015. Keywords utilized included taping, McConnell, kinesio-taping, kinesiotaping, patellofemoral pain, and knee. Studies included consisted of RCTs (level 1 or 2) with participants of all ages who had anterior knee or patellofemoral pain symptoms and had received nonsurgical management using any taping technique. Systematic review. Level 2. A checklist method was used to determine selection, performance, detection, and attrition bias for each article. A quality of evidence grading was then referenced using the validated PEDro database for RCTs. Three difference comparison groups were compared: tension taping and exercise versus placebo taping and exercise (group 1), placebo taping and exercise versus exercise alone (group 2), and tension taping and exercise versus taping alone (group 3). Five RCTs with 235 total patients with multiple intervention arms were included. Taping strategies included McConnell and Kinesiotaping. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores indicated improvement in all 3 comparison groups (group 1: 91 patients, 39% of total, mean VAS improvement 44.9 [tension taping + exercise] vs 66 [placebo taping + exercise]; group 2: 56 patients, 24% of total, mean VAS improvement 66 [placebo taping + exercise] vs 47.6 [exercise alone]; and group 3: 112 patients, 48% of total, mean VAS improvement 44.9 [tension taping + exercise] vs 14.1 [taping alone]). This systematic review supports knee taping only as an adjunct to traditional exercise therapy for PFPS; however, it does not support taping in isolation.

Is high-intensity interval training more effective on improving cardiometabolic risk and aerobic capacity than other forms of exercise in overweight and obese youth? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

García-Hermoso, A; Cerrillo-Urbina, A J; Herrera-Valenzuela, T; Cristi-Montero, C; Saavedra, J M; Martínez-Vizcaíno, V

2016-06-01

The scientific interest in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has greatly increased during recent years. The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of HIIT interventions on cardio-metabolic risk factors and aerobic capacity in overweight and obese youth, in comparison with other forms of exercise. A computerized search was made using seven databases. The analysis was restricted to studies that examined the effect of HIIT interventions on cardio-metabolic and/or aerobic capacity in pediatric obesity (6-17 years old). Nine studies using HIIT interventions were selected (n = 274). Standarized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The DerSimonian-Laird approach was used. HIIT interventions (4-12 week duration) produced larger decreases in systolic blood pressure (SMD = 0.39; -3.63 mmHg) and greater increases in maximum oxygen uptake (SMD = 0.59; 1.92 ml/kg/min) than other forms of exercise. Also, type of comparison exercise group and duration of study were moderators. HIIT could be considered a more effective and time-efficient intervention for improving blood pressure and aerobic capacity levels in obese youth in comparison to other types of exercise. © 2016 World Obesity. © 2016 World Obesity.

GCSS Idealized Cirrus Model Comparison Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starr, David OC.; Benedetti, Angela; Boehm, Matt; Brown, Philip R. A.; Gierens, Klaus; Girard, Eric; Giraud, Vincent; Jakob, Christian; Jensen, Eric; Khvorostyanov, Vitaly;

A test harness for accelerating physics parameterization advancements into operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firl, G. J.; Bernardet, L.; Harrold, M.; Henderson, J.; Wolff, J.; Zhang, M.

2017-12-01

The process of transitioning advances in parameterization of sub-grid scale processes from initial idea to implementation is often much quicker than the transition from implementation to use in an operational setting. After all, considerable work must be undertaken by operational centers to fully test, evaluate, and implement new physics. The process is complicated by the scarcity of like-to-like comparisons, availability of HPC resources, and the ``tuning problem" whereby advances in physics schemes are difficult to properly evaluate without first undertaking the expensive and time-consuming process of tuning to other schemes within a suite. To address this process shortcoming, the Global Model TestBed (GMTB), supported by the NWS NGGPS project and undertaken by the Developmental Testbed Center, has developed a physics test harness. It implements the concept of hierarchical testing, where the same code can be tested in model configurations of varying complexity from single column models (SCM) to fully coupled, cycled global simulations. Developers and users may choose at which level of complexity to engage. Several components of the physics test harness have been implemented, including a SCM and an end-to-end workflow that expands upon the one used at NOAA/EMC to run the GFS operationally, although the testbed components will necessarily morph to coincide with changes to the operational configuration (FV3-GFS). A standard, relatively user-friendly interface known as the Interoperable Physics Driver (IPD) is available for physics developers to connect their codes. This prerequisite exercise allows access to the testbed tools and removes a technical hurdle for potential inclusion into the Common Community Physics Package (CCPP). The testbed offers users the opportunity to conduct like-to-like comparisons between the operational physics suite and new development as well as among multiple developments. GMTB staff have demonstrated use of the testbed through a comparison between the 2017 operational GFS suite and one containing the Grell-Freitas convective parameterization. An overview of the physics test harness and its early use will be presented.

LipidQC: Method Validation Tool for Visual Comparison to SRM 1950 Using NIST Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise Lipid Consensus Mean Estimate Values.

PubMed

Ulmer, Candice Z; Ragland, Jared M; Koelmel, Jeremy P; Heckert, Alan; Jones, Christina M; Garrett, Timothy J; Yost, Richard A; Bowden, John A

2017-12-19

As advances in analytical separation techniques, mass spectrometry instrumentation, and data processing platforms continue to spur growth in the lipidomics field, more structurally unique lipid species are detected and annotated. The lipidomics community is in need of benchmark reference values to assess the validity of various lipidomics workflows in providing accurate quantitative measurements across the diverse lipidome. LipidQC addresses the harmonization challenge in lipid quantitation by providing a semiautomated process, independent of analytical platform, for visual comparison of experimental results of National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1950, "Metabolites in Frozen Human Plasma", against benchmark consensus mean concentrations derived from the NIST Lipidomics Interlaboratory Comparison Exercise.

Collaborative, Nondestructive Analysis of Contaminated Soil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knight, K. B.; Dai, Z.; Davidson, L.

This report summarizes a joint nondestructive analysis exercise that LLNL, LANL, and COMENA discussed through a collaborative meeting in July 2017. This work was performed as one part of a collaboration with Algeria under Action Sheet 7: “Technical Cooperation and Assistance in Nuclear Forensics”. The primary intent of this exercise was for US and Algerian participants to jointly share results of nondestructive analyses (NDA) of a contaminated soil sample provided by the Algerians and to discuss key observations and analytical approaches. While the two samples were analyzed blind at LLNL and LANL, the soil samples were revealed after the exercisemore » to have a common origin, and to have originated as an IAEA soil sample (IAEA-326, Bojanowski et al., 2001) provided to COMENA as part of a previous exercise. Comparative analysis revealed common findings between the laboratories, and also emphasized the need for standardized operating procedures to improve inter-comparability and confidence in conclusions. Recommended handling practices in the presence of sample heterogeneities were also discussed. This exercise provided an opportunity to demonstrate nuclear forensics analytical capabilities at COMENA, LANL, and LLNL, and identified areas that could benefit from future technical exchanges. Plans were made for a follow-on joint exercise in 2018, involving destructive analyses of the CUP-2 uranium ore concentrate standard.« less

Inter-rater Reliability of Sustained Aberrant Movement Patterns as a Clinical Assessment of Muscular Fatigue

PubMed Central

Aerts, Frank; Carrier, Kathy; Alwood, Becky

2016-01-01

Background: The assessment of clinical manifestation of muscle fatigue is an effective procedure in establishing therapeutic exercise dose. Few studies have evaluated physical therapist reliability in establishing muscle fatigue through detection of changes in quality of movement patterns in a live setting. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of physical therapists’ ability to detect altered movement patterns due to muscle fatigue. Design: A reliability study in a live setting with multiple raters. Participants: Forty-four healthy individuals (ages 19-35) were evaluated by six physical therapists in a live setting. Methods: Participants were evaluated by physical therapists for altered movement patterns during resisted shoulder rotation. Each participant completed a total of four tests: right shoulder internal rotation, right shoulder external rotation, left shoulder internal rotation and left shoulder external rotation. Results: For all tests combined, the inter-rater reliability for a single rater scoring ICC (2,1) was .65 (95%, .60, .71) This corresponds to moderate inter-rater reliability between physical therapists. Limitations: The results of this study apply only to healthy participants and therefore cannot be generalized to a symptomatic population. Conclusion: Moderate inter-rater reliability was found between physical therapists in establishing muscle fatigue through the observation of sustained altered movement patterns during dynamic resistive shoulder internal and external rotation. PMID:27347241

Physiological Benefits of Being Small in a Changing World: Responses of Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to an Acute Thermal Challenge and a Simulated Capture Event

PubMed Central

Clark, Timothy D.; Donaldson, Michael R.; Pieperhoff, Sebastian; Drenner, S. Matthew; Lotto, Andrew; Cooke, Steven J.; Hinch, Scott G.; Patterson, David A.; Farrell, Anthony P.

2012-01-01

Evidence is building to suggest that both chronic and acute warm temperature exposure, as well as other anthropogenic perturbations, may select for small adult fish within a species. To shed light on this phenomenon, we investigated physiological and anatomical attributes associated with size-specific responses to an acute thermal challenge and a fisheries capture simulation (exercise+air exposure) in maturing male coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Full-size females were included for a sex-specific comparison. A size-specific response in haematology to an acute thermal challenge (from 7 to 20°C at 3°C h−1) was apparent only for plasma potassium, whereby full-size males exhibited a significant increase in comparison with smaller males (‘jacks’). Full-size females exhibited an elevated blood stress response in comparison with full-size males. Metabolic recovery following exhaustive exercise at 7°C was size-specific, with jacks regaining resting levels of metabolism at 9.3±0.5 h post-exercise in comparison with 12.3±0.4 h for full-size fish of both sexes. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption scaled with body mass in male fish with an exponent of b = 1.20±0.08. Jacks appeared to regain osmoregulatory homeostasis faster than full-size males, and they had higher ventilation rates at 1 h post-exercise. Peak metabolic rate during post-exercise recovery scaled with body mass with an exponent of b∼1, suggesting that the slower metabolic recovery in large fish was not due to limitations in diffusive or convective oxygen transport, but that large fish simply accumulated a greater ‘oxygen debt’ that took longer to pay back at the size-independent peak metabolic rate of ∼6 mg min−1 kg−1. Post-exercise recovery of plasma testosterone was faster in jacks compared with full-size males, suggesting less impairment of the maturation trajectory of smaller fish. Supporting previous studies, these findings suggest that environmental change and non-lethal fisheries interactions have the potential to select for small individuals within fish populations over time. PMID:22720035

An Amino Acid Packing Code for α-helical Structure and Protein Design

PubMed Central

Joo, Hyun; Chavan, Archana G.; Phan, Jamie; Day, Ryan; Tsai, Jerry

2012-01-01

This work demonstrates that all packing in α-helices can be simplified to repetitive patterns of a single motif: the knob-socket. Using the precision of Voronoi Polyhedra/Deluaney Tessellations to identify contacts, the knob-socket is a 4 residue tetrahedral motif: a knob residue on one α-helix packs into the 3 residue socket on another α-helix. The principle of the knob-socket model relates the packing between levels of protein structure: the intra-helical packing arrangements within secondary structure that permit inter-helix tertiary packing interactions. Within an α-helix, the 3 residue sockets arrange residues into a uniform packing lattice. Inter-helix packing results from a definable pattern of interdigitated knob-socket motifs between 2 α-helices. Furthermore, the knob-socket model classifies 3 types of sockets: 1) free: favoring only intra-helical packing, 2) filled: favoring inter-helical interactions and 3) non: disfavoring α-helical structure. The amino acid propensities in these 3 socket classes essentially represent an amino acid code for structure in α-helical packing. Using this code, a novel yet straightforward approach for the design of α-helical structure was used to validate the knob-socket model. Unique sequences for 3 peptides were created to produce a predicted amount of α-helical structure: mostly helical, some helical, and no-helix. These 3 peptides were synthesized and helical content assessed using CD spectroscopy. The measured α-helicity of each peptide was consistent with the expected predictions. These results and analysis demonstrate that the knob-socket motif functions as the basic unit of packing and presents an intuitive tool to decipher the rules governing packing in protein structure. PMID:22426125

Effect of change in coding rules on recording diabetes in hospital administrative datasets.

PubMed

Assareh, Hassan; Achat, Helen M; Guevarra, Veth M; Stubbs, Joanne M

2016-10-01

During 2008-2011 Australian Coding Standards mandated a causal relationship between diabetes and inpatient care as a criterion for recording diabetes as a comorbidity in hospital administrative datasets. We aim to measure the effect of the causality mandate on recorded diabetes and associated inter-hospital variations. For patients with diabetes, all admissions between 2004 and 2013 to all New South Wales acute public hospitals were investigated. Poisson mixed models were employed to derive adjusted rates and variations. The non-recorded diabetes incidence rate was 20.7%. The causality mandate increased the incidence rate four fold during the change period, 2008-2011, compared to the pre- or post-change periods (32.5% vs 8.4% and 6.9%). The inter-hospital variation was also higher, with twice the difference in the non-recorded rate between hospitals with the highest and lowest rates (50% vs 24% and 27% risk gap). The variation decreased during the change period (29%), while the rate continued to rise (53%). Admission characteristics accounted for over 44% of the variation compared with at most two per cent attributable to patient or hospital characteristics. Contributing characteristics explained less of the variation within the change period compared to pre- or post-change (46% vs 58% and 53%). Hospital relative performance was not constant over time. The causality mandate substantially increased the non-recorded diabetes rate and associated inter-hospital variation. Longitudinal accumulation of clinical information at the patient level, and the development of appropriate adoption protocols to achieve comprehensive and timely implementation of coding changes are essential to supporting the integrity of hospital administrative datasets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chromaticity calculations and code comparisons for x-ray lithography source XLS and SXLS rings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parsa, Z.

