Incorporating the information from direct and indirect neighbors into fitness evaluation enhances the cooperation in the social dilemmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Menglong; Wang, Juan; Kong, Lingcong; An, Kang; Bi, Tao; Guo, Baohong; Dong, Enzeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: •A novel fitness evaluation method integrating environmental information is presented. •The introduction of neighbors’ payoff favors the promotion of cooperation in the PDG. •The role of direct neighbors becomes much more prominent. •In the SDG, the cooperative behavior is also improved by this new mechanism. -- Abstract: We propose an improved fitness evaluation method to investigate the evolution of cooperation in the spatial social dilemmas. In our model, a focal player’s fitness is calculated as the linear combination of his own payoff, the average payoffs of direct and indirect neighbors in which two independent selection parameters (α and β) are used to control the proportion of various payoff contribution to the current fitness. Then, the fitness-based strategy update rule is still Fermi-like, and asynchronous update is adopted here. A large plethora of numerical simulations are performed to validate the behaviors of the current model, and the results unambiguously demonstrate that the cooperation level is greatly enhanced by introducing the payoffs from the surrounding players. In particular, the influence of direct neighbors become more evident when compared with indirect neighbors since the correlation between focal players and their direct neighbors is much closer. Current outcomes are significant for us to further illustrate the origin and emergence of cooperation within a wide variety of natural and man-made systems

Speech Perception in Noise in Normally Hearing Children: Does Binaural Frequency Modulated Fitting Provide More Benefit than Monaural Frequency Modulated Fitting?

Science.gov (United States)

Mukari, Siti Zamratol-Mai Sarah; Umat, Cila; Razak, Ummu Athiyah Abdul

2011-07-01

The aim of the present study was to compare the benefit of monaural versus binaural ear-level frequency modulated (FM) fitting on speech perception in noise in children with normal hearing. Reception threshold for sentences (RTS) was measured in no-FM, monaural FM, and binaural FM conditions in 22 normally developing children with bilateral normal hearing, aged 8 to 9 years old. Data were gathered using the Pediatric Malay Hearing in Noise Test (P-MyHINT) with speech presented from front and multi-talker babble presented from 90°, 180°, 270° azimuths in a sound treated booth. The results revealed that the use of either monaural or binaural ear level FM receivers provided significantly better mean RTSs than the no-FM condition (Pbinaural FM did not produce a significantly greater benefit in mean RTS than monaural fitting. The benefit of binaural over monaural FM varies across individuals; while binaural fitting provided better RTSs in about 50% of study subjects, there were those in whom binaural fitting resulted in either deterioration or no additional improvement compared to monaural FM fitting. The present study suggests that the use of monaural ear-level FM receivers in children with normal hearing might provide similar benefit as binaural use. Individual subjects' variations of binaural FM benefit over monaural FM suggests that the decision to employ monaural or binaural fitting should be individualized. It should be noted however, that the current study recruits typically developing normal hearing children. Future studies involving normal hearing children with high risk of having difficulty listening in noise is indicated to see if similar findings are obtained.

Analysis of Indirect Emissions Benefits of Wind, Landfill Gas, and Municipal Solid Waste Generation

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Techniques are introduced to calculate the hourly indirect emissions benefits of three types of green power resources: wind energy, municipal solid waste (MSW) combustion, and landfill gas (LFG) combustion. These techniques are applied to each of the U.S. EPA's eGRID subregions i...

The Benefits of High-Intensity Functional Training Fitness Programs for Military Personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Haddock, Christopher K; Poston, Walker S C; Heinrich, Katie M; Jahnke, Sara A; Jitnarin, Nattinee

2016-11-01

High intensity functional training (HIFT) programs are designed to address multiple fitness domains, potentially providing improved physical and mental readiness in a changing operational environment. Programs consistent with HIFT principals such as CrossFit, SEALFIT and the US Marine Corps' High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) are increasingly popular among military personnel. The goal of HIFT programs is to produce high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, endurance and strength that exceed those achieved by following current physical activity recommendations. Given the investment in and popularity of HIFT in the military, it is important to consider the potential impact of this approach to fitness training for the health of military personnel and their risk of training injury. In a previous report in this journal, we addressed the question of whether HIFT was associated with higher injury rates compared to other exercise programs. We argued that concerns about the injury potential of HIFT exercise programs were not supported by the scientific literature to date, although additional research was needed to directly compare injury rates in approaches such as CrossFit to traditional military fitness programs. In this article we will review the scientific data on the practical, health and fitness benefits of HIFT exercise programs for military populations. Practical benefits to HIFT exercise programs include shorter training times and volumes, exercises which simulate combat tasks, lower equipment costs, reduced potential for boredom and adaptation as a result of constant variation, less injury potential compared to high volume endurance training, and scalability to all fitness levels and rehabilitation needs. For instance, HIFT training volumes are typically between 25% to nearly 80% less than traditional military fitness programs without reductions in fitness outcomes. HIFT program also provide an impressive range of health benefits such as the promotion of

A Plant-Feeding Nematode Indirectly Increases the Fitness of an Aphid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grace A. Hoysted

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Plants suffer multiple, simultaneous assaults from above and below ground. In the laboratory, pests and/or pathogen attack are commonly studied on an individual basis. The molecular response of the plant to attack from multiple organisms and the interaction of different defense pathways is unclear. The inducible systemic responses of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L. host plant were analyzed to characterize the plant-mediated indirect interactions between a sedentary, endoparasitic nematode (Globodera pallida, and a phloem-sucking herbivore (Myzus persicae. The reproductive success of M. persicae was greater on potato plants pre-infected with G. pallida compared to control plants. Salicylic acid (SA increased systemically in the leaves of potato plants following nematode and aphid infection singly with a corresponding increase in expression of SA-mediated marker genes. An increase in jasmonic acid associated with aphid infection was suppressed when plants were co-infected with nematodes. Our data suggests a positive, asymmetric interaction between a sedentary endoparasitic nematode and a sap-sucking insect. The systemic response of the potato plant following infection with G. pallida indirectly influences the performance of M. persicae. This work reveals additional secondary benefits of controlling individual crop pests.

A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huber, M.; Epping, Janina; Schulze Gronover, C.; Fricke, Julia; Aziz, Zohra; Brillatz, Théo; Swyers, Michael; Kollner, T.G.; Vogel, H.; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Triebwasser-Freese, Daniella; Robert, Christelle A.M.; Verhoeven, K.J.F.; Preite, V.; Gershenzon, J.; Erb, M.

2016-01-01

Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under

A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meret Huber

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg. decrease the performance of its major native insect root herbivore, the larvae of the common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha, and benefit plant vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Across 17 T. officinale genotypes screened by gas and liquid chromatography, latex concentrations of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G were negatively associated with M. melolontha larval growth. Adding purified TA-G to artificial diet at ecologically relevant concentrations reduced larval feeding. Silencing the germacrene A synthase ToGAS1, an enzyme that was identified to catalyze the first committed step of TA-G biosynthesis, resulted in a 90% reduction of TA-G levels and a pronounced increase in M. melolontha feeding. Transgenic, TA-G-deficient lines were preferred by M. melolontha and suffered three times more root biomass reduction than control lines. In a common garden experiment involving over 2,000 T. officinale individuals belonging to 17 different genotypes, high TA-G concentrations were associated with the maintenance of high vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Taken together, our study demonstrates that a latex secondary metabolite benefits plants under herbivore attack, a result that provides a mechanistic framework for root herbivore driven natural selection and evolution of plant defenses below ground.

A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack.

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Meret; Epping, Janina; Schulze Gronover, Christian; Fricke, Julia; Aziz, Zohra; Brillatz, Théo; Swyers, Michael; Köllner, Tobias G; Vogel, Heiko; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Triebwasser-Freese, Daniella; Robert, Christelle A M; Verhoeven, Koen; Preite, Veronica; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Erb, Matthias

2016-01-01

Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) decrease the performance of its major native insect root herbivore, the larvae of the common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), and benefit plant vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Across 17 T. officinale genotypes screened by gas and liquid chromatography, latex concentrations of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G) were negatively associated with M. melolontha larval growth. Adding purified TA-G to artificial diet at ecologically relevant concentrations reduced larval feeding. Silencing the germacrene A synthase ToGAS1, an enzyme that was identified to catalyze the first committed step of TA-G biosynthesis, resulted in a 90% reduction of TA-G levels and a pronounced increase in M. melolontha feeding. Transgenic, TA-G-deficient lines were preferred by M. melolontha and suffered three times more root biomass reduction than control lines. In a common garden experiment involving over 2,000 T. officinale individuals belonging to 17 different genotypes, high TA-G concentrations were associated with the maintenance of high vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Taken together, our study demonstrates that a latex secondary metabolite benefits plants under herbivore attack, a result that provides a mechanistic framework for root herbivore driven natural selection and evolution of plant defenses below ground.

Incorporating indirect costs into a cost-benefit analysis of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

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Finkelstein, Eric A; Allaire, Benjamin T; Dibonaventura, Marco Dacosta; Burgess, Somali M

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the time to breakeven and 5-year net costs of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) taking both direct and indirect costs and cost savings into account. Estimates of direct cost savings from LAGB were available from the literature. Although longitudinal data on indirect cost savings were not available, these estimates were generated by quantifying the relationship between medical expenditures and absenteeism and between medical expenditures and presenteeism (reduced on-the-job productivity) and combining these elasticity estimates with estimates of the direct cost savings to generate total savings. These savings were then combined with the direct and indirect costs of the procedure to quantify net savings. By including indirect costs, the time to breakeven was reduced by half a year, from 16 to 14 quarters. After 5 years, net savings in medical expenditures from a gastric banding procedure were estimated to be $4970 (±$3090). Including absenteeism increased savings to $6180 (±$3550). Savings were further increased to $10,960 (±$5864) when both absenteeism and presenteeism estimates were included. This study presented a novel approach for including absenteeism and presenteeism estimates in cost-benefit analyses. Application of the approach to gastric banding among surgery-eligible obese employees revealed that the inclusion of indirect costs and cost savings improves the business case for the procedure. This approach can easily be extended to other populations and treatments. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Benefits of High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) Fitness Programs for Military Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

Haddock, Christopher K.; Poston, Walker S.C.; Heinrich, Katie M.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Jitnarin, Nattinee

2016-01-01

High intensity functional training (HIFT) programs are designed to address multiple fitness domains, potentially providing improved physical and mental readiness in a changing operational environment. Programs consistent with HIFT principals such as CrossFit, SEALFIT and the US Marine Corps’ High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) program are increasingly popular among military personnel. This article reviews the practical, health, body composition, and military fitness implications of HIFT exercise programs. We conclude that, given the unique benefits of HIFT, the military should consider evaluating whether these programs should be the standard for military fitness training. PMID:27849484

Natural selection for earlier male arrival to breeding grounds through direct and indirect effects in a migratory songbird

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velmala, William; Helle, Samuli; Ahola, Markus P.; Klaassen, M.R.J.; Lehikoinen, Esa; Rainio, Kalle; Sirkia, Paivi M.; Laaksonen, Toni

2015-01-01

For migratory birds, the earlier arrival of males to breeding grounds is often expected to have fitness benefits. However, the selection differential on male arrival time has rarely been decomposed into the direct effect of male arrival and potential indirect effects through female traits. We

Direct fitness of group living mammals varies with breeding strategy, climate and fitness estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebensperger, Luis A; Rivera, Daniela S; Hayes, Loren D

2012-09-01

direct and indirect fitness benefits and potential interactions between social and ecological conditions, may be important and require further studies. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.

A latex metabolite benefits plant fitness under root herbivore attack

OpenAIRE

Huber, M.; Epping, J.; Gronover, C.S.; Fricke, J.; Aziz, Z.; Brillatz, T.; Swyers, M.; Köllner, T.G.; Vogel, H.; Hammerbacher, A.; Triebwasser-Freese, D.; Robert, C.A.M.; Verhoeven, K.; Preite, V.; Gershenzon, J.

2016-01-01

Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) decrease the performance of its major n...

Exaggerated Health Benefits of Physical Fitness and Activity dueto Self-selection.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Paul T.

2006-01-17

Background: The predicted health benefits of becomingphysically active or fit will be exaggerated if health outcomes causefitness and activity rather than the converse in prospective andcross-sectional epidemiological studies. Objective: Assess whether therelationships of adiposity to fitness and activity are explained byadiposity prior to exercising. Design: Cross-sectional study of physicalfitness (running speed during 10km foot race) and physical activity(weekly running distance) to current BMI (BMIcurrent) and BMI at thestart of running (BMIstarting) in 44,370 male and 25,252 femaleparticipants of the National Runners' Health Study. Results: BMIstartingexplained all of the association between fitness and BMIcurrent in bothsexes, but less than a third of the association between physical activityand BMIcurrent in men. In women, BMIstarting accounted for 58 percent ofthe association between BMIcurrent and activity levels. The 95thpercentile of BMIcurrent showed substantially greater declines withfitness and activity levels than the 5th percentile of BMIcurrent in men(i.e., the negative slope for 95th percentile was 2.6-fold greater thanthe 5th percentile for fitness and 3-fold greater for activity) and women(6-fold and 3.4-fold greater, respectively). At all percentiles, theregression slopes relating BMIstarting to fitness were comparable orgreater (more negative) than the slopes relating BMIcurrent to fitness,whereas the converse was true for activity. Conclusion: Self-selectionbias accounts for all of the association between fitness and adiposityand probably a portion of other health outcomes, but has less affect onassociations involving physical activity

Direct fitness benefits explain mate preference, but not choice, for similarity in heterozygosity levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Zandberg, Lies; Gort, Gerrit; van Oers, Kees; Hinde, Camilla A

2017-10-01

Under sexual selection, mate preferences can evolve for traits advertising fitness benefits. Observed mating patterns (mate choice) are often assumed to represent preference, even though they result from the interaction between preference, sampling strategy and environmental factors. Correlating fitness with mate choice instead of preference will therefore lead to confounded conclusions about the role of preference in sexual selection. Here we show that direct fitness benefits underlie mate preferences for genetic characteristics in a unique experiment on wild great tits. In repeated mate preference tests, both sexes preferred mates that had similar heterozygosity levels to themselves, and not those with which they would optimise offspring heterozygosity. In a subsequent field experiment where we cross fostered offspring, foster parents with more similar heterozygosity levels had higher reproductive success, despite the absence of assortative mating patterns. These results support the idea that selection for preference persists despite constraints on mate choice. © 2017 The Authors Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physical Fitness: Get Your Body Moving

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Extensive fitness and human cooperation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hateren, J. H.

2015-01-01

Evolution depends on the fitness of organisms, the expected rate of reproducing. Directly getting offspring is the most basic form of fitness, but fitness can also be increased indirectly by helping genetically related individuals (such as kin) to increase their fitness. The combined effect is known

The indirect and direct pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on commencement in post-compulsory education in a historical cohort of Danish school youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Mikkel Porsborg; Starkopf, Liis; Sessa, Maurizio; Mortensen, Rikke Nørmark; Vardinghus-Nielsen, Henrik; Bøggild, Henrik; Lange, Theis; Torp-Pedersen, Christian

2017-09-11

Some studies have found positive associations between physical fitness and academic achievements. Pupils' academic achievements should indicate scholastic abilities to commence a post-compulsory education. However, the effect magnitude of physical fitness and academic achievements on commencement in post-compulsory education is unknown. We examined the pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on pupils' commencement in post-compulsory education. This historical cohort study followed 530 girls and 554 boys from the Danish municipality of Aalborg in the period 2008-2014, 13 to 15 years old in 2010. Physical fitness was assessed through a watt-max cycle ergometer test represented as VO 2 max (mL·kg -1 ·min -1 ). Academic achievement, commencement status and information on covariates were obtained from Danish nationwide registers. Causal inference based mediation analysis was used to investigate the indirect and direct pathways by separating the total effect of physical fitness on post-compulsory education commencement. Adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, the overall mediation analysis showed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.87 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30; 2.73) for the total effect, corresponding to an increase in odds of post-compulsory education commencement when the physical fitness was increased by 10 units of VO 2 max. The separated total effect showed a natural direct OR of 1.36 (95% CI: 0.93; 1.98) and a natural indirect (i.e., through academic achievement) OR of 1.37 (95% CI: 1.20; 1.57). Thus, 51% (95% CI: 27%; 122%) of the effect of physical fitness on post-compulsory education commencement was mediated through academic achievement. Physical fitness had a positive effect on post-compulsory education commencement. A substantial part of this effect was mediated through academic achievement.

Male songbirds provide indirect parental care by guarding females during incubation

Science.gov (United States)

Fedy, B.C.; Martin, T.E.

2009-01-01

Across many taxa, guarding of fertile mates is a widespread tactic that enhances paternity assurance. However, guarding of mates can also occur during the nonfertile period, and the fitness benefits of this behavior are unclear. Male songbirds, for example, sometimes guard nonfertile females during foraging recesses from incubation. We hypothesized that guarding postreproductive mates may have important, but unrecognized, benefits by enhancing female foraging efficiency, thereby increasing time spent incubating eggs. We tested the hypothesis in 2 songbird species by examining female behavior during natural and experimentally induced absences of males. Male absence caused increased vigilance in foraging females that decreased their efficiency and resulted in less time spent incubating eggs. Male guarding of nonfertile females can thus provide a previously unrecognized form of indirect parental care.

Direct fitness benefits explain mate preference, but not choice, for similarity in heterozygosity levels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zandberg, Elizabeth Christina; Gort, G.; van Oers, K.; Hinde, C.A.

2017-01-01

Under sexual selection, mate preferences can evolve for traits advertising fitness benefits. Observed mating patterns (mate choice) are often assumed to represent preference, even though they result from the interaction between preference, sampling strategy and environmental factors. Correlating

Direct fitness benefits explain mate preference, but not choice, for similarity in heterozygosity levels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zandberg, Lies; Gort, Gerrit; Oers, van Kees; Hinde, Camilla A.

2017-01-01

Under sexual selection, mate preferences can evolve for traits advertising fitness benefits. Observed mating patterns (mate choice) are often assumed to represent preference, even though they result from the interaction between preference, sampling strategy and environmental factors. Correlating

The indirect costs and benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markandya, A.

1998-01-01

The indirect costs of GHG projects are very important in the evaluation of such projects. In many cases they are more important than the direct costs. This paper has shown what such costs consist of and how they may be estimated. As countries prepare their mitigation strategies, it is very important that they develop tools for the assessment of these indirect costs and use these tools in the appropriate manner. Hopefully, this paper will point them in the right direction. (au) 11 refs

Exploring the relations among physical fitness, executive functioning, and low academic achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bruijn, A G M; Hartman, E; Kostons, D; Visscher, C; Bosker, R J

2018-03-01

Physical fitness seems to be related to academic performance, at least when taking the role of executive functioning into account. This assumption is highly relevant for the vulnerable population of low academic achievers because their academic performance might benefit from enhanced physical fitness. The current study examined whether physical fitness and executive functioning are independent predictors of low mathematics and spelling achievement or whether the relation between physical fitness and low achievement is mediated by specific executive functions. In total, 477 students from second- and third-grade classes of 12 primary schools were classified as either low or average-to-high achievers in mathematics and spelling based on their scores on standardized achievement tests. Multilevel structural equation models were built with direct paths between physical fitness and academic achievement and added indirect paths via components of executive functioning: inhibition, verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, and shifting. Physical fitness was only indirectly related to low achievement via specific executive functions, depending on the academic domain involved. Verbal working memory was a mediator between physical fitness and low achievement in both domains, whereas visuospatial working memory had a mediating role only in mathematics. Physical fitness interventions aiming to improve low academic achievement, thus, could potentially be successful. The mediating effect of executive functioning suggests that these improvements in academic achievement will be preceded by enhanced executive functions, either verbal working memory (in spelling) or both verbal and visuospatial working memory (in mathematics). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inclusive fitness analysis of cumulative cultural evolution in an island-structured population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtsuki, Hisashi; Wakano, Joe Yuichiro; Kobayashi, Yutaka

2017-06-01

The success of humans on the globe is largely supported by our cultural excellence. Our culture is cumulative, meaning that it is improved from generation to generation. Previous works have revealed that two modes of learning, individual learning and social learning, play pivotal roles in the accumulation of culture. However, under the trade-off between learning and reproduction, one's investment into learning is easily exploited by those who copy the knowledge of skillful individuals and selfishly invest more efforts in reproduction. It has been shown that in order to prevent such a breakdown, the rate of vertical transmission (i.e. transmission from parents to their offspring) of culture must be unrealistically close to one. Here we investigate what if the population is spatially structured. In particular, we hypothesize that spatial structure should favor highly cumulative culture through endogenously arising high kinship. We employ Wright's island model and assume that cultural transmission occurs within a local island. Our inclusive fitness analysis reveals combined effects of direct fitness of the actor, indirect fitness through relatives in the current generation, and indirect fitness through relatives in future generations. The magnitude of those indirect benefits is measured by intergenerational coefficients of genetic relatedness. Our result suggests that the introduction of spatial structure raises the stationary level of culture in the population, but that the extent of its improvement compared with a well-mixed population is marginal unless spatial localization is extreme. Overall, our model implies that we need an alternative mechanism to explain highly cumulative culture of modern humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Andersen aerobic fitness test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aadland, Eivind; Terum, Torkil; Mamen, Asgeir

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: High aerobic fitness is consistently associated with a favorable metabolic risk profile in children. Direct measurement of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) is often not feasible, thus indirect tests such as the Andersen test are required in many settings. The present study seeks...... of agreement) were 26.7±125.2 m for test 2 vs. test 1 (pfit in the present sample; thus, we suggest a new equation: VO2peak = 23....... Researchers should be aware of the amount of noise in indirect tests that estimate aerobic fitness....

Novel model of direct and indirect cost-benefit analysis of mechanical embolectomy over IV tPA for large vessel occlusions: a real-world dollar analysis based on improvements in mRS.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangla, Sundeep; O'Connell, Keara; Kumari, Divya; Shahrzad, Maryam

2016-01-20

Ischemic strokes result in significant healthcare expenditures (direct costs) and loss of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (indirect costs). Interventional therapy has demonstrated improved functional outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusions (LVOs), which are likely to reduce the economic burden of strokes. To develop a novel real-world dollar model to assess the direct and indirect cost-benefit of mechanical embolectomy compared with medical treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) based on shifts in modified Rankin scores (mRS). A cost model was developed including multiple parameters to account for both direct and indirect stroke costs. These were adjusted based upon functional outcome (mRS). The model compared IV tPA with mechanical embolectomy to assess the costs and benefits of both therapies. Direct stroke-related costs included hospitalization, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, home care, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term care facility costs. Indirect costs included years of life expectancy lost and lost QALYs. Values for the model cost parameters were derived from numerous resources and functional outcomes were derived from the MR CLEAN study as a reflective sample of LVOs. Direct and indirect costs and benefits for the two treatments were assessed using Microsoft Excel 2013. This cost-benefit model found a cost-benefit of mechanical embolectomy over IV tPA of $163 624.27 per patient and the cost benefit for 50 000 patients on an annual basis is $8 181 213 653.77. If applied widely within the USA, mechanical embolectomy will significantly reduce the direct and indirect financial burden of stroke ($8 billion/50 000 patients). 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/

Health and fitness benefits of a resistance training intervention performed in the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Zavanela, Plinio M; Crewther, Blair T; Lodo, Leandro; Florindo, Alex A; Miyabara, Elen H; Aoki, Marcelo S

2012-03-01

This study examined the effects of a workplace-based resistance training intervention on different health-, fitness-, and work-related measures in untrained men (bus drivers). The subjects were recruited from a bus company and divided into a training (n = 48) and control (n = 48) groups after initial prescreening. The training group performed a 24-week resistance training program, whereas the control group maintained their normal daily activities. Each group was assessed for body composition, blood pressure (BP), pain incidence, muscular endurance, and flexibility before and after the 24-week period. Work absenteeism was also recorded during this period and after a 12-week follow-up phase. In general, no body composition changes were identified in either group. In the training group, a significant reduction in BP and pain incidence, along with improvements in muscle endurance and flexibility were seen after 24 weeks (p workplace improved different aspects of health and fitness in untrained men, thereby potentially providing other work-related benefits. Thus, both employers and employees may benefit from the setup, promotion, and support of a work-based physical activity program involving resistance training.

Employee contributions: a primer on their use, historical trends and overall fit within benefits strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Hudson A

2007-01-01

This article focuses on the use of employee contributions as a strategic tool within employee health plans. While most employers require some form of employee contributions for health care, there is no clear "one-size-fits-all" solution. A myriad of strategies are in place, some active and some passive. This article reviews both common and emerging strategies and how they differ based on industry, employer size and region; discusses how employee contribution strategy fits within overall benefits strategy; and provides a strategic framework for approaching employee contributions in the future.

From cognitive motor preparation to visual processing: The benefits of childhood fitness to brain health.

Science.gov (United States)

Berchicci, M; Pontifex, M B; Drollette, E S; Pesce, C; Hillman, C H; Di Russo, F

2015-07-09

The association between a fit body and a fit brain in children has led to a rise of behavioral and neuroscientific research. Yet, the relation of cardiorespiratory fitness on premotor neurocognitive preparation with early visual processing has received little attention. Here, 41 healthy, lower and higher fit preadolescent children were administered a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task while electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral measures were recorded. Event-related potentials (ERPs) locked to the stimulus onset with an earlier than usual baseline (-900/-800 ms) allowed investigation of both the usual post-stimulus (i.e., the P1, N1 and P2) as well as the pre-stimulus ERP components, such as the Bereitschaftspotential (BP) and the prefrontal negativity (pN component). At the behavioral level, aerobic fitness was associated response accuracy, with higher fit children being more accurate than lower fit children. Fitness-related differences selectively emerged at prefrontal brain regions during response preparation, with larger pN amplitude for higher than lower fit children, and at early perceptual stages after stimulus onset, with larger P1 and N1 amplitudes in higher relative to lower fit children. Collectively, the results suggest that the benefits of being aerobically fit appear at the stage of cognitive preparation prior to stimulus presentation and the behavioral response during the performance of a task that challenges cognitive control. Further, it is likely that enhanced activity in prefrontal brain areas may improve cognitive control of visuo-motor tasks, allowing for stronger proactive inhibition and larger early allocation of selective attention resources on relevant external stimuli. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender and race influence metabolic benefits of fitness in children: a cross-sectional study

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Curtis Vanessa A

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Increasing obesity and poor cardiovascular fitness (CVF contribute to higher rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM in children. While the relative contributions of fitness and body fat on development of insulin resistance (IR in children and adolescents remains unresolved, gender- and race-specific differences likely exist in the degree to which CVF influences IR and risk for T2DM. Better understanding of how gender and race affect interactions between body fat, CVF, and metabolic health would be helpful in designing effective and targeted strategies to reduce obesity-associated disease risk. We evaluated whether metabolic benefits of fitness on reducing inflammation and insulin resistance (IR are affected by gender and race. Methods This cross-sectional study included 203 healthy children (mean age 12.2 y, 50% male, 46% non-Hispanic white (NHW, 54% racially diverse (RD. Fasting insulin, glucose, hsCRP, and adiponectin were measured; race was self-reported; cardiovascular fitness (CVF was evaluated by the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run. Associations between inflammation and gender, race, and CVF were evaluated using analysis of covariance. Multivariate regression analysis identified independent predictors of IR. Results Fitness and inflammation were inversely related in both males and females (p Conclusions In middle school children, the beneficial effects of fitness vary based on gender and race. High CVF has an enhanced anti-inflammatory effect in male and RD children. While BMI is the strongest predictor of IR in the study group as a whole, fitness is a significant predictor of IR only in males, and race is a significant predictor of IR only in females.