1988-06-16

This note presents the chromaticity calculations and code comparison results for the (x-ray lithography source) XLS (Chasman Green, XUV Cosy lattice) and (2 magnet 4T) SXLS lattices, with the standard beam optic codes, including programs SYNCH88.5, MAD6, PATRICIA88.4, PATPET88.2, DIMAD, BETA, and MARYLIE. This analysis is a part of our ongoing accelerator physics code studies. 4 figs., 10 tabs.

Comparison of two computer codes for crack growth analysis: NASCRAC Versus NASA/FLAGRO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stallworth, R.; Meyers, C. A.; Stinson, H. C.

1989-01-01

Results are presented from the comparison study of two computer codes for crack growth analysis - NASCRAC and NASA/FLAGRO. The two computer codes gave compatible conservative results when the part through crack analysis solutions were analyzed versus experimental test data. Results showed good correlation between the codes for the through crack at a lug solution. For the through crack at a lug solution, NASA/FLAGRO gave the most conservative results.

Innovative E-portal for prevention and therapeutic programme for treatment of the obesity and overweight in health-tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuzda, Jolanta G.; Półjanowicz, Wiesław; Latosiewicz, Robert; Borkowski, Piotr; Bierkus, Mirosław; Moska, Owidiusz

2017-11-01

Modern technologies enable overweight and obesity people to enjoy physical activity. We have developed electronic portal containing rotational exercises useful in fight against those disorders. Easy access is provided with QR codes placed on web-site and simply accessed with electronic personal equipment (smartphones). QR codes can also be printed and hanged in different places of health tourism facilities.

The effects of virtual reality game exercise on balance and gait of the elderly

PubMed Central

Park, Eun-Cho; Kim, Seong-Gil; Lee, Chae-Woo

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ball exercise as a general exercise on the balance abilities of elderly individuals by comparing ball exercise with virtual reality exercise. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty elderly individuals residing in communities were randomly divided into a virtual reality game group and a ball exercise group and conducted exercise for 30 min 3 times a week for 8 weeks. [Results] Step length increased significantly, and the average sway speed and Timed Up and Go time significantly decreased in both groups. A comparison of sway length after the intervention between the two groups revealed that the virtual reality game exercise resulted in a reduction than the ball exercise. [Conclusion] The results of this study indicated that the virtual reality game exercise may improve balance and gait of elderly individuals in communities. PMID:25995578

GMMIP (v1.0) contribution to CMIP6: Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Tianjun; Turner, Andrew G.; Kinter, James L.

The Global Monsoons Model Inter-comparison Project (GMMIP) has been endorsed by the panel of Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP) as one of the participating model inter-comparison projects (MIPs) in the sixth phase of CMIP (CMIP6). The focus of GMMIP is on monsoon climatology, variability, prediction and projection, which is relevant to four of the “Grand Challenges” proposed by the World Climate Research Programme. At present, 21 international modeling groups are committed to joining GMMIP. This overview paper introduces the motivation behind GMMIP and the scientific questions it intends to answer. Three tiers of experiments, of decreasing priority, are designed to examinemore » (a) model skill in simulating the climatology and interannual-to-multidecadal variability of global monsoons forced by the sea surface temperature during historical climate period; (b) the roles of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in driving variations of the global and regional monsoons; and (c) the effects of large orographic terrain on the establishment of the monsoons. The outputs of the CMIP6 Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima experiments (DECK), “historical” simulation and endorsed MIPs will also be used in the diagnostic analysis of GMMIP to give a comprehensive understanding of the roles played by different external forcings, potential improvements in the simulation of monsoon rainfall at high resolution and reproducibility at decadal timescales. The implementation of GMMIP will improve our understanding of the fundamental physics of changes in the global and regional monsoons over the past 140 years and ultimately benefit monsoons prediction and projection in the current century.« less

PLTW and Epics-High: Curriculum Comparisons to Support Problem Solving in the Context of Engineering Design. Research in Engineering and Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Todd; Brenner, Daniel C.; Pieper, Jon T.

2010-01-01

A comparative study was conducted to compare two approaches to engineering design curriculum between different schools (inter-school) and between two curricular approaches, "Project Lead the Way" (PLTW) and "Engineering Projects in Community Service" (EPIC High) (inter-curricular). The researchers collected curriculum…

32 CFR 534.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 28 (10 U.S.C. 828), and witnesses both in Government employ and... whatever name described, convened in the exercise of military government, martial law, or the laws of war. ...

Computerized Dental Comparison: A Critical Review of Dental Coding and Ranking Algorithms Used in Victim Identification.

PubMed

Adams, Bradley J; Aschheim, Kenneth W

2016-01-01

Comparison of antemortem and postmortem dental records is a leading method of victim identification, especially for incidents involving a large number of decedents. This process may be expedited with computer software that provides a ranked list of best possible matches. This study provides a comparison of the most commonly used conventional coding and sorting algorithms used in the United States (WinID3) with a simplified coding format that utilizes an optimized sorting algorithm. The simplified system consists of seven basic codes and utilizes an optimized algorithm based largely on the percentage of matches. To perform this research, a large reference database of approximately 50,000 antemortem and postmortem records was created. For most disaster scenarios, the proposed simplified codes, paired with the optimized algorithm, performed better than WinID3 which uses more complex codes. The detailed coding system does show better performance with extremely large numbers of records and/or significant body fragmentation. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Modeling of interactions of electromagnetic fields with human bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caputa, Krzysztof

Interactions of electromagnetic fields with the human body have been a subject of scientific interest and public concern. In recent years, issues in power line field effects and those of wireless telephones have been in the forefront of research. Engineering research compliments biological investigations by quantifying the induced fields in biological bodies due to exposure to external fields. The research presented in this thesis aims at providing reliable tools, and addressing some of the unresolved issues related to interactions with the human body of power line fields and fields produced by handheld wireless telephones. The research comprises two areas, namely development of versatile models of the human body and their visualisation, and verification and application of numerical codes to solve selected problems of interest. The models of the human body, which are based on the magnetic resonance scans of the body, are unique and differ considerably from other models currently available. With the aid of computer software developed, the models can be arranged to different postures, and medical devices can be accurately placed inside them. A previously developed code for modeling interactions of power line fields with biological bodies has been verified by rigorous, quantitative inter-laboratory comparison for two human body models. This code has been employed to model electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the magnetic field with implanted cardiac pacemakers. In this case, the correct placement and representation of the pacemaker leads are critical, as simplified computations have been shown to result in significant errors. In modeling interactions of wireless communication devices, the finite difference time domain technique (FDTD) has become a de facto standard. The previously developed code has been verified by comparison with the analytical solution for a conductive sphere. While previously researchers limited their verifications to principal axes of the sphere, a global (volumetric) fields evaluation allowed for identification of locations of errors due to staircasing, and the singularities responsible for them. In evaluation of safety of cellular telephones and similar devices, the specific absorption rate (SAR) averaged over a 1 g (in North America) or 10 g (in Europe) cube is used. A new algorithm has been developed and tested, which allows for automatic and reliable identification of the maximum value with a user-selected inclusion of air (if required). This algorithm and the verified code have been used to model performance of a commercial telephone in the proximity of head, and to model EMI of this phone with a hearing aid placed in the ear canal. The modeling results, which relied on a proper representation of the antenna consisting of two helices and complex shape and structure of the telephone case, have been confirmed by measurements performed in another laboratory. Similarly, the EMI modeling has been in agreement with acoustic measurements (performed elsewhere). The latter comparison has allowed to confirm anticipated mechanism of the EMI.

High speed transition prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gasperas, Gediminis

1993-01-01

The main objective of this work period was to develop, maintain and exercise state-of-the-art methods for transition prediction in supersonic flow fields. Basic state and stability codes, acquired during the last work period, were exercised and applied to calculate the properties of various flowfields. The development of a code for the prediction of transition location using a currently novel method (the PSE or Parabolized Stability Equation method), initiated during the last work period and continued during the present work period, was cancelled at mid-year for budgetary reasons. Other activities during this period included the presentation of a paper at the APS meeting in Tallahassee, Florida entitled 'Stability of Two-Dimensional Compressible Boundary Layers', as well as the initiation of a paper co-authored with H. Reed of the Arizona State University entitled 'Stability of Boundary Layers'.

DS-SS with de Bruijn sequences for secure Inter Satellite Links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinsante, S.; Warty, C.; Gambi, E.

Today, both the military and commercial sectors are placing an increased emphasis on global communications. This has prompted the development of several Low Earth Orbit satellite systems that promise a worldwide connectivity and real-time voice, data and video communications. Constellations that avoid repeated uplink and downlink work by exploiting Inter Satellite Links have proved to be very economical in space routing. However, traditionally Inter Satellite Links were considered to be out of reach for any malicious activity and thus little, or no security was employed. This paper proposes a secured Inter Satellite Links based network, built upon the adoption of the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum technique, with binary de Bruijn sequences used as spreading codes. Selected sequences from the de Bruijn family may be used over directional spot beams. The main intent of the paper is to propose a secure and robust communication link for the next generation of satellite communications, relying on a classical spread spectrum approach employing innovative sequences.

InterB multigenic family, a gene repertoire associated with subterminal chromosome regions of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and conserved in several human-infecting microsporidian species.

PubMed

Dia, Ndongo; Lavie, Laurence; Méténier, Guy; Toguebaye, Bhen S; Vivarès, Christian P; Cornillot, Emmanuel

2007-03-01

Microsporidia are fungi-related obligate intracellular parasites that infect numerous animals, including man. Encephalitozoon cuniculi harbours a very small genome (2.9 Mbp) with about 2,000 coding sequences (CDSs). Most repeated CDSs are of unknown function and are distributed in subterminal regions that mark the transitions between subtelomeric rDNA units and chromosome cores. A potential multigenic family (interB) encoding proteins within a size range of 579-641 aa was investigated by PCR and RT-PCR. Thirty members were finally assigned to the E. cuniculi interB family and a predominant interB transcript was found to originate from a newly identified gene on chromosome III. Microsporidian species from eight different genera infecting insects, fishes or mammals, were tested for a possible intra-phylum conservation of interB genes. Only representatives of the Encephalitozoon, Vittaforma and Brachiola genera, differing in host range but all able to invade humans, were positive. Molecular karyotyping of Brachiola algerae showed a complex set of chromosome bands, providing a haploid genome size estimate of 15-20 Mbp. In spite of this large difference in genome complexity, B. algerae and E. cuniculi shared some similar interB gene copies and a common location of interB genes in near-rDNA subterminal regions.

Video game-based exercise, Latino children's physical health, and academic achievement.

PubMed

Gao, Zan; Hannan, Peter; Xiang, Ping; Stodden, David F; Valdez, Verónica E

2013-03-01

There is a paucity of research investigating the effects of innovative physical activity programs on physical health and academic performance in the Latino population. To examine the impact of Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]-based exercise on Latino children's physical fitness and academic achievement. A repeated-measures crossover design was used. In Year 1, Grade-4 students were assigned to the intervention group and offered 30 minutes of exercise (DDR, aerobic dance) three times per week. Grade-3 and Grade-5 students made up the comparison group and were offered no structured exercise at school. In Year 2, the Grade-4 students were again assigned to the intervention, whereas Grade-5 and Grade-6 students were in the comparison group. Assessments were conducted with 208 Latino school children. The baseline measures included time to complete a 1-mile run, BMI, and reading and math scores. Data were collected again 9 months later. Overall, data were collected in 2009-2011 and analyzed in 2012. Data yielded significant differences between the intervention and comparison groups in differences in 1-mile run and math scores in Year 1 and Year 2. The results also revealed net differences in the intervention versus comparison group scores on the 1-mile run for Grade 3 (p<0.01). Additionally, children's yearly pre-test and post-test BMI group changes differed (χ(2)((2)) = 6.6, p<0.05) only for the first year of intervention. The DDR-based exercise intervention improved children's cardiorespiratory endurance and math scores over time. Professionals should consider integrating exergaming at schools to achieve the goals of promoting a physically active lifestyle and enhancing academic success among Latino children. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online Assessment of Satellite-Derived Global Precipitation Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhong; Ostrenga, D.; Teng, W.; Kempler, S.

2012-01-01

Precipitation is difficult to measure and predict. Each year droughts and floods cause severe property damages and human casualties around the world. Accurate measurement and forecast are important for mitigation and preparedness efforts. Significant progress has been made over the past decade in satellite precipitation product development. In particular, products' spatial and temporal resolutions as well as timely availability have been improved by blended techniques. Their resulting products are widely used in various research and applications. However biases and uncertainties are common among precipitation products and an obstacle exists in quickly gaining knowledge of product quality, biases and behavior at a local or regional scale, namely user defined areas or points of interest. Current online inter-comparison and validation services have not addressed this issue adequately. To address this issue, we have developed a prototype to inter-compare satellite derived daily products in the TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS). Despite its limited functionality and datasets, users can use this tool to generate customized plots within the United States for 2005. In addition, users can download customized data for further analysis, e.g. comparing their gauge data. To meet increasing demands, we plan to increase the temporal coverage and expanded the spatial coverage from the United States to the globe. More products have been added as well. In this poster, we present two new tools: Inter-comparison of 3B42RT and 3B42 Inter-comparison of V6 and V7 TRMM L-3 monthly products The future plans include integrating IPWG (International Precipitation Working Group) Validation Algorithms/statistics, allowing users to generate customized plots and data. In addition, we will expand the current daily products to monthly and their climatology products. Whenever the TRMM science team changes their product version number, users would like to know the differences by inter-comparing both versions of TRMM products in their areas of interest. Making this service available to users will help them to better understand associated changes. We plan to implement this inter-comparison in TRMM standard monthly products with the IPWG algorithms. The plans outlined above will complement and accelerate the existing and ongoing validation activities in the community as well as enhance data services for TRMM and the future Global Precipitation Mission (GPM).