Tolerating an infection: an indirect benefit of co-founding queen associations in the ant Lasius niger

Science.gov (United States)

Pull, Christopher D.; Hughes, William O. H.; Brown, Mark J. F.

2013-12-01

Pathogens exert a strong selection pressure on organisms to evolve effective immune defences. In addition to individual immunity, social organisms can act cooperatively to produce collective defences. In many ant species, queens have the option to found a colony alone or in groups with other, often unrelated, conspecifics. These associations are transient, usually lasting only as long as each queen benefits from the presence of others. In fact, once the first workers emerge, queens fight to the death for dominance. One potential advantage of co-founding may be that queens benefit from collective disease defences, such as mutual grooming, that act against common soil pathogens. We test this hypothesis by exposing single and co-founding queens to a fungal parasite, in order to assess whether queens in co-founding associations have improved survival. Surprisingly, co-foundresses exposed to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium did not engage in cooperative disease defences, and consequently, we find no direct benefit of multiple queens on survival. However, an indirect benefit was observed, with parasite-exposed queens producing more brood when they co-founded, than when they were alone. We suggest this is due to a trade-off between reproduction and immunity. Additionally, we report an extraordinary ability of the queens to tolerate an infection for long periods after parasite exposure. Our study suggests that there are no social immunity benefits for co-founding ant queens, but that in parasite-rich environments, the presence of additional queens may nevertheless improve the chances of colony founding success.

Fitness benefits of the fruit fly Rhagoletis alternata on a non-native rose host.

Science.gov (United States)

Meijer, Kim; Smit, Christian; Schilthuizen, Menno; Beukeboom, Leo W

2016-05-01

Many species have been introduced worldwide into areas outside their natural range. Often these non-native species are introduced without their natural enemies, which sometimes leads to uncontrolled population growth. It is rarely reported that an introduced species provides a new resource for a native species. The rose hips of the Japanese rose, Rosa rugosa, which has been introduced in large parts of Europe, are infested by the native monophagous tephritid fruit fly Rhagoletis alternata. We studied differences in fitness benefits between R. alternata larvae using R. rugosa as well as native Rosa species in the Netherlands. R. alternata pupae were larger and heavier when the larvae fed on rose hips of R. rugosa. Larvae feeding on R. rugosa were parasitized less frequently by parasitic wasps than were larvae feeding on native roses. The differences in parasitization are probably due to morphological differences between the native and non-native rose hips: the hypanthium of a R. rugosa hip is thicker and provides the larvae with the possibility to feed deeper into the hip, meaning that the parasitoids cannot reach them with their ovipositor and the larvae escape parasitization. Our study shows that native species switching to a novel non-native host can experience fitness benefits compared to the original native host.

Evaluation of fit and efficiency of CAD/CAM fabricated all-ceramic restorations based on direct and indirect digitalization: a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahrberg, Danush; Lauer, Hans Christoph; Ahrberg, Martin; Weigl, Paul

2016-03-01

The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the marginal and internal fit of CAD/CAM fabricated zirconia crowns and three-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) resulting from direct versus indirect digitalization. The efficiency of both methods was analyzed. In 25 patients, 17 single crowns and eight three-unit FDPs were fabricated with all-ceramic zirconia using CAD/CAM technology. Each patient underwent two different impression methods; a computer-aided impression with Lava C.O.S. (CAI) and a conventional polyether impression with Impregum pent soft (CI). The working time for each group was recorded. Before insertion, the marginal and internal fit was recorded using silicone replicas of the frameworks. Each sample was cut into four sections and evaluated at four sites (marginal gap, mid-axial wall, axio-occlusal transition, centro-occlusal site) under ×64 magnification. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to detect significant differences between the two groups in terms of marginal and internal fit (α = 0.05). The mean for the marginal gap was 61.08 μm (±24.77 μm) for CAI compared with 70.40 μm (±28.87 μm) for CI, which was a statistically significant difference. The other mean values for CAI and CI, respectively, were as follows in micrometers (± standard deviation): 88.27 (±41.49) and 92.13 (±49.87) at the mid-axial wall; 144.78 (±46.23) and 155.60 (±55.77) at the axio-occlusal transition; and 155.57 (49.85) and 171.51 (±60.98) at the centro-occlusal site. The CAI group showed significantly lower values of internal fit at the centro-occlusal site. A quadrant scan with a computer-aided impression was 5 min 6 s more time efficient when compared with a conventional impression, and a full-arch scan was 1 min 34 s more efficient. Although both direct and indirect digitalization facilitate the fabrication of single crowns and three-unit FDPs with clinically acceptable marginal fit, a significantly better marginal fit was noted with direct

QUANTIFYING BENEFITS FOR COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

OpenAIRE

Attila GYORGY; Nicoleta VINTILA; Florian GAMAN

2014-01-01

Cost Benefit Analysis is one of the most widely used financial tools to select future investment projects in public and private sector. This method is based on comparing costs and benefits in terms of constant prices. While costs are easier to predict and monetize, the benefits should be identified not only in direct relation with the investment, but also widening the sphere of analysis to indirect benefits experienced by the community from the neighbourhood or the whole society. During finan...

The congruence between actual and perceived person-organization fit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vuuren, Hubrecht A.; Veldkamp, Bernard P.; de Jong, Menno D.T.; Seydel, E.R.

2007-01-01

Person-organization fit (P-O fit) is an important and often-researched variable, which sheds light on the way employees perceive their relationship with the organization they work for. In this study, two different assessments of P-O fit are compared, i.e. actual fit (an indirect measurement based on

Estimating the fitness cost and benefit of cefixime resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae to inform prescription policy: A modelling study.

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Lilith K Whittles

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Gonorrhoea is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections in England. Over 41,000 cases were recorded in 2015, more than half of which occurred in men who have sex with men (MSM. As the bacterium has developed resistance to each first-line antibiotic in turn, we need an improved understanding of fitness benefits and costs of antibiotic resistance to inform control policy and planning. Cefixime was recommended as a single-dose treatment for gonorrhoea from 2005 to 2010, during which time resistance increased, and subsequently declined.We developed a stochastic compartmental model representing the natural history and transmission of cefixime-sensitive and cefixime-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in MSM in England, which was applied to data on diagnoses and prescriptions between 2008 and 2015. We estimated that asymptomatic carriers play a crucial role in overall transmission dynamics, with 37% (95% credible interval CrI 24%-52% of infections remaining asymptomatic and untreated, accounting for 89% (95% CrI 82%-93% of onward transmission. The fitness cost of cefixime resistance in the absence of cefixime usage was estimated to be such that the number of secondary infections caused by resistant strains is only about half as much as for the susceptible strains, which is insufficient to maintain persistence. However, we estimated that treatment of cefixime-resistant strains with cefixime was unsuccessful in 83% (95% CrI 53%-99% of cases, representing a fitness benefit of resistance. This benefit was large enough to counterbalance the fitness cost when 31% (95% CrI 26%-36% of cases were treated with cefixime, and when more than 55% (95% CrI 44%-66% of cases were treated with cefixime, the resistant strain had a net fitness advantage over the susceptible strain. Limitations include sparse data leading to large intervals on key model parameters and necessary assumptions in the modelling of a complex epidemiological process

Fitness consequences of cotyledon and mature-leaf damage in the ivyleaf morning glory.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchcombe, John R

2002-04-01

To understand the evolutionary and ecological consequences of natural enemy damage to plants, it is essential to determine how the fitness effects of damage differ depending on the tissues damaged and the subsequent pattern of damage. In a field experiment with the ivyleaf morning glory, the direct and indirect effects on fitness of herbivore damage to cotyledons and mature leaves was evaluated. Damage to mature leaves had negligible direct effects on fitness and no indirect effects on fitness through other correlated traits. Damage to cotyledons also did not directly affect fitness, but did so indirectly through its effects on plant size. These findings suggest that increased resistance to cotyledon damage or increased compensatory growth following cotyledon damage could be effective strategies for plants of this species to counteract the negative effects of herbivory.

Direct and Indirect Benefits Reported by Users of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Qualitative Exploration Using Patient Interviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Gladwell, Peter William; Badlan, Kathryn; Cramp, Fiona; Palmer, Shea

2015-11-01

There is no consensus regarding the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for management of chronic musculoskeletal pain or chronic low back pain. A recent review of previous trial methodology identified significant problems with low treatment fidelity. There is little information available to guide selection of patient-reported outcome measures appropriate for TENS evaluation. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients at a secondary care pain clinic who successfully used TENS to help manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. These key informants were selected because they had the potential to generate knowledge that could inform research design and clinical practice. A qualitative method using individual semistructured interviews with open questions was selected for its capacity to generate rich data. A mini focus group informed the development of a discussion guide for semistructured interviews with 9 patients (6 women, 3 men). Thematic analysis was used as the primary data analysis method, and this analysis was enhanced by a case-level analysis of the context and processes of TENS use of each individual. Data analysis indicated that distraction from pain and a reduction in the sensations associated with muscle tension or spasm should be considered as separate outcomes from pain relief. These direct benefits led to a wide range of indirect benefits dependent on patient decision making, including medication reduction, enhanced function, psychological benefits, and enhanced ability to rest. The findings indicate that evaluating TENS using a unidimensional pain scale is likely to overlook potential benefits. The complex pattern of TENS usage, as well as multiple direct and indirect outcomes, indicates that TENS could be considered as a complex intervention. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Therapist's interpersonal style and therapy benefit as the determinants of personality self-reports in clients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadziahmetović, Nina; Alispahić, Sabina; Tuce, Đenita; Hasanbegović-Anić, Enedina

2016-02-01

BACKGROUND/AIM. In (counter)transference relationship therapist's interpersonal style, implying the perceived relation of therapist to a client (patient) in terms of control, autonomy, care and positive feedback, has been shown to be important. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between therapist's interpersonal style and clients' personality self-reports. Within therapist's interpersonal style, preliminary validation of the Therapist's Interpersonal Style Scale has been conducted, which included double translation method, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the reliability tests of the derived components. This research was conducted on a group of 206 clients, attending one of the four psychotherapy modalities: psychoanalysis, gestalt therapy, cognitive-behavioral and systemic family therapy. Beside Therapist's Interpersonal Style Scale, Big Five Questionnaire and Therapy Benefit Scale were administered, showing good internal consistency. Principal component analysis of therapist's interpersonal style singled out two components Supportive Autonomy and Ignoring Control, explaining 42% of variance. Two-factor model of the therapist's styles was better fitted in confirmatory factor analysis than the original 4-factor model. Structural model showing indirect and direct effects of therapist's interpersonal styles on self-reports in clients indicates good fitness (χ²(12) = 8.932, p = 0.709; goodness-of-fit index = 0.989), with Ignoring Control having direct effect on Stability, Supportive Autonomy on Therapy Benefit, and Therapy Benefit on Plasticity. The results of this study indicate the importance of further research on therapist's interpersonal style, as well as further validation of the instrument that measures this construct. Besides, a client's perception that the therapy is being helpful could instigate more explorative and approach-oriented behavior, what indirectly might contribute to a client's stability.

19 CFR 351.517 - Exemption or remission upon export of indirect taxes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... taxes. 351.517 Section 351.517 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE... Exemption or remission upon export of indirect taxes. (a) Benefit. In the case of the exemption or remission upon export of indirect taxes, a benefit exists to the extent that the Secretary determines that the...

Finding the best fit for direct and indirect causation: a typological study

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Levshina Natalia

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The contrast between direct and indirect causation is the most widely discussed semantic distinction in the literature on causative constructions. This distinction has been claimed to correlate with a number of formal parameters, such as formal distance, productivity and length, which are linked to different functional and diachronic explanations based on the principles of iconicity and economy. The present study tests these claims on a typologically representative sample of languages from 46 diverse families, examining four formal variables and their association with (indirectness of causation. According to the data, formal length displays the most pervasive association with the semantic distinction in question, which supports the economy-based explanation. In addition, the relative prominence of the other formal parameters depends on the type of causatives and their stage of grammaticalization.

The health benefits of muscular fitness for children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Smith, Jordan J; Eather, Narelle; Morgan, Philip J; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Faigenbaum, Avery D; Lubans, David R

2014-09-01

Physical fitness during childhood and adolescence has been identified as an important determinant of current and future health status. While research has traditionally focused on the association between cardio-respiratory fitness and health outcomes, the association between muscular fitness (MF) and health status has recently received increased attention. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential physiological and psychological benefits associated with MF among children and adolescents. A systematic search of six electronic databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO and OVID MEDLINE) was performed on the 20th May, 2013. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and experimental studies that quantitatively examined the association between MF and potential health benefits among children and adolescents were included. The search yielded 110 eligible studies, encompassing six health outcomes (i.e., adiposity, bone health, cardiovascular disease [CVD] and metabolic risk factors, musculoskeletal pain, psychological health and cognitive ability). The percentage of studies reporting statistically significant associations between MF and the outcome of interest was used to determine the strength of the evidence for an association and additional coding was conducted to account for risk of bias. Meta-analyses were also performed to determine the pooled effect size if there were at least three studies providing standardised coefficients. Strong evidence was found for an inverse association between MF and total and central adiposity, and CVD and metabolic risk factors. The pooled effect size for the relationship between MF and adiposity was r = -0.25 (95% CI -0.41 to -0.08). Strong evidence was also found for a positive association between MF and bone health and self-esteem. The pooled effect size for the relationship between MF and perceived sports competence was r = 0.39 (95% CI 0.34-0.45). The evidence for an association between MF

Therapist’s interpersonal style and therapy benefit as the determinants of personality self-reports in clients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadžiahmetović Nina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. In (countertransference relationship therapist’s interpersonal style, implying the perceived relation of therapist to a client (patient in terms of control, autonomy, care and positive feedback, has been shown to be important. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between therapist’s interpersonal style and clients’ personality self-reports. Within therapist’s interpersonal style, preliminary validation of the Therapist’s Interpersonal Style Scale has been conducted, which included double translation method, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the reliability tests of the derived components. Methods. This research was conducted on a group of 206 clients, attending one of the four psychotherapy modalities: psychoanalysis, gestalt therapy, cognitive-behavioral and systemic family therapy. Beside Therapist’s Interpersonal Style Scale, Big Five Questionnaire and Therapy Benefit Scale were administered, showing good internal consistency. Results. Principal component analysis of therapist’s interpersonal style singled out two components Supportive Autonomy and Ignoring Control, explaining 42% of variance. Two-factor model of the therapist’s styles was better fitted in confirmatory factor analysis than the original 4-factor model. Structural model showing indirect and direct effects of therapist’s interpersonal styles on selfreports in clients indicates good fitness (χ2(12 = 8.932, p = 0.709; goodness-of-fit index = 0.989, with Ignoring Control having direct effect on Stability, Supportive Autonomy on Therapy Benefit, and Therapy Benefit on Plasticity. Conclusion. The results of this study indicate the importance of further research on therapist’s interpersonal style, as well as further validation of the instrument that measures this construct. Besides, a client’s perception that the therapy is being helpful could instigate more explorative and approach

The logic of indirect speech

Science.gov (United States)

Pinker, Steven; Nowak, Martin A.; Lee, James J.

2008-01-01

When people speak, they often insinuate their intent indirectly rather than stating it as a bald proposition. Examples include sexual come-ons, veiled threats, polite requests, and concealed bribes. We propose a three-part theory of indirect speech, based on the idea that human communication involves a mixture of cooperation and conflict. First, indirect requests allow for plausible deniability, in which a cooperative listener can accept the request, but an uncooperative one cannot react adversarially to it. This intuition is supported by a game-theoretic model that predicts the costs and benefits to a speaker of direct and indirect requests. Second, language has two functions: to convey information and to negotiate the type of relationship holding between speaker and hearer (in particular, dominance, communality, or reciprocity). The emotional costs of a mismatch in the assumed relationship type can create a need for plausible deniability and, thereby, select for indirectness even when there are no tangible costs. Third, people perceive language as a digital medium, which allows a sentence to generate common knowledge, to propagate a message with high fidelity, and to serve as a reference point in coordination games. This feature makes an indirect request qualitatively different from a direct one even when the speaker and listener can infer each other's intentions with high confidence. PMID:18199841

Broad-spectrum physical fitness benefits of recreational football

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milanović, Zoran; Pantelić, Saša; Čović, Nedim

2018-01-01

, narrative reviews have demonstrated beneficial effects of recreational football on physical fitness and health status. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the magnitude of effects of recreational football on blood pressure, body composition, lipid profile...... and muscular fitness with reference to age, gender and health status. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar were searched prior to 1 February 2017. In addition...... to a recreational football group or any other type of exercises or passive control group were included. Training programmes had to last at least 2 weeks to meet the inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures were blood pressure, resting heart rate, body composition, muscular fitness, and blood lipids...

The benefits of interpersonal regulatory fit for individual goal pursuit.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Righetti, F.; Finkenauer, C.; Rusbult, C. E.

2011-01-01

The present work examines whether individual goal pursuit is influenced by advice and suggestions from interaction partners whose regulatory orientation is perceived to fit (vs. not fit) the individual's orientation. We sought to investigate whether such interpersonal regulatory fit yields

The benefits of Tai Chi and brisk walking for cognitive function and fitness in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Zhiguang; Li, Anmin; Feng, Tian; Liu, Xiaolei; You, Yihong; Meng, Fanying; Wang, Ruoqing; Lu, Jialing; Zhang, Chunhua

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of exercises with different cognitive demands for cognitive functions (Executive and non-Executive) in healthy older adults. A cross-sectional design was adopted. In total, 84 healthy older adults were enrolled in the study. They were categorized into the Tai Chi group (TG), the brisk walking group (BG) or the control group (CG). Each participant performed the Stroop task and a digit comparison task. The Stroop task included the following three conditions: a naming condition, an inhibition condition and an executive condition. There were two experimental conditions in the digit comparison task: the non-delay condition and the delay condition. The results indicated that participants of the TG and BG revealed significant better performance than the CG in the executive condition of cognitive tasks and fitness. There was no significant difference of reaction time (RT) and accuracy rate in the inhibition and delay conditions of cognitive tasks and fitness between the TG and BG. The TG showed shorter reaction time in the naming and the executive conditions, and more accurate in the inhibition conditions than the BG. These findings demonstrated that regular participation in brisk walking and Tai Chi have significant beneficial effects on executive function and fitness. However, due to the high cognitive demands of the exercise, Tai Chi benefit cognitive functions (Executive and non-Executive) in older adults more than brisk walking does. Further studies should research the underlying mechanisms at the behavioural and neuroelectric levels, providing more evidence to explain the effect of high-cognitive demands exercise on different processing levels of cognition.

Differential profiles of direct and indirect modification of vector feeding behaviour by a plant virus.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wen-Bo; Li, Jie; Liu, Shu-Sheng

2015-01-08

Plant viruses interact with their insect vectors directly and indirectly via host plants, and this tripartite interaction may produce fitness benefits to both the vectors and the viruses. Our previous studies show that the Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci complex improved its performance on tobacco plants infected by the Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV), which it transmits, although virus infection of the whitefly per se reduced its performance. Here, we use electrical penetration graph recording to investigate the direct and indirect effects of TYLCCNV on the feeding behaviour of MEAM1. When feeding on either cotton, a non-host of TYLCCNV, or uninfected tobacco, a host of TYLCCNV, virus-infection of the whiteflies impeded their feeding. Interestingly, when viruliferous whiteflies fed on virus-infected tobacco, their feeding activities were no longer negatively affected; instead, the virus promoted whitefly behaviour related to rapid and effective sap ingestion. Our findings show differential profiles of direct and indirect modification of vector feeding behaviour by a plant virus, and help to unravel the behavioural mechanisms underlying a mutualistic relationship between an insect vector and a plant virus that also has features reminiscent of an insect pathogen.

Hamilton's inclusive fitness maintains heritable altruism polymorphism through rb = c.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Changcao; Lu, Xin

2018-02-20

How can altruism evolve or be maintained in a selfish world? Hamilton's rule shows that the former process will occur when rb > c -the benefits to the recipients of an altruistic act b , weighted by the relatedness between the social partners r , exceed the costs to the altruists c -drives altruistic genotypes spreading against nonaltruistic ones. From this rule, we infer that altruistic genotypes will persist in a population by forming a stable heritable polymorphism with nonaltruistic genotypes if rb = c makes inclusive fitness of the two morphs equal. We test this prediction using the data of 12 years of study on a cooperatively breeding bird, the Tibetan ground tit Pseudopodoces humilis , where helping is performed by males only and kin-directed. Individual variation in ever acting as a helper was heritable ( h 2 = 0.47), and the resultant altruism polymorphism remained stable as indicated by low-level annual fluctuation of the percentage of helpers among all adult males (24-28%). Helpers' indirect fitness gains from increased lifetime reproductive success of related breeders statistically fully compensated for their lifetime direct fitness losses, suggesting that rb = c holds. While our work provides a fundamental support for Hamilton's idea, it highlights the equivalent inclusive fitness returns to altruists and nonaltruists mediated by rb = c as a theoretically and realistically important mechanism to maintain social polymorphism.

Estimate of potential benefit for Europe of fitting Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems for pedestrian protection to passenger cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Mervyn; Nathanson, Andrew; Wisch, Marcus

2014-01-01

The objective of the current study was to estimate the benefit for Europe of fitting precrash braking systems to cars that detect pedestrians and autonomously brake the car to prevent or lower the speed of the impact with the pedestrian. The analysis was divided into 2 main parts: (1) Develop and apply methodology to estimate benefit for Great Britain and Germany; (2) scale Great Britain and German results to give an indicative estimate for Europe (EU27). The calculation methodology developed to estimate the benefit was based on 2 main steps: 1. Calculate the change in the impact speed distribution curve for pedestrian casualties hit by the fronts of cars assuming pedestrian autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system fitment. 2. From this, calculate the change in the number of fatally, seriously, and slightly injured casualties by using the relationship between risk of injury and the casualty impact speed distribution to sum the resulting risks for each individual casualty. The methodology was applied to Great Britain and German data for 3 types of pedestrian AEB systems representative of (1) currently available systems; (2) future systems with improved performance, which are expected to be available in the next 2-3 years; and (3) reference limit system, which has the best performance currently thought to be technically feasible. Nominal benefits estimated for Great Britain ranged from £119 million to £385 million annually and for Germany from €63 million to €216 million annually depending on the type of AEB system assumed fitted. Sensitivity calculations showed that the benefit estimated could vary from about half to twice the nominal estimate, depending on factors such as whether or not the system would function at night and the road friction assumed. Based on scaling of estimates made for Great Britain and Germany, the nominal benefit of implementing pedestrian AEB systems on all cars in Europe was estimated to range from about €1 billion per year for

Impact of CMS Multi-jets and Missing Energy Search on CMSSM Fits

CERN Document Server

Allanach, B C

2011-01-01

Recent CMS data significantly extend the direct search exclusion for supersymmetry. We examine the impact of such data on global fits of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) to indirect and cosmological data. By simulating supersymmetric signal events at the LHC, we construct a likelihood map for the recent CMS data, validating it against the exclusion region calculated by the experiment itself. A previous CMSSM global fit is then re-weighted by our likelihood map. The CMS results nibble away at the high fit probability density region, transforming probability distributions for the scalar and gluino masses. The CMS search has a with non-trivial effect on tan \\beta due to correlations between the parameters implied by the fits to indirect data.

48 CFR 31.203 - Indirect costs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... fiscal year used for financial reporting purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting... contract or other work, indirect costs are those remaining to be allocated to intermediate or two or more... basis of the benefits accruing to intermediate and final cost objectives. When substantially the same...

Female fitness optimum at intermediate mating rates under traumatic mating.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rolanda Lange

Full Text Available Traumatic mating behaviors often bear signatures of sexual conflict and are then typically considered a male strategy to circumvent female choice mechanisms. In an extravagant mating ritual, the hermaphroditic sea slug Siphopteron quadrispinosum pierces the integument of their mating partners with a syringe-like penile stylet that injects prostate fluids. Traumatic injection is followed by the insertion of a spiny penis into the partner's gonopore to transfer sperm. Despite traumatic mating, field mating rates exceed those required for female fertilization insurance, possibly because costs imposed on females are balanced by direct or indirect benefits of multiple sperm receipt. To test this idea, we exposed animals to a relevant range of mating opportunity regimes and assessed the effects on mating behavior and proxies of female fitness. We find penis intromission duration to decrease with mating rates, and a female fecundity maximum at intermediate mating rates. The latter finding indicates that benefits beyond fertilization insurance can make higher mating rates also beneficial from a female perspective in this traumatically mating species.

The Measure of Human Error: Direct and Indirect Performance Shaping Factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronald L. Boring; Candice D. Griffith; Jeffrey C. Joe

2007-08-01

The goal of performance shaping factors (PSFs) is to provide measures to account for human performance. PSFs fall into two categories—direct and indirect measures of human performance. While some PSFs such as “time to complete a task” are directly measurable, other PSFs, such as “fitness for duty,” can only be measured indirectly through other measures and PSFs, such as through fatigue measures. This paper explores the role of direct and indirect measures in human reliability analysis (HRA) and the implications that measurement theory has on analyses and applications using PSFs. The paper concludes with suggestions for maximizing the reliability and validity of PSFs.