This girl can #jointhemovement: Effectiveness of physical functionality-focused campaigns for women's body satisfaction and exercise intent.

PubMed

Mulgrew, Kate E; McCulloch, Karen; Farren, Emily; Prichard, Ivanka; Lim, Megan S C

2018-03-01

We tested the effectiveness of exposure to two functionality-focused media campaigns, This Girl Can and #jointhemovement, in improving state appearance and physical functionality satisfaction, exercise intent, and protecting against exposure to idealised imagery. Across two studies, 339 (M age =24.94, SD=4.98) and 256 (M age =26.46, SD=5.50) women viewed the campaign or control video, followed by images of models who were posed or physically active, or images of landscapes. State satisfaction and exercise intent was measured at pre-test, post-video, post-images, and 1-week follow-up. Social comparison was measured at post-images. Viewing either campaign produced higher appearance satisfaction and exercise intentions than the control video. Effects weren't maintained after viewing idealised imagery or 1 week later. Further, the campaigns did not decrease social comparisons when viewing idealised imagery. Results can inform agencies about campaign effectiveness and suggest that women benefit from campaigns that feature non-idealised depictions of women exercising. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of exercise performance dissatisfaction and physical exercise on symptoms of depression among college students: a gender comparison.

PubMed

Edman, Jeanne L; Lynch, Wesley C; Yates, Alayne

2014-01-01

Depression is a common psychological problem and females have been found to be at greater risk for this disorder than males. Although numerous studies have found that physical exercise is negatively associated with risk of depression, some studies suggest that negative exercise attitudes may increase the risk of depression. The present study used the survey method to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms, exercise performance dissatisfaction, body dissatisfaction, and physical exercise among a sample of 895 undergraduate university students. Females reported higher depression and exercise performance dissatisfaction scores than males; however, there were no gender differences in body dissatisfaction. Exercise performance dissatisfaction was positively associated with depression among both males and females. Physical exercise was negatively associated with depression among males, but not among females. The possibility of screening participants enrolled in exercise programs for performance dissatisfaction is discussed as negative exercise attitudes may diminish the positive impact of exercise on depressed mood.

Code-to-Code Comparison, and Material Response Modeling of Stardust and MSL using PATO and FIAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omidy, Ali D.; Panerai, Francesco; Martin, Alexandre; Lachaud, Jean R.; Cozmuta, Ioana; Mansour, Nagi N.

2015-01-01

This report provides a code-to-code comparison between PATO, a recently developed high fidelity material response code, and FIAT, NASA's legacy code for ablation response modeling. The goal is to demonstrates that FIAT and PATO generate the same results when using the same models. Test cases of increasing complexity are used, from both arc-jet testing and flight experiment. When using the exact same physical models, material properties and boundary conditions, the two codes give results that are within 2% of errors. The minor discrepancy is attributed to the inclusion of the gas phase heat capacity (cp) in the energy equation in PATO, and not in FIAT.

A randomized comparison study regarding the impact of short-duration, high-intensity exercise and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women--A pilot study.

PubMed

Grossman, Joan A Cebrick; Payne, Ellen K

2016-03-01

The mode and duration of exercise necessary to change body composition and reduce weight remains debatable. Menopause results in hormonal changes that preclude weight loss. This randomized pilot study compared the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women. To compare the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional methods of exercise (walking) on anthropometric, body composition and body weight change over a 12-week period. Subjects (N = 18) were post-menopausal, sedentary female volunteers, randomly assigned into one of two exercise groups. Both groups exercised five out of seven days for 12 weeks. The resistance group (n = 8) (54.3 ± 7.3 years; BMI = 28.0 ± 2.1 kg/m(2); mean ± SD) exercised for 15.0 ± 3.5 min, which consisted of five different exercise routines including upper and lower extremity, a cardio segment, yoga and abdominal exercises. The walkers (n = 10) (56.6 ± 5.2 years; BMI = 29.2 ± 2.6 kg/m(2); mean ± SD) exercised for 40.0 ± 5.0 min at 65% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate. Relative (%) body fat was measured via DEXA scan, along with five anthropometric measurements, all of which were taken prior to and after 12 weeks. Independent sample t-tests were probed for differences, p ≤ 0.05. No statistically significant changes were determined between the groups for pre-and post-measurements. The outcomes of this study provide a foundation for future comparisons of short-duration high-intensity interval training exercise and traditional exercise, or walking, on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in sedentary, overweight, post-menopausal females over a 12-week period. © The Author(s) 2016.

Reliability of ultrasound grading traditional score and new global OMERACT-EULAR score system (GLOESS): results from an inter- and intra-reading exercise by rheumatologists.

PubMed

Ventura-Ríos, Lucio; Hernández-Díaz, Cristina; Ferrusquia-Toríz, Diana; Cruz-Arenas, Esteban; Rodríguez-Henríquez, Pedro; Alvarez Del Castillo, Ana Laura; Campaña-Parra, Alfredo; Canul, Efrén; Guerrero Yeo, Gerardo; Mendoza-Ruiz, Juan Jorge; Pérez Cristóbal, Mario; Sicsik, Sandra; Silva Luna, Karina

2017-12-01

This study aims to test the reliability of ultrasound to graduate synovitis in static and video images, evaluating separately grayscale and power Doppler (PD), and combined. Thirteen trained rheumatologist ultrasonographers participated in two separate rounds reading 42 images, 15 static and 27 videos, of the 7-joint count [wrist, 2nd and 3rd metacarpophalangeal (MCP), 2nd and 3rd interphalangeal (IPP), 2nd and 5th metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints]. The images were from six patients with rheumatoid arthritis, performed by one ultrasonographer. Synovitis definition was according to OMERACT. Scoring system in grayscale, PD separately, and combined (GLOESS-Global OMERACT-EULAR Score System) were reviewed before exercise. Reliability intra- and inter-reading was calculated with Cohen's kappa weighted, according to Landis and Koch. Kappa values for inter-reading were good to excellent. The minor kappa was for GLOESS in static images, and the highest was for the same scoring in videos (k 0.59 and 0.85, respectively). Excellent values were obtained for static PD in 5th MTP joint and for PD video in 2nd MTP joint. Results for GLOESS in general were good to moderate. Poor agreement was observed in 3rd MCP and 3rd IPP in all kinds of images. Intra-reading agreement were greater in grayscale and GLOESS in static images than in videos (k 0.86 vs. 0.77 and k 0.86 vs. 0.71, respectively), but PD was greater in videos than in static images (k 1.0 vs. 0.79). The reliability of the synovitis scoring through static images and videos is in general good to moderate when using grayscale and PD separately or combined.

Differential Effects of Differing Intensities of Acute Exercise on Speed and Accuracy of Cognition: A Meta-Analytical Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMorris, Terry; Hale, Beverley J.

2012-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine, using meta-analytical techniques, the differential effects of differing intensities of acute exercise on speed and accuracy of cognition. Overall, exercise demonstrated a small, significant mean effect size (g = 0.14, p less than 0.01) on cognition. Examination of the comparison between speed and…

The Effect of Chinese Yuanji-Dance on Dynamic Balance and the Associated Attentional Demands in Elderly Adults

PubMed Central

Wu, Wen-Lan; Wei, Ta-Sen; Chen, Shen-Kai; Chang, Jyh-Jong; Guo, Lan-Yuen; Lin, Hwai-Ting

2010-01-01

Walking performance changes with age. This has implications for the problem of falls in older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Yuanji-Dance practice on walking balance and the associated attention demand in healthy elderly. Fifteen community-dwelling elderly (comparison group, no regular exercise habit) and fifteen Yuanji- Dance elderly (exercise group, dancing experience: 5.40 ± 1.95 years), aged 60-70 years, were included in this study. The subjects in exercise group participated in a 90-minute Yuanji-Dance practice at least three times per week and the comparison group continued their normal daily physical activity. Walking balance measures (including walking velocity, step length, step width, and percentage of time spent in double limb support, COM velocity and COM-COP inclination angles) and attentional demand tests (button reaction time and accuracy) were conducted under different conditions. Our results showed that stride lengths, walking velocities, peak A/P velocities (AP V) of the COM, medial COM-COP inclination (M angle) angles, reaction time, and accuracy decrease significantly as the dual-task (walking plus hand button pressing tasks) applied for either the comparison or exercise groups. These results demonstrated that walking performance is attenuated in our elderly participants as the cognitive tasks applied. Analysis also identified a significantly faster RT for our exercise group both in standing and walking conditions. This may indicate that physical exercise (Yuanji-Dance) may have facilitating effects on general cognitive and perceptual- motor functions. This implies that Chinese Yuanji-Dance practice for elderly adults may improve their personal safety when walking especially under the condition of multiple task demand. Key points The purpose of this study was to investigate the training effects of a Chinese traditional exercise, Yuanji-Dance, on walking balance and the associated attention demand in the healthy elderly. Walking performance is attenuated in elderly participants as the cognitive tasks applied. A significantly faster reaction time for our exercise group both in standing and walking conditions. Yuanji-Dance exercise training can improve the information processing speed of elderly people and has no influence of the dynamic walking balance. PMID:24149395

Correction of gene expression data: Performance-dependency on inter-replicate and inter-treatment biases.

PubMed

Darbani, Behrooz; Stewart, C Neal; Noeparvar, Shahin; Borg, Søren

2014-10-20

This report investigates for the first time the potential inter-treatment bias source of cell number for gene expression studies. Cell-number bias can affect gene expression analysis when comparing samples with unequal total cellular RNA content or with different RNA extraction efficiencies. For maximal reliability of analysis, therefore, comparisons should be performed at the cellular level. This could be accomplished using an appropriate correction method that can detect and remove the inter-treatment bias for cell-number. Based on inter-treatment variations of reference genes, we introduce an analytical approach to examine the suitability of correction methods by considering the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance, which allows use of the best correction method with minimum residual bias. Analyses of RNA sequencing and microarray data showed that the efficiencies of correction methods are influenced by the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance. Therefore, we recommend inspecting both of the bias sources in order to apply the most efficient correction method. As an alternative correction strategy, sequential application of different correction approaches is also advised. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-GNSS precise point positioning (MGPPP) using raw observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Teng; Yuan, Yunbin; Zhang, Baocheng; Wang, Ningbo; Tan, Bingfeng; Chen, Yongchang

2017-03-01

A joint-processing model for multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BDS and GALILEO) precise point positioning (PPP) is proposed, in which raw code and phase observations are used. In the proposed model, inter-system biases (ISBs) and GLONASS code inter-frequency biases (IFBs) are carefully considered, among which GLONASS code IFBs are modeled as a linear function of frequency numbers. To get the full rank function model, the unknowns are re-parameterized and the estimable slant ionospheric delays and ISBs/IFBs are derived and estimated simultaneously. One month of data in April, 2015 from 32 stations of the International GNSS Service (IGS) Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) tracking network have been used to validate the proposed model. Preliminary results show that RMS values of the positioning errors (with respect to external double-difference solutions) for static/kinematic solutions (four systems) are 6.2 mm/2.1 cm (north), 6.0 mm/2.2 cm (east) and 9.3 mm/4.9 cm (up). One-day stabilities of the estimated ISBs described by STD values are 0.36 and 0.38 ns, for GLONASS and BDS, respectively. Significant ISB jumps are identified between adjacent days for all stations, which are caused by the different satellite clock datums in different days and for different systems. Unlike ISBs, the estimated GLONASS code IFBs are quite stable for all stations, with an average STD of 0.04 ns over a month. Single-difference experiment of short baseline shows that PPP ionospheric delays are more precise than traditional leveling ionospheric delays.

Combinatorial neural codes from a mathematical coding theory perspective.

PubMed

Curto, Carina; Itskov, Vladimir; Morrison, Katherine; Roth, Zachary; Walker, Judy L

2013-07-01

Shannon's seminal 1948 work gave rise to two distinct areas of research: information theory and mathematical coding theory. While information theory has had a strong influence on theoretical neuroscience, ideas from mathematical coding theory have received considerably less attention. Here we take a new look at combinatorial neural codes from a mathematical coding theory perspective, examining the error correction capabilities of familiar receptive field codes (RF codes). We find, perhaps surprisingly, that the high levels of redundancy present in these codes do not support accurate error correction, although the error-correcting performance of receptive field codes catches up to that of random comparison codes when a small tolerance to error is introduced. However, receptive field codes are good at reflecting distances between represented stimuli, while the random comparison codes are not. We suggest that a compromise in error-correcting capability may be a necessary price to pay for a neural code whose structure serves not only error correction, but must also reflect relationships between stimuli.