Indirect reciprocity with optional interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghang, Whan; Nowak, Martin A

2015-01-21

Indirect reciprocity is a mechanism for the evolution of cooperation that is relevant for prosocial behavior among humans. Indirect reciprocity means that my behavior towards you also depends on what you have done to others. Indirect reciprocity is associated with the evolution of social intelligence and human language. Most approaches to indirect reciprocity assume obligatory interactions, but here we explore optional interactions. In any one round a game between two players is offered. A cooperator accepts a game unless the reputation of the other player indicates a defector. For a game to take place, both players must accept. In a game between a cooperator and a defector, the reputation of the defector is revealed to all players with probability Q. After a sufficiently large number of rounds the identity of all defectors is known and cooperators are no longer exploited. The crucial condition for evolution of cooperation can be written as hQB>1, where h is the average number of rounds per person and B=(b/c)-1 specifies the benefit-to-cost ratio. We analyze both stochastic and deterministic evolutionary game dynamics. We study two extensions that deal with uncertainty: hesitation and malicious gossip. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring total economic benefits from water in plantation forestry ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A quasi input-output framework was applied to measuring direct and indirect economic benefits from water use in plantation forestry in the Crocodile river catchment of South Africa. The study accounted for indirect economic benefits generated in downstream timber processing activities and input supply sectors linked with ...

Indirect reciprocity and the evolution of "moral signals"

Science.gov (United States)

Smead, Rory

2010-01-01

Signals regarding the behavior of others are an essential element of human moral systems and there are important evolutionary connections between language and large-scale cooperation. In particular, social communication may be required for the reputation tracking needed to stabilize indirect reciprocity. Additionally, scholars have suggested that the benefits of indirect reciprocity may have been important for the evolution of language and that social signals may have coevolved with large-scale cooperation. This paper investigates the possibility of such a coevolution. Using the tools of evolutionary game theory, we present a model that incorporates primitive "moral signaling" into a simple setting of indirect reciprocity. This model reveals some potential difficulties for the evolution of "moral signals." We find that it is possible for "moral signals" to evolve alongside indirect reciprocity, but without some external pressure aiding the evolution of a signaling system, such a coevolution is unlikely.

19 CFR 351.510 - Indirect taxes and import charges (other than export programs).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... OF COMMERCE ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES Identification and Measurement of Countervailable Subsidies § 351.510 Indirect taxes and import charges (other than export programs). (a) Benefit—(1... the full or partial exemption or remission of an indirect tax or an import charge, a benefit exists to...

Fitting the Phenomenological MSSM

CERN Document Server

AbdusSalam, S S; Quevedo, F; Feroz, F; Hobson, M

2010-01-01

We perform a global Bayesian fit of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM) to current indirect collider and dark matter data. The pMSSM contains the most relevant 25 weak-scale MSSM parameters, which are simultaneously fit using `nested sampling' Monte Carlo techniques in more than 15 years of CPU time. We calculate the Bayesian evidence for the pMSSM and constrain its parameters and observables in the context of two widely different, but reasonable, priors to determine which inferences are robust. We make inferences about sparticle masses, the sign of the $\\mu$ parameter, the amount of fine tuning, dark matter properties and the prospects for direct dark matter detection without assuming a restrictive high-scale supersymmetry breaking model. We find the inferred lightest CP-even Higgs boson mass as an example of an approximately prior independent observable. This analysis constitutes the first statistically convergent pMSSM global fit to all current data.

19 CFR 351.518 - Exemption, remission, or deferral upon export of prior-stage cumulative indirect taxes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... prior-stage cumulative indirect taxes. 351.518 Section 351.518 Customs Duties INTERNATIONAL TRADE... indirect taxes. (a) Benefit—(1) Exemption of prior-stage cumulative indirect taxes. In the case of a... production of an exported product, a benefit exists to the extent that the exemption extends to inputs that...

The Mersey Barrage - indirect benefits: the economic and regional case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockle, P.J.; McCormack, J.J.

1992-01-01

A major cost-benefit exercise, a regional and an exchequer impact assessment were performed. The cost-benefit net present values (NPV) (1991 prices) of market and non-market streams revealed: capital and operating cost (-Pound 799 million), electricity output (Pound 310 million), CO 2 savings (Pound 627 million), security of energy supply (Pound 18 million), amenity benefit/blight (-Pound 1 million), tourism (Pound 5 million), leisure (Pound 7 million), waders and wildfowl impact (-Pound 8 million) and a road crossing (Pound 132 million). The total mid-range estimate of Pound 370 million confirms the barrage would increase Britain's welfare. During construction the barrage would support up to 2,100 Merseyside jobs and 600 in operation. The cumulative gains to the exchequer are Pound 300 million. (author)

Fitness, Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Symptoms of Depression, and Cognition in Inactive Overweight Children: Mediation Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Stojek, Monika M K; Montoya, Amanda K; Drescher, Christopher F; Newberry, Andrew; Sultan, Zain; Williams, Celestine F; Pollock, Norman K; Davis, Catherine L

We used mediation models to examine the mechanisms underlying the relationships among physical fitness, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), symptoms of depression, and cognitive functioning. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the cohorts involved in the 2003-2006 project PLAY (a trial of the effects of aerobic exercise on health and cognition) and the 2008-2011 SMART study (a trial of the effects of exercise on cognition). A total of 397 inactive overweight children aged 7-11 received a fitness test, standardized cognitive test (Cognitive Assessment System, yielding Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive, and Full Scale scores), and depression questionnaire. Parents completed a Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire. We used bootstrapped mediation analyses to test whether SDB mediated the relationship between fitness and depression and whether SDB and depression mediated the relationship between fitness and cognition. Fitness was negatively associated with depression ( B = -0.041; 95% CI, -0.06 to -0.02) and SDB ( B = -0.005; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.001). SDB was positively associated with depression ( B = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.32 to 1.67) after controlling for fitness. The relationship between fitness and depression was mediated by SDB (indirect effect = -0.005; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.0004). The relationship between fitness and the attention component of cognition was independently mediated by SDB (indirect effect = 0.058; 95% CI, 0.004 to 0.13) and depression (indirect effect = -0.071; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.17). SDB mediates the relationship between fitness and depression, and SDB and depression separately mediate the relationship between fitness and the attention component of cognition.

Direct and indirect co-benefits from energy-efficient residential buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, W.; Baur, M.; Jakob, M.

2006-01-01

Co-benefits of energy efficiency investments such as increased comfort of living, reduced noise exposure, and improved indoor air quality are of considerable evidence. However in investment decisions these co-benefits are rarely taken into account. Using various economic estimation methods (discrete choice, hedonic regression, contingent valuation), this study identifies and quantifies in monetary terms the most important co-benefits of energy efficiency measures. The results show that regarding energy efficiency measures, comfort of living plays a major role and that inhabitants express a non-negligible willingness to pay for it. The willingness to pay is larger than the costs of the energy efficiency measures in most cases and for a large part of the population. To utilise this willingness to pay in the market place it is necessary to establish transparency regarding comfort-of-living aspects and to raise awareness about these aspects among all involved actors (inhabitants, investors, architects, planners, promoters, vendors) by adequate information and communication measures. In view of the high relevance and the noticed economic valuation of the qualitative co-benefits, energy efficiency measures have to be promoted with their related enhancements in terms of comfort of living. (author)

Facilitate Active Learning: The Role of Perceived Benefits of Using Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Weiling; Xiao, Qian

2018-01-01

The authors examine factors influencing student active learning and the ensuing class learning experience in the context of applying technologies in the classroom. The results suggest that the psychological benefit directly and indirectly influences class learning experience. In addition, the functional benefit only indirectly influences class…

The development and application of the AstroFit program for complementary dark matter studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Ngoc-Lan Nelly

2013-02-01

This doctoral thesis describes the development and application of the AstroFit program. Many studies have shown the existence of dark matter (DM), a mass component that constitutes over eighty percent of the entire matter in the Universe. From historical astrophysical evidence to latest reconstructions with sophisticated methods, the gravitational effect of DM can be shown, but its nature remains unknown. Many theoretical explanations aim at describing DM, for example as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), within particular frameworks. The majority of these frameworks extend the existing standard model of particle physics (SM), so that new particles are added to the known set of elementary particles. One of these frameworks is the constrained supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) that naturally introduces a DM candidate in form of the lightest supersymmetric particle(LSP). Searches for DM particles are undertaken in three different ways. First, directly with fixed-target experiments that measure WIMPs coming towards the Earth with nuclei of the target material. Second, indirectly by reconstructing DM signatures in particle spectra of known particles observed with ground-based telescopes, spaceborne satellites or balloon-borne experiments. And third, indirectly via direct production of DM at particle colliders such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and energy reconstructions where missing transverse energy is presumably carried away by the DM particles. Global fit programs used in particle physics, such as Fittino, are designed to fit parameters of theories beyond the SM simultaneously that are in accordance with the experimental and observed data in order to probe models and constrain the parameter space. To explore complementarity in DM research, the AstroFit interface program has been developed to combine all available information from direct and indirect searches for DM as well as collider searches for new physics in such global fits. To demonstrate

The development and application of the AstroFit program for complementary dark matter studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Ngoc-Lan Nelly

2013-02-15

This doctoral thesis describes the development and application of the AstroFit program. Many studies have shown the existence of dark matter (DM), a mass component that constitutes over eighty percent of the entire matter in the Universe. From historical astrophysical evidence to latest reconstructions with sophisticated methods, the gravitational effect of DM can be shown, but its nature remains unknown. Many theoretical explanations aim at describing DM, for example as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), within particular frameworks. The majority of these frameworks extend the existing standard model of particle physics (SM), so that new particles are added to the known set of elementary particles. One of these frameworks is the constrained supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) that naturally introduces a DM candidate in form of the lightest supersymmetric particle(LSP). Searches for DM particles are undertaken in three different ways. First, directly with fixed-target experiments that measure WIMPs coming towards the Earth with nuclei of the target material. Second, indirectly by reconstructing DM signatures in particle spectra of known particles observed with ground-based telescopes, spaceborne satellites or balloon-borne experiments. And third, indirectly via direct production of DM at particle colliders such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and energy reconstructions where missing transverse energy is presumably carried away by the DM particles. Global fit programs used in particle physics, such as Fittino, are designed to fit parameters of theories beyond the SM simultaneously that are in accordance with the experimental and observed data in order to probe models and constrain the parameter space. To explore complementarity in DM research, the AstroFit interface program has been developed to combine all available information from direct and indirect searches for DM as well as collider searches for new physics in such global fits. To demonstrate

Having a Ball with Fitness Balls

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, Betty

2011-01-01

Fitness programs can be greatly enhanced with the addition of fitness balls. They are a fun, challenging, economical, and safe way to incorporate a cardiovascular, strength, and stretching program for all fitness levels in a physical education setting. The use of these balls has become more popular during the last decade, and their benefits and…

Altruistic defence behaviours in aphids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brodeur Jacques

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Altruistic anti-predatory behaviours pose an evolutionary problem because they are costly to the actor and beneficial to the recipients. Altruistic behaviours can evolve through indirect fitness benefits when directed toward kin. The altruistic nature of anti-predatory behaviours is often difficult to establish because the actor can obtain direct fitness benefits, or the behaviour could result from selfish coercion by others, especially in eusocial animals. Non-eusocial parthenogenetically reproducing aphids form colonies of clone-mates, which are ideal to test the altruistic nature of anti-predatory defence behaviours. Many aphids release cornicle secretions when attacked by natural enemies such as parasitoids. These secretions contain an alarm pheromone that alerts neighbours (clone-mates of danger, thereby providing indirect fitness benefits to the actor. However, contact with cornicle secretions also hampers an attacker and could provide direct fitness to the actor. Results We tested the hypothesis that cornicle secretions are altruistic by assessing direct and indirect fitness consequences of smearing cornicle secretions onto an attacker, and by manipulating the number of clone-mates that could benefit from the behaviour. We observed parasitoids, Aphidius rhopalosiphi, foraging singly in patches of the cereal aphid Sitobion avenae of varied patch size (2, 6, and 12 aphids. Aphids that smeared parasitoids did not benefit from a reduced probability of parasitism, or increase the parasitoids' handling time. Smeared parasitoids, however, spent proportionately more time grooming and less time foraging, which resulted in a decreased host-encounter and oviposition rate within the host patch. In addition, individual smearing rate increased with the number of clone-mates in the colony. Conclusions Cornicle secretions of aphids were altruistic against parasitoids, as they provided no direct fitness benefits to secretion

Indirect Reciprocity with Optional Interactions and Private Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Olejarz

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We consider indirect reciprocity with optional interactions and private information. A game is offered between two players and accepted unless it is known that the other person is a defector. Whenever a defector manages to exploit a cooperator, his or her reputation is revealed to others in the population with some probability. Therefore, people have different private information about the reputation of others, which is a setting that is difficult to analyze in the theory of indirect reciprocity. Since a defector loses a fraction of his social ties each time he exploits a cooperator, he is less efficient at exploiting cooperators in subsequent rounds. We analytically calculate the critical benefit-to-cost ratio above which cooperation is successful in various settings. We demonstrate quantitative agreement with simulation results of a corresponding Wright–Fisher process with optional interactions and private information. We also deduce a simple necessary condition for the critical benefit-to-cost ratio.

Non-linear actions of physiological agents: Finite disarrangements elicit fitness benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlic, Filip; Kovac, Zdenko

2017-10-01

Finite disarrangements of important (vital) physiological agents and nutrients can induce plethora of beneficial effects, exceeding mere attenuation of the specific stress. Such response to disrupted homeostasis appears to be universally conserved among species. The underlying mechanism of improved fitness and longevity, when physiological agents act outside their normal range is similar to hormesis, a phenomenon whereby toxins elicit beneficial effects at low doses. Due to similarity with such non-linear response to toxins described with J-shaped curve, we have coined a new term "mirror J-shaped curves" for non-linear response to finite disarrangement of physiological agents. Examples from the clinical trials and basic research are provided, along with the unifying mechanisms that tie classical non-linear response to toxins with the non-linear response to physiological agents (glucose, oxygen, osmolarity, thermal energy, calcium, body mass, calorie intake and exercise). Reactive oxygen species and cytosolic calcium seem to be common triggers of signaling pathways that result in these beneficial effects. Awareness of such phenomena and exploring underlying mechanisms can help physicians in their everyday practice. It can also benefit researchers when designing studies and interpreting growing number of scientific data showing non-linear responses to physiological agents. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-linear actions of physiological agents: Finite disarrangements elicit fitness benefits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filip Sedlic

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Finite disarrangements of important (vital physiological agents and nutrients can induce plethora of beneficial effects, exceeding mere attenuation of the specific stress. Such response to disrupted homeostasis appears to be universally conserved among species. The underlying mechanism of improved fitness and longevity, when physiological agents act outside their normal range is similar to hormesis, a phenomenon whereby toxins elicit beneficial effects at low doses. Due to similarity with such non-linear response to toxins described with J-shaped curve, we have coined a new term “mirror J-shaped curves” for non-linear response to finite disarrangement of physiological agents. Examples from the clinical trials and basic research are provided, along with the unifying mechanisms that tie classical non-linear response to toxins with the non-linear response to physiological agents (glucose, oxygen, osmolarity, thermal energy, calcium, body mass, calorie intake and exercise. Reactive oxygen species and cytosolic calcium seem to be common triggers of signaling pathways that result in these beneficial effects. Awareness of such phenomena and exploring underlying mechanisms can help physicians in their everyday practice. It can also benefit researchers when designing studies and interpreting growing number of scientific data showing non-linear responses to physiological agents.

Determining Intensity Levels of Selected Wii Fit Activities in College Aged Individuals

Science.gov (United States)

Grieser, Joshua D.; Gao, Yong; Ransdell, Lynda; Simonson, Shawn

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the intensity of Nintendo Wii Fit games using indirect calorimetry. Twenty-five college students completed Wii Fit activity sessions at two difficulty levels within aerobics, strength, and yoga categories. Resting metabolic rate and exercise oxygen uptake were measured, and metabolic equivalents were…

Multiple fitness benefits of polyandry in a cephalopod.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoe E Squires

Full Text Available Sex differences in reproductive investment play a crucial role in sexual conflict. One intriguing aspect of sexual conflict is the evolution of female multiple mating (polyandry, particularly in systems where females receive no obvious direct benefits from males, and where mating is highly costly. Here, theory predicts that polyandrous females can increase their reproductive success by taking advantage of the genetic benefits of mating with multiple males. Cephalopods provide a model system for addressing this question, as all species mate multiply. Here we examine differences in reproductive success between monandrous, multiply mated (to the same male and polyandrous female dumpling squid (Euprymna tasmanica.We mated females in the laboratory with two different males (polyandrous; controlling for mating order, or with a single male (monandrous. To control for mating frequency, we mated monandrous females either once (monandrous 1, or with the same male twice (monandrous 2, and measured reproductive success for each of the three treatments (polyandrous, monandrous 1, monandrous 2. Females mated to two different males produced eggs faster and had larger hatchlings relative to egg mass than females mated once with a single male.The benefits of polyandry demonstrated here are the first, to our knowledge, in any cephalopod. These benefits may outweigh the significant costs associated with mating and help to explain how multiple mating has evolved (or is maintained in this group.

[An experimental study on the effect of different optical impression methods on marginal and internal fit of all-ceramic crowns].

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Fa-Bing; Wang, Lu; Fu, Gang; Wu, Shu-Hong; Jin, Ping

2010-02-01

To study the effect of different optical impression methods in Cerec 3D/Inlab MC XL system on marginal and internal fit of all-ceramic crowns. A right mandibular first molar in the standard model was used to prepare full crown and replicated into thirty-two plaster casts. Sixteen of them were selected randomly for bonding crown and the others were used for taking optical impression, in half of which the direct optical impression taking method were used and the others were used for the indirect method, and then eight Cerec Blocs all-ceramic crowns were manufactured respectively. The fit of all-ceramic crowns were evaluated by modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, and the data were statistically analyzed with SAS 9.1 software. The clinically acceptable rate for all marginal measurement sites was 87.5% according to USPHS criteria. There was no statistically significant difference in marginal fit between direct and indirect method group (P > 0.05). With SEM imaging, all marginal measurement sites were less than 120 microm and no statistically significant difference was found between direct and indirect method group in terms of marginal or internal fit (P > 0.05). But the direct method group showed better fit than indirect method group in terms of mesial surface, lingual surface, buccal surface and occlusal surface (P impression method had no significant effect on marginal fit of Cerec Blocs crowns, but it had certain effect on internal fit. Overall all-ceramic crowns appeared to have clinically acceptable marginal fit.

Friends of friends: are indirect connections in social networks important to animal behaviour?

Science.gov (United States)

Brent, Lauren J N

2015-05-01

Friend of a friend relationships, or the indirect connections between people, influence our health, well-being, financial success and reproductive output. As with humans, social behaviours in other animals often occur within a broad interconnected network of social ties. Yet studies of animal social behaviour tend to focus on associations between pairs of individuals. With the increase in popularity of social network analysis, researchers have started to look beyond the dyad to examine the role of indirect connections in animal societies. Here, I provide an overview of the new knowledge that has been uncovered by these studies. I focus on research that has addressed both the causes of social behaviours, i.e. the cognitive and genetic basis of indirect connections, as well as their consequences, i.e. the impact of indirect connections on social cohesion, information transfer, cultural practices and fitness. From these studies, it is apparent that indirect connections play an important role in animal behaviour, although future research is needed to clarify their contribution.

Making it fit: Associations of line managers' behaviours with the outcomes of an organizational-level intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundmark, Robert; von Thiele Schwarz, Ulrica; Hasson, Henna; Stenling, Andreas; Tafvelin, Susanne

2018-02-01

Line managers' behaviours are important during implementation of occupational health interventions. Still, little is known about how these behaviours are related to intervention outcomes. This study explored the relationship between line managers' intervention-specific transformational leadership (IsTL), intervention fit (the match between the intervention, persons involved, and the surrounding environment), and change in intrinsic motivation and vigour. Both direct and indirect relationships between IsTL and change in intrinsic motivation and vigour were tested. Ninety employees participating in an organizational-level occupational health intervention provided questionnaire ratings at baseline and after 6 months. The results showed IsTL to be related to intervention fit and intervention fit to be related to intrinsic motivation. Using intervention fit as a mediator, the total effects (direct and indirect combined) of IsTL on change in intrinsic motivation and vigour were significant. In addition, IsTL had a specific indirect effect on intrinsic motivation. This study is the first to use IsTL as a measure line managers' behaviours. It is also the first to empirically evaluate the association between intervention fit and intervention outcomes. By including these measures in evaluations of organizational-level occupational health interventions, we can provide more informative answers as to what can make interventions successful. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Selective Cooperation in the Supermarket : Field Experimental Evidence for Indirect Reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Florian; Eggert, Frank

2015-12-01

Numerous laboratory experiments suggest that mechanisms of indirect reciprocity might account for human cooperation. However, conclusive field data supporting the predictions of indirect reciprocity in everyday life situations is still scarce. Here, we attempt to compensate for this lack by examining the determinants of cooperative behavior in a German supermarket. Our methods were as follows: Confederates of the experimenter lined up at the checkout, apparently to buy a single item. As an act of cooperation, the waiting person in front (the potential helper) could allow the confederate to go ahead. By this means, the potential helper could take a cost (additional waiting time) by providing the confederate with a benefit (saved waiting time). We recorded the potential helpers' behavior and the number of items they purchased as a quantitative measure proportional to the confederate's benefit. Moreover, in a field experimental design, we varied the confederates' image by manipulating the item they purchased (beer vs. water). As predicted, the more waiting time they could save, the more likely the confederates were to receive cooperation. This relationship was moderated by the confederates' image. Cost-to-benefit ratios were required to be more favorable for beer-purchasing individuals to receive cooperation. Our results demonstrate that everyday human cooperation can be studied unobtrusively in the field and that cooperation among strangers is selective in a way that is consistent with current models of indirect reciprocity.

Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Stig; McLaren, Robin

2017-01-01

This paper looks at implementing Fit-For-Purpose land administration solutions at county level. This will require a country specific strategy drawing from the recent GLTN publication on “Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration – Guiding Principles for Country Implementation”. The Fit...... administration; 4) Designing the country specific FFP spatial / legal / institutional frameworks; 5) Capacity development; 6) Country specific instruction manuals; and 7) Economic benefits analysis. Finally, the paper presents some experiences and reflections from a case study on implementing the FFP approach...

Indirect reciprocity provides a narrow margin of efficiency for costly punishment

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasa, Yoh; Nowak, Martin A.

2008-01-01

Indirect reciprocity1-5 is a key mechanism for the evolution of human cooperation. Our behavior toward other people depends not only on what they have done to us, but also on what they have done to others. Indirect reciprocity works via reputation5-17. The standard model of indirect reciprocity offers a binary choice: people can either cooperate or defect. Cooperation implies a cost for the donor and a benefit for the recipient. Defection has no cost and yields no benefit. Currently there is considerable interest in studying the effect of costly (or altruistic) punishment on human behavior18-25. Punishment implies a cost for the punished person. Costly punishment means that the punisher also pays a cost. It has been suggested that costly punishment between individuals can promote cooperation. Here we study the role of costly punishment in an explicit model of indirect reciprocity. We analyze all social norms, which depend on the action of the donor and the reputation of the recipient. We allow errors in assigning reputation and study gossip as a mechanism for establishing coherence. We characterize all strategies that allow the evolutionary stability of cooperation. Some of those strategies use costly punishment, while others do not. We find that punishment strategies typically reduce the average payoff of the population. Consequently, there is only a small parameter region where costly punishment leads to an efficient equilibrium. In most cases, the population does better by not using costly punishment. The efficient strategy for indirect reciprocity is to withhold help for defectors rather than punish them. PMID:19122640

Measuring Your Fitness Level

Science.gov (United States)

... online calculator. If you'd rather do the math yourself, divide your weight in pounds by your ... Human Services recommends one of the following activity levels for adult fitness and health benefits: 150 minutes ...

Executive summary: The health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small-sided football games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krustrup, Peter; Dvorak, J.; Junge, A.

2010-01-01

The present special issue of Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports deals with health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small-sided football games. One review article and 13 original articles were the result of a 2-year multi-center study in Copenhagen and Zurich...... and include studies of different age groups analyzed from a physiological, medical, social and psychological perspective. The main groups investigated were middle-aged, former untrained, healthy men and women who were followed for up to 16 months. In addition, elderly, children and hypertensive patients were...... studied. A summary and interpretations of the main findings divided into an analysis of the physical demands during training of various groups and the effect of a period of training on performance, muscle adaptations and health profile follow. In addition, social and psychological effects on participation...

Direct and indirect co-benefits from energy-efficient residential buildings - Appendix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, W.; Baur, M.; Jakob, M.

2006-01-01

Co-benefits of energy efficiency investments such as increased comfort of living, reduced noise exposure, and improved indoor air quality are of considerable evidence. However in investment decisions these co-benefits are rarely taken into account. Using various economic estimation methods (discrete choice, hedonic regression, contingent valuation), this study identifies and quantifies in monetary terms the most important co-benefits of energy efficiency measures. The results show that regarding energy efficiency measures, comfort of living plays a major role and that inhabitants express a non-negligible willingness to pay for it. The willingness to pay is larger than the costs of the energy efficiency measures in most cases and for a large part of the population. To utilise this willingness to pay in the market place it is necessary to establish transparency regarding comfort of living aspects and to raise awareness about these aspect among all involved actors (inhabitants, investors, architects, planners, promoters, vendors) by adequate information and communication measures. In view of the high relevance and the noticed economic valuation of the qualitative co-benefits energy efficiency measures have to be promoted with their related enhancements in terms of comfort of living. (author)

Friends of friends: are indirect connections in social networks important to animal behaviour?

Science.gov (United States)

Brent, Lauren J. N.

2015-01-01

Friend of a friend relationships, or the indirect connections between people, influence our health, well-being, financial success and reproductive output. As with humans, social behaviours in other animals often occur within a broad interconnected network of social ties. Yet studies of animal social behaviour tend to focus on associations between pairs of individuals. With the increase in popularity of social network analysis, researchers have started to look beyond the dyad to examine the role of indirect connections in animal societies. Here, I provide an overview of the new knowledge that has been uncovered by these studies. I focus on research that has addressed both the causes of social behaviours, i.e. the cognitive and genetic basis of indirect connections, as well as their consequences, i.e. the impact of indirect connections on social cohesion, information transfer, cultural practices and fitness. From these studies, it is apparent that indirect connections play an important role in animal behaviour, although future research is needed to clarify their contribution. PMID:25937639

Body size evolution in an old insect order: No evidence for Cope's Rule in spite of fitness benefits of large size.