TOUGH Simulations of the Updegraff's Set of Fluid and Heat Flow Problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moridis, G.J.; Pruess

1992-11-01

The TOUGH code [Pruess, 1987] for two-phase flow of water, air, and heat in penneable media has been exercised on a suite of test problems originally selected and simulated by C. D. Updegraff [1989]. These include five 'verification' problems for which analytical or numerical solutions are available, and three 'validation' problems that model laboratory fluid and heat flow experiments. All problems could be run without any code modifications (*). Good and efficient numerical performance, as well as accurate results were obtained throughout. Additional code verification and validation problems from the literature are briefly summarized, and suggestions are given for propermore » applications of TOUGH and related codes.« less

Exaggerated gonadotropin response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in amenorrheic runners.

PubMed

Yahiro, J; Glass, A R; Fears, W B; Ferguson, E W; Vigersky, R A

1987-03-01

Most studies of exercise-induced amenorrhea have compared amenorrheic athletes (usually runners) with sedentary control subjects. Such comparisons will identify hormonal changes that develop as a result of exercise training but cannot determine which of these changes play a role in causing amenorrhea. To obviate this problem, we assessed reproductive hormone status in a group of five amenorrheic runners and compared them to a group of six eumenorrheic runners matched for body fatness, training intensity, and exercise performance. Compared to the eumenorrheic runners, the amenorrheic runners had lower serum estradiol concentrations, similar basal serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations, and exaggerated responses of serum gonadotropins after administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (100 micrograms intravenous bolus). Serum prolactin levels, both basally and after thyrotropin-releasing hormone administration (500 micrograms intravenous bolus) or treadmill exercise, was similar in the two groups, as were serum thyroid function tests (including thyrotropin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone). Changes in serum cortisol levels after short-term treadmill exercise were similar in both groups, and serum testosterone levels increased after exercise only in the eumenorrheic group. In neither group did such exercise change serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, or thyrotropin levels. We concluded that exercise-induced amenorrhea is not solely related to the development of increased prolactin output after exercise training. The exaggerated gonadotropin response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone seen in amenorrheic runners in comparison with matched eumenorrheic runners is consistent with a hypothalamic etiology for the menstrual dysfunction, analogous to that previously described in "stress-induced" or "psychogenic" amenorrhea.

The effect of aquatic exercises on primary dysmenorrhoea in nonathlete girls

PubMed Central

Rezvani, Saeideh; Taghian, Farzaneh; Valiani, Mahboubeh

2013-01-01

Background: Primary dysmenorrhoea without any specific pelvic disease is one of the common complaints in women`s medicine. The general purpose of this research is to define the effects of 12-week aquatic exercises on nonathletic girls’ primary dysmenorrhoea. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental was conducted on 40 nonathletic girls aged 18-25 years. Data gathering tools were: Evaluation form of primary dysmenorrhoea and the pain evaluation tool based on the McGill standard pain questionnaire completed before and after the intervention in 3 months (first, second, and third run). Then, 20 subjects were assigned to aquatic exercise group and the other 20 to control group. The subjects in experimental group did aquatic exercise for three sessions a week for 60 minutes for 12 weeks between two menstruations. Kruskal — Wallis and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The results of this research indicated that severity and duration of pain decreased after 12 weeks of aquatic exercises. Comparison of the two groups showed a significant difference in pain intensity based on visual analogue scale (VAS) scale after these exercises (first, second, and third runs). Present pain intensity (PPI) scale after these exercises (second and third runs) showed a significant difference. Comparison of the two groups showed a significant difference in length of pain after these exercises (third run). Conclusions: Totally, the findings of the present study showed that 12-week regular aquatic exercises are effective on decrease of the severity of the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhoea. PMID:24403940

Planned Comparisons as Better Alternatives to ANOVA Omnibus Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benton, Roberta L.

Analyses of data are presented to illustrate the advantages of using a priori or planned comparisons rather than omnibus analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests followed by post hoc or posteriori testing. The two types of planned comparisons considered are planned orthogonal non-trend coding contrasts and orthogonal polynomial or trend contrast coding.…

A Cycle Ergometer Exercise Program Improves Exercise Capacity and Inspiratory Muscle Function in Hospitalized Patients Awaiting Heart Transplantation: a Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Forestieri, Patrícia; Guizilini, Solange; Peres, Monique; Bublitz, Caroline; Bolzan, Douglas W.; Rocco, Isadora S.; Santos, Vinícius B.; Moreira, Rita Simone L.; Breda, João R.; de Almeida, Dirceu R.; Carvalho, Antonio Carlos de C.; Arena, Ross; Gomes, Walter J.

2016-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a cycle ergometer exercise program on exercise capacity and inspiratory muscle function in hospitalized patients with heart failure awaiting heart transplantation with intravenous inotropic support. Methods Patients awaiting heart transplantation were randomized and allocated prospectively into two groups: 1) Control Group (n=11) - conventional protocol; and 2) Intervention Group (n=7) - stationary cycle ergometer exercise training. Functional capacity was measured by the six-minute walk test and inspiratory muscle strength assessed by manovacuometry before and after the exercise protocols. Results Both groups demonstrated an increase in six-minute walk test distance after the experimental procedure compared to baseline; however, only the intervention group had a significant increase (P=0.08 and P=0.001 for the control and intervention groups, respectively). Intergroup comparison revealed a greater increase in the intervention group compared to the control (P<0.001). Regarding the inspiratory muscle strength evaluation, the intragroup analysis demonstrated increased strength after the protocols compared to baseline for both groups; statistical significance was only demonstrated for the intervention group, though (P=0.22 and P<0.01, respectively). Intergroup comparison showed a significant increase in the intervention group compared to the control (P<0.01). Conclusion Stationary cycle ergometer exercise training shows positive results on exercise capacity and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with heart failure awaiting cardiac transplantation while on intravenous inotropic support. PMID:27982348

GEO-LEO reflectance band inter-comparison with BRDF and atmospheric scattering corrections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Tiejun; Xiong, Xiaoxiong Jack; Keller, Graziela; Wu, Xiangqian

2017-09-01

The inter-comparison of the reflective solar bands between the instruments onboard a geostationary orbit satellite and onboard a low Earth orbit satellite is very helpful to assess their calibration consistency. GOES-R was launched on November 19, 2016 and Himawari 8 was launched October 7, 2014. Unlike the previous GOES instruments, the Advanced Baseline Imager on GOES-16 (GOES-R became GOES-16 after November 29 when it reached orbit) and the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) on Himawari 8 have onboard calibrators for the reflective solar bands. The assessment of calibration is important for their product quality enhancement. MODIS and VIIRS, with their stringent calibration requirements and excellent on-orbit calibration performance, provide good references. The simultaneous nadir overpass (SNO) and ray-matching are widely used inter-comparison methods for reflective solar bands. In this work, the inter-comparisons are performed over a pseudo-invariant target. The use of stable and uniform calibration sites provides comparison with appropriate reflectance level, accurate adjustment for band spectral coverage difference, reduction of impact from pixel mismatching, and consistency of BRDF and atmospheric correction. The site in this work is a desert site in Australia (latitude -29.0 South; longitude 139.8 East). Due to the difference in solar and view angles, two corrections are applied to have comparable measurements. The first is the atmospheric scattering correction. The satellite sensor measurements are top of atmosphere reflectance. The scattering, especially Rayleigh scattering, should be removed allowing the ground reflectance to be derived. Secondly, the angle differences magnify the BRDF effect. The ground reflectance should be corrected to have comparable measurements. The atmospheric correction is performed using a vector version of the Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum modeling and BRDF correction is performed using a semi-empirical model. AHI band 1 (0.47μm) shows good matching with VIIRS band M3 with difference of 0.15%. AHI band 5 (1.69μm) shows largest difference in comparison with VIIRS M10.

MOCCA code for star cluster simulation: comparison with optical observations using COCOA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Askar, Abbas; Giersz, Mirek; Pych, Wojciech; Olech, Arkadiusz; Hypki, Arkadiusz

2016-02-01

We introduce and present preliminary results from COCOA (Cluster simulatiOn Comparison with ObservAtions) code for a star cluster after 12 Gyr of evolution simulated using the MOCCA code. The COCOA code is being developed to quickly compare results of numerical simulations of star clusters with observational data. We use COCOA to obtain parameters of the projected cluster model. For comparison, a FITS file of the projected cluster was provided to observers so that they could use their observational methods and techniques to obtain cluster parameters. The results show that the similarity of cluster parameters obtained through numerical simulations and observations depends significantly on the quality of observational data and photometric accuracy.

Deconvolution using a neural network

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, S.K.

1990-11-15

Viewing one dimensional deconvolution as a matrix inversion problem, we compare a neural network backpropagation matrix inverse with LMS, and pseudo-inverse. This is a largely an exercise in understanding how our neural network code works. 1 ref.

MCNP and GADRAS Comparisons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klasky, Marc Louis; Myers, Steven Charles; James, Michael R.

To facilitate the timely execution of System Threat Reviews (STRs) for DNDO, and also to develop a methodology for performing STRs, LANL performed comparisons of several radiation transport codes (MCNP, GADRAS, and Gamma-Designer) that have been previously utilized to compute radiation signatures. While each of these codes has strengths, it is of paramount interest to determine the limitations of each of the respective codes and also to identify the most time efficient means by which to produce computational results, given the large number of parametric cases that are anticipated in performing STR's. These comparisons serve to identify regions of applicabilitymore » for each code and provide estimates of uncertainty that may be anticipated. Furthermore, while performing these comparisons, examination of the sensitivity of the results to modeling assumptions was also examined. These investigations serve to enable the creation of the LANL methodology for performing STRs. Given the wide variety of radiation test sources, scenarios, and detectors, LANL calculated comparisons of the following parameters: decay data, multiplicity, device (n,γ) leakages, and radiation transport through representative scenes and shielding. This investigation was performed to understand potential limitations utilizing specific codes for different aspects of the STR challenges.« less

Effects of individual and group exercise programs on pain, balance, mobility and perceived benefits in rheumatoid arthritis with pain and foot deformities.

PubMed

do Carmo, Carolina Mendes; Almeida da Rocha, Bruna; Tanaka, Clarice

2017-11-01

[Purpose] To verify the effects of individual and group exercise programs on pain, balance, mobility and perceived benefits of rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA) with pain and foot deformities. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty patients with RA pain and foot deformity were allocated into two groups: G1: individual exercise program and G2: group exercise program. The variables analyzed were Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for balance, Timed Up & Go Test (TUG) and Functional Reach (FR) for mobility, and Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ-Br) for perceived benefits. Both exercise programs consisted of functional rehabilitation exercises and self-care guidance aimed at reducing pain and improving balance and mobility. Intragroup comparisons of variables between A1 (pre-intervention) and A2 (post-intervention) were performed. [Results] Patients in both groups were similar in A1 (pre-intervention) in all the variables analyzed. Comparison between A1 and A2 for each variable showed improvement for G1 in the NRS, BBS, FR, TUG and in four out of ten domains of FHSQ-Br. G2 showed improvement in the NRS, BBS and eight out of ten domains of FHSQ-Br. [Conclusion] Both individual and group programs revealed benefits for patients with RA, however, group exercise programs showed better perception of benefits.

Hypothalamic, rectal, and muscle temperatures in exercising dogs - Effect of cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruk, B.; Kaciuba-Uscilko, H.; Nazar, K.; Greenleaf, J. E.; Kozlowski, S.

1985-01-01

An experimental investigation of the mechanisms of performance prolongation during exercise is presented. Measurements were obtained of the rectal, muscle, and hypothalamic temperature of dogs during treadmill exercise at an ambient temperature of 22 + or - 1 C, with and without cooling by use of ice packs. In comparison with exercise without cooling, exercise with cooling was found to: (1) increase exercise duration from 90 + or - 14 to 145 + or - 15 min; (2) attenuate increases in hypothalamic, rectal and muscle temperature; (3) decrease respiratory and heart rates; and (4) lower blood lactic acid content. It is shown that although significant differences were found between the brain, core, and muscle temperatures during exercise with and without cooling, an inverse relation was observed between muscle temperature and the total duration of exercise. It is suggested that sustained muscle hyperthermia may have contributed to the limitation of working ability in exercise with and without cooling.

Improved Mars Upper Atmosphere Climatology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bougher, S. W.

2004-01-01

The detailed characterization of the Mars upper atmosphere is important for future Mars aerobraking activities. Solar cycle, seasonal, and dust trends (climate) as well as planetary wave activity (weather) are crucial to quantify in order to improve our ability to reasonably depict the state of the Mars upper atmosphere over time. To date, our best information is found in the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Accelerometer (ACC) database collected during Phase 1 (Ls = 184 - 300; F10.7 = 70 - 90) and Phase 2 (Ls = 30 - 90; F10.7 = 90 - 150) of aerobraking. This database (100 - 170 km) consists of thermospheric densities, temperatures, and scale heights, providing our best constraints for exercising the coupled Mars General Circulation Model (MGCM) and the Mars Thermospheric General Circulation Model (MTGCM). The Planetary Data System (PDS) contains level 0 and 2 MGS Accelerometer data, corresponding to atmospheric densities along the orbit track. Level 3 products (densities, temperatures, and scale heights at constant altitudes) are also available in the PDS. These datasets provide the primary model constraints for the new MGCM-MTGCM simulations summarized in this report. Our strategy for improving the characterization of the Mars upper atmospheres using these models has been three-fold : (a) to conduct data-model comparisons using the latest MGS data covering limited climatic and weather conditions at Mars, (b) to upgrade the 15-micron cooling and near-IR heating rates in the MGCM and MTGCM codes for ad- dressing climatic variations (solar cycle and seasonal) important in linking the lower and upper atmospheres (including migrating tides), and (c) to exercise the detailed coupled MGCM and MTGCM codes to capture and diagnose the planetary wave (migrating plus non-migrating tidal) features throughout the Mars year. Products from this new suite of MGCM-MTGCM coupled simulations are being used to improve our predictions of the structure of the Mars upper atmosphere for the upcoming MRO aerobraking exercises in 2006. A Michigan website, containing MTGCM output fields from previous climate simulations, is being expanded to include new MGCM-MTGCM simulations addressing planetary wave influences upon thermospheric aerobraking fields (densities and temperatures). In addition, similar MTGCM output fields have been supplied to the MSFC MARSGRAM - 200X empirical model, which will be used in mission operations for conducting aerobraking maneuvers.

Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) Capability Status in the BISON Fuel Performance Code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williamson, Richard L.; Folsom, Charles Pearson; Pastore, Giovanni

2016-05-01

One of the Challenge Problems being considered within CASL relates to modelling and simulation of Light Water Reactor LWR) fuel under Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) conditions. BISON is the fuel performance code used within CASL for LWR fuel under both normal operating and accident conditions, and thus must be capable of addressing the RIA challenge problem. This report outlines required BISON capabilities for RIAs and describes the current status of the code. Information on recent accident capability enhancements, application of BISON to a RIA benchmark exercise, and plans for validation to RIA behavior are included.

Exercise Improves Cognition in Parkinson’s Disease: the PRET-PD Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

David, Fabian J.; Robichaud, Julie A.; Leurgans, Sue E.; Poon, Cynthia; Kohrt, Wendy M.; Goldman, Jennifer G.; Comella, Cynthia L.; Vaillancourt, David E.; Corcos, Daniel M.

2015-01-01

Background This paper reports on the findings of the effect of two structured exercise interventions on secondary cognitive outcomes which were gathered as part of the Progressive Resistance Exercise Training in Parkinson’s disease randomized controlled trial. Methods This study was a prospective, parallel-group, single-center trial. Fifty-one non-demented patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease were randomly assigned either to modified Fitness Counts or to Progressive Resistance Exercise, and were followed for 24 months. Cognitive outcomes were the Digit Span, Stroop, and Brief Test of Attention. Results Eighteen patients in modified Fitness Counts and 20 patients in Progressive Resistance Exercise completed the trial. At 12 and at 24 months no differences between groups were observed. At 12 months, relative to baseline, modified Fitness Counts improved on the Digit Span (estimated change, 0.3; Inter-Quartile Range, 0, 0.7; p=0.04) and Stroop (0.3; 0, 0.6; p=0.04), and Progressive Resistance Exercise improved only on the Digit Span (0.7; 0.3, 1; p<0.01). At 24 months, relative to baseline, modified Fitness Counts improved on the Digit Span (0.7; 0.3, 1.7; p<0.01) and Stroop (0.3; 0.1, 0.5; p=0.03), while Progressive Resistance Exercise improved on the Digit Span (0.5; 0.2, 0.8; p<0.01), Stroop (0.2; −0.1, 0.6; p=0.048), and Brief Test of Attention (0.3; 0, 0.8; p=0.048). No neurologic or cognitive adverse events were seen. Conclusions This study provides Class IV level of evidence that 24 months of Progressive Resistance Exercise or modified Fitness Counts may improve attention and working memory in non-demented patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease. PMID:26148003

Teaching program for the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale.

PubMed

Goetz, Christopher G; Nutt, John G; Stebbins, Glenn T; Chmura, Teresa A

2009-07-15

The Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) has been introduced as a comprehensive rating tool for the evaluation of dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease (PD). To enhance a uniform application, we developed a DVD-based training program with instructions, patient examples, and a certification exercise. For training on the objective assessment of dyskinesia, seventy PD patients spanning the gamut of dyskinesias (none to severe) were videotaped during four tasks of daily living (speaking, drinking from a cup, putting on a coat, and walking). Dyskinesia severity in seven body parts was rated by 20 international movement disorder specialists using the UDysRS for impairment. Each task was also rated for disability. Inter-rater reliability was assessed with generalized weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients. For the teaching program, examples of each severity level and each body part were selected based on the criterion that they received a uniform rating (+/- 1 point) by at least 75% of the raters. For the certification exercise, four cases were selected to represent the four quartiles of overall objective UDysRS scores to reflect slight, mild, moderate, and severe dyskinesia. Each selection was based on the highest inter-rater reliability score for that quartile (minimum kappa or intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.6). UDysRS ranges for certification were calculated based on the 95% confidence interval. The teaching program lasts 41 min, and the certification exercise requires 10 min (total 51 min). This training program, based on visual examples of dyskinesia and anchored in scores generated by movement disorder experts is aimed at increasing homogeneity of ratings among and within raters and centers. Large-scale multicenter randomized clinical trials of dyskinesia treatment are strengthened by a uniform standard of scale application. 2009 Movement Disorder Society.

Relationship between Musical Characteristics and Temporal Breathing Pattern in Piano Performance

PubMed Central

Sakaguchi, Yutaka; Aiba, Eriko

2016-01-01

Although there is growing evidence that breathing is modulated by various motor and cognitive activities, the nature of breathing in musical performance has been little explored. The present study examined the temporal breath pattern in piano performance, aiming to elucidate how breath timing is related to musical organization/events and performance. In the experiments, the respiration of 15 professional and amateur pianists, playing 10 music excerpts in total (from four-octave C major scale, Hanon's exercise, J. S. Bach's Invention, Mozart's Sonatas, and Debussy's Clair de lune), was monitored by capnography. The relationship between breathing and musical characteristics was analyzed. Five major results were obtained. (1) Mean breath interval was shortened for excerpts in faster tempi. (2) Fluctuation of breath intervals was reduced for the pieces for finger exercise and those in faster tempi. Pianists showing large within-trial fluctuation also exhibited large inter-excerpt difference. (3) Inter-trial consistency of the breath patterns depended on the excerpts. Consistency was generally reduced for the excerpts that could be performed mechanically (i.e., pieces for finger exercise), but interestingly, one third of the participant showed consistent patterns for the simple scale, correlated with the ascending/descending sequences. (4) Pianists tended to exhale just after the music onsets, inhale at the rests, and inhibit inhale during the slur parts. There was correlation between breathing pattern and two-voice polyphonic structure for several participants. (5) Respiratory patterns were notably different among the pianists. Every pianist showed his or her own characteristic features commonly for various musical works. These findings suggest that breathing in piano performance depends not only on musical parameters and organization written in the score but also some pianist-dependent factors which might be ingrained to individual pianists. PMID:27516736

Relationship between Musical Characteristics and Temporal Breathing Pattern in Piano Performance.

PubMed

Sakaguchi, Yutaka; Aiba, Eriko

2016-01-01

Although there is growing evidence that breathing is modulated by various motor and cognitive activities, the nature of breathing in musical performance has been little explored. The present study examined the temporal breath pattern in piano performance, aiming to elucidate how breath timing is related to musical organization/events and performance. In the experiments, the respiration of 15 professional and amateur pianists, playing 10 music excerpts in total (from four-octave C major scale, Hanon's exercise, J. S. Bach's Invention, Mozart's Sonatas, and Debussy's Clair de lune), was monitored by capnography. The relationship between breathing and musical characteristics was analyzed. Five major results were obtained. (1) Mean breath interval was shortened for excerpts in faster tempi. (2) Fluctuation of breath intervals was reduced for the pieces for finger exercise and those in faster tempi. Pianists showing large within-trial fluctuation also exhibited large inter-excerpt difference. (3) Inter-trial consistency of the breath patterns depended on the excerpts. Consistency was generally reduced for the excerpts that could be performed mechanically (i.e., pieces for finger exercise), but interestingly, one third of the participant showed consistent patterns for the simple scale, correlated with the ascending/descending sequences. (4) Pianists tended to exhale just after the music onsets, inhale at the rests, and inhibit inhale during the slur parts. There was correlation between breathing pattern and two-voice polyphonic structure for several participants. (5) Respiratory patterns were notably different among the pianists. Every pianist showed his or her own characteristic features commonly for various musical works. These findings suggest that breathing in piano performance depends not only on musical parameters and organization written in the score but also some pianist-dependent factors which might be ingrained to individual pianists.

Optimisation of an analytical method and results from the inter-laboratory comparison of the migration of regulated substances from food packaging into the new mandatory European Union simulant for dry foodstuffs.

PubMed

Jakubowska, Natalia; Beldì, Giorgia; Peychès Bach, Aurélie; Simoneau, Catherine

2014-01-01

This paper presents the outcome of the development, optimisation and validation at European Union level of an analytical method for using poly(2,6-diphenyl phenylene oxide--PPPO), which is stipulated in Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011, as food simulant E for testing specific migration from plastics into dry foodstuffs. Two methods for fortifying respectively PPPO and a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film with surrogate substances that are relevant to food contact were developed. A protocol for cleaning the PPPO and an efficient analytical method were developed for the quantification of butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), benzophenone (BP), diisobutylphthalate (DiBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, diisononyl ester (DINCH) from PPPO. A protocol for a migration test from plastics using small migration cells was also developed. The method was validated by an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) with 16 national reference laboratories for food contact materials in the European Union. This allowed for the first time data to be obtained on the precision and laboratory performance of both migration and quantification. The results showed that the validation ILC was successful even when taking into account the complexity of the exercise. The results showed that the method performance was 7-9% repeatability standard deviation (rSD) for most substances (regardless of concentration), with 12% rSD for the high level of BHT and for DiBP at very low levels. The reproducibility standard deviation results for the 16 European Union laboratories were in the range of 20-30% for the quantification from PPPO (for the three levels of concentrations of the five substances) and 15-40% from migration experiments from the fortified plastic at 60°C for 10 days and subsequent quantification. Considering the lack of data previously available in the literature, this work has demonstrated that the validation of a method is possible both for migration from a film and for quantification into a corresponding simulant for specific migration.

Calculation of inviscid flow over shuttle-like vehicles at high angles of attack and comparisons with experimental data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weilmuenster, K. J.; Hamilton, H. H., II

1983-01-01

A computer code HALIS, designed to compute the three dimensional flow about shuttle like configurations at angles of attack greater than 25 deg, is described. Results from HALIS are compared where possible with an existing flow field code; such comparisons show excellent agreement. Also, HALIS results are compared with experimental pressure distributions on shuttle models over a wide range of angle of attack. These comparisons are excellent. It is demonstrated that the HALIS code can incorporate equilibrium air chemistry in flow field computations.

Does Physical Loading Affect The Speed and Accuracy of Tactical Decision-Making in Elite Junior Soccer Players?

PubMed Central

Frýbort, Pavel; Kokštejn, Jakub; Musálek, Martin; Süss, Vladimír

2016-01-01

A soccer player’s capability to control and manage his behaviour in a game situation is a prerequisite, reflecting not only swift and accurate tactical decision-making, but also prompt implementation of a motor task during intermittent exercise conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between varying exercise intensity and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of motor response in an offensive game situation in soccer. The participants (n = 42) were male, semi-professional, soccer players (M age 18.0 ± 0.9 years) and trained five times a week. Each player performed four different modes of exercise intensity on the treadmill (motor inactivity, aerobic, intermittent and anaerobic activity). After the end of each exercise, visual-motor response time and accuracy of motor response were assessed. Players’ motion was captured by digital video camera. ANOVA indicated no significant difference (p = 0.090) in the accuracy of motor response between the four exercise intensity modes. Practical significance (Z-test = 0.31) was found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism, and intense intermittent exercise. A medium size effect (Z-test = 0.34) was also found in visual-motor response time between exercise with dominant involvement of aerobic metabolism and exercise with dominant involvement of anaerobic metabolism, which was confirmed by ANOVA (897.02 ± 57.46 vs. 940.95 ± 71.14; p = 0.002). The results showed that different modes of exercise intensity do not adversely affect the accuracy of motor responses; however, high-intensity exercise has a negative effect on visual-motor response time in comparison to moderate intensity exercise. Key points Different exercise intensity modes did not affect the accuracy of motor response. Anaerobic, highly intensive short-term exercise significantly decreased the visual-motor response time in comparison with aerobic exercise. Further research should focus on the assessment of VMRT from a player’s real - field position view rather than a perspective view. PMID:27274671

The Development of a Computer Code (U2DIIF) for the Numerical Solution of Unsteady, Inviscid and Incompressible Flow Over an Airfoil.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

not have been exercised for all cases of interest. While every effort has been made, within the time available, to ensure that the programs are free...crossed. Failing the proper denvatcin of a new pressure equation appiicabie to unsteady rotational flows, care must be exercised :, o -e-gard the present...time tk . U(T) - Chordwise translation velocity ( postive forward) at time tk. V(T) - Transverse translational velocity (positive downward) at trie tk

Pacing Profiles in Competitive Track Races: Regulation of Exercise Intensity Is Related to Cognitive Ability.