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, John T; Svensson, Erik I

2017-09-01

We integrate field data and phylogenetic comparative analyses to investigate causes of body size evolution and stasis in an old insect order: odonates ("dragonflies and damselflies"). Fossil evidence for "Cope's Rule" in odonates is weak or nonexistent since the last major extinction event 65 million years ago, yet selection studies show consistent positive selection for increased body size among adults. In particular, we find that large males in natural populations of the banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) over several generations have consistent fitness benefits both in terms of survival and mating success. Additionally, there was no evidence for stabilizing or conflicting selection between fitness components within the adult life-stage. This lack of stabilizing selection during the adult life-stage was independently supported by a literature survey on different male and female fitness components from several odonate species. We did detect several significant body size shifts among extant taxa using comparative methods and a large new molecular phylogeny for odonates. We suggest that the lack of Cope's rule in odonates results from conflicting selection between fitness advantages of large adult size and costs of long larval development. We also discuss competing explanations for body size stasis in this insect group. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Altruism and Indirect Reciprocity: The Interaction of Person and Situation in Prosocial Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Brent; Willer, Robb

2008-01-01

A persistent puzzle in the social and biological sciences is the existence of prosocial behavior, actions that benefit others, often at a cost to oneself. Recent theoretical models and empirical studies of indirect reciprocity show that actors behave prosocially in order to develop an altruistic reputation and receive future benefits from third…

PENGARUH BRAND FAMILIARITY TERHADAP PURCHASE INTENTION MELALUI BRAND FIT PADA HOTEL MULIA JAKARTA

OpenAIRE

Widiawaty .

2016-01-01

The purpose this paper is to examine the effects of Brand familiarity and Brand Fit on Purchase Intention towards the offerings of co branded hotels. The findings showed that the fit between cobrands mediate the relationship between Brand familiarity and Purchase Intention. In particular, a well-known co-branded hotel a high level of Brand Fit could directly or indirectly affect consumer decision-making processes regarding Purchase Intention towards the co-brand. conversely, a less familiar c...

Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janssen Ian

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose was to: 1 perform a systematic review of studies examining the relation between physical activity, fitness, and health in school-aged children and youth, and 2 make recommendations based on the findings. Methods The systematic review was limited to 7 health indicators: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, the metabolic syndrome, obesity, low bone density, depression, and injuries. Literature searches were conducted using predefined keywords in 6 key databases. A total of 11,088 potential papers were identified. The abstracts and full-text articles of potentially relevant papers were screened to determine eligibility. Data was abstracted for 113 outcomes from the 86 eligible papers. The evidence was graded for each health outcome using established criteria based on the quantity and quality of studies and strength of effect. The volume, intensity, and type of physical activity were considered. Results Physical activity was associated with numerous health benefits. The dose-response relations observed in observational studies indicate that the more physical activity, the greater the health benefit. Results from experimental studies indicate that even modest amounts of physical activity can have health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese. To achieve substantive health benefits, the physical activity should be of at least a moderate intensity. Vigorous intensity activities may provide even greater benefit. Aerobic-based activities had the greatest health benefit, other than for bone health, in which case high-impact weight bearing activities were required. Conclusion The following recommendations were made: 1 Children and youth 5-17 years of age should accumulate an average of at least 60 minutes per day and up to several hours of at least moderate intensity physical activity. Some of the health benefits can be achieved through an average of 30 minutes per day. [Level 2, Grade A]. 2 More vigorous

Direct and indirect economic costs among private-sector employees with osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Ariel; Hartrick, Craig; Edelsberg, John; Sadosky, Alesia; Oster, Gerry

2011-11-01

To estimate direct and indirect economic costs among private-sector employees with osteoarthritis (OA). Using a large US employer benefits database, we identified all employees with evidence of OA during calendar year 2007, and compared their costs of health care and work loss to age-and-sex-matched employees without evidence of OA in that year. Private-sector employees with OA (n = 2399) averaged 62.9 days of absenteeism versus 36.7 days among matched comparators (n = 2399) (P Private-sector employees with OA have higher direct and indirect costs than those without this condition.

Indirect revascularization surgery for moyamoya disease in children and its special considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyu-Chang Wang

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Moyamoya disease (MMD is the most common pediatric cerebrovascular disease in Far Eastern countries. In children, MMD frequently manifests as ischemic symptomatology. Cerebral perfusion gradually decreases as the disease progresses, which often leads to cerebral infarction. The benefits of revascularization surgery, whether direct or indirect, have been well established in MMD patients with ischemic symptoms. In adults, the increase in cerebral blood flow achieved with indirect revascularization is often unsatisfactory, and direct revascularization is usually feasible. In children, however, direct revascularization is frequently technically not feasible, whereas the response to indirect revascularization is excellent, although 1 or 2 weeks are required for stabilization of symptoms. The authors describe surgical procedures and perioperative care in indirect revascularization for MMD. In addition, special considerations with regard to very young patients, patients with recent cerebral infarction, and patients with hyperthyroidism are discussed.

Heard it through the grapevine: indirect networks and employee creativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirst, Giles; Van Knippenberg, Daan; Zhou, Jing; Quintane, Eric; Zhu, Cherrie

2015-03-01

Social networks can be important sources of information and insights that may spark employee creativity. The cross-fertilization of ideas depends not just on access to information and insights through one's direct network-the people one actually interacts with--but at least as much on access to the indirect network one's direct ties connect one to (i.e., people one does not interact with directly, but with whom one's direct ties interact). We propose that the reach efficiency of this indirect network--its nonredundancy in terms of interconnections--is positively related to individual creativity. To help specify the boundaries of this positive influence of the indirect network, we also explore how many steps removed the indirect network still adds to creativity. In addition, we propose that the efficiency (nonredundancy) of one's direct network is important here, because more efficient direct networks give one access to indirect networks with greater reach efficiency. Our hypotheses were supported in a multilevel analysis of multisource survey data from 223 sales representatives nested within 11 divisions of a Chinese pharmaceutical company. This analysis also showed that the creative benefits of reach efficiency were evident for 3 and 4 degrees of separation but were greatest for indirect ties that depend only on one's direct ties. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Will Nintendo "Wii Fit" Get You Fit? An Evaluation of the Energy Expenditure from Active-Play Videogames.

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Ying; Kakinami, Lisa; Peterson, Eric D; Mustian, Karen M; Fernandez, I Diana

2014-04-01

This study aimed to determine whether Nintendo(®) (Redmond, WA) "Wii Fit™" games can help individuals meet physical activity recommendations. Thirty young healthy volunteers were recruited for this randomized crossover study to evaluate the energy expenditure associated with (1) a 30-minute "Wii Fit Free Run," (2) three 10-minute bouts of "Wii Fit" aerobic games ("Rhythm Boxing," "Super Hula Hoop," and "Advanced Steps"), and (3) 30-minute treadmill running/walking. Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry using breath-by-breath analyses of O2 consumption and CO2 production. The "Wii Fit" conditions produced a moderate exercise intensity (5.0, 4.1, 3.9, and 3.8 metabolic equivalents [METs] in "Free Run," "Rhythm Boxing," "Super Hula Hoop," and "Advanced Steps"), whereas the treadmill running/walking produced a vigorous exercise intensity (METs=8.0). Based on federal guidelines, an individual could achieve the minimum weekly goal of 500 MET-minutes by playing selected "Wii Fit" aerobics games for 20-26 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Although not as vigorous as the treadmill, active-play videogames such as "Wii Fit" may provide an alternative way to encourage exercise and increase adoption and adherence to the physical activity guidelines.

Integrating Life-cycle Assessment into Transport Cost-benefit Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manzo, Stefano; Salling, Kim Bang

2016-01-01

Traditional transport Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) commonly ignores the indirect environmental impacts of an infrastructure project deriving from the overall life-cycle of the different project components. Such indirect impacts are instead of key importance in order to assess the long......-term sustainability of a transport infrastructure project. In the present study we suggest to overcome this limit by combining a conventional life-cycle assessment approach with standard transport cost-benefit analysis. The suggested methodology is tested upon a case study project related to the construction of a new...... fixed link across the Roskilde fjord in Frederikssund (Denmark). The results are then compared with those from a standard CBA framework. The analysis shows that indirect environmental impacts represent a relevant share of the estimated costs of the project, clearly affecting the final project evaluation...

CrossFit® instructor demographics and practice trends

OpenAIRE

Gregory R. Waryasz; Vladimir Suric; Alan H. Daniels; Joseph A. Gil; Craig P. Eberson

2016-01-01

CrossFit® is an increasingly popular exercise modality that uses high intensity power training. The literature to date regarding CrossFit® has focused on its benefits to VO2 Max, body composition and the motivational variables of participants of CrossFit®. A computerized survey was distributed to CrossFit® instructors using Survey Monkey® (Palo Alto, CA, USA). One hundred and ninety-three CrossFit® instructors responded to the survey. Of these 86.6% (155/179) reported being a certified CrossF...

The FORCE Fitness Profile--Adding a Measure of Health-Related Fitness to the Canadian Armed Forces Operational Fitness Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Patrick; Spivock, Michael; Reilly, Tara; Mattie, Paige; Stockbrugger, Barry

2015-11-01

In 2013, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) implemented the Fitness for Operational Requirements of Canadian Armed Forces Employment (FORCE), a field expedient fitness test designed to predict the physical requirements of completing common military tasks. Given that attaining this minimal physical fitness standard may not represent a challenge to some personnel, a fitness incentive program was requested by the chain of command to recognize and reward fitness over and above the minimal standard. At the same time, it was determined that the CAF would benefit from a measure of general health-related fitness, in addition to this measure of operational fitness. The resulting incentive program structure is based on gender and 8 age categories. The results on the 4 elements of the FORCE evaluation were converted to a point scale from which normative scores were derived, where the median score corresponds to the bronze level, and silver, gold, and platinum correspond to a score which is 1, 2, and 3 SDs above this median, respectively. A suite of rewards including merit board point toward promotions and recognition on the uniform and material rewards was developed. A separate group rewards program was also tabled, to recognize achievements in fitness at the unit level. For general fitness, oxygen capacity was derived from FORCE evaluation results and combined with a measure of abdominal circumference. Fitness categories were determined based on relative risks of mortality and morbidity for each age and gender group. Pilot testing of this entire program was performed with 624 participants to assess participants' reactions to the enhanced test, and also to verify logistical aspects of the electronic data capture, calculation, and transfer system. The newly dubbed fitness profile program was subsequently approved by the senior leadership of the CAF and is scheduled to begin a phased implementation in June 2015.

Social intervention and risk reduction - indirect countermeasures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, N.A.; Morrey, M.

1996-01-01

An indirect countermeasure (IC) is an action which is intended to mitigate detrimental effects experienced by individuals or the community after an accident. Indirect countermeasures (ICs) achieve this, both by averting radiation risks arising from the accident, but by removing or reducing other risks and sources of stress or harm to which the community may be subject. ICs naturally fall into two categories: social action ICs, which range from introducing compensation payments to providing information centres; and risk reducing ICs which mitigate risks to which the population might be exposed, such as radon. By including a consideration of ICs in an assessment of the optimal response, it is likely that a decision maker will become aware of a greater range of harms and benefits that might result from the application of a countermeasure. The decision maker will then be in a better position to judge the appropriateness of any action. (author)

Physical activity and self-esteem: testing direct and indirect relationships associated with psychological and physical mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamani Sani, Seyed Hojjat; Fathirezaie, Zahra; Brand, Serge; Pühse, Uwe; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Gerber, Markus; Talepasand, Siavash

2016-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between physical activity (PA) and self-esteem (SE), while introducing body mass index (BMI), perceived physical fitness (PPF), and body image (BI) in adults (N =264, M =38.10 years). The findings indicated that PA was directly and indirectly associated with SE. BMI predicted SE neither directly nor indirectly, but was directly associated with PPF and both directly and indirectly with BI. Furthermore, PPF was directly related to BI and SE, and a direct association was found between BI and SE. The pattern of results suggests that among a sample of adults, PA is directly and indirectly associated with SE, PPF, and BI, but not with BMI. PA, PPF, and BI appear to play an important role in SE. Accordingly, regular PA should be promoted, in particular, among adults reporting lower SE.

The relationship between physical activity and physical self-esteem in adolescents: the role of physical fitness indices.

Science.gov (United States)

Haugen, Tommy; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Seiler, Stephen

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if physical fitness (strength/power, endurance, flexibility and coordination) mediates the cross-sectional relationship between physical activity and physical self-perception (athletic competence and physical appearance) in a sample of 15-year old adolescents. We wanted to investigate the relative strength of each indirect effect. The present data are taken from two waves of a larger data collection for the project "Youth in Balance", and was collected in the autumn of 2005 (N = 1207) and 2008 (N = 632). A total of 1839 students (889 girls and 950 boys) from 12 schools in Kristiansand took part. A bias-corrected bootstrapping technique was used to examine indirect effects. Results revealed that cardiovascular endurance, lower-body strength/power, and upper-body strength stood out as unique mediators in the relationship between physical activity and athletic competence in both genders. Furthermore, there was an indirect effect of physical activity on physical appearance through physical strength/power and flexibility in males. No indirect effects of physical activity on physical appearance through actual physical fitness indices were detected in females.

Broad-spectrum physical fitness benefits of recreational football: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Milanović, Zoran; Pantelić, Saša; Čović, Nedim; Sporiš, Goran; Mohr, Magni; Krustrup, Peter

2018-01-25

participants with mild hypertension (11 and 7 mm Hg decrease, respectively) and participants with prehypertension (10 and 7 mm Hg decrease, respectively). Meta-analysis of recreational football determined the impact on resting heart rate as most likely extremely largely beneficial (ES=6.03 beats/min; 95% CI 4.43 to 7.64) when compared with non-active groups. The observed recreational football effect on fat mass was most likely largely beneficial (ES=1.72 kg; 95% CI 0.86 to 2.58) and the effect on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance was most likely very largely beneficial (ES=2.27 cm; 95% CI 1.29 to 3.25) when compared with non-active groups. Possibly beneficial decreases were found in low-density lipoprotein levels (ES=0.21 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.36). Possibly largely beneficial effect was observed for DBP in comparison with continuous running training. Small harmful and unclear results were noted for SBP, fat and lean body mass, body mass index, as well as muscular fitness when compared with running and Zumba training. The present meta-analysis demonstrated multiple broad-spectrum benefits of recreational football on health-related physical fitness compared with no-exercise controls, including improvements in blood pressure, resting heart rate, fat mass, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CMJ performance. Additionally, recreational football is efficient and effective as Zumba and continuous running exercise regimens with highlighted social, motivational and competitive components. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Generating Evidence for Clinical Benefit of PET/CT in Diagnosing Cancer Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vach, Werner; Høilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Gerke, Oke

2011-01-01

For diagnostic methods such as PET/CT, not only diagnostic accuracy but also clinical benefit must be demonstrated. However, there is a lack of consensus about how to approach this task. Here we consider 6 clinical scenarios to review some basic approaches to demonstrating the clinical benefit...... of PET/CT in cancer patients: replacement of an invasive procedure, improved accuracy of initial diagnosis, improved accuracy of staging for curative versus palliative treatment, improved accuracy of staging for radiation versus chemotherapy, response evaluation, and acceleration of clinical decisions....... We also develop some guidelines for the evaluation of clinical benefit. First, it should be clarified whether there is a direct benefit of the use of PET/CT or an indirect benefit because of improved diagnostic accuracy. If there is an indirect benefit, then decision modeling should be used initially...

Physical activity and self-esteem: testing direct and indirect relationships associated with psychological and physical mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zamani Sani SH

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Seyed Hojjat Zamani Sani,1 Zahra Fathirezaie,1 Serge Brand,2 Uwe Pühse,3 Edith Holsboer-Trachsler,2 Markus Gerber,3 Siavash Talepasand4 1Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; 2Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS, 3Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Sport Science Section, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; 4Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran Abstract: In the present study, we investigated the relationship between physical activity (PA and self-esteem (SE, while introducing body mass index (BMI, perceived physical fitness (PPF, and body image (BI in adults (N =264, M =38.10 years. The findings indicated that PA was directly and indirectly associated with SE. BMI predicted SE neither directly nor indirectly, but was directly associated with PPF and both directly and indirectly with BI. Furthermore, PPF was directly related to BI and SE, and a direct association was found between BI and SE. The pattern of results suggests that among a sample of adults, PA is directly and indirectly associated with SE, PPF, and BI, but not with BMI. PA, PPF, and BI appear to play an important role in SE. Accordingly, regular PA should be promoted, in particular, among adults reporting lower SE. Keywords: physical activity, self-esteem, physical fitness, body image, adults

Unpacking Direct and Indirect Relationships of Short-Term Memory to Word Reading: Evidence From Korean-Speaking Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Suk Grace; Cho, Jeung-Ryeul; Park, Soon-Gil

2017-08-01

We examined the relations of short-term memory (STM), metalinguistic awareness (phonological, morphological, and orthographic awareness), and rapid automatized naming (RAN) to word reading in Korean, a language with a relatively transparent orthography. STM, metalinguistic awareness, and RAN have been shown to be important to word reading, but the nature of the relations of STM, metalinguistic awareness, and RAN to word reading has rarely been investigated. Two alternative models were fitted. In the indirect relation model, STM was hypothesized to be indirectly related to word reading via metalinguistic awareness and RAN. In the direct and indirect relations model, STM was hypothesized to be directly and indirectly related to word reading. Results from 207 beginning readers in South Korea showed that STM was directly related to word reading as well as indirectly via metalinguistic awareness and RAN. Although the direct effect of STM was relatively small (.16), the total effect incorporating the indirect effect was substantial (.42). These results suggest that STM is an important, foundational cognitive capacity that underpins metalinguistic awareness and RAN as well as word reading, and further indicate the importance of considering both direct and indirect effects of language and cognitive skills on word reading.

Speech understanding in noise with an eyeglass hearing aid: asymmetric fitting and the head shadow benefit of anterior microphones.

Science.gov (United States)

Mens, Lucas H M

2011-01-01

To test speech understanding in noise using array microphones integrated in an eyeglass device and to test if microphones placed anteriorly at the temple provide better directivity than above the pinna. Sentences were presented from the front and uncorrelated noise from 45, 135, 225 and 315°. Fifteen hearing impaired participants with a significant speech discrimination loss were included, as well as 5 normal hearing listeners. The device (Varibel) improved speech understanding in noise compared to most conventional directional devices with a directional benefit of 5.3 dB in the asymmetric fit mode, which was not significantly different from the bilateral fully directional mode (6.3 dB). Anterior microphones outperformed microphones at a conventional position above the pinna by 2.6 dB. By integrating microphones in an eyeglass frame, a long array can be used resulting in a higher directionality index and improved speech understanding in noise. An asymmetric fit did not significantly reduce performance and can be considered to increase acceptance and environmental awareness. Directional microphones at the temple seemed to profit more from the head shadow than above the pinna, better suppressing noise from behind the listener.

Assured fitness returns in a social wasp with no worker caste.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Eric R; Field, Jeremy

2011-10-07

The theory of assured fitness returns proposes that individuals nesting in groups gain fitness benefits from effort expended in brood-rearing, even if they die before the young that they have raised reach independence. These benefits, however, require that surviving nest-mates take up the task of rearing these young. It has been suggested that assured fitness returns could have favoured group nesting even at the origin of sociality (that is, in species without a dedicated worker caste). We show that experimentally orphaned brood of the apoid wasp Microstigmus nigrophthalmus continue to be provisioned by surviving adults for at least two weeks after the orphaning. This was the case for brood of both sexes. There was no evidence that naturally orphaned offspring received less food than those that still had mothers in the nest. Assured fitness returns can therefore represent a real benefit to nesting in groups, even in species without a dedicated worker caste.

Cost-benefit analysis of a green electricity system in Japan considering the indirect economic impacts of tropical cyclones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esteban, Miguel; Zhang, Qi; Longarte-Galnares, Gorka

2012-01-01

Global warming is likely to profoundly influence future weather patterns, and one consequence of this is the likelihood of an increase in tropical cyclone intensity. The present paper presents a cost-benefit analysis of introducing significant amounts of green energy in the electricity system in Japan in the light of the economic damage that an increase in tropical cyclone intensity could have on GDP growth between 2010 and 2085. Essentially the passage of a tropical cyclone will result not only in physical damage but also on a decrease in economic productivity due to precautionary cessation of the economic activity, which has an effect on GDP growth. By comparing the economic performance of different electricity system scenarios with the indirect economic damage of tropical cyclones from 2010 to 2085, based on the yearly economic data of green electricity, fossil fuel, GDP and population, it can be seen that the green scenarios are generally a cost-effective way of mitigating the effects of these weather systems, despite the large amount of initial investments necessary. - Highlights: ► Climate change is likely to increase the future strength of tropical cyclones. ► An increase in tropical cyclone strength would reduce GDP growth in Japan. ► Reducing green-house gas emissions is a cost-effective mitigation strategy.

Executive summary: the health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small-sided football games.

Science.gov (United States)

Krustrup, P; Dvorak, J; Junge, A; Bangsbo, J

2010-04-01

The present special issue of Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports deals with health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small-sided football games. One review article and 13 original articles were the result of a 2-year multi-center study in Copenhagen and Zurich and include studies of different age groups analyzed from a physiological, medical, social and psychological perspective. The main groups investigated were middle-aged, former untrained, healthy men and women who were followed for up to 16 months. In addition, elderly, children and hypertensive patients were studied. A summary and interpretations of the main findings divided into an analysis of the physical demands during training of various groups and the effect of a period of training on performance, muscle adaptations and health profile follow. In addition, social and psychological effects on participation in recreational football are considered, the comparison of football training and endurance running is summarized and the effects of football practice on the elderly and children and youngsters are presented.

Accuracy of five intraoral scanners compared to indirect digitalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Güth, Jan-Frederik; Runkel, Cornelius; Beuer, Florian; Stimmelmayr, Michael; Edelhoff, Daniel; Keul, Christine

2017-06-01

Direct and indirect digitalization offer two options for computer-aided design (CAD)/ computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)-generated restorations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of different intraoral scanners and compare them to the process of indirect digitalization. A titanium testing model was directly digitized 12 times with each intraoral scanner: (1) CS 3500 (CS), (2) Zfx Intrascan (ZFX), (3) CEREC AC Bluecam (BLU), (4) CEREC AC Omnicam (OC) and (5) True Definition (TD). As control, 12 polyether impressions were taken and the referring plaster casts were digitized indirectly with the D-810 laboratory scanner (CON). The accuracy (trueness/precision) of the datasets was evaluated by an analysing software (Geomagic Qualify 12.1) using a "best fit alignment" of the datasets with a highly accurate reference dataset of the testing model, received from industrial computed tomography. Direct digitalization using the TD showed the significant highest overall "trueness", followed by CS. Both performed better than CON. BLU, ZFX and OC showed higher differences from the reference dataset than CON. Regarding the overall "precision", the CS 3500 intraoral scanner and the True Definition showed the best performance. CON, BLU and OC resulted in significantly higher precision than ZFX did. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the accuracy of the ascertained datasets was dependent on the scanning system. The direct digitalization was not superior to indirect digitalization for all tested systems. Regarding the accuracy, all tested intraoral scanning technologies seem to be able to reproduce a single quadrant within clinical acceptable accuracy. However, differences were detected between the tested systems.

Potential benefits of nintendo wii fit among people with multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Plow, Matthew; Finlayson, Marcia

2011-01-01

We examined the potential of Nintendo Wii Fit (Nintendo Co, Ltd, Kyoto, Japan) to increase physical activity (PA) behavior and health among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study consisted of a repeated-measures design with a baseline control period and involved 30 people with MS who had the ability to walk 25 feet with or without a cane (26 individuals were included in the analyses). Nintendo Wii was set up in the homes of participants, who were prescribed a Wii Fit exercise program lasting 14 weeks, 3 days a week. The Physical Activity and Disability Survey, Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, and 36-item Short Form Health Status Survey were administered three times before participants gained access to Wii Fit (control period, at 2-week intervals), and three times after they received Wii Fit (posttest 1: immediately after; posttest 2: 7 weeks after; posttest 3: 14 weeks after). Mobility, balance, strength, and weight were assessed at the first pretest, immediately prior to obtaining access to Wii Fit, and 7 weeks after obtaining access to Wii Fit. Results from the questionnaires indicated that PA significantly improved at week 7, but at week 14, PA levels declined relative to week 7 and the difference was no longer significant compared with the control period. Physical assessments indicated that balance and strength significantly improved at week 7. One adverse event was reported (repetitive knee injury). Physical assessments indicated that people with MS may be able to improve their fitness levels by using Wii Fit. Future studies should incorporate behavior change strategies to promote long-term use of Wii Fit, and explore whether individuals with more severe symptoms of MS can safely use Wii Fit.

The impact of fit manufacturing on green manufacturing: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Ang Nian; Sin, Tan Chan; Fathullah, M.; Lee, C. C.

2017-09-01

Fit manufacturing and Green manufacturing are a new trend principle and concept. They are getting popular in industrial. This paper is identifying the impact between Fit manufacturing and Green manufacturing. Besides Fit manufacturing, Lean manufacturing, Agile manufacturing and Sustainable manufacturing gives big impacts to Green Manufacturing. On top of that, this paper also discuss the benefits of applying Fit manufacturing and Green manufacturing in industrial as well as environment. Hence, applications of Fit manufacturing and Green Manufacturing are increasing year by year.

Fitness consequences of cooperative breeding in the Seychelles warbler

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David; Burke, Terry

2006-01-01

Inclusive fitness benefits have been suggested as the selective force behind the evolution of cooperative breeding. Assessing the benefits accrued to individual males and females is crucial to understanding the sex-specific helping behavior observed in many cooperatively breeding species. We

Physical Fitness Measures Among Adolescents With High and Low Motor Competence

OpenAIRE

Gísladóttir, Þórdís; Haga, Monika; Sigmundsson, Hermundur

2013-01-01

Physical fitness level is considered to yield substantial health benefits. Earlier studies have demonstrated poor physical fitness outcomes and reduced level of physical activity among adolescents. There have been very few studies on adolescents concerning motor competence and its possible relationship with physical fitness. This study’s aim was to compare physical fitness in adolescents aged 15 to 16 years with high (...

Indirection and computer security.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, Michael J.

2011-09-01

The discipline of computer science is built on indirection. David Wheeler famously said, 'All problems in computer science can be solved by another layer of indirection. But that usually will create another problem'. We propose that every computer security vulnerability is yet another problem created by the indirections in system designs and that focusing on the indirections involved is a better way to design, evaluate, and compare security solutions. We are not proposing that indirection be avoided when solving problems, but that understanding the relationships between indirections and vulnerabilities is key to securing computer systems. Using this perspective, we analyze common vulnerabilities that plague our computer systems, consider the effectiveness of currently available security solutions, and propose several new security solutions.

Flexibility in change practices and job outcomes for nurses: exploring the role of subjective fit.