PubMed

Van Biesen, Debbie; Hettinga, Florentina J; McCulloch, Katina; Vanlandewijck, Yves

2016-01-01

Pacing has been defined as the goal-directed regulation of exercise intensity over an exercise bout, in which athletes need to decide how and when to invest their energy. The purpose of this study was to explore if the regulation of exercise intensity during competitive track races is different between runners with and without intellectual impairment, which is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (IQ ≤ 75) and adaptive behavioral deficits, diagnosed before the age of 18. The samples included elite runners with intellectual impairment ( N = 36) and a comparison group of world class runners without impairment ( N = 39), of which 47 were 400 m runners (all male) and 28 were 1500 m-runners (15 male and 13 female). Pacing was analyzed by means of 100 m split times (for 400 m races) and 200 m split times (for 1500 m races). Based on the split times, the average velocity was calculated for four segments of the races. Velocity fluctuations were defined as the differences in velocity between consecutive race segments. A mixed model ANOVA revealed significant differences in pacing profiles between runners with and without intellectual impairment ( p < 0.05). Maximal velocity of elite 400 m runners with intellectual impairment in the first race segment (7.9 ± 0.3 m/s) was well below the top-velocity reached by world level 400 m runners without intellectual impairment (8.9 ± 0.2 m/s), and their overall pace was slower ( F = 120.7, p < 0.05). In addition, both groups followed a different pacing profile and inter-individual differences in pacing profiles were larger, with differences most pronounced for 1500 m races. Whereas, male 1500 m-runners without intellectual impairment reached a high velocity in the first 100 m (7.2 ± 0.1 m/s), slowly decelerated in the second race segment (-0.6 ± 0.1 m/s), and finished with an end sprint (+0.9 ± 0.1 m/s); the 1500 m runners with intellectual impairment started slower (6.1 ± 0.3 m/s), accelerated in the second segment (+0.2 ± 0.7 m/s), and then slowly decreased until the finish ( F = 6.8, p < 0.05). Our findings support the hypothesis that runners with intellectual impairment have difficulties to efficiently self-regulate their exercise intensity. Their limited cognitive resources may constrain the successful integration of appropriate pacing strategies during competitive races.

Validation of the NCC Code for Staged Transverse Injection and Computations for a RBCC Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ajmani, Kumud; Liu, Nan-Suey

2005-01-01

The NCC code was validated for a case involving staged transverse injection into Mach 2 flow behind a rearward facing step. Comparisons with experimental data and with solutions from the FPVortex code was then used to perform computations to study fuel-air mixing for the combustor of a candidate rocket based combined cycle engine geometry. Comparisons with a one-dimensional analysis and a three-dimensional code (VULCAN) were performed to assess the qualitative and quantitative performance of the NCC solver.

Reliability of SNOMED-CT Coding by Three Physicians using Two Terminology Browsers

PubMed Central

Chiang, Michael F.; Hwang, John C.; Yu, Alexander C.; Casper, Daniel S.; Cimino, James J.; Starren, Justin

2006-01-01

SNOMED-CT has been promoted as a reference terminology for electronic health record (EHR) systems. Many important EHR functions are based on the assumption that medical concepts will be coded consistently by different users. This study is designed to measure agreement among three physicians using two SNOMED-CT terminology browsers to encode 242 concepts from five ophthalmology case presentations in a publicly-available clinical journal. Inter-coder reliability, based on exact coding match by each physician, was 44% using one browser and 53% using the other. Intra-coder reliability testing revealed that a different SNOMED-CT code was obtained up to 55% of the time when the two browsers were used by one user to encode the same concept. These results suggest that the reliability of SNOMED-CT coding is imperfect, and may be a function of browsing methodology. A combination of physician training, terminology refinement, and browser improvement may help increase the reproducibility of SNOMED-CT coding. PMID:17238317

Do nonexercisers also share the positive exerciser stereotype?: An elicitation and comparison of beliefs about exercisers.

PubMed

Rodgers, Wendy M; Hall, Craig R; Wilson, Philip M; Berry, Tanya R

2009-02-01

The purpose of this research was to examine whether exercisers and nonexercisers are rated similarly on a variety of characteristics by a sample of randomly selected regular exercisers, nonexercisers who intend to exercise, and nonexercisers with no intention to exercise. Previous research by Martin Ginis et al. (2003) has demonstrated an exerciser stereotype that advantages exercisers. It is unknown, however, the extent to which an exerciser stereotype is shared by nonexercisers, particularly nonintenders. Following an item-generation procedure, a sample of 470 (n=218 men; n=252 women) people selected using random digit dialing responded to a questionnaire assessing the extent to which they agreed that exercisers and nonexercisers possessed 24 characteristics, such as "happy," "fit," "fat," and "lazy." The results strongly support a positive exerciser bias, with exercisers rated more favorably on 22 of the 24 items. The degree of bias was equivalent in all groups of respondents. Examination of the demographic characteristics revealed no differences among the three groups on age, work status, or child-care responsibilities, suggesting that there is a pervasive positive exerciser bias.

[Physical exercise versus exercise program using electrical stimulation devices for home use].

PubMed

Santos, F M; Rodrigues, R G S; Trindade-Filho, E M

2008-02-01

To evaluate the effects of electrical muscle stimulation with devices for home use on neuromuscular conditioning. The study sample comprised 20 sedentary, right-handed, voluntary women aged from 18 to 25 years in the city of Maceió, Northeastern Brazil, in 2006. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: group A included women who underwent muscle stimulation using commercial electrical devices; group B included those women who performed physical activities with loads. The training program for both groups consisted of two weekly sessions for two months, in a total of 16 sessions. Comparisons of body weight, cirtometry, fleximetry, and muscle strength before and after exercise were determined using the paired t-test. For the comparisons between both groups, Student's t-test was used and a 5% significance level was adopted. Muscle strength subjectively assessed before and after each intervention was increased in both groups. Significant increases in muscle mass and strength were seen only in those subjects who performed voluntary physical activity. Resisted knee flexion and extension exercises effectively increased muscle mass and strength when compared to electrical stimulation at 87 Hz which did not produce a similar effect. The study results showed that electrical stimulation devices for passive physical exercising commercially available are less effective than voluntary physical exercise.

Muscle fatigue experienced during maximal eccentric exercise is predictive of the plasma creatine kinase (CK) response.

PubMed

Hody, S; Rogister, B; Leprince, P; Wang, F; Croisier, J-L

2013-08-01

Unaccustomed eccentric exercise may cause skeletal muscle damage with an increase in plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity. Although the wide variability among individuals in CK response to standardized lengthening contractions has been well described, the reasons underlying this phenomenon have not yet been understood. Therefore, this study investigated a possible correlation of the changes in muscle damage indirect markers after an eccentric exercise with the decline in muscle performance during the exercise. Twenty-seven healthy untrained male subjects performed three sets of 30 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of the knee extensors. The muscular work was recorded using an isokinetic dynamometer to assess muscle fatigue by means of various fatigue indices. Plasma CK activity, muscle soreness, and stiffness were measured before (pre) and one day after (post) exercise. The eccentric exercise bout induced significant changes of the three muscle damage indirect markers. Large inter-subject variability was observed for all criteria measured. More interestingly, the log (CK(post) /CK(pre)) and muscle stiffness appeared to be closely correlated with the relative work decrease (r = 0.84, r(2)  = 0.70 and r = 0.75, r(2)  = 0.56, respectively). This is the first study to propose that the muscle fatigue profile during maximal eccentric protocol could predict the magnitude of the symptoms associated with muscle damage in humans. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does Scoliosis-Specific Exercise Treatment in Adolescence Alter Adult Quality of Life?

PubMed Central

Płaszewski, Maciej; Cieśliński, Igor; Kowalski, Paweł; Truszczyńska, Aleksandra; Nowobilski, Roman

2014-01-01

Objective. Health-related quality of life in adults, who in adolescence participated in a scoliosis-specific exercise program, was not previously studied. Design. Cross-sectional study, with retrospective data collection. Material and Methods. Homogenous groups of 68 persons (43 women) aged 30.10 (25–39) years, with mild or moderate scoliosis, and 76 (38 women) able-bodied persons, aged 30.11 (24–38) years, who 16.5 (12–26) years earlier had completed scoliosis-specific exercise or observation regimes, participated. Their respiratory characteristics did not differ from predicted values. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, and pain scale (VAS) were applied. Results. The transformed WHOQOL-BREF scores ranged from 54.6 ± 11.19 in the physical domain in the mild scoliotic subgroup to 77.1 ± 16.05 in the social domain in the able-bodied subgroup. The ODQ values did not generally exceed 5.3 ± 7.53. Inter- and intragroup differences were nonsignificant. Age, marital status, education, and gender were significantly associated with the ODQ scores. Significant association between the ODQ and WHOQOL-BREF social relationships domain scores with the participation in exercise treatment was found. Conclusions. Participants with the history of exercise treatment generally did not differ significantly from their peers who were only under observation. This study cannot conclude that scoliosis-specific exercise treatment in adolescence alters quality of life in adulthood. PMID:25436225

Feedback suppression of meal-induced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion mediated through elevations in intact GLP-1 caused by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition: a randomized, prospective comparison of sitagliptin and vildagliptin treatment.

PubMed

Baranov, Oleg; Kahle, Melanie; Deacon, Carolyn F; Holst, Jens J; Nauck, Michael A

2016-11-01

To compare directly the clinical effects of vildagliptin and sitagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes, with a special emphasis on incretin hormones and L-cell feedback inhibition induced by dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP-4) inhibition. A total of 24 patients (12 on a diet/exercise regimen, 12 on metformin) were treated, in randomized order, for 7-9 days, with either vildagliptin (50 mg twice daily = 100 mg/d), sitagliptin (100 mg once daily in those on diet, 50 mg twice daily in those on metformin treatment = 100 mg/d) or placebo (twice daily). A mixed-meal test was performed. Intact glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide concentrations were doubled by both DPP-4 inhibitors. Meal-related total GLP-1 responses were reduced by vildagliptin and sitagliptin treatment alike in the majority of patients (vildagliptin: p = 0.0005; sitagliptin: p = 0.019), but with substantial inter-individual variation. L-cell feedback appeared to be more pronounced in those whose intact GLP-1 relative to total GLP-1 increased more, and who had greater reductions in fasting plasma glucose after DPP-4 inhibition. K-cell feedback inhibition overall was not significant. There were no differences in any of the clinical variables (glycaemia, insulin and glucagon secretory responses) between vildagliptin and sitagliptin treatment. Vildagliptin and sitagliptin affected incretin hormones, glucose concentrations, insulin and glucagon secretion in a similar manner. Inter-individual variations in L-cell feedback inhibition may indicate heterogeneity in the clinical response to DPP-4 inhibition. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

South American mega cities: Knowledge gaps and collaboration opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallardo, L.

2012-04-01

Urbanization and population concentration are outstanding phenomena in South America. About 83% of the 530 million South Americans live already in large coastal or near coastal cities (> 750 k inhabitants), many of which are heavily polluted. Curbing measures have been implemented on a relatively fast pace taking advantage of lessons learned elsewhere. However, as environmental objectives become more ambitious, considering for instance chronic health effects, impacts on ecosystems and agriculture, addressing secondary particles and climatic impacts, the need for cost-effective measures requires of more reliable and locally representative data. Such data include: emission fluxes (both natural and anthropogenic) and emission scenarios; characterization of vertical mixing; speciation and distribution of pollutants and precursors. In this presentation, we review the current situation in terms of atmospheric modeling, emission modeling, measuring and observations in a number of South American cities. Also, we describe low-cost actions oriented towards improving our understanding of: 1) vertical mixing by means of a modeling inter comparison exercise using data already collected in Santiago de Chile; 2) aerosol composition and speciation of volatile organic compounds by means of a coordinated sampling of filters and canisters at various locations highlighting the diversity of our cities. These actions were collectively convened by ca. 50 leading scientists and local policy makers during an international symposium held in Santiago in January 2012 (http://ossaf.cmm.uchile.cl/). This activity marked the closure of a five year project sponsored by the Inter American Institute on Global Change Research that tackled South American Emissions Megacities and Climate (SAEMC, CRN 2017). It was also a regional activity promoted and sponsored by the international Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP), and by the World Meteorological Organization, Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) Urban Research Meteorology and Environment (GURME).

Counselor competence for telephone Motivation Interviewing addressing lifestyle change among Dutch older adults.

PubMed

Mesters, Ilse; Keulen, Hilde M van; de Vries, Hein; Brug, Johannes

2017-12-01

Counselor competence in telephone Motivation Interviewing (MI) to change lifestyle behaviors in a primary care population was assessed using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) rating system. Counselor behavior was evaluated by trained raters. Twenty minutes of a random sample of 336 MI sessions were coded representing 232 counselees. Ninety-four sessions (28%) were double coded to assess inter-rater agreement. The MI fidelity was examined by comparing the MI fidelity scores direction, empathy, spirit, % open questions, % complex reflections, reflections-to-questions ratio, % MI-adherent responses with the matching beginner proficiency MITI threshold. The inter-rater agreements for the MI fidelity summary scores were good (spirit, reflections-to-questions ratio), fair (empathy, % open questions, % MI-adherent responses) or poor (direction, % complex reflection). The MI fidelity scores for direction, empathy, spirit and the percentage of complex reflections exceeded the MITI threshold, but lower scores were found for the percentage of open questions, the reflections-to-questions ratio and the percentage of MI-adherent responses. In conclusion, evidence that MI was implemented was revealed. However, the inter-rater agreements scores and some fidelity scores leave room for improvement indicating that raters and counselors may need more ongoing training and feedback to achieve and maintain adequate competence. These findings apply to more complex skills (as rating complex reflections) in particular. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intra-/inter-laboratory validation study on reactive oxygen species assay for chemical photosafety evaluation using two different solar simulators.