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Cameron; Teo, Stephen T T; Pick, David; Yeung, Melissa; Salamonson, Yenna

2013-12-01

To integrate existing theoretical perspectives on change management, subjective fit and occupational stress to better understand the effects of change on employee adjustment. Although subjective fit with organizational goals and objectives has been shown to have positive effects on employee adjustment, its role in the organizational change-occupational stress context is not understood. This represents a caveat in research when considering the notion that those who feel that they fit with the organization's goals may be better equipped to reconcile and deal with change. A cross-sectional survey of nurses from public and non-profit sector hospitals was conducted. Data were collected from 252 public and non-profit sector nurses via online surveys. Data were collected from June-October in 2010. Structural equation modelling was used to test the direct and indirect effects among the focal variables. The results showed that public and non-profit nurses experience flexibility-limiting and flexibility-promoting change initiatives and that these are differentially related to the perception of administrative stressors and adjustment with these relationships directly and indirectly influenced by perceptions of subjective fit. Flexibility-limiting change initiatives led to lower levels of subjective fit, higher levels of administrative stressors and less favourable adjustment. On the other hand, flexibility-promoting change practices led to higher levels of subjective fit, lower levels of administrative stressors and ultimately better adjustment. The results further the theoretical understanding of the role of subjective fit in organizational change and occupational stress theories. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Overview of different Business Models for public Wi-Fi and their Implications on Indirect Revenue

OpenAIRE

Kaiser, Tobias Werner; Verbrugge, Sofie; Van der Wee, Marlies; Colle, Didier

2017-01-01

The importance of public Wi-Fi for providing service to customers and mobile data offloading is steadily increasing. This paper aimed at analyzing the business model of select cases of customer-facing and municipal Wi-Fi networks with respect to physical setting, network ownership, service provisioning, (in)direct revenues, and cooperational benefits. Depending on the setting, different sources of indirect revenue can be identified, in particular with respect to the difference between custome...

One Size Does Not Fit All: Older Adults Benefit From Redundant Text in Multimedia Instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara eFenesi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The multimedia design of presentations typically ignores that younger and older adults have varying cognitive strengths and weaknesses. We examined whether differential instructional design may enhance learning in these populations. Younger and older participants viewed one of three computer-based presentations: Audio only (narration, Redundant (audio narration with redundant text, or Complementary (audio narration with non–redundant text and images. Younger participants learned better when audio narration was paired with relevant images compared to when audio narration was paired with redundant text. However, older participants learned best when audio narration was paired with redundant text. Younger adults, who presumably have a higher working memory capacity, appear to benefit more from complementary information that may drive deeper conceptual processing. In contrast, older adults learn better from presentations that support redundant coding across modalities, which may help mitigate the effects of age-related decline in working memory capacity. Additionally, several misconceptions of design quality appeared across age groups: both younger and older participants positively rated less effective designs. Findings suggest that one-size does not fit all, with older adults requiring unique multimedia design tailored to their cognitive abilities for effective learning.

One size does not fit all: older adults benefit from redundant text in multimedia instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenesi, Barbara; Vandermorris, Susan; Kim, Joseph A; Shore, David I; Heisz, Jennifer J

2015-01-01

The multimedia design of presentations typically ignores that younger and older adults have varying cognitive strengths and weaknesses. We examined whether differential instructional design may enhance learning in these populations. Younger and older participants viewed one of three computer-based presentations: Audio only (narration), Redundant (audio narration with redundant text), or Complementary (audio narration with non-redundant text and images). Younger participants learned better when audio narration was paired with relevant images compared to when audio narration was paired with redundant text. However, older participants learned best when audio narration was paired with redundant text. Younger adults, who presumably have a higher working memory capacity (WMC), appear to benefit more from complementary information that may drive deeper conceptual processing. In contrast, older adults learn better from presentations that support redundant coding across modalities, which may help mitigate the effects of age-related decline in WMC. Additionally, several misconceptions of design quality appeared across age groups: both younger and older participants positively rated less effective designs. Findings suggest that one-size does not fit all, with older adults requiring unique multimedia design tailored to their cognitive abilities for effective learning.

Complex evaluation of student‘s physical activity by physical health, physical fitness and body composition parameters

OpenAIRE

Šiupšinskas, Laimonas

2007-01-01

Physical activity level of students is decreasing. Students are specific population group with similar patterns of habitual physical activity influenced by study process. That formed requirement to search for a new ways to assess physical activity of the students indirectly. Offered method assesses level of physical health, measures physical fitness and evaluates body composition. The aim of the study is to evaluate indirectly measured health-enhanced physical activity of the students by phys...

Physical fitness and anthropometric characteristics in professional soccer players of the United Arab Emirates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Magalhães Sales

2014-09-01

Conclusion: The anthropometric profile of soccer players that act in the United Arab Emirates is similar to others around the world. However, regarding the physical fitness, results are still inconclusive, since findings from other studies suggest that the anaerobic power of our sample is alike or lower than other elite players throughout the world. Likewise indirect VO2max, especially given the acknowledged limitations of obtaining indirectly this variable. In addition, making an analysis by playing position, the results of this study are similar to previous research.

"I sleep better at night:" How peer review of radiation treatment plans indirectly improves quality of care across radiation treatment programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Brundage, Michael D; Hart, Margaret; O'Donnell, Jennifer; Reddeman, Lindsay; Gutierrez, Eric; Foxcroft, Sophie; Warde, Padraig

Peer review of radiation oncology treatment plans is increasingly recognized as an important component of quality assurance in radiation treatment planning and delivery. Peer review of treatment plans can directly improve the quality of those plans and can also have indirect effects on radiation treatment programs. We undertook a systematic, qualitative approach to describing the indirect benefits of peer review, factors that were seen to facilitate or act as barriers to the implementation of peer review, and strategies to address these barriers across a provincial jurisdiction of radiation oncology programs (ROPs). Semistructured qualitative interviews were held with radiation oncology department heads and radiation therapy managers (or delegates) in all 14 ROPs in Ontario, Canada. We used a theoretically guided phenomenological qualitative approach to design and analyze the interview content. Themes were recorded by 2 independent reviewers, and any discordance was resolved by consensus. A total of 28 interviews were completed with 32 interviewees. Twenty-two unique themes addressed perceived benefits of peer review, relating to either peer review structure (n = 3), process (n = 9), or outcome (n = 10). Of these 22 themes, 19 related to indirect benefits to ROPs. In addition, 18 themes related to factors that facilitated peer review activities and 30 themes related to key barriers to implementing peer review were identified. Findings were consistent with, and enhanced the understanding of, previous survey-based assessments of the benefits and challenges of implementing peer review programs. Although challenges and concerns regarding the implementation of peer review were evident, the indirect benefits to radiation programs are numerous, far outweigh the implementation challenges, and strongly complement the direct individual-patient benefits that result from peer review quality assurance of radiation treatment plans. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Health benefits of tai chi: What is the evidence?

Science.gov (United States)

Huston, Patricia; McFarlane, Bruce

2016-11-01

To summarize the evidence on the health benefits of tai chi. A literature review was conducted on the benefits of tai chi for 25 specific conditions, as well as for general health and fitness, to update a 2014 review of systematic reviews. Systematic reviews and recent clinical trials were assessed and organized into 5 different groups: evidence of benefit as excellent, good, fair, or preliminary, or evidence of no direct benefit. During the past 45 years more than 500 trials and 120 systematic reviews have been published on the health benefits of tai chi. Systematic reviews of tai chi for specific conditions indicate excellent evidence of benefit for preventing falls, osteoarthritis, Parkinson disease, rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and improving cognitive capacity in older adults. There is good evidence of benefit for depression, cardiac and stroke rehabilitation, and dementia. There is fair evidence of benefit for improving quality of life for cancer patients, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Current evidence indicates no direct benefit for diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or chronic heart failure. Systematic reviews of general health and fitness benefits show excellent evidence of benefit for improving balance and aerobic capacity in those with poor fitness. There is good evidence for increased strength in the lower limbs. There is fair evidence for increased well-being and improved sleep. There were no studies that found tai chi worsened a condition. A recent systematic review on the safety of tai chi found adverse events were typically minor and primarily musculoskeletal; no intervention-related serious adverse events have been reported. There is abundant evidence on the health and fitness effects of tai chi. Based on this, physicians can now offer evidence-based recommendations to their patients, noting that tai chi is still an area of active research, and patients should continue to receive medical follow-up for any

GANODERMA LUCIDUM IMPROVES PHYSICAL FITNESS IN WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Collado Mateo, Daniel; Pazzi, Francesco; Domínguez Muñoz, Francisco J; Martín Martínez, Juan Pedro; Olivares, Pedro R; Gusi, Narcis; Adsuar, José C

2015-11-01

fibromyalgia is a chronic disease characterized by generalized pain, stiffness, poor physical conditioning, non-restorative sleep and poor health-related quality of life. Ganoderma lucidum a type of mushroom that has demonstrated several benefits in different populations. Ceratonia siliqua is a natural therapy rich in antioxidants with potential benefits on health. to evaluate the effects of 6-week treatment of Ganoderma lucidum and Ceratonia siliqua on physical fitness in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. sixty-four women with fibromyalgia participated in the study. They took 6 g of Ganoderma lucidum or Ceratonia siliqua per day for 6 weeks. Different fitness tests were selected in order to evaluate functional capacity. after the 6-week treatment period, Ganoderma lucidum significantly improved aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility, and velocity (p Ganoderma lucidum may improve physical fitness in women with fibromyalgia, whereas, Ceratonia siliqua seemed to be ineffective at increasing physical fitness. These results may indicate that Ganoderma lucidum might be a useful dietary supplement to enhance physical performance of the patients suffering from fibromyalgia. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

The indirect costs and benefits of greenhouse gas limitations: Hungary Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zilahy, G.; Zsoka, A.N.; Szeszler, A.; Urge-Vorsatz, D.; Markandya, A.; Hunt, A.

2000-05-01

A methodology has been developed which provides a framework for the assessment of the wider impacts arising from GHG limitation projects, and advice on how to incorporate them into the decision-making framework. The purpose of this report is to apply the methodology to a set of selected GHG limitation projects currently being considered for implementation in Hungary. In total, four GHG limitation projects were selected for application of the methodology. This second phase of the research in Hungary, concentrated on four mitigation options in the household sector: Specifically, the selected GHG limitation projects involve: 1. The installation of new, better insulated windows. 2. The installation of water saving devices on water taps. 3. The installation of active solar cells to prepare domestic hot water. 4. The replacement of traditional light bulbs by compact fluorescent bulbs. This study has shown the potential, as well as the current pratical limitations, of the methodology. The value of the employment created has been estimated by adding gains in income effects with health effects. The environmental effects that have been quantified suggest that the reduction of pollution and associated health effects would be significant. The options that have been investigated are too small-scale to generate distributional impacts or macro-economic effects but the estimated effects on sustainability are positive and significant. The principal policy conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis thus far is that it is imperative to consider indirect effects. It is possible that inclusion of indirect effects will make the net economic cost of an option negative thereby making it much more easy to 'sell' as a policy measure - though the assumptions will have to be made explicit and therefore defensible. It is important for policy makers to note that whilst there is a general pattern of lower economic costs derived from this analysis, the reductions are not uniform and

The indirect costs and benefits of greenhouse gas limitations: Hungary Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zilahy, G; Zsoka, A N; Szeszler, A; Urge-Vorsatz, D; Markandya, A; Hunt, A

2000-05-01

A methodology has been developed which provides a framework for the assessment of the wider impacts arising from GHG limitation projects, and advice on how to incorporate them into the decision-making framework. The purpose of this report is to apply the methodology to a set of selected GHG limitation projects currently being considered for implementation in Hungary. In total, four GHG limitation projects were selected for application of the methodology. This second phase of the research in Hungary, concentrated on four mitigation options in the household sector: Specifically, the selected GHG limitation projects involve: 1. The installation of new, better insulated windows. 2. The installation of water saving devices on water taps. 3. The installation of active solar cells to prepare domestic hot water. 4. The replacement of traditional light bulbs by compact fluorescent bulbs. This study has shown the potential, as well as the current pratical limitations, of the methodology. The value of the employment created has been estimated by adding gains in income effects with health effects. The environmental effects that have been quantified suggest that the reduction of pollution and associated health effects would be significant. The options that have been investigated are too small-scale to generate distributional impacts or macro-economic effects but the estimated effects on sustainability are positive and significant. The principal policy conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis thus far is that it is imperative to consider indirect effects. It is possible that inclusion of indirect effects will make the net economic cost of an option negative thereby making it much more easy to 'sell' as a policy measure - though the assumptions will have to be made explicit and therefore defensible. It is important for policy makers to note that whilst there is a general pattern of lower economic costs derived from this analysis, the reductions are not uniform and

Deception Undermines the Stability of Cooperation in Games of Indirect Reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Számadó, Szabolcs; Szalai, Ferenc; Scheuring, István

2016-01-01

Indirect reciprocity is often claimed as one of the key mechanisms of human cooperation. It works only if there is a reputational score keeping and each individual can inform with high probability which other individuals were good or bad in the previous round. Gossip is often proposed as a mechanism that can maintain such coherence of reputations in the face of errors of transmission. Random errors, however, are not the only source of uncertainty in such situations. The possibility of deceptive communication, where the signallers aim to misinform the receiver cannot be excluded. While there is plenty of evidence for deceptive communication in humans the possibility of deception is not yet incorporated into models of indirect reciprocity. Here we show that when deceptive strategies are allowed in the population it will cause the collapse of the coherence of reputations and thus in turn it results the collapse of cooperation. This collapse is independent of the norms and the cost and benefit values. It is due to the fact that there is no selection for honest communication in the framework of indirect reciprocity. It follows that indirect reciprocity can be only proposed plausibly as a mechanism of human cooperation if additional mechanisms are specified in the model that maintains honesty.

Deception Undermines the Stability of Cooperation in Games of Indirect Reciprocity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szabolcs Számadó

Full Text Available Indirect reciprocity is often claimed as one of the key mechanisms of human cooperation. It works only if there is a reputational score keeping and each individual can inform with high probability which other individuals were good or bad in the previous round. Gossip is often proposed as a mechanism that can maintain such coherence of reputations in the face of errors of transmission. Random errors, however, are not the only source of uncertainty in such situations. The possibility of deceptive communication, where the signallers aim to misinform the receiver cannot be excluded. While there is plenty of evidence for deceptive communication in humans the possibility of deception is not yet incorporated into models of indirect reciprocity. Here we show that when deceptive strategies are allowed in the population it will cause the collapse of the coherence of reputations and thus in turn it results the collapse of cooperation. This collapse is independent of the norms and the cost and benefit values. It is due to the fact that there is no selection for honest communication in the framework of indirect reciprocity. It follows that indirect reciprocity can be only proposed plausibly as a mechanism of human cooperation if additional mechanisms are specified in the model that maintains honesty.

Use of Fitness Bands by Teachers in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Ertzberger, Jeff; Martin, Florence

2016-01-01

Wearable technologies are increasingly gaining attention. Gadgets such as Smartwatch, Fitband, Google Glass, and similar healthcare devices can be worn by the consumer and have several benefits in various contexts. This study examined teachers perception on fitness bands and if they have any benefits to classroom teachers. 28 classroom teachers…

Kinship, parental manipulation and evolutionary origins of eusociality.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapheim, Karen M; Nonacs, Peter; Smith, Adam R; Wayne, Robert K; Wcislo, William T

2015-03-22

One of the hallmarks of eusociality is that workers forego their own reproduction to assist their mother in raising siblings. This seemingly altruistic behaviour may benefit workers if gains in indirect fitness from rearing siblings outweigh the loss of direct fitness. If worker presence is advantageous to mothers, however, eusociality may evolve without net benefits to workers. Indirect fitness benefits are often cited as evidence for the importance of inclusive fitness in eusociality, but have rarely been measured in natural populations. We compared inclusive fitness of alternative social strategies in the tropical sweat bee, Megalopta genalis, for which eusociality is optional. Our results show that workers have significantly lower inclusive fitness than females that found their own nests. In mathematical simulations based on M. genalis field data, eusociality cannot evolve with reduced intra-nest relatedness. The simulated distribution of alternative social strategies matched observed distributions of M. genalis social strategies when helping behaviour was simulated as the result of maternal manipulation, but not as worker altruism. Thus, eusociality in M. genalis is best explained through kin selection, but the underlying mechanism is likely maternal manipulation. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Assessing the indirect effects due to natural hazards on a mesoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Pfurtscheller, C.; Schwarze, R.

2009-04-01

Measuring indirect economic costs and other effects from natural hazards, especially floods in alpine and other mountainous regions, are a necessary part of a comprehensive economic assessment. Their omission seriously affects the relative economic benefits of structural or non structural measures of flood defence. Surpassing controversial, IO-model-based economic estimates, analysing indirect economic effects lead to the key question of identifying and evaluating the drivers of indirect economic effects and resilience to system effects in the regional economy, i.e. at the meso-level. This investigation takes place for the catastrophic floods in summer 2005 in the provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Austria, which caused an estimated € 670 Mio direct loss on private and public assets and severe interruptions in lifeline services. The paper starts out with differentiating the concept of indirect economic costs from direct costs, examing different temporal (short vs. long-term) and spatial (macro-, meso- vs. microeconomic) system boundaries. It surveys common theories of economic resilience and vulnerability at the regional economy level. Indirect effects at the regional economy level can be defined as interferences of the economic exchange of goods and services triggered by breakdowns of transport lines and critical production inputs. The extent and persistence of indirect effects of natural hazards is not only by parameters of the extreme event, such as duration and amplitude of the flood, but much more by resilience parameters of the regional economy such as size of enterprises, the network structure (linkages) of the regional economy, availability of insurance and relief funds, and the stock of inventory. These effects can only be dissected by means of expert judgement and event studies. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among business practioneers, members of chamber of commerce, civil protection agencies to identify and scale the drivers of

Natural priors, CMSSM fits and LHC weather forecasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allanach, Benjamin C.; Cranmer, Kyle; Lester, Christopher G.; Weber, Arne M.

2007-01-01

Previous LHC forecasts for the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM), based on current astrophysical and laboratory measurements, have used priors that are flat in the parameter tan β, while being constrained to postdict the central experimental value of M Z . We construct a different, new and more natural prior with a measure in μ and B (the more fundamental MSSM parameters from which tan β and M Z are actually derived). We find that as a consequence this choice leads to a well defined fine-tuning measure in the parameter space. We investigate the effect of such on global CMSSM fits to indirect constraints, providing posterior probability distributions for Large Hadron Collider (LHC) sparticle production cross sections. The change in priors has a significant effect, strongly suppressing the pseudoscalar Higgs boson dark matter annihilation region, and diminishing the probable values of sparticle masses. We also show how to interpret fit information from a Markov Chain Monte Carlo in a frequentist fashion; namely by using the profile likelihood. Bayesian and frequentist interpretations of CMSSM fits are compared and contrasted

Open-Fit Domes and Children with Bilateral High-Frequency Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Benefits and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Patti M; Yeager, Kelly R; Pomeroy, Marnie L; Hawk, Nicole

2018-04-01

Open-fit domes (OFDs) coupled with behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids were designed for adult listeners with moderate-to-severe bilateral high-frequency hearing loss (BHFL) with little to no concurrent loss in the lower frequencies. Adult research shows that BHFL degrades sound localization accuracy (SLA) and that BTE hearing aids with conventional earmolds (CEs) make matters worse. In contrast, research has shown that OFDs enhance spatial hearing percepts in adults with BHFL. Although the benefits of OFDs have been studied in adults with BHFL, no published studies to date have investigated the use of OFDs in children with the same hearing loss configuration. This study seeks to use SLA measurements to assess efficacy of bilateral OFDs in children with BHFL. To measure SLA in children with BHFL to determine the extent to which hearing loss, age, duration of CE use, and OFDs affect localization accuracy. A within-participant experimental design using repeated measures was used to determine the effect of OFDs on localization accuracy in children with BHFL. A between-participant experimental design was used to compare localization accuracy between children with BHFL and age-matched controls with normal hearing (NH). Eighteen children with BHFL who used CE and 18 age-matched NH controls. Children in both groups were divided into two age groups: older children (10-16 yr) and younger children (6-9 yr). All testing was done in a sound-treated booth with a horizontal array of 15 loudspeakers (radius of 1 m). The stimulus was a spondee word, "baseball": the level averaged 60 dB SPL and randomly roved (±8 dB). Each child was asked to identify the location of a sound source. Localization error was calculated across the loudspeaker array for each listening condition. A significant interaction was found between immediate benefit from OFD and duration of CE usage. Longer CE usage was associated with degraded localization accuracy using OFDs. Regardless of chronological age

Direct benefits and the evolution of female-biased cooperative breeding in Seychelles warblers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Richardson, David S.; Burke, Terry; Komdeur, Jan; Dunn, P.

2002-01-01

Inclusive fitness benefits have been suggested to be a major selective force behind the evolution of cooperative breeding. We investigated the fitness benefits selecting for cooperative breeding in the Seychelles warbler, Acroccphalus sechellensis. A microsatellite-based genotyping method was used

Youth fitness--problems and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

DiNubile, N A

1993-07-01

Review of the current data in the area of youth fitness reveals some alarming trends. Children in the United States are fatter, slower, and weaker than their counterparts in other developed nations. In addition, U.S. children seem to be adopting a sedentary lifestyle at earlier ages. Although there is no easy solution to this problem, there are specific recommendations that can ensure improvement in this area. The cornerstone for any meaningful change must involve programs that seek to increase physical activity both in school and at home. Daily, quality physical education in grades K-12 should be mandated in all states. Parents should be educated regarding the critical importance and the multitude of benefits to be derived from their involvement in fitness-related activities with their children. A healthy balance must be established between sedentary activities, e.g., television and video games, and physical activity. All schools should establish fitness testing programs for children and these should be based on health-fitness parameters rather than on athletic performance variables. To ensure improvements in youth fitness across our nation, other interventions are also necessary. These include appropriate involvement of local communities, state and federal governments, the medical health professions, and the media. Specific strategies are available for each group.

IT-Benefits-Management in the Swiss Financial Sector

OpenAIRE

Schwabe, G; Baenninger, P

2008-01-01

Companies engage in IT-projects in order to gain some benefits; however they complain that those bene-fits are difficult to achieve. On the basis of a survey in the Swiss financial industry this paper comes to the conclusion that due to a fundamental misconception companies reproduce the lack of success in reaping IT benefits: Many companies regard benefit management as an instrument to support project proposals rather than as an instrument to gain optimal benefits. Conse-quently, benefits ma...

Fitness costs and benefits of ultraviolet radiation exposure in marine pelagic copepods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hylander, Samuel; Grenvald, Julie Cornelius; Kiørboe, Thomas

2014-01-01

Life-history theory predicts that organisms should allocate energy throughout their life such that they maximize their fitness. Copepod zooplankton are known to accumulate sunscreens (so-called mycosporine-like amino acids, MAAs) and antioxidant carotenoids to mitigate negative effects...

Social and genetic benefits of parental investment suggest sex differences in selection pressures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schroeder, Julia; Cleasby, Ian; Dugdale, Hannah L.; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Burke, Terry

Provisioning behavior in altricial birds is often used to measure parental investment and is assumed to have fitness consequences to the parents providing it, with the benefits outweighing the costs. Here we investigate the fitness costs and benefits (parent survival and offspring recruitment) of

Cruel intentions on television and in real life: can viewing indirect aggression increase viewers' subsequent indirect aggression?

Science.gov (United States)

Coyne, Sarah M; Archer, John; Eslea, Mike

2004-07-01

Numerous studies have shown that viewing violence in the media can influence an individual's subsequent aggression, but none have examined the effect of viewing indirect aggression. This study examines the immediate effect of viewing indirect and direct aggression on subsequent indirect aggression among 199 children ages 11 to 14 years. They were shown an indirect, direct, or no-aggression video and their subsequent indirect aggression was measured by negative evaluation of a confederate and responses to a vignette. Participants viewing indirect or direct aggression gave a more negative evaluation of and less money to a confederate than participants viewing no-aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave less money to the confederate than those viewing direct aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave more indirectly aggressive responses to an ambiguous situation and participants viewing direct aggression gave more directly aggressive responses. This study provides the first evidence that viewing indirect aggression in the media can have an immediate impact on subsequent aggression.

Self-reported disability and handicap after hearing-aid fitting and benefit of hearing aids: comparison of fitting procedures, degree of hearing loss, experience with hearing aids and uni- and bilateral fittings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Metselaar, Mick; Maat, Bert; Krijnen, Pieta; Verschuure, Hans; Dreschler, Wouter A.; Feenstra, Louw

2009-01-01

Self-reported outcome on hearing disability and handicap as well as overall health-related quality of life were measured after hearing-aid fitting in a large-scale clinical population. Fitting was performed according to two different procedures in a double-blind study design. We used a comparative

Self-reported disability and handicap after hearing-aid fitting and benefit of hearing aids : comparison of fitting procedures, degree of hearing loss, experience with hearing aids and uni- and bilateral fittings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Metselaar, Mick; Maat, Bert; Krijnen, Pieta; Verschuure, Hans; Dreschler, Wouter A; Feenstra, Louw

Self-reported outcome on hearing disability and handicap as well as overall health-related quality of life were measured after hearing-aid fitting in a large-scale clinical population. Fitting was performed according to two different procedures in a double-blind study design. We used a comparative

Employers' views on the fit note.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotze, E

2014-12-01

The fit note replaced the sick note in 2010. The statement of fitness for work (fit note) is expected to benefit the British economy by helping more people stay in work and prevent long-term sickness absence. Understanding and responding to employers' views on the fit note is key, in order for this goal to be achieved. To explore employers' views on the fit note. A qualitative study was undertaken and face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants representing employers from a variety of industries. There were 21 participants who were mainly human resources officers and line managers. Employers welcomed the introduction of the fit note and felt that it was an improvement on the sick note. The majority of employers felt the fit note had the potential to promote an earlier return to work, if used properly. The main problems reported were the completion of the fit notes and quality of advice received from general practitioners. Employers felt that the most helpful advice came from fit notes with information on the functional effects of the medical condition. Some employers found return to work decisions problematic. The fit note has the potential to promote an earlier return to work. In order for the fit note to achieve its aim, further understanding of the difficulties employers are having when making return to work decisions is important, in order to develop guidance to enable them to provide the practical support employees need to return to work sooner. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Air Force Fitness Program and the Challenge of Creating a More Fit Force

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

Health benefits from an active lifestyle will increase productivity, optimize health, and decrease absenteeism while maintaining a higher level of...come their way. That being said, fitness does not cure all mental 23 problems; neither APFRI, Cooper, nor I would ascribe to that. The condition...the business of life. These workout standards as stated in the AFI “will increase productivity, optimize health, and decrease absenteeism while

Welfare benefits of agglomeration and worker heterogenity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teulings, C.N.; Ossokina, I.V.; de Groot, H.L.F.

2014-01-01

The direct impact of local public goods on welfare is relatively easy to measure from land rents. However, the indirect effects on home and job location, on land use, and on agglomeration benefits are hard to pin down. We develop a spatial general equilibrium model for the valuation of these

Factors associated with prevalence and types of 'may be fit' advice on fit notes: a cross-sectional primary care analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiels, Chris; Gabbay, Mark; Hillage, Jim

2014-03-01

The 'fit note', with the opportunity for the GP to advise that a patient 'may be fit' to do some work, was introduced in April 2010. To estimate numbers of fit notes with 'may be fit' advice, the types of advice, and factors associated with any inclusion of such advice in the fit note. Cross-sectional analysis of fit note data from 68 general practices in eight regions of England, Wales and Scotland. Collection of practice fit note data via GP use of carbonised pads of fit notes for a period of 12 months. The 'may be fit' box was ticked on 5080 fit notes (6.4% of all fit notes in study). But there was a wide variation in completion rates across the 68 practices (from 1% to 15%). The most prevalent individual item of advice was to 'amend duties' of patient as a prerequisite for return to work (included in 42% of all notes containing any 'may be fit' advice). Advice was often incomplete or irrelevant, with some GPs failing to comply with official guidance. Inclusion of any 'may be fit' advice was independently associated with the patient being female, less socially deprived and having a physical health reason for receiving a fit note. Unlike other studies that have relied upon eliciting opinion, this study investigates how the fit note is being used in practice. Findings provide some evidence that the fit note is not yet being used to the optimum benefit of patients (and their employers).

Biological mechanisms underlying the role of physical fitness in health and resilience

OpenAIRE

Silverman, Marni N.; Deuster, Patricia A.

2014-01-01

Physical fitness, achieved through regular exercise and/or spontaneous physical activity, confers resilience by inducing positive psychological and physiological benefits, blunting stress reactivity, protecting against potentially adverse behavioural and metabolic consequences of stressful events and preventing many chronic diseases. In this review, we discuss the biological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of physical fitness on mental and physical health. Physical fitness appear...

Long-term fitness benefits of egg sex modification by the Seychelles warbler

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Komdeur, J

Sex-ratio theory states that if the fitness costs to the parents of producing one offspring's sex relative to the other are higher, parents should discount these costs by producing fewer individuals of the more costly sex. In the co-operatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis)

Exercise and Physical Fitness: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Learn to love exercise Make time to move Outdoor fitness routine Physical activity Working with a personal trainer Yoga for health Show More Show Less Related Health Topics Benefits of Exercise Exercise for Children Exercise for Seniors ...

Sex-specific determinants of fitness in a social mammal.

Science.gov (United States)

Lardy, Sophie; Allainé, Dominique; Bonenfant, Christophe; Cohas, Aurélie

2015-11-01

Sociality should evolve when the fitness benefits of group living outweigh the costs. Theoretical models predict an optimal group size maximizing individual fitness. However, beyond the number of individuals present in a group, the characteristics of these individuals, like their sex, are likely to affect the fitness payoffs of group living. Using 20 years of individually based data on a social mammal, the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), we tested for the occurrence of an optimal group size and composition, and for sex-specific effects of group characteristics on fitness. Based on lifetime data of 52 males and 39 females, our findings support the existence of an optimal group size maximizing male fitness and an optimal group composition maximizing fitness of males and females. Additionally, although group characteristics (i.e., size, composition and instability) affecting male and female fitness differed, fitness depended strongly on the number of same-sex subordinates within the social group in the two sexes. By comparing multiple measures of social group characteristics and of fitness in both sexes, we highlighted the sex-specific determinants of fitness in the two sexes and revealed the crucial role of intrasexual competition in shaping social group composition.

Indirect taxation in the European Union

OpenAIRE

Ene, Sebastian; Micuda, Dan

2007-01-01

Indirect taxes are levied on the production and consumption of goods and services. They influence the retail price, and hence affect patterns of trade and consumption. Indirect taxes are ultimately paid by the final consumer. Sales and turnover taxes, excise duties and tariffs are the basic indirect taxes. In contrast with direct taxes, indirect taxes are seldom progressive. The principles for the levying of these taxes will be considered before the analysis of indirect taxes.

Hydration benefits to courtship feeding in crickets

Science.gov (United States)

Ivy, T. M.; Johnson, J. C.; Sakaluk, S. K.

1999-01-01

The spermatophore transferred by male decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus) at mating includes a large gelatinous spermatophylax that the female consumes after copulation. Although previous studies have shown that G. sigillatus females gain no nutritional benefits from consuming food gifts, there may be other benefits to their consumption. We examined potential hydration benefits to females by experimentally manipulating both the availability of water and the number of food gifts that females consumed, and by measuring their effect on female fitness. Analysis of the number of nymphs produced by females revealed a significant interaction between the number of spermatophylaxes consumed and water availability. When spermatophylaxes were not provided, females given water ad libitum produced significantly more nymphs than females subjected to water stress. Female longevity was significantly affected by water availability, with an increase in the availability of water corresponding to a significant increase in female longevity. These data suggest that female G. sigillatus accrue fitness benefits by consuming spermatophylaxes when alternative sources of water are unavailable. In addition, females appear to allocate water contained in spermatophylaxes towards reproduction as opposed to survival.

Ultimate Drivers and Proximate Correlates of Polyandry in Predatory Mites.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Schausberger

Full Text Available Polyandry is more widespread than anticipated from Bateman's principle but its ultimate (evolutionary causes and proximate (mechanistic correlates are more difficult to pinpoint than those of polygyny. Here, we combined mating experiments, quantification of reproductive traits and microsatellite genotyping to determine the fitness implications of polyandry in two predatory mite species, where males are highly polygynous (up to 45 fertilized females during life, whereas females range from monandry to various polyandry levels. The medium-level polyandrous (up to eight male mates possible Neoseiulus californicus received clear direct and indirect benefits: multiply mated females produced more offspring with higher survival chances over longer times than singly mated females. In contrast, singly and multiply mated females of the low-level polyandrous (commonly two male mates at maximum Phytoseiulus persimilis produced similar numbers of offspring having similar survival chances. In both species, multiple mating resulted in mixed offspring paternities, opening the chance for indirect fitness benefits such as enhanced genetic compatibility, complementarity and/or variability. However, the female re-mating likelihood and the paternity chance of non-first male mates were lower in P. persimilis than in N. californicus. Regarding proximate factors, in both species first mating duration and female re-mating likelihood were negatively correlated. Based on occasional fertilization failure of first male mates in P. persimilis, and mixed offspring paternities in both species, we argue that fertilization assurance and the chance to gain indirect fitness benefits are the ultimate drivers of polyandry in P. persimilis, whereas those of N. californicus are higher offspring numbers coupled with enhanced offspring viability and possibly other indirect fitness benefits. Overall, the adaptive significance and proximate events well reflected the polyandry levels. Our

Ultimate Drivers and Proximate Correlates of Polyandry in Predatory Mites.

Science.gov (United States)

Schausberger, Peter; Patiño-Ruiz, J David; Osakabe, Masahiro; Murata, Yasumasa; Sugimoto, Naoya; Uesugi, Ryuji; Walzer, Andreas

2016-01-01

Polyandry is more widespread than anticipated from Bateman's principle but its ultimate (evolutionary) causes and proximate (mechanistic) correlates are more difficult to pinpoint than those of polygyny. Here, we combined mating experiments, quantification of reproductive traits and microsatellite genotyping to determine the fitness implications of polyandry in two predatory mite species, where males are highly polygynous (up to 45 fertilized females during life), whereas females range from monandry to various polyandry levels. The medium-level polyandrous (up to eight male mates possible) Neoseiulus californicus received clear direct and indirect benefits: multiply mated females produced more offspring with higher survival chances over longer times than singly mated females. In contrast, singly and multiply mated females of the low-level polyandrous (commonly two male mates at maximum) Phytoseiulus persimilis produced similar numbers of offspring having similar survival chances. In both species, multiple mating resulted in mixed offspring paternities, opening the chance for indirect fitness benefits such as enhanced genetic compatibility, complementarity and/or variability. However, the female re-mating likelihood and the paternity chance of non-first male mates were lower in P. persimilis than in N. californicus. Regarding proximate factors, in both species first mating duration and female re-mating likelihood were negatively correlated. Based on occasional fertilization failure of first male mates in P. persimilis, and mixed offspring paternities in both species, we argue that fertilization assurance and the chance to gain indirect fitness benefits are the ultimate drivers of polyandry in P. persimilis, whereas those of N. californicus are higher offspring numbers coupled with enhanced offspring viability and possibly other indirect fitness benefits. Overall, the adaptive significance and proximate events well reflected the polyandry levels. Our study provides a

The private sector economic and employment benefits to the nation and to each state of proposed FY 1990 NASA procurement expenditures

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

The private sector economic and employment benefits (disaggregated among 80 industries and 475 occupations) of the proposed FY 1990 NASA procurement expenditures to the nation and to each state are estimated. Nationwide, it is found that FY 1990 NASA procurement expenditures of $11.3 billion will have an economic multiplier of 2.1 and will create, directly and indirectly, 237,000 jobs, $23.2 billion in total industry sales, $2.4 billion in corporate profits, and $7.4 billion in Federal, state, and local government tax revenues. These benefits are widely dispersed throughout the United States and are significant in many states not normally considered to be major beneficiaries of NASA spending. The indirect economic benefits are identified for each state resulting from the second-, third-, and fourth rounds of industry purchases generated by NASA procurement expenditures. Each state is ranked on the basis of several criteria, including the total benefits, indirect benefits, and per capita benefits received from NASA spending. The estimates developed are important for maintaining a viable U.S. Space Program through the remainder of this century.

The Soldier Fitness Tracker: global delivery of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

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Fravell, Mike; Nasser, Katherine; Cornum, Rhonda

2011-01-01

Carefully implemented technology strategies are vital to the success of large-scale initiatives such as the U.S. Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program. Achieving the U.S. Army's vision for CSF required a robust information technology platform that was scaled to millions of users and that leveraged the Internet to enable global reach. The platform needed to be agile, provide powerful real-time reporting, and have the capacity to quickly transform to meet emerging requirements. Existing organizational applications, such as "Single Sign-On," and authoritative data sources were exploited to the maximum extent possible. Development of the "Soldier Fitness Tracker" is the most recent, and possibly the best, demonstration of the potential benefits possible when existing organizational capabilities are married to new, innovative applications. Combining the capabilities of the extant applications with the newly developed applications expedited development, eliminated redundant data collection, resulted in the exceeding of program objectives, and produced a comfortable experience for the end user, all in less than six months. This is a model for future technology integration. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Mating rate influences female reproductive investment in a simultaneous hermaphrodite, Lymnaea stagnalis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoffer, J.N.A.; Schwegler, D.; Ellers, J.; Koene, J.M.

2012-01-01

Multiple mating often imposes direct fitness costs on females but can provide indirect benefits such as enhanced genetic diversity and offspring quality. The costs and benefits of multiple mating have been investigated extensively in separate-sex species but less so in simultaneous hermaphrodites,

Mindfully Green and Healthy: An Indirect Path from Mindfulness to Ecological Behavior

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Sonja M. Geiger

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the nature of the link between mindfulness and ecological behavior. Based on the notion that mindfulness incorporates heightened awareness of bodily sensations, we suggest an indirect path from mindfulness to ecological behavior that is mediated through individual health behavior, such as improved nutrition and increased exercise. This indirect path is corroborated with two online studies (n = 147/n = 239 where mindfulness, personal health behavior and ecological behavior were assessed. We conclude that increased mindful awareness of momentary experience indeed favors more healthy lifestyles, which in turn relate to increased ecological behavior beyond personal health benefits. The findings support an agreeableness of personal and planetary health behavior and open up a path for environmental educational interventions based on mindfulness practices and personal health gains.

Economic evaluation of indirect use activities in a private natural heritage reserve

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Keila Lima Sanches

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the economic viability of indirect use activities as developed in a private natural heritage reserve (RPPN. Activities developed in the RPPN include Adventure Tourism and an Ecological Trail. Data were obtained relating to annual number of people visiting the reserve, prices paid to participate in activities, cost of land, maintenance costs and labor costs. Economic criteria used include Net Present Value (VPL and Equivalent Periodic Benefit (BPE. In the 1996-2008 period the number of visitors increased by 6% a year, and the average annual number of visitors to the RPPN was 8,889. It was concluded that indirect use activities in the RPPN are economically viable and can coexist with other direct soil use activities such as eucalyptus cultivation.

Indirect two-sided relative ranking: a robust similarity measure for gene expression data

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Licamele Louis

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a large amount of gene expression data that exists in the public domain. This data has been generated under a variety of experimental conditions. Unfortunately, these experimental variations have generally prevented researchers from accurately comparing and combining this wealth of data, which still hides many novel insights. Results In this paper we present a new method, which we refer to as indirect two-sided relative ranking, for comparing gene expression profiles that is robust to variations in experimental conditions. This method extends the current best approach, which is based on comparing the correlations of the up and down regulated genes, by introducing a comparison based on the correlations in rankings across the entire database. Because our method is robust to experimental variations, it allows a greater variety of gene expression data to be combined, which, as we show, leads to richer scientific discoveries. Conclusions We demonstrate the benefit of our proposed indirect method on several datasets. We first evaluate the ability of the indirect method to retrieve compounds with similar therapeutic effects across known experimental barriers, namely vehicle and batch effects, on two independent datasets (one private and one public. We show that our indirect method is able to significantly improve upon the previous state-of-the-art method with a substantial improvement in recall at rank 10 of 97.03% and 49.44%, on each dataset, respectively. Next, we demonstrate that our indirect method results in improved accuracy for classification in several additional datasets. These datasets demonstrate the use of our indirect method for classifying cancer subtypes, predicting drug sensitivity/resistance, and classifying (related cell types. Even in the absence of a known (i.e., labeled experimental barrier, the improvement of the indirect method in each of these datasets is statistically significant.

PENGARUH BRAND FAMILIARITY TERHADAP PURCHASE INTENTION MELALUI BRAND FIT PADA HOTEL MULIA JAKARTA

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Widiawaty .

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose this paper is to examine the effects of Brand familiarity and Brand Fit on Purchase Intention towards the offerings of co branded hotels. The findings showed that the fit between cobrands mediate the relationship between Brand familiarity and Purchase Intention. In particular, a well-known co-branded hotel a high level of Brand Fit could directly or indirectly affect consumer decision-making processes regarding Purchase Intention towards the co-brand. conversely, a less familiar co-branded hotel had positive effect on Purchase Intention only if respondents perceived a good fit between allied brands. Brand Fit could be a more important factor than Brand familiarity in influencing the success of hotel co-branding strategis. future research to examinate the co-branding concept in different social and cultural contexts and also from different perspectives, such as owners or manager is recommended. Most hospitality studies focus on co-branding between hotels and restaurant. This study empirically investigated the effects co-branding on consumer behavior in the hotel sector.

Empowering University Students through Physical Fitness for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated 252 University of Ilorin students' awareness of the benefits of physical fitness and the need for empowering them for lifetime productivity. Data were collected using a self developed questionnaire and analysed using frequency counts, percentage and chi-square.

The Electroweak Fit of the Standard Model after the Discovery of a New Boson at the LHC

CERN Document Server

Baak, M.

2012-11-03

In view of the discovery of a new boson by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations at the LHC, we present an update of the global Standard Model (SM) fit to electroweak precision data. Assuming the new particle to be the SM Higgs boson, all fundamental parameters of the SM are known allowing, for the first time, to overconstrain the SM at the electroweak scale and assert its validity. Including the effects of radiative corrections and the experimental and theoretical uncertainties, the global fit exhibits a p-value of 0.07. The mass measurements by ATLAS and CMS agree within 1.3sigma with the indirect determination M_H=(94 +25 -22) GeV. Within the SM the W boson mass and the effective weak mixing angle can be accurately predicted to be M_W=(80.359 +- 0.011) GeV and sin^2(theta_eff^ell)=(0.23150 +- 0.00010) from the global fit. These results are compatible with, and exceed in precision, the direct measurements. For the indirect determination of the top quark mass we find m_t=(175.8 +2.7 -2.4) GeV, in agreement with t...

The electroweak fit of the standard model after the discovery of a new boson at the LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baak, M.; Hoecker, A.; Schott, M.; Goebel, M.; Kennedy, D.; Moenig, K.; Haller, J.; Kogler, R.; Stelzer, J.

2012-09-01

In view of the discovery of a new boson by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations at the LHC, we present an update of the global Standard Model (SM) fit to electroweak precision data. Assuming the new particle to be the SM Higgs boson, all fundamental parameters of the SM are known allowing, for the first time, to overconstrain the SM at the electroweak scale and assert its validity. Including the effects of radiative corrections and the experimental and theoretical uncertainties, the global fit exhibits a p-value of 0.07. The mass measurements by ATLAS and CMS agree within 1.3σ with the indirect determination M H =94 +25 -22 GeV. Within the SM the W boson mass and the effective weak mixing angle can be accurately predicted to be M W =80.359±0.011 GeV and sin 2 θ l eff =0.23150±0.00010 from the global fit. These results are compatible with, and exceed in precision, the direct measurements. For the indirect determination of the top quark mass we find m t =175.8 +2.7 -2.4 GeV, in agreement with the kinematic and cross-section based measurements.

Economic valuation of selected direct and indirect use values of the Makgadikgadi wetland system, Botswana

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Setlhogile, Tshepo; Arntzen, Jaap; Mabiza, Collin; Mano, Reneth

Economic valuation of wetlands aims to investigate public preferences for changes in the state of the wetland and the natural resources it constitutes in monetary terms. It provides a means of quantifying the direct and indirect benefits that people derive from wetlands. In addition, it informs management planning and practice about resource options, optimal allocation and also provides information for conservation of the resource. The Makgadikgadi wetland is a unique system that mostly consists of dry pans during most of the year. This study aimed at estimating the value of groundwater recharge and community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) activities within the Makgadikgadi wetland and how these goods and services contribute to the local and national economy. The study used the Total Economic Valuation approach, which considers both the direct and indirect use values of the resource. In essence, the study concentrated on one direct use value (use of resources through CBNRM) and one indirect use value (groundwater recharge). With regard to CBNRM, three community-based organisations (CBOs) were selected for the study and static and dynamic cost-benefit models for these CBOs were developed. The groundwater recharge value was largely determined through desktop review and interviews with stakeholders. The results indicate a small positive contribution of CBOs towards the economy of Botswana and a high potential for communities to derive substantial benefits from the projects because currently benefits realised by communities are limited. CBOs involved in joint venture partnerships with tourism and hunting enterprises benefit more from utilising the wetland’s resources. Groundwater recharge often occurs in areas away from the physical location of the wetland and may not be easily attributable to the wetland. However, the study assessed the value taking into consideration the various sectors which rely on the groundwater resource. The groundwater recharge

When the model fits the frame: the impact of regulatory fit on efficacy appraisal and persuasion in health communication.

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Bosone, Lucia; Martinez, Frédéric; Kalampalikis, Nikos

2015-04-01

In health-promotional campaigns, positive and negative role models can be deployed to illustrate the benefits or costs of certain behaviors. The main purpose of this article is to investigate why, how, and when exposure to role models strengthens the persuasiveness of a message, according to regulatory fit theory. We argue that exposure to a positive versus a negative model activates individuals' goals toward promotion rather than prevention. By means of two experiments, we demonstrate that high levels of persuasion occur when a message advertising healthy dietary habits offers a regulatory fit between its framing and the described role model. Our data also establish that the effects of such internal regulatory fit by vicarious experience depend on individuals' perceptions of response-efficacy and self-efficacy. Our findings constitute a significant theoretical complement to previous research on regulatory fit and contain valuable practical implications for health-promotional campaigns. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Becoming fit for transnational comparability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krejsler, John Benedicto; Ulf, Olsson; Kenneth, Petersson

2018-01-01

. Consequently, Danish teacher education discourse has emerged from a distinctly national vocational seminary tradition, into a modernized university college discourse that increasingly fits the transnational templates of comparability, albeit at a slower pace than her Swedish neighbor. It is often difficult...... of modern nations, if they are to succeed in “an increasingly competitive global race among knowledge economies.” In the case of the Bologna Process, the transformative effects are often rather direct. More often, however, effects touch upon national educational agendas in indirect ways, in terms......This chapter traces how national teacher education policy discourse in Denmark and Sweden is being transformed by opaque, albeit often inclusive, processes in transnational policy forums, such as the Bologna Process, OECD, and EU. This is facilitated by “soft law” surrounding the imagined needs...

Global Fits of the Electroweak Standard Theory: Past, Present and Future

CERN Document Server

Baak, M; Mönig, K

2016-01-01

The last decades have seen tremendous progress in the experimental techniques for measuring key observables of the Standard Theory (ST) as well as in theoretical calculations that has led to highly precise predictions of these observables. Global electroweak fits of the ST compare the precision measurements of electroweak observables from lepton and hadron colliders at CERN and elsewhere with accurate theoretical predictions of the ST calculated at multi-loop level. For a long time, global fits have been used to assess the validity of the ST and to constrain indirectly (by exploiting contributions from quantum loops) the remaining free ST parameters, like the masses of the top quark and Higgs boson before their direct discovery. With the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the electroweak sector of the ST is now complete and all fundamental ST parameters are known. Hence the global fits are a powerful tool to probe the internal consistency of the ST, to predict ST parameters with...

CrossFit® instructor demographics and practice trends

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Gregory R. Waryasz

2016-11-01

Full Text Available CrossFit® is an increasingly popular exercise modality that uses high intensity power training. The literature to date regarding CrossFit® has focused on its benefits to VO2 Max, body composition and the motivational variables of participants of CrossFit®. A computerized survey was distributed to CrossFit® instructors using Survey Monkey® (Palo Alto, CA, USA. One hundred and ninety-three CrossFit® instructors responded to the survey. Of these 86.6% (155/179 reported being a certified CrossFit® instructor with 26.7% (48/180 having a bachelor’s degree in an exercise-related field. Instructors with a CrossFit® certification have less bachelor’s (P=0.04 or master’s (P=0.0001 degrees compared to those without a CrossFit® certification, more utilization of Olympic weightlifting (P=0.03, one-on-one teaching (P=0.0001, 1-RM max on snatch (P=0.004, 1- RM on clean and jerk or hang clean (P=0.0003, kettlebell use (P=0.0001 and one-on-one training (P=0.0001. Instructors report differences in their education and differences in use of weightlifting platforms and various types of footwear. Non-certified instructors differ from CrossFit® certified instructors in regards to teaching of Olympic weightlifting and exercise programming.

CrossFit® Instructor Demographics and Practice Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Waryasz, Gregory R; Suric, Vladimir; Daniels, Alan H; Gil, Joseph A; Eberson, Craig P

2016-11-17

CrossFit ® is an increasingly popular exercise modality that uses high intensity power training. The literature to date regarding CrossFit ® has focused on its benefits to VO2 Max, body composition and the motivational variables of participants of CrossFit ® . A computerized survey was distributed to CrossFit ® instructors using Survey Monkey ® (Palo Alto, CA, USA). One hundred and ninety-three CrossFit ® instructors responded to the survey. Of these 86.6% (155/179) reported being a certified CrossFit ® instructor with 26.7% (48/180) having a bachelor's degree in an exercise-related field. Instructors with a CrossFit ® certification have less bachelor's (P=0.04) or master's (P=0.0001) degrees compared to those without a CrossFit ® certification, more utilization of Olympic weightlifting (P=0.03), one-on-one teaching (P=0.0001), 1-RM max on snatch (P=0.004), 1-RM on clean and jerk or hang clean (P=0.0003), kettlebell use (P=0.0001) and one-on-one training (P=0.0001). Instructors report differences in their education and differences in use of weightlifting platforms and various types of footwear. Non-certified instructors differ from CrossFit ® certified instructors in regards to teaching of Olympic weightlifting and exercise programming.

Indirect Self-Destructiveness and Emotional Intelligence.

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Tsirigotis, Konstantinos

2016-06-01

While emotional intelligence may have a favourable influence on the life and psychological and social functioning of the individual, indirect self-destructiveness exerts a rather negative influence. The aim of this study has been to explore possible relations between indirect self-destructiveness and emotional intelligence. A population of 260 individuals (130 females and 130 males) aged 20-30 (mean age of 24.5) was studied by using the Polish version of the chronic self-destructiveness scale and INTE, i.e., the Polish version of the assessing emotions scale. Indirect self-destructiveness has significant correlations with all variables of INTE (overall score, factor I, factor II), and these correlations are negative. The intensity of indirect self-destructiveness differentiates significantly the height of the emotional intelligence and vice versa: the height of the emotional intelligence differentiates significantly the intensity of indirect self-destructiveness. Indirect self-destructiveness has negative correlations with emotional intelligence as well as its components: the ability to recognize emotions and the ability to utilize emotions. The height of emotional intelligence differentiates the intensity of indirect self-destructiveness, and vice versa: the intensity of indirect self-destructiveness differentiates the height of emotional intelligence. It seems advisable to use emotional intelligence in the prophylactic and therapeutic work with persons with various types of disorders, especially with the syndrome of indirect self-destructiveness.

Is psychological membership in the classroom a function of standing out while fitting in? Implications for achievement motivation and emotions.

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Gray, DeLeon L

2017-04-01

Education researchers have consistently linked students' perceptions of "fitting in" at school with patterns of motivation and positive emotions. This study proposes that "standing out" is also helpful for producing these outcomes, and that standing out works in concert with perceptions of fitting in. In a sample of 702 high school students nested within 33 classrooms, principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were each conducted on half of the sample. Results support the proposed structure of measures of standing out and fitting in. Multilevel latent profile analysis was then used to classify students into four profiles of standing out while fitting in (SOFI): Unfulfilled, Somewhat Fulfilled, Nearly Fulfilled, and Fulfilled. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that students of color and those on who paid free/reduced prices lunch were overrepresented in the Unfulfilled and Somewhat Fulfilled profiles. A multilevel path analysis was then performed to assess the direct and indirect associations of profile membership with measures of task value and achievement emotions. Relative to the other profiles, students in the Fulfilled SOFI Profile express greater psychological membership in their classrooms and, in turn, express higher valuing of academic material (i.e., intrinsic value, utility value, and attainment value) and more positive achievement emotions (i.e., more enjoyment and pride; less boredom, hopelessness, and shame). This investigation provides critical insights on the potential benefits of structuring academic learning environments to foster feelings of distinctiveness among adolescents; and has implications for cultivating identities and achievement motivation in academic settings. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural Insights into Triglyceride Storage Mediated by Fat Storage-Inducing Transmembrane (FIT) Protein 2

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Gross, David A.; Snapp, Erik L.; Silver, David L.