PubMed

Onoue, Satomi; Hosoi, Kazuhiro; Toda, Tsuguto; Takagi, Hironori; Osaki, Naoto; Matsumoto, Yasuhiro; Kawakami, Satoru; Wakuri, Shinobu; Iwase, Yumiko; Yamamoto, Toshinobu; Nakamura, Kazuichi; Ohno, Yasuo; Kojima, Hajime

2014-06-01

A previous multi-center validation study demonstrated high transferability and reliability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay for photosafety evaluation. The present validation study was undertaken to verify further the applicability of different solar simulators and assay performance. In 7 participating laboratories, 2 standards and 42 coded chemicals, including 23 phototoxins and 19 non-phototoxic drugs/chemicals, were assessed by the ROS assay using two different solar simulators (Atlas Suntest CPS series, 3 labs; and Seric SXL-2500V2, 4 labs). Irradiation conditions could be optimized using quinine and sulisobenzone as positive and negative standards to offer consistent assay outcomes. In both solar simulators, the intra- and inter-day precisions (coefficient of variation; CV) for quinine were found to be below 10%. The inter-laboratory CV for quinine averaged 15.4% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and 13.2% (Seric SXL-2500V2) for singlet oxygen and 17.0% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and 7.1% (Seric SXL-2500V2) for superoxide, suggesting high inter-laboratory reproducibility even though different solar simulators were employed for the ROS assay. In the ROS assay on 42 coded chemicals, some chemicals (ca. 19-29%) were unevaluable because of limited solubility and spectral interference. Although several false positives appeared with positive predictivity of ca. 76-92% (Atlas Suntest CPS) and ca. 75-84% (Seric SXL-2500V2), there were no false negative predictions in both solar simulators. A multi-center validation study on the ROS assay demonstrated satisfactory transferability, accuracy, precision, and predictivity, as well as the availability of other solar simulators. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Music Aerobic Exercise on Depression and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Community Dwelling Women

PubMed Central

Yeh, Shu-Hui; Lin, Li-Wei; Chuang, Yu Kuan; Liu, Cheng-Ling; Tsai, Lu-Jen; Tsuei, Feng-Shiou; Lee, Ming-Tsung; Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh; Yang, Kuender D.

2015-01-01

A randomized clinical trial was utilized to compare the improvement of depression and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels between community women with and without music aerobic exercise (MAE) for 12 weeks. The MAE group involved 47 eligible participants, whereas the comparison group had 59 participants. No significant differences were recorded in the demographic characteristics between the participants in the MAE group and the comparison group. Forty-one participants in the MAE group and 26 in the comparison group completed a pre- and posttest. The MAE group displayed significant improvement in depression scores (p = 0.016), decreased depression symptoms in crying (p = 0.03), appetite (p = 0.006), and fatigue (p = 0.011). The BDNF levels of the participants significantly increased after the 12-week MAE (p = 0.042). The parallel comparison group revealed no significant changes in depression scores or BDNF levels. In summary, the 12-week MAE had a significant impact on the enhancement of BDNF levels and improvement of depression symptoms. Middle-aged community women are encouraged to exercise moderately to improve their depression symptoms and BDNF levels. PMID:26075212

Validation and evaluation of the advanced aeronautical CFD system SAUNA: A method developer's view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, J. A.; Peace, A. J.; Georgala, J. M.; Childs, P. N.

1993-09-01

This paper is concerned with a detailed validation and evaluation of the SAUNA CFD system for complex aircraft configurations. The methodology of the complete system is described in brief, including its unique use of differing grid generation strategies (structured, unstructured or both) depending on the geometric complexity of the configuration. A wide range of configurations and flow conditions are chosen in the validation and evaluation exercise to demonstrate the scope of SAUNA. A detailed description of the results from the method is preceded by a discussion on the philosophy behind the strategy followed in the exercise, in terms of equality assessment and the differing roles of the code developer and the code user. It is considered that SAUNA has grown into a highly usable tool for the aircraft designer, in combining flexibility and accuracy in an efficient manner.

Oblique shock structures formed during the ablation phase of aluminium wire array z-pinches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swadling, G. F.; Lebedev, S. V.; Niasse, N.

A series of experiments has been conducted in order to investigate the azimuthal structures formed by the interactions of cylindrically converging plasma flows during the ablation phase of aluminium wire array Z pinch implosions. These experiments were carried out using the 1.4 MA, 240 ns MAGPIE generator at Imperial College London. The main diagnostic used in this study was a two-colour, end-on, Mach-Zehnder imaging interferometer, sensitive to the axially integrated electron density of the plasma. The data collected in these experiments reveal the strongly collisional dynamics of the aluminium ablation streams. The structure of the flows is dominated by amore » dense network of oblique shock fronts, formed by supersonic collisions between adjacent ablation streams. An estimate for the range of the flow Mach number (M = 6.2-9.2) has been made based on an analysis of the observed shock geometry. Combining this measurement with previously published Thomson Scattering measurements of the plasma flow velocity by Harvey-Thompson et al.[Physics of Plasmas 19, 056303 (2012)] allowed us to place limits on the range of the ZT{sub e} of the plasma. The detailed and quantitative nature of the dataset lends itself well as a source for model validation and code verification exercises, as the exact shock geometry is sensitive to many of the plasma parameters. Comparison of electron density data produced through numerical modelling with the Gorgon 3D MHD code demonstrates that the code is able to reproduce the collisional dynamics observed in aluminium arrays reasonably well.« less

Comparison of whole-body vibration exercise and plyometric exercise to improve isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance and balance of female volleyball players

PubMed Central

Kim, Yong-Youn; Park, Si-Eun

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of whole-body vibration exercise and plyometric exercise on female volleyball players. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were randomly allocated to two exercise groups (whole-body vibration exercise group and plyometric exercise group). The exercise was conducted three times each week for 8 weeks. Isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance, and balance were measured before starting the exercise and after finishing the 8 weeks of exercise. [Results] Measurements of isokinetic muscular strength revealed that the whole-body vibration exercise group showed significant increase after the exercise. However, the plyometric exercise group had no significant increase in lumbar flexion, extension, and knee flexion. Measurements of vertical jumping revealed that, the whole-body vibration exercise group had no significant increase after the exercise. However, the plyometric exercise group showed significant increase. Measurements of balance revealed that, the whole-body vibration exercise group showed significant increase. However, the plyometric exercise group showed no significant increase. [Conclusion] Although both whole-body vibration and plyometric exercises are effective intervention methods, the two methods have different effects on the improvement of isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance, and balance of female volleyball players. PMID:27942136

Comparison of whole-body vibration exercise and plyometric exercise to improve isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance and balance of female volleyball players.

PubMed

Kim, Yong-Youn; Park, Si-Eun

2016-11-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of whole-body vibration exercise and plyometric exercise on female volleyball players. [Subjects and Methods] Subjects were randomly allocated to two exercise groups (whole-body vibration exercise group and plyometric exercise group). The exercise was conducted three times each week for 8 weeks. Isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance, and balance were measured before starting the exercise and after finishing the 8 weeks of exercise. [Results] Measurements of isokinetic muscular strength revealed that the whole-body vibration exercise group showed significant increase after the exercise. However, the plyometric exercise group had no significant increase in lumbar flexion, extension, and knee flexion. Measurements of vertical jumping revealed that, the whole-body vibration exercise group had no significant increase after the exercise. However, the plyometric exercise group showed significant increase. Measurements of balance revealed that, the whole-body vibration exercise group showed significant increase. However, the plyometric exercise group showed no significant increase. [Conclusion] Although both whole-body vibration and plyometric exercises are effective intervention methods, the two methods have different effects on the improvement of isokinetic muscular strength, jumping performance, and balance of female volleyball players.

Inter-Agency Cooperation: The New Security Paradigm in the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-22

year. Other then development and military to military projects, the CJTF-HOA also conducted medical and veterinarian exercises in conjunction with...training in basic medical and veterinarian services, to isolated civilian populations, we were giving the partner nation government the opportunity to...collaboration practices and challenges at DoD’s Southern and African Commands. In this brief it was brought to light that there is a shortage of

Comparisons of time explicit hybrid kinetic-fluid code Architect for Plasma Wakefield Acceleration with a full PIC code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Massimo, F., E-mail: francesco.massimo@ensta-paristech.fr; Dipartimento SBAI, Università di Roma “La Sapienza“, Via A. Scarpa 14, 00161 Roma; Atzeni, S.

Architect, a time explicit hybrid code designed to perform quick simulations for electron driven plasma wakefield acceleration, is described. In order to obtain beam quality acceptable for applications, control of the beam-plasma-dynamics is necessary. Particle in Cell (PIC) codes represent the state-of-the-art technique to investigate the underlying physics and possible experimental scenarios; however PIC codes demand the necessity of heavy computational resources. Architect code substantially reduces the need for computational resources by using a hybrid approach: relativistic electron bunches are treated kinetically as in a PIC code and the background plasma as a fluid. Cylindrical symmetry is assumed for themore » solution of the electromagnetic fields and fluid equations. In this paper both the underlying algorithms as well as a comparison with a fully three dimensional particle in cell code are reported. The comparison highlights the good agreement between the two models up to the weakly non-linear regimes. In highly non-linear regimes the two models only disagree in a localized region, where the plasma electrons expelled by the bunch close up at the end of the first plasma oscillation.« less

The action of pre-exercise low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α proteins and on the functional fitness of elderly rats subjected to aerobic training.

PubMed

Amadio, Eliane Martins; Serra, Andrey Jorge; Guaraldo, Simone A; Silva, José Antônio; Antônio, Ednei Luis; Silva, Flávio; Portes, Leslie Andrews; Tucci, Paulo José Ferreira; Leal-Junior, Ernesto Cesar Pinto; de Carvalho, Paulo de Tarso Camillo

2015-04-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT), when used in conjunction with aerobic training, interferes with the expression of inflammatory markers IL-6 and TNF-α, thereby influencing the performance of old rats participating in swimming. A total of 30 Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were used for this study: 24 aged rats, and 6 young rats. The older animals were randomly divided into four groups designated as follows: aged-control, aged-exercise, aged-LLLT, aged-LLLT/exercise group, and young-control animals. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was analyzed before and after training period. The aged-exercise and aged-LLLT/exercise groups were trained for 6 weeks. LLLT laser was applied before each training session with 808 nm and 4 J of energy to the indicated groups throughout training. The rats were euthanized, and muscle tissue and serum were collected for muscle cross-sectional area and IL-6 and TNF-α protein analysis. In VO2 showed statistical difference between young- and aged-control groups (used as baseline) (p < 0.05). The same difference can be observed in the young control group compared with all intervention groups (exercise, LLLT and LLLT + exercise). In comparison with the aged-control group, a difference was observed only for comparison with the exercise group (p < 0.05), and exercise associated with LLLT group (p < 0.001). Levels of IL-6 and TNF-α for the aged-exercise and the aged-LLLT/exercise groups were significantly decreased compared to the aged-control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of the transverse section of the gastrocnemius muscle showed a significant difference between the aged-exercise and aged-LLLT/exercise groups (p < 0.001). These results suggest that laser therapy in conjunction with aerobic training may provide a therapeutic approach for reducing the inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), however, LLLT without exercise was not able to improve physical performance of aged rats.

Tumultuous Atmosphere (Physical, Mental), the Main Barrier to Emergency Department Inter-Professional Communication

PubMed Central

Varjoshani, Nasrin Jafari; Hosseini, Mohammad Ali; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Ahmadi, Fazlollah

2015-01-01

Background: A highly important factor in enhancing quality of patient care and job satisfaction of health care staff is inter-professional communication. Due to the critical nature of the work environment, the large number of staff and units, and complexity of professional tasks and interventions, inter-professional communication in an emergency department is particularly and exceptionally important. Despite its importance, inter-professional communication in emergency department seems unfavorable. Thus, this study was designed to explain barriers to inter-professional communication in an emergency department. Methodology & Methods: This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach, based on interviews conducted with 26 participants selected purposively, with diversity of occupation, position, age, gender, history, and place of work. Interviews were in-depth and semi-structured, and data were analyzed using the inductive content analysis approach. Results: In total, 251 initial codes were extracted from 30 interviews (some of the participants re-interviewed) and in the reducing trend of final results, 5 categories were extracted including overcrowded emergency, stressful emergency environment, not discerning emergency conditions, ineffective management, and inefficient communication channels. Tumultuous atmosphere (physical, mental) was the common theme between categories, and was decided to be the main barrier to effective inter-professional communication. Conclusion: Tumultuous atmosphere (physical-mental) was found to be the most important barrier to inter-professional communication. This study provided a better understanding of these barriers in emergency department, often neglected in most studies. It is held that by reducing environmental turmoil (physical-mental), inter-professional communication can be improved, thereby improving patient care outcomes and personnel job satisfaction. PMID:25560351

Behavior States Are Real and Observable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guess, Doug; Roberts, Sally; Rues, Jane

2000-01-01

This article critiques the research methodology used by Mudford, Hogg, and Roberts (1999) that resulted in a failure to achieve inter-observer agreement on adults with mental retardation when using an experimental, 13-category behavior state code. Arguments are provided on why their videotape study does not meet requirements of acceptable…

77 FR 54917 - Findings of Research Misconduct

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... values for inter-observer reliabilities when coding was done by only one observer, in both cases leading... Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case: Marc Hauser, Ph.D., Harvard... collaborators that he miscoded some of the trials and that the study failed to provide support for the initial...