2010-01-01

Fat storage-Inducing Transmembrane proteins 1 & 2 (FIT1/FITM1 and FIT2/FITM2) belong to a unique family of evolutionarily conserved proteins localized to the endoplasmic reticulum that are involved in triglyceride lipid droplet formation. FIT proteins have been shown to mediate the partitioning of cellular triglyceride into lipid droplets, but not triglyceride biosynthesis. FIT proteins do not share primary sequence homology with known proteins and no structural information is available to inform on the mechanism by which FIT proteins function. Here, we present the experimentally-solved topological models for FIT1 and FIT2 using N-glycosylation site mapping and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. These methods indicate that both proteins have six-transmembrane-domains with both N- and C-termini localized to the cytosol. Utilizing this model for structure-function analysis, we identified and characterized a gain-of-function mutant of FIT2 (FLL(157-9)AAA) in transmembrane domain 4 that markedly augmented the total number and mean size of lipid droplets. Using limited-trypsin proteolysis we determined that the FLL(157-9)AAA mutant has enhanced trypsin cleavage at K86 relative to wild-type FIT2, indicating a conformational change. Taken together, these studies indicate that FIT2 is a 6 transmembrane domain-containing protein whose conformation likely regulates its activity in mediating lipid droplet formation. PMID:20520733

Structural insights into triglyceride storage mediated by fat storage-inducing transmembrane (FIT protein 2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A Gross

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Fat storage-Inducing Transmembrane proteins 1 & 2 (FIT1/FITM1 and FIT2/FITM2 belong to a unique family of evolutionarily conserved proteins localized to the endoplasmic reticulum that are involved in triglyceride lipid droplet formation. FIT proteins have been shown to mediate the partitioning of cellular triglyceride into lipid droplets, but not triglyceride biosynthesis. FIT proteins do not share primary sequence homology with known proteins and no structural information is available to inform on the mechanism by which FIT proteins function. Here, we present the experimentally-solved topological models for FIT1 and FIT2 using N-glycosylation site mapping and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. These methods indicate that both proteins have six-transmembrane-domains with both N- and C-termini localized to the cytosol. Utilizing this model for structure-function analysis, we identified and characterized a gain-of-function mutant of FIT2 (FLL(157-9AAA in transmembrane domain 4 that markedly augmented the total number and mean size of lipid droplets. Using limited-trypsin proteolysis we determined that the FLL(157-9AAA mutant has enhanced trypsin cleavage at K86 relative to wild-type FIT2, indicating a conformational change. Taken together, these studies indicate that FIT2 is a 6 transmembrane domain-containing protein whose conformation likely regulates its activity in mediating lipid droplet formation.

"I Can/Should Look Like a Media Figure": The Association Between Direct and Indirect Media Exposure and Teens' Sexualizing Appearance Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Trekels, Jolien; Eggermont, Steven

2018-01-01

Prior research has examined the influence of media exposure on adolescents' sexualized self-concept, but engagement in sexualizing appearance behaviors remains understudied, especially among a younger age group (i.e., early adolescents). This three-wave panel study among 971 nine- to 14-year-olds (M age  = 12.99, SD = 1.03) showed that discussing media content with friends (i.e., indirect media exposure) was indirectly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors through perceived attainability of the appearance ideal. Direct media exposure was not significantly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors, nor to perceived pressure or perceived attainability. Direct and indirect media exposure influenced boys and girls in similar ways, although the model showed a better fit among the girls. In addition, reward sensitivity did not moderate the examined relations.

The Indirect Perception of Distance: Interpretive Complexities in Berkeley's Theory of Vision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael James Braund

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The problem of whether perception is direct or if it depends on additional, cognitive contributions made by the perceiving subject, is posed with particular force in an Essay towards a New Theory of Vision (NTV. It is evident from the recurrent treatment it receives therein that Berkeley considers it to be one of the central issues concerning perception. Fittingly, the NTV devotes the most attention to it. In this essay, I deal exclusively with Berkeley's treatment of the problem of indirect distance perception, as it is presented in the context of that work.

Ecological trade-offs between jasmonic acid-dependent direct and indirect plant defences in tritrophic interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jianing; Wang, Lizhong; Zhao, Jiuhai; Li, Chuanyou; Ge, Feng; Kang, Le

2011-01-01

Recent studies on plants genetically modified in jasmonic acid (JA) signalling support the hypothesis that the jasmonate family of oxylipins plays an important role in mediating direct and indirect plant defences. However, the interaction of two modes of defence in tritrophic systems is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the preference and performance of a herbivorous leafminer (Liriomyza huidobrensis) and its parasitic wasp (Opius dissitus) on three tomato genotypes: a wild-type (WT) plant, a JA biosynthesis (spr2) mutant, and a JA-overexpression 35S::prosys plant. Their proteinase inhibitor production and volatile emission were used as direct and indirect defence factors to evaluate the responses of leafminers and parasitoids. Here, we show that although spr2 mutant plants are compromised in direct defence against the larval leafminers and in attracting parasitoids, they are less attractive to adult flies compared with WT plants. Moreover, in comparison to other genotypes, the 35S::prosys plant displays greater direct and constitutive indirect defences, but reduced success of parasitism by parasitoids. Taken together, these results suggest that there are distinguished ecological trade-offs between JA-dependent direct and indirect defences in genetically modified plants whose fitness should be assessed in tritrophic systems and under natural conditions. © The Authors (2010). Journal compilation © New Phytologist Trust (2010).

The Impact of Values-Job Fit and Age on Work-Related Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Van Den Ouweland, Loth; Van den Bossche, Piet

2017-01-01

Research shows that both individual and job-related factors influence a worker's work-related learning. This study combines these factors, examining the impact of fit between one's work values and job characteristics on learning. Although research indicates that fit benefits multiple work-related outcomes, little is known about the impact of fit…

Employee benefits in a total rewards framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jane; Hein, Pam

2013-01-01

Benefits represent one of the largest investments a company makes in its talent. However, our tendency can be to design, deliver and communicate benefits programs independently, without fully considering how those programs fit within a bigger picture of total rewards. Sure, we need to manage and execute individual benefit programs--but not at the expense of getting a real return on our more significant investment in talent. This article provides employers with perspectives on the value of managing benefits within the broader framework of total rewards, why it works and, most importantly, how to make it work.

White matter microstructure mediates the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and spatial working memory in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberlin, Lauren E; Verstynen, Timothy D; Burzynska, Agnieszka Z; Voss, Michelle W; Prakash, Ruchika Shaurya; Chaddock-Heyman, Laura; Wong, Chelsea; Fanning, Jason; Awick, Elizabeth; Gothe, Neha; Phillips, Siobhan M; Mailey, Emily; Ehlers, Diane; Olson, Erin; Wojcicki, Thomas; McAuley, Edward; Kramer, Arthur F; Erickson, Kirk I

2016-05-01

White matter structure declines with advancing age and has been associated with a decline in memory and executive processes in older adulthood. Yet, recent research suggests that higher physical activity and fitness levels may be associated with less white matter degeneration in late life, although the tract-specificity of this relationship is not well understood. In addition, these prior studies infrequently associate measures of white matter microstructure to cognitive outcomes, so the behavioral importance of higher levels of white matter microstructural organization with greater fitness levels remains a matter of speculation. Here we tested whether cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) levels were associated with white matter microstructure and whether this relationship constituted an indirect pathway between cardiorespiratory fitness and spatial working memory in two large, cognitively and neurologically healthy older adult samples. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to determine white matter microstructure in two separate groups: Experiment 1, N=113 (mean age=66.61) and Experiment 2, N=154 (mean age=65.66). Using a voxel-based regression approach, we found that higher VO2max was associated with higher fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of white matter microstructure, in a diverse network of white matter tracts, including the anterior corona radiata, anterior internal capsule, fornix, cingulum, and corpus callosum (PFDR-correctedmicrostructure within these regions, among others, constituted a significant indirect path between VO2max and spatial working memory performance. These results suggest that greater aerobic fitness levels are associated with higher levels of white matter microstructural organization, which may, in turn, preserve spatial memory performance in older adulthood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The indirect strategies of internationalization of companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đorđević Momčilo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The subject of this work are, as mentioned in the title, the indirect strategies of internationalization of companies. The first part talks about the new business environment, the factors that lead to changes and their implications. It is at the same time the business context, which must be taken into consideration that determines the success of companies in the new business environment. In this paper, the emphasis is on company business in international markets, and the selection of appropriate strategies of internationalization, which will be responsible for this new business environment. There are many reasons that are discussed in this paper, and would rather indicate that partners from different countries to accept different strategies, rather than opting for a strategy of export, or a strategy of direct investments abroad. The dynamic technical and technological development, and its universal impact, among other relevant factors, put in the first place the importance of different strategies which is achieved through technology transfer, knowledge and experience whereby the exports, as a classic strategy of involvement in international trade, becomes significantly more difficult. Also, the internationalization of enterprises through direct investment abroad, involves many difficulties related to fitting in a foreign enterprise environment, and a high risk strategy. In addition, there is still a large number of countries do not allow wholly owned foreign enterprises. The paper discusses the value of various indirect internationalization strategy, which may be useful for those domestic companies that are in front of problem the choice of acceptable strategies of internationalization.

Is the effect of person-organisation fit on turnover intention mediated by job satisfaction? A survey of community health workers in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingji; Yan, Fei; Wang, Wei; Li, Guohong

2017-02-22

Person-organisation fit (P-O fit) is a predictor of work attitude. However, in the area of human resource for health, the literature of P-O fit is quite limited. It is unclear whether P-O fit directly or indirectly affects turnover intention. This study aims to examine the mediation effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between P-O fit and turnover intention based on data from China. This is a cross-sectional survey of community health workers (CHWs) in China in 2013. A questionnaire of P-O fit, job satisfaction and turnover intention was developed, and its validity and reliability were assessed. Multiple regression and structural equation modelling were used to examine the relationship among P-O fit, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Multistage sampling was applied. In total, 656 valid questionnaire responses were collected from CHWs in four provincial regions in China, namely Shanghai, Shaanxi, Shandong and Anhui. P-O fit was directly related to job satisfaction (standardised β 0.246) and inversely related to turnover intention (standardised β -0.186). In the mediation model, the total effect of P-O fit on turnover intention was -0.186 (pturnover intention was -0.094 (pturnover intention was -0.092 (pturnover intention was partially mediated through job satisfaction. It is suggested that more work attitude variables and different dimensions of P-O fit be taken into account to examine the complete mechanism of person-organisation interaction. Indirect measures of P-O fit should be encouraged in practice to enhance work attitudes of health workers. 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/.

Format of Basic Instruction Program Resistance Training Classes: Effect on Fitness Change in College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Barfield, J. P.; Channell, Brian; Pugh, Chip; Tuck, Matt; Pendel, Dustin

2012-01-01

New resistance training programs such as CrossFit are gaining favor among college-aged students. CrossFit and related commercial resistance training programs may provide a valuable elective option within basic instruction program (BIP) curricula, but the fitness benefits of this course have not been compared with those of existing BIP resistance…

Prevention Research Matters: Fitness for People with Mental Illness Who are Overweight

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2017-12-14

People with serious mental illness who are overweight or obese can benefit from taking part in a fitness program called InSHAPE where they receive help with fitness, weight loss, and even grocery shopping on a budget.  Created: 12/14/2017 by Prevention Research Centers Program.   Date Released: 12/14/2017.

Potential fitness benefits of the half-pounder life history in Klamath River steelhead

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge, Brian W.; Wilzbach, Peggy; Duffy, Walter G.

2014-01-01

Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss from several of the world's rivers display the half-pounder life history, a variant characterized by an amphidromous (and, less often, anadromous) return to freshwater in the year of initial ocean entry. We evaluated factors related to expression of the half-pounder life history in wild steelhead from the lower Klamath River basin, California. We also evaluated fitness consequences of the half-pounder phenotype using a simple life history model that was parameterized with our empirical data and outputs from a regional survival equation. The incidence of the half-pounder life history differed among subbasins of origin and smolt ages. Precocious maturation occurred in approximately 8% of half-pounders and was best predicted by individual length in freshwater preceding ocean entry. Adult steelhead of the half-pounder phenotype were smaller and less fecund at age than adult steelhead of the alternative (ocean contingent) phenotype. However, our data suggest that fish of the half-pounder phenotype are more likely to spawn repeatedly than are fish of the ocean contingent phenotype. Models predicted that if lifetime survivorship were equal between phenotypes, the fitness of the half-pounder phenotype would be 17–28% lower than that of the ocean contingent phenotype. To meet the condition of equal fitness between phenotypes would require that first-year ocean survival be 21–40% higher among half-pounders in freshwater than among their cohorts at sea. We concluded that continued expression of the half-pounder phenotype is favored by precocious maturation and increased survival relative to that of the ocean contingent phenotype.

Competitive electricity markets: One size should fit all

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruff, L.E.

1999-01-01

Various market models have been used to try to create competition in the electricity industry in various parts of the world, with varying degrees of success. But every electricity market that has produced reasonably effective and efficient competition has been based on some version of the same generic model. And most of the problems encountered by these markets--apart from problems due to structural flaws such as too few competitors--can be attributed to inconsistent or incomplete application of this basic model concept. In this sense, one size of market model really does fit all--or at least one size should fit all if the objective is to create effective and efficient competition for the benefit of consumers. Effort to slow or reverse the movement to an open spot market integrated with physical dispatch will create complexities and inefficiencies that benefit oligopolists and middlemen at the expense of smaller producers and final consumers

Competitive electricity markets: One size should fit all

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruff, L.E.

1999-11-01

Various market models have been used to try to create competition in the electricity industry in various parts of the world, with varying degrees of success. But every electricity market that has produced reasonably effective and efficient competition has been based on some version of the same generic model. And most of the problems encountered by these markets--apart from problems due to structural flaws such as too few competitors--can be attributed to inconsistent or incomplete application of this basic model concept. In this sense, one size of market model really does fit all--or at least one size should fit all if the objective is to create effective and efficient competition for the benefit of consumers. Effort to slow or reverse the movement to an open spot market integrated with physical dispatch will create complexities and inefficiencies that benefit oligopolists and middlemen at the expense of smaller producers and final consumers.

Comment traduire en japonais les styles indirect et indirect libre de Madame Bovary ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hisaki Sawasaki

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Parmi les difficultés rencontrées lors de la traduction des textes littéraires occidentaux, en japonais, nous examinons le problème des styles indirect et indirect libre. Pour cela, en effectuant une petite mise au point grammaticale, nous comparons sept traductions de Madame Bovary de Gustave Flaubert, dont les dates de parution s’étendent sur une cinquantaine d’années. Cette période s’apparente, de notre point de vue, à un long itinéraire pour assimiler la notion occidentale des styles direct et indirect, tout en la conciliant avec les particularités du japonais. D’un autre côté, ce travail acharné des traducteurs a influencé quelque peu la langue japonaise. On trouve dans l’annexe tous les textes en japonais examinés.We will examine the difficulties met when translating Western literary texts in Japanese, in particular the problem of indirect and free indirect styles. We will define the grammatical issue and compare seven translations of Madame Bovary, published over a fifty year period. This time can be likened to a long path taken to digest the Western notion of direct and indirect styles, while reconciling it with Japanese language characteristics. On the other hand the translators’ relentless work has somewhat influenced the Japanese language. The annex will present all the Japanese texts examined.

Language shifts in free indirect discourse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maier, Emar

Free indirect discourse is a way of reporting what a protagonist thinks or says that is distinct from both direct and indirect discourse. In particular, while pronouns and tenses are presented from the narrator's perspective, as in indirect discourse, other indexical and expressive elements reflect

Directe en indirecte werknemersparticipatie in Europa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Houten, Gijs; Akkerman, Agnes; Sluiter, Roderick; Jansen, Giedo; Vermeylen, Greet

2016-01-01

This study looks at different forms of direct and indirect employee participation in the EU. The research questions are: (1) which forms of direct and indirect employee participation can we distinguish?; (2) to what extent do forms of direct and indirect employee participation coincide within

The role of individual differences on perceptions of wearable fitness device trust, usability, and motivational impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Rupp, Michael A; Michaelis, Jessica R; McConnell, Daniel S; Smither, Janan A

2018-07-01

Lack of physical activity is a severe health concern in the United States with fewer than half of all Americans meeting the recommended weekly physical activity guidelines. Although wearable fitness devices can be effective in motivating people to be active, consumers are abandoning this technology soon after purchase. We examined the impact of several user (i.e. personality, age, computer self-efficacy, physical activity level) and device characteristics (trust, usability, and motivational affordances) on the behavioral intentions to use a wearable fitness device. Novice users completed a brief interaction with a fitness device similar to a first purchase experience before completing questionnaires about their interaction. We found computer self-efficacy, physical activity level, as well as personality traits indirectly increased the desire to use a fitness device and influenced the saliency of perceived motivational affordances. Additionally, trust, usability, and perceived motivational affordances were associated with increased intentions to use fitness devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physiological effects of diet mixing on consumer fitness: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefcheck, Jonathan S; Whalen, Matthew A; Davenport, Theresa M; Stone, Joshua P; Duffy, J Emmett

2013-03-01

The degree of dietary generalism among consumers has important consequences for population, community, and ecosystem processes, yet the effects on consumer fitness of mixing food types have not been examined comprehensively. We conducted a meta-analysis of 161 peer-reviewed studies reporting 493 experimental manipulations of prey diversity to test whether diet mixing enhances consumer fitness based on the intrinsic nutritional quality of foods and consumer physiology. Averaged across studies, mixed diets conferred significantly higher fitness than the average of single-species diets, but not the best single prey species. More than half of individual experiments, however, showed maximal growth and reproduction on mixed diets, consistent with the predicted benefits of a balanced diet. Mixed diets including chemically defended prey were no better than the average prey type, opposing the prediction that a diverse diet dilutes toxins. Finally, mixed-model analysis showed that the effect of diet mixing was stronger for herbivores than for higher trophic levels. The generally weak evidence for the nutritional benefits of diet mixing in these primarily laboratory experiments suggests that diet generalism is not strongly favored by the inherent physiological benefits of mixing food types, but is more likely driven by ecological and environmental influences on consumer foraging.

Probiotics and the Gut Immune System: Indirect Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

La Fata, Giorgio; Weber, Peter; Mohajeri, M Hasan

2018-03-01

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) represents the largest interface between the human organism and the external environment. In the lumen and upper part of the mucus layer, this organ hosts an enormous number of microorganisms whose composition affects the functions of the epithelial barrier and the gut immune system. Consequentially, the microorganisms in the GIT influence the health status of the organism. Probiotics are living microorganisms which, in specific conditions, confer a health benefit to the host. Among others, probiotics have immunomodulatory properties that usually act directly by (a) increasing the activity of macrophages or natural killer cells, (b) modulating the secretion of immunoglobulins or cytokines, or indirectly by (c) enhancing the gut epithelial barrier, (d) altering the mucus secretion, and (e) competitive exclusion of other (pathogenic) bacteria. This review focuses on specific bacteria strains with indirect immunomodulatory properties. Particularly, we describe here the mechanisms through which specific probiotics enhance the gut epithelial barrier and modulate mucus production. Moreover, we describe the antimicrobial properties of specific bacteria strains. Recent data suggest that multiple pathologies are associated with an unbalanced gut microflora (dysbiosis). Although the cause-effect relationship between pathology and gut microflora is not yet well established, consumption of specific probiotics may represent a powerful tool to re-establish gut homeostasis and promote gut health.

Physical Fitness in Young Adults Born Preterm.

Science.gov (United States)

Tikanmäki, Marjaana; Tammelin, Tuija; Sipola-Leppänen, Marika; Kaseva, Nina; Matinolli, Hanna-Maria; Miettola, Satu; Eriksson, Johan G; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Vääräsmäki, Marja; Kajantie, Eero

2016-01-01

Young adults born preterm have higher levels of cardiometabolic risk factors than their term-born peers. Muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness have important cardiometabolic and other health benefits. We assessed muscular, cardiorespiratory, and self-rated fitness in preterm-born young adults. We studied unimpaired participants of the ESTER (Ennenaikainen syntymä ja aikuisiän terveys [Preterm Birth and Early-Life Programming of Adult Health and Disease]) birth cohort study at age 23.3 (SD: 1.2) years: 139 born early preterm (EPT; Young adults born EPT (-0.8; 95% confidence interval: -1.5 to -0.1; adjusted for gender, age, and source cohort) and LPT (-0.8; -1.4 to -0.3) performed fewer modified push-ups than controls. Handgrip strength was 23.8 (0.9-46.8) N lower in EPT participants. Cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by submaximal step test, was similar. On a self-rated fitness scale (1-5), the EPT adults reported 0.2 (0.0-0.4) lower scores than controls. After adjustment for early-life confounders, the results remained. They attenuated after further adjustment for mediating factors. Young adults born EPT and LPT had lower muscular fitness than controls, which may predispose them to cardiometabolic and other chronic diseases. Adults born EPT also perceived themselves as less fit than controls. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Indirect Cost Reimbursement: An Industrial View.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolton, Robert

1987-01-01

The meaning of indirect costs in an industrial environment is discussed. Other factors considered are corporate policies; nature of work being supported; the uniqueness of the work; who is doing the negotiating for industry; and indirect rates. Suggestions are offered for approaches to indirect cost reimbursement. (Author/MLW)

Organizational support and volunteering benefits for older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Fengyan; Choi, Eunhee; Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2010-10-01

This study tested a theoretical model of volunteering benefits and examined the mechanism through which volunteering benefits older adults. This is a 2-wave study of 253 older adult volunteers serving in 10 volunteer programs. Older volunteers completed the mailed surveys in 2005 and 2006. Structural equation modeling was used to define the latent variables and to test direct and indirect relationships among organizational support, socioemotional benefits, and self-reported health. Organizational support (measured by choice of volunteer activity, training, and ongoing support) had significant direct associations with 2 latent factors of socioemotional benefits, that is, perceived contribution and personal benefits. Perceived contribution was significantly related to mental health. Additionally, older volunteers with lower socioeconomic status (SES) committed more hours and perceived more personal benefits than higher SES peers. These findings suggest that volunteer programs can provide various organizational supports to older volunteers, especially to low-SES volunteers, in order to promote the socioemotional and health benefits of volunteering to older adults. Psychological well-being of older adults can be improved through engagement in meaningful volunteer activities and contribution to others.

What's in a name? Group fitness class names and women's reasons for exercising.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Theresa C; Miller, Bridget M; Adams, Bailey M

2017-01-01

The benefits of intrinsic exercise motivation are well recognized, yet extrinsically focused group-fitness class names/descriptions dominate the fitness industry. To explore the impact of how fitness classes are marketed, women (N = 389) were asked to indicate their preference for either intrinsically or extrinsically focused fitness classes based on title/description. Participants who favored intrinsic class names/descriptions were more likely to report greater interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, and greater effort and report exercising for health/fitness-related reasons. Those favoring extrinsic class names/descriptions were more likely to experience tension/pressure when exercising and report exercising for appearance/weight-related reasons. The results demonstrate the importance of wording when marketing fitness classes.

Person-job and person-organization fits: Co-op fits in an aerospace engineering environment

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Anthony John, Jr.

-O fits characteristics in the employment preparation and screening process may benefit aerospace engineering companies, co-ops, and academia through gains realized in reduced employment recruitment time and retention cost, student improvement in preparation to fit into aerospace engineering environments, and increases in pre- and post-graduation job placement rates.

Exercise, fitness, and the gut.

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, Owen; Molloy, Michael G; Shanahan, Fergus

2016-03-01

Exercise and gut symptomatology have long been connected. The possibility that regular exercise fosters intestinal health and function has been somewhat overlooked in the scientific literature. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and discuss a selection of recent, relevant, and innovative studies, hypotheses and reviews that elucidate a complex topic. The multiorgan benefits of regular exercise are extensive. When taken in moderation, these benefits transcend improved cardio-respiratory fitness and likely reach the gut in a metabolic, immunological, neural, and microbial manner. This is applicable in both health and disease. However, further work is required to provide safe, effective recommendations on physical activity in specific gastrointestinal conditions. Challenging methodology investigating the relationship between exercise and gut health should not deter from exploring exercise in the promotion of gastrointestinal health.

Issues connected with indirect cost quantification: a focus on the transportation system

Science.gov (United States)

Křivánková, Zuzana; Bíl, Michal; Kubeček, Jan; Vodák, Rostislav

2017-04-01

Transportation and communication networks in general are vital parts of modern society. The economy relies heavily on transportation system performance. A number of people commutes to work regularly. Stockpiles in many companies are being reduced as the just-in-time production process is able to supply resources via the transportation network on time. Natural hazards have the potential to disturb transportation systems. Earthquakes, flooding or landsliding are examples of high-energetic processes which are capable of causing direct losses (i.e. physical damage to the infrastructure). We have focused on quantification of the indirect cost of natural hazards which are not easy to estimate. Indirect losses can also emerge as a result of meteorological hazards with low energy which only seldom cause direct losses, e.g. glaze, snowfall. Whereas evidence of repair work and general direct costs usually exist or can be estimated, indirect costs are much more difficult to identify particularly when they are not covered by insurance agencies. Delimitations of alternative routes (detours) are the most frequent responses to blocked road links. Indirect costs can then be related to increased fuel consumption and additional operating costs. Detours usually result in prolonged travel times. Indirect costs quantification has to therefore cover the value of the time. The costs from the delay are a nonlinear function of travel time, however. The existence of an alternative transportation pattern may also result in an increased number of traffic crashes. This topic has not been studied in depth but an increase in traffic crashes has been reported when people suddenly changed their traffic modes, e.g. when air traffic was not possible. The lost user benefit from those trips that were cancelled or suppressed is also difficult to quantify. Several approaches, based on post-event questioner surveys, have been applied to communities and companies affected by transportation accessibility

A 'delayed' counting method to determine indoor Rn-222 levels indirectly

CERN Document Server

Iannopollo, V; Trimarchi, M; Tripepi, M G; Vermiglio, G

2001-01-01

A new indirect and 'delayed' way is presented to determine indoor concentration of Rn-222 by best-fitting methods. If a rapid knowledge of Rn-222 levels is required and if a detection system is not available in situ, it is possible to obtain concentration of radioactive gas by determining of 'delayed' counts of Po-214. The 'delay' time consists of two or three hours. The method is based on the use of cellulose filters for particulate collection and on the analysis of samples by alpha spectroscopy. It is also possible to obtain concentrations of short-lived radon daughters Po-218, Pb-214, Bi-214, which are very important quantities in a medical framework.