Cross-cultural comparison of perspectives on healthy eating among Chinese and American undergraduate students.

PubMed

Banna, Jinan C; Gilliland, Betsy; Keefe, Margaret; Zheng, Dongping

2016-09-26

Understanding views about what constitutes a healthy diet in diverse populations may inform design of culturally tailored behavior change interventions. The objective of this study was to describe perspectives on healthy eating among Chinese and American young adults and identify similarities and differences between these groups. Chinese (n = 55) and American (n = 57) undergraduate students in Changsha, Hunan, China and Honolulu, Hawai'i, U.S.A. composed one- to two-paragraph responses to the following prompt: "What does the phrase 'a healthy diet' mean to you?" Researchers used content analysis to identify predominant themes using Dedoose (version 5.2.0, SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC, Los Angeles, CA, 2015). Three researchers independently coded essays and grouped codes with similar content. The team then identified themes and sorted them in discussion. Two researchers then deductively coded the entire data set using eight codes developed from the initial coding and calculated total code counts for each group of participants. Chinese students mentioned physical outcomes, such as maintaining immunity and digestive health. Timing of eating, with regular meals and greater intake during day than night, was emphasized. American students described balancing among food groups and balancing consumption with exercise, with physical activity considered essential. Students also stated that food components such as sugar, salt and fat should be avoided in large quantities. Similarities included principles such as moderation and fruits and vegetables as nutritious, and differences included foods to be restricted and meal timing. While both groups emphasized specific foods and guiding dietary principles, several distinctions in viewpoints emerged. The diverse views may reflect food-related messages to which participants are exposed both through the media and educational systems in their respective countries. Future studies may further examine themes that may not typically be addressed in nutrition education programs in diverse populations of young adults. Gaining greater knowledge of the ways in which healthy eating is viewed will allow for development of interventions that are sensitive to the traditional values and predominant views of health in various groups.

A versatile software package for inter-subject correlation based analyses of fMRI.

PubMed

Kauppi, Jukka-Pekka; Pajula, Juha; Tohka, Jussi

2014-01-01

In the inter-subject correlation (ISC) based analysis of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, the extent of shared processing across subjects during the experiment is determined by calculating correlation coefficients between the fMRI time series of the subjects in the corresponding brain locations. This implies that ISC can be used to analyze fMRI data without explicitly modeling the stimulus and thus ISC is a potential method to analyze fMRI data acquired under complex naturalistic stimuli. Despite of the suitability of ISC based approach to analyze complex fMRI data, no generic software tools have been made available for this purpose, limiting a widespread use of ISC based analysis techniques among neuroimaging community. In this paper, we present a graphical user interface (GUI) based software package, ISC Toolbox, implemented in Matlab for computing various ISC based analyses. Many advanced computations such as comparison of ISCs between different stimuli, time window ISC, and inter-subject phase synchronization are supported by the toolbox. The analyses are coupled with re-sampling based statistical inference. The ISC based analyses are data and computation intensive and the ISC toolbox is equipped with mechanisms to execute the parallel computations in a cluster environment automatically and with an automatic detection of the cluster environment in use. Currently, SGE-based (Oracle Grid Engine, Son of a Grid Engine, or Open Grid Scheduler) and Slurm environments are supported. In this paper, we present a detailed account on the methods behind the ISC Toolbox, the implementation of the toolbox and demonstrate the possible use of the toolbox by summarizing selected example applications. We also report the computation time experiments both using a single desktop computer and two grid environments demonstrating that parallelization effectively reduces the computing time. The ISC Toolbox is available in https://code.google.com/p/isc-toolbox/

A versatile software package for inter-subject correlation based analyses of fMRI

PubMed Central

Kauppi, Jukka-Pekka; Pajula, Juha; Tohka, Jussi

2014-01-01

In the inter-subject correlation (ISC) based analysis of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, the extent of shared processing across subjects during the experiment is determined by calculating correlation coefficients between the fMRI time series of the subjects in the corresponding brain locations. This implies that ISC can be used to analyze fMRI data without explicitly modeling the stimulus and thus ISC is a potential method to analyze fMRI data acquired under complex naturalistic stimuli. Despite of the suitability of ISC based approach to analyze complex fMRI data, no generic software tools have been made available for this purpose, limiting a widespread use of ISC based analysis techniques among neuroimaging community. In this paper, we present a graphical user interface (GUI) based software package, ISC Toolbox, implemented in Matlab for computing various ISC based analyses. Many advanced computations such as comparison of ISCs between different stimuli, time window ISC, and inter-subject phase synchronization are supported by the toolbox. The analyses are coupled with re-sampling based statistical inference. The ISC based analyses are data and computation intensive and the ISC toolbox is equipped with mechanisms to execute the parallel computations in a cluster environment automatically and with an automatic detection of the cluster environment in use. Currently, SGE-based (Oracle Grid Engine, Son of a Grid Engine, or Open Grid Scheduler) and Slurm environments are supported. In this paper, we present a detailed account on the methods behind the ISC Toolbox, the implementation of the toolbox and demonstrate the possible use of the toolbox by summarizing selected example applications. We also report the computation time experiments both using a single desktop computer and two grid environments demonstrating that parallelization effectively reduces the computing time. The ISC Toolbox is available in https://code.google.com/p/isc-toolbox/ PMID:24550818

Comparison of Effects of a Proprioceptive Exercise Program in Water and on Land the Balance of Chronic Stroke Patients

PubMed Central

Han, Seul Ki; Kim, Myung Chul; An, Chang Sik

2013-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare changes in balance ability of land exercise and underwater exercise on chronic stroke patients. [Subjects] A total of 60 patients received exercise for 40 minutes, three times a week, for 6 weeks. [Methods] Subjects from both groups performed general conventional treatment during the experimental period. In addition, all subjects engaged in extra treatment sessions. This extra treatment consisted of unstable surface exercise. The underwater exercise group used wonder boards in a pool (depth 1.1m, water temperature 33.5 °C, air temperature 27 °C) dedicated to underwater exercise, and the land exercise group used balance mats. [Result] The joint position sense, sway area, Berg Balance Scale showed significant improvements in both groups. However, the joint position sense test, sway area, and Berg Balance Scale showed there was more improvement in the underwater exercise group than in the land exercise group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that underwater exercise is more effective than land exercise at improving the joint position sense and balance of stroke patients. PMID:24259761

Comparison of effects of a proprioceptive exercise program in water and on land the balance of chronic stroke patients.

PubMed

Han, Seul Ki; Kim, Myung Chul; An, Chang Sik

2013-10-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare changes in balance ability of land exercise and underwater exercise on chronic stroke patients. [Subjects] A total of 60 patients received exercise for 40 minutes, three times a week, for 6 weeks. [Methods] Subjects from both groups performed general conventional treatment during the experimental period. In addition, all subjects engaged in extra treatment sessions. This extra treatment consisted of unstable surface exercise. The underwater exercise group used wonder boards in a pool (depth 1.1m, water temperature 33.5 °C, air temperature 27 °C) dedicated to underwater exercise, and the land exercise group used balance mats. [Result] The joint position sense, sway area, Berg Balance Scale showed significant improvements in both groups. However, the joint position sense test, sway area, and Berg Balance Scale showed there was more improvement in the underwater exercise group than in the land exercise group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that underwater exercise is more effective than land exercise at improving the joint position sense and balance of stroke patients.

Serum Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in Adolescents Undergoing Professional Endurance Sports Training

PubMed Central

Tong, Tom K.; Lin, Hua; Lippi, Giuseppe; Nie, Jinlei; Tian, Ye

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the impact of professional training on serum oxidant and antioxidant status in adolescent endurance athletes and compared it with that of untrained individuals. Firstly, serum thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARSs), xanthine oxidase (XO), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were measured in 67 male runners, cyclists, and untrained adolescents. Seven-day dietary intakes were also assessed. Secondly, for age- and Tanner-stage-matched comparison, 36 out of the 67 subjects (12 for each group) were then selected and investigated. In cyclists, XO, GSH, and CAT were higher as compared with runners and controls. The CAT in runners, but not GSH and XO, was also higher than in controls. TBARS, T-AOC, and SOD did not differ among the study populations. Regarding the inter-individual relationships among serum redox statuses and dietary nutrient intakes, significant correlations were noted in CAT versus carbohydrates, protein, magnesium, and manganese; GSH versus carbohydrates, protein, fat, selenium, zinc, iron, and magnesium; XO versus cholesterol; CAT versus GSH. These findings suggest that the resting blood redox balance in the professional adolescent athletes was well maintained partly by the increase of individual antioxidant in adaptation to chronic exercise. PMID:22577491

Serum oxidant and antioxidant status in adolescents undergoing professional endurance sports training.

PubMed

Tong, Tom K; Lin, Hua; Lippi, Giuseppe; Nie, Jinlei; Tian, Ye

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the impact of professional training on serum oxidant and antioxidant status in adolescent endurance athletes and compared it with that of untrained individuals. Firstly, serum thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARSs), xanthine oxidase (XO), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were measured in 67 male runners, cyclists, and untrained adolescents. Seven-day dietary intakes were also assessed. Secondly, for age- and Tanner-stage-matched comparison, 36 out of the 67 subjects (12 for each group) were then selected and investigated. In cyclists, XO, GSH, and CAT were higher as compared with runners and controls. The CAT in runners, but not GSH and XO, was also higher than in controls. TBARS, T-AOC, and SOD did not differ among the study populations. Regarding the inter-individual relationships among serum redox statuses and dietary nutrient intakes, significant correlations were noted in CAT versus carbohydrates, protein, magnesium, and manganese; GSH versus carbohydrates, protein, fat, selenium, zinc, iron, and magnesium; XO versus cholesterol; CAT versus GSH. These findings suggest that the resting blood redox balance in the professional adolescent athletes was well maintained partly by the increase of individual antioxidant in adaptation to chronic exercise.

Calibration of phoswich-based lung counting system using realistic chest phantom.

PubMed

Manohari, M; Mathiyarasu, R; Rajagopal, V; Meenakshisundaram, V; Indira, R

2011-03-01

A phoswich detector, housed inside a low background steel room, coupled with a state-of-art pulse shape discrimination (PSD) electronics is recently established at Radiological Safety Division of IGCAR for in vivo monitoring of actinides. The various parameters of PSD electronics were optimised to achieve efficient background reduction in low-energy regions. The PSD with optimised parameters has reduced steel room background from 9.5 to 0.28 cps in the 17 keV region and 5.8 to 0.3 cps in the 60 keV region. The Figure of Merit for the timing spectrum of the system is 3.0. The true signal loss due to PSD was found to be less than 2 %. The phoswich system was calibrated with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory realistic chest phantom loaded with (241)Am activity tagged lung set. Calibration factors for varying chest wall composition and chest wall thickness in terms of muscle equivalent chest wall thickness were established. (241)Am activity in the JAERI phantom which was received as a part of IAEA inter-comparison exercise was estimated. This paper presents the optimisation of PSD electronics and the salient results of the calibration.

Environmental Influences on Elite Sport Athletes Well Being: From Gold, Silver, and Bronze to Blue Green and Gold

PubMed Central

Donnelly, Aoife A.; MacIntyre, Tadhg E.; O’Sullivan, Nollaig; Warrington, Giles; Harrison, Andrew J.; Igou, Eric R.; Jones, Marc; Gidlow, Chris; Brick, Noel; Lahart, Ian; Cloak, Ross; Lane, Andrew M.

2016-01-01

This paper considers the environmental impact on well-being and performance in elite athletes during Olympic competition. The benefits of exercising in natural environments are recognized, but less is known about the effects on performance and health in elite athletes. Although some Olympic events take place in natural environments, the majority occur in the host city, usually a large densely populated area where low exposure to natural environments is compounded by exposure to high levels of air, water, and noise pollution in the ambient environment. By combining methods and expertise from diverse but inter-related disciplines including environmental psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, environmental science, and epidemiology, a transdisciplinary approach will facilitate a greater understanding of the effects of the environment on Olympic athletes. PMID:27540370

Environmental Influences on Elite Sport Athletes Well Being: From Gold, Silver, and Bronze to Blue Green and Gold.

PubMed

Donnelly, Aoife A; MacIntyre, Tadhg E; O'Sullivan, Nollaig; Warrington, Giles; Harrison, Andrew J; Igou, Eric R; Jones, Marc; Gidlow, Chris; Brick, Noel; Lahart, Ian; Cloak, Ross; Lane, Andrew M

2016-01-01

This paper considers the environmental impact on well-being and performance in elite athletes during Olympic competition. The benefits of exercising in natural environments are recognized, but less is known about the effects on performance and health in elite athletes. Although some Olympic events take place in natural environments, the majority occur in the host city, usually a large densely populated area where low exposure to natural environments is compounded by exposure to high levels of air, water, and noise pollution in the ambient environment. By combining methods and expertise from diverse but inter-related disciplines including environmental psychology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, environmental science, and epidemiology, a transdisciplinary approach will facilitate a greater understanding of the effects of the environment on Olympic athletes.