No detectable fertility benefit from a single additional mating in wild stalk-eyed flies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Harley

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Multiple mating by female insects is widespread, and the explanation(s for repeated mating by females has been the subject of much discussion. Females may profit from mating multiply through direct material benefits that increase their own reproductive output, or indirect genetic benefits that increase offspring fitness. One particular direct benefit that has attracted significant attention is that of fertility assurance, as females often need to mate multiply to achieve high fertility. This hypothesis has never been tested in a wild insect population.Female Malaysian stalk-eyed flies (Teleopsis dalmanni mate repeatedly during their lifetime, and have been shown to be sperm limited under both laboratory and field conditions. Here we ask whether receiving an additional mating alleviates sperm limitation in wild females. In our experiment one group of females received a single additional mating, while a control group received an interrupted, and therefore unsuccessful, mating. Females that received an additional mating did not lay more fertilised eggs in total, nor did they lay proportionately more fertilised eggs. Female fertility declined significantly through time, demonstrating that females were sperm limited. However, receipt of an additional mating did not significantly alter the rate of this decline.Our data suggest that the fertility consequences of a single additional mating were small. We discuss this effect (or lack thereof, and suggest that it is likely to be attributed to small ejaculate size, a high proportion of failed copulations, and the presence of X-linked meiotic drive in this species.

Obesity, Cardiovascular Fitness, and Inhibition Function: An Electrophysiological Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai-Fen Song

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to examine how obesity and cardiovascular fitness are associated with the inhibition aspect of executive function from behavioral and electrophysiological perspectives. One hundred college students, aged 18 to 25 years, were categorized into four groups of equal size on the basis of body mass index and cardiovascular fitness: a normal-weight and high-fitness (NH group, an obese-weight and high-fitness (OH group, a normal-weight and low-fitness (NL group, and an obese-weight and low-fitness (OL group. Behavioral measures of response time and number of errors, as well as event-related potential (ERP measures of P3 and N1, were assessed during the Stroop Task. The results revealed that, in general, the NH group exhibited shorter response times and larger P3 amplitudes relative to the OH, NL, and OL groups, wherein the OL group exhibited the longest response time in the incongruent condition. No group differences in N1 indices were also revealed. These findings suggest that the status of being both normal weight and having high cardiovascular fitness is associated with better behavioral and later stages of electrophysiological indices of inhibition. However, these benefits in inhibition function would be lost in an individual who is obese or has low cardiovascular fitness, reflecting the importance keeping both normal weight and having high cardiovascular fitness.

Indirect Calorimetry in Mechanically Ventilated Patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allingstrup, Matilde Jo; Kondrup, Jens; Perner, Anders

2017-01-01

Background and Aims: The 2 currently available indirect calorimeters, CCM Express Indirect Calorimeter (MedGraphics, St Paul, MN) and Quark RMR ICU Indirect Calorimeter (COSMED, Rome, Italy), have not been validated against a gold standard in mechanically ventilated patients. Our aim was to do so...... using a gold-standard, modified Tissot bell-spirometer method in mechanically ventilated patients who were hemodynamically, respiratory, and metabolically stable. Methods: We studied 30 patients undergoing general anesthesia and major gynecological surgery. We measured oxygen consumption ((Formula...... of 77 (167) with limits of agreement −249 to 404 kcal/d. Conclusions: The QUARK RMR ICU Indirect Calorimeter compared better with the gold standard for values of (Formula presented.) O2 and REE than did the CCM Express Indirect Calorimeter in mechanically ventilated patients who were circulatory...

Influence of polyurethane resin dies on the fit and adaptation of full veneer crowns.

Science.gov (United States)

Lillywhite, Graeme R R; Vohra, Fahim

2015-01-01

Polyurethane resin is a possible alternative to type IV dental stone for fabrication of indirect restorations however its dimensional accuracy is questionable. The aim was to investigate the dimensional accuracy of silica filled polyurethane resin die material by evaluating the marginal fit and adaptation of indirect gold castings. Experimental, in vitro study. Totally 40 copper plated replicas of a nickel chrome master die analogous to a veneer gold crown preparation were made and impressions recorded using polyvinylsiloxane material. Twenty impressions were poured in type IV dental stone (control group (Vel-mix, Kerr, UK) and the remaining (n = 20) in silica filled polyurethane die material (test group) (Alpha Die MF, CA, USA). Gold castings were fabricated for each die using standardized techniques. The castings were seated on their respective copper plated dies, embedded in resin and sectioned. The specimens were analyzed by measuring marginal opening and the area beneath the casting at a ×63 magnification and using image analysis software. Data were analyzed using a Student's t-test. No significant difference was observed between the experimental groups (P > 0.05). The mean marginal opening for type IV, dental stone and polyurethane resin, was 57 ± 22.6 μm and 63.47 ± 27.1 μm, respectively. Stone displayed a smaller area beneath the casting (31581 ± 16297 μm 2 ) as compared to polyurethane resin (35003 ± 23039 μm 2 ). The fit and adaptation of indirect gold castings made on polyurethane and type IV dental stone dies were comparable.

Living with strangers: direct benefits favour non-kin cooperation in a communally nesting bird.

Science.gov (United States)

Riehl, Christina

2011-06-07

The greater ani (Crotophaga major), a Neotropical cuckoo, exhibits an unusual breeding system in which several socially monogamous pairs lay eggs in a single nest and contribute care to the communal clutch. Cooperative nesting is costly-females compete for reproduction by ejecting each other's eggs-but the potential direct or indirect fitness benefits that might accrue to group members have not been identified. In this study, I used molecular genotyping to quantify patterns of genetic relatedness and individual reproductive success within social groups in a single colour-banded population. Microsatellite analysis of 122 individuals in 49 groups revealed that group members are not genetic relatives. Group size was strongly correlated with individual reproductive success: solitary pairs were extremely rare and never successful, and nests attended by two pairs were significantly more likely to be depredated than were nests attended by three pairs. Egg loss, a consequence of reproductive competition, was greater in large groups and disproportionately affected females that initiated laying. However, early-laying females compensated for egg losses by laying larger clutches, and female group members switched positions in the laying order across nesting attempts. The greater ani, therefore, appears to be one of the few species in which cooperative breeding among unrelated individuals is favoured by direct, shared benefits that outweigh the substantial costs of reproductive competition.

The indirect costs and benefits of greenhouse gas limitations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markandya, A

1999-12-31

The purpose of this report is to evaluate GHG limitation issues in a broader context. This includes the impacts of projects on vulnerable groups, the impacts on the environment more generally and the impacts on sustainability in a wider sense. It also offers some advice on how a decision-making framework can bring together these different dimensions. The structure of the guidelines is as follows. Section 2 introduces essential cost concepts and discusses the adjustments needed to the financial costs of different components, to arrive at the true economic costs. Section 3 looks at the macro-economic impacts of different GHG limitation project/policies. Section 4 discusses the way in which the sustainability concerns of such projects/policies can be monitored. Section 5 brings these different components together and looks at different methods of project selection. Section 6 provides a basic framework of impacts that are likely to arise in different GHG-related projects/policies, and what kind of method of estimation is available for these different impacts. Sections 7 to 9 go into greater depth on specific impacts. Sections 7 and 8 look at the employment and distributional effects respectively, and how they might be estimated. Section 9 evaluates the benefits in terms of changes in environmental damage resulting from GHG projects/policies. Section 10 provides three case studies in which the methods outlined in the report are applied. These case studies consider a biogas plant in Tanzania, a forestry project in the Russian Federation, and an energy efficiency project in Thailand. Section 11 concludes the report. (au) 59 refs.

The indirect costs and benefits of greenhouse gas limitations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markandya, A.

1998-12-31

The purpose of this report is to evaluate GHG limitation issues in a broader context. This includes the impacts of projects on vulnerable groups, the impacts on the environment more generally and the impacts on sustainability in a wider sense. It also offers some advice on how a decision-making framework can bring together these different dimensions. The structure of the guidelines is as follows. Section 2 introduces essential cost concepts and discusses the adjustments needed to the financial costs of different components, to arrive at the true economic costs. Section 3 looks at the macro-economic impacts of different GHG limitation project/policies. Section 4 discusses the way in which the sustainability concerns of such projects/policies can be monitored. Section 5 brings these different components together and looks at different methods of project selection. Section 6 provides a basic framework of impacts that are likely to arise in different GHG-related projects/policies, and what kind of method of estimation is available for these different impacts. Sections 7 to 9 go into greater depth on specific impacts. Sections 7 and 8 look at the employment and distributional effects respectively, and how they might be estimated. Section 9 evaluates the benefits in terms of changes in environmental damage resulting from GHG projects/policies. Section 10 provides three case studies in which the methods outlined in the report are applied. These case studies consider a biogas plant in Tanzania, a forestry project in the Russian Federation, and an energy efficiency project in Thailand. Section 11 concludes the report. (au) 59 refs.

Assessment of indirect losses and costs of emergency for project planning of alpine hazard mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Amenda, Lisa; Pfurtscheller, Clemens

2013-04-01

By virtue of augmented settling in hazardous areas and increased asset values, natural disasters such as floods, landslides and rockfalls cause high economic losses in Alpine lateral valleys. Especially in small municipalities, indirect losses, mainly stemming from a breakdown of transport networks, and costs of emergency can reach critical levels. A quantification of these losses is necessary to estimate the worthiness of mitigation measures, to determine the appropriate level of disaster assistance and to improve risk management strategies. There are comprehensive approaches available for assessing direct losses. However, indirect losses and costs of emergency are widely not assessed and the empirical basis for estimating these costs is weak. To address the resulting uncertainties of project appraisals, a standardized methodology has been developed dealing with issues of local economic effects and emergency efforts needed. In our approach, the cost-benefit-analysis for technical mitigation of the Austrian Torrent and Avalanche Control (TAC) will be optimized and extended using the 2005-debris flow as a design event, which struggled a small town in the upper Inn valley in southwest Tyrol (Austria). Thereby, 84 buildings were affected, 430 people were evacuated and due to this, the TAC implemented protection measures for 3.75 million Euros. Upgrading the method of the TAC and analyzing to what extent the cost-benefit-ratio is about to change, is one of the main objectives of this study. For estimating short-run indirect effects and costs of emergency on the local level, data was collected via questionnaires, field mapping, guided interviews, as well as intense literature research. According to this, up-to-date calculation methods were evolved and the cost-benefit-analysis of TAC was recalculated with these new-implemented results. The cost-benefit-ratio will be more precise and specific and hence, the decision, which mitigation alternative will be carried out

Cloud Condensation Nuclei Prediction Error from Application of Kohler Theory: Importance for the Aerosol Indirect Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Sotiropoulou, Rafaella-Eleni P.; Nenes, Athanasios; Adams, Peter J.; Seinfeld, John H.

2007-01-01

In situ observations of aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and the GISS GCM Model II' with an online aerosol simulation and explicit aerosol-cloud interactions are used to quantify the uncertainty in radiative forcing and autoconversion rate from application of Kohler theory. Simulations suggest that application of Koehler theory introduces a 10-20% uncertainty in global average indirect forcing and 2-11% uncertainty in autoconversion. Regionally, the uncertainty in indirect forcing ranges between 10-20%, and 5-50% for autoconversion. These results are insensitive to the range of updraft velocity and water vapor uptake coefficient considered. This study suggests that Koehler theory (as implemented in climate models) is not a significant source of uncertainty for aerosol indirect forcing but can be substantial for assessments of aerosol effects on the hydrological cycle in climatically sensitive regions of the globe. This implies that improvements in the representation of GCM subgrid processes and aerosol size distribution will mostly benefit indirect forcing assessments. Predictions of autoconversion, by nature, will be subject to considerable uncertainty; its reduction may require explicit representation of size-resolved aerosol composition and mixing state.

The Complexity of Indirect Translation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wenjie, L. I.

2017-01-01

its complex nature, and thus determined that many facets of ITr remain to be studied. The present article will try to encompass the complexity of ITr by looking into the reasons for translating indirectly, the challenge of finding out mediating texts (MTs), indirectness in both translation...... of which have been translated and interpreted indirectly through major languages like English, will be employed as examples. Hopefully, this study will offer more insights into the nature of translation as a social activity and raise further interests in studying translation as a complex phenomenon....

A simplified indirect bonding technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radha Katiyar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available With the advent of lingual orthodontics, indirect bonding technique has become an integral part of practice. It involves placement of brackets initially on the models and then their transfer to teeth with the help of transfer trays. Problems encountered with current indirect bonding techniques used are (1 the possibility of adhesive flash remaining around the base of the brackets which requires removal (2 longer time required for the adhesive to gain enough bond strength for secure tray removal. The new simplified indirect bonding technique presented here overcomes both these problems.

Real-time Planning Support: A Task-technology Fit Perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. Krauth (Elfriede)

2008-01-01

textabstractPlanning technology by itself is not sufficient to improve planning performance. What are the factors that determine the extent to which the benefits of planning technology are realized? In order to answer this question, this dissertation studies four mechanisms of fit between task and

Does cost-benefit analysis or self-control predict involvement in two forms of aggression?

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, John; Fernández-Fuertes, Andrés A; Thanzami, Van Lal

2010-01-01

The main aim of this research was to assess the relative association between physical aggression and (1) self-control and (2) cost-benefit assessment, these variables representing the operation of impulsive and reflective processes. Study 1 involved direct and indirect aggression among young Indian men, and Study 2 physical aggression to dating partners among Spanish adolescents. In Study 1, perceived benefits and costs but not self-control were associated with direct aggression at other men, and the association remained when their close association with indirect aggression was controlled. In Study 2, benefits and self-control showed significant and independent associations (positive for benefits, negative for self-control) with physical aggression at other-sex partners. Although being victimized was also correlated in the same direction with self-control and benefits, perpetration and being victimized were highly correlated, and there was no association between being victimized and these variables when perpetration was controlled. These results support the theory that reflective (cost-benefit analyses) processes and impulsive (self-control) processes operate in parallel in affecting aggression. The finding that male adolescents perceived more costs and fewer benefits from physical aggression to a partner than female adolescents did is consistent with findings indicating greater social disapproval of men hitting women than vice versa, rather than with the view that male violence to women is facilitated by internalized patriarchal values. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The costs and benefits of a vaccination programme for Haemophilus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Costs were calculated by summing the estimated direct medical care costs together with the indirect costs of Hib disease. The latter were calculated by valuing human life using alternative, and conservative human capital and willingness-to-pay measures. The difference between Hib disease costs (Le. the benefits which ...

Fitness landscapes among many options under social influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Caiado, Camila C S; Brock, William A; Bentley, R Alexander; O'Brien, Michael J

2016-09-21

Cultural learning represents a novel problem in that an optimal decision depends not only on intrinsic utility of the decision/behavior but also on transparency of costs and benefits, the degree of social versus individual learning, and the relative popularity of each possible choice in a population. In terms of a fitness-landscape function, this recursive relationship means that multiple equilibria can exist. Here we use discrete-choice theory to construct a fitness-landscape function for a bi-axial decision-making map that plots the magnitude of social influence in the learning process against the costs and payoffs of decisions. Specifically, we use econometric and statistical methods to estimate not only the fitness function but also movements along the map axes. To search for these equilibria, we employ a hill-climbing algorithm that leads to the expected values of optimal decisions, which we define as peaks on the fitness landscape. We illustrate how estimation of a measure of transparency, a measure of social influence, and the associated fitness landscape can be accomplished using panel data sets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated external defibrillators in the Australian fitness industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, Kevin I; Norton, Lynda H

2008-04-01

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs in many thousands of Australians each year. Scientific evidence shows an increased survival rate for individuals who receive electrical defibrillation in the first few minutes after SCA. In the last decade automated (rhythm-detecting) external defibrillators (AEDs) have become available that are portable and affordable. Although still relatively rare, there is still the potential that SCA may occur when a person undertakes physical activity. Consequently, health/fitness centres are increasingly recognised as higher risk sites that may benefit from placement of AEDs. There are no laws in Australia requiring health/fitness centres to install AEDs. However, several international and professional organisations have "strongly encouraged" larger centres to install AEDs. Guidelines and algorithms are presented to help estimate the risk of SCA in fitness centres. Fitness centre placement is particularly important if the clientele is older or has a 'high-risk' profile, for example, clients with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic disease. International negligence case law and duty of care principles suggests the standard of care required in health/fitness centres may be increasing. Therefore, it may be prudent to install AEDs in larger centres and those in which higher risk groups are physically active.

Fitness

Science.gov (United States)

... gov home http://www.girlshealth.gov/ Home Fitness Fitness Want to look and feel your best? Physical ... are? Check out this info: What is physical fitness? top Physical fitness means you can do everyday ...

Flexible Fringe Benefit Plans Save You Money and Keep Employees Happy.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rob

1987-01-01

This fringe benefit plan saves money for both employers and employees, provides a better fit for employees' actual benefit needs, and allows employees to choose options from a menu of benefits. One option is a flexible spending plan. Employees place a portion of their before-tax income into a special account from which allowable expenses are paid…

Health effects and usage of the training program CrossFit

OpenAIRE

RAJTMAJER, Jiří

2015-01-01

Bachelor thesis is focused on modern CrossFit training system and its impact on fitness and overall health of men in the age group 20-40 years. In the theoretical part, I described the very essence of this modern practice, potential benefits and health risks. I drew from the available literature and trusted electronic resources related to the topic. At the beginning of the practical part of the intervention motion program was carried entrance investigation aimed at identifying the physical an...

Hamiltonian inclusive fitness: a fitter fitness concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, James T

2013-01-01

In 1963-1964 W. D. Hamilton introduced the concept of inclusive fitness, the only significant elaboration of Darwinian fitness since the nineteenth century. I discuss the origin of the modern fitness concept, providing context for Hamilton's discovery of inclusive fitness in relation to the puzzle of altruism. While fitness conceptually originates with Darwin, the term itself stems from Spencer and crystallized quantitatively in the early twentieth century. Hamiltonian inclusive fitness, with Price's reformulation, provided the solution to Darwin's 'special difficulty'-the evolution of caste polymorphism and sterility in social insects. Hamilton further explored the roles of inclusive fitness and reciprocation to tackle Darwin's other difficulty, the evolution of human altruism. The heuristically powerful inclusive fitness concept ramified over the past 50 years: the number and diversity of 'offspring ideas' that it has engendered render it a fitter fitness concept, one that Darwin would have appreciated.

A Segregating Inversion Generates Fitness Variation in Yellow Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Lila; Kelly, John K.; Willis, John H.

2016-01-01

Polymorphic chromosomal rearrangements can bind hundreds of genes into single genetic loci with diverse effects. Rearrangements are often associated with local adaptation and speciation and may also be an important component of genetic variation within populations. We genetically and phenotypically characterize a segregating inversion (inv6) in the Iron Mountain (IM) population of Mimulus guttatus (yellow monkeyflower). We initially mapped inv6 as a region of recombination suppression in three F2 populations resulting from crosses among IM plants. In each case, the F1 parent was heterozygous for a derived haplotype, homogenous across markers spanning over 5 Mb of chromsome 6. In the three F2 populations, inv6 reduced male and female fitness components. In addition, inv6 carriers suffered an ∼30% loss of pollen viability in the field. Despite these costs, inv6 exists at moderate frequency (∼8%) in the natural population, suggesting counterbalancing fitness benefits that maintain the polymorphism. Across 4 years of monitoring in the field, inv6 had an overall significant positive effect on seed production (lifetime female fitness) of carriers. This benefit was particularly strong in harsh years and may be mediated (in part) by strong positive effects on flower production. These data suggest that opposing fitness effects maintain an intermediate frequency, and as a consequence, inv6 generates inbreeding depression and high genetic variance. We discuss these findings in relation to the theory of inbreeding depression and the maintenance of fitness variation. PMID:26868767

Exercise videogames for physical activity and fitness: Design and rationale of the Wii Heart Fitness trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Beth C; Thind, Herpreet; Dunsiger, Shira I; Serber, Eva R; Ciccolo, Joseph T; Cobb, Victoria; Palmer, Kathy; Abernathy, Sean; Marcus, Bess H

2015-05-01

Despite numerous health benefits, less than half of American adults engage in regular physical activity. Exercise videogames (EVG) may be a practical and attractive alternative to traditional forms of exercise. However there is insufficient research to determine whether EVG play alone is sufficient to produce prolonged engagement in physical activity or improvements in cardiovascular fitness and overall health risk. The goal of the present study is to test the efficacy of exercise videogames to increase time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and to improve cardiovascular risk indices among adults. Wii Heart Fitness is a rigorous 3-arm randomized controlled trial with adults comparing three 12-week programs: (1) supervised EVGs, (2) supervised standard exercise, and (3) a control condition. Heart rate is monitored continuously throughout all exercise sessions. Assessments are conducted at baseline, end of intervention (week 12), 6 and 9 months. The primary outcome is time spent in MVPA physical activity. Secondary outcomes include changes in cardiovascular fitness, body composition, blood lipid profiles and maintenance of physical activity through six months post-treatment. Changes in cognitive and affective constructs derived from Self Determination and Social Cognitive Theories will be examined to explain the differential outcomes between the two active treatment conditions. The Wii Heart Fitness study is designed to test whether regular participation in EVGs can be an adequate source of physical activity for adults. This study will produce new data on the effect of EVGs on cardiovascular fitness indices and prolonged engagement with physical activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indirect Reciprocity; A Field Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

van Apeldoorn, Jacobien; Schram, Arthur

2016-01-01

Indirect reciprocity involves cooperative acts towards strangers, either in response to their kindness to third parties (downstream) or after receiving kindness from others oneself (upstream). It is considered to be important for the evolution of cooperative behavior amongst humans. Though it has been widely studied theoretically, the empirical evidence of indirect reciprocity has thus far been limited and based solely on behavior in laboratory experiments. We provide evidence from an online environment where members can repeatedly ask and offer services to each other, free of charge. For the purpose of this study we created several new member profiles, which differ only in terms of their serving history. We then sent out a large number of service requests to different members from all over the world. We observe that a service request is more likely to be rewarded for those with a profile history of offering the service (to third parties) in the past. This provides clear evidence of (downstream) indirect reciprocity. We find no support for upstream indirect reciprocity (in this case, rewarding the service request after having previously received the service from third parties), however. Our evidence of downstream indirect reciprocity cannot be attributed to reputational effects concerning one's trustworthiness as a service user.

physical fitness self-related by the elderly and its relationship

African Journals Online (AJOL)

CASA

the majority of the elderly perceived their fitness as good or very good, with this variable being ... the benefits of physical activity (PA) and sport for the elderly, not only physically, but also psychologically ..... Relations of sex, age, perceived ...

Aerobic capacity and its relationship with parameters of health-related fitness in schoolchildren

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Rosa Guillamón

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between aerobic capacity and other parameters determining fitness in primary school. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study, 298 schoolchildren (139 males and 159 females aged 8-12. Body composition (weight and height and physical fitness (capacity, motor aerobic and musculoskeletal was assessed by ALPHA-Fitness battery. Aerobic capacity and body mass index (under/normal-weight and overweight/obesity were categorized using standard criteria. The variable motor / muscle overall capacity was calculated, and the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max was indirectly estimated.  Results: The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA found that men have better values in the test 4x10m (p <0.001, longitudinal jump (p <0.001, Course-Navette (p <0.001 and in VO2max (p <0.001. The ANOVA test showed that schoolchildren with better aerobic capacity have lower weight and body mass index (p <0.001 for both, better performance in the test longitudinal jump (p <0.001 and better overall motor / muscle capacity, and increased VO2max (p <0.001 for both. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that schoolchildren with healthy cardiorespiratory fitness had better physical fitness and are more likely to have healthy anthropometric parameters.

Pedal indirect lymphangiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kil Woo; Hong, Myung Sun; Kim, In Jae

1994-01-01

Recently, indirect lymphangiography has been developed as a relatively good and noninvasive imaging modality of the lymphatic system at extremities. But the disadvantage of the indirect lymphangiography is a low contrast ratio between the surrounding tissues and the contrast media in lymphatic vessels, because dimeric nonionic contrast media is water soluble and diluted in the proximal leg lymphatic vessels. We could have relatively better image than previously published images for the leg lymphatic system, when we injected contrast media with adequate high pressure in intradermal space of the interdigital areas at the foot dorsum. So, we would like to report the results. We could study all 9 lymphedemas(primary: 6, secondary: 3) from April 1990 to May 1993 on outpatient base. They were diagnosed as lymphedema clinically and radiologically. Ten ml of dimeric nonionic aget, iotrolan(Isovist 300) was injected into intradermal space with five 30-gauge needles. The injection speed was more than 0.2 ml/min. We have done one side pedal lymphangiogram in 30 minutes. The evaluation of the anterior superficial lymphatics was according to the criteria of the Weissleder. The results were as follows: 1. All lymphatic vessels from foot to inguinal area could be visualized. 2. Two or three inferior inguinal lymph nodes could be visualized about 42%. 3. The most common abnormal finding of the lymphedma was the neovascularization of the lymphatics on indirect pedal lymphangiogram. If we use adequate technique relatively high pressure injection, correct intradermal needle insertion, adequate soft tissue exposure technique indirect lymphangiography is considered to be a safe and noninvasive imaging modality for the evaluation of the lymphedema of lower extremity lymphatics including inferior inguinal lymph nodes

Sexual selection on spontaneous mutations strengthens the between-sex genetic correlation for fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Scott L; McGuigan, Katrina; Connallon, Tim; Blows, Mark W; Chenoweth, Stephen F

2017-10-01

A proposed benefit to sexual selection is that it promotes purging of deleterious mutations from populations. For this benefit to be realized, sexual selection, which is usually stronger on males, must purge mutations deleterious to both sexes. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that sexual selection on males purges deleterious mutations that affect both male and female fitness. We measured male and female fitness in two panels of spontaneous mutation-accumulation lines of the fly, Drosophila serrata, each established from a common ancestor. One panel of mutation accumulation lines limited both natural and sexual selection (LS lines), whereas the other panel limited natural selection, but allowed sexual selection to operate (SS lines). Although mutation accumulation caused a significant reduction in male and female fitness in both the LS and SS lines, sexual selection had no detectable effect on the extent of the fitness reduction. Similarly, despite evidence of mutational variance for fitness in males and females of both treatments, sexual selection had no significant impact on the amount of mutational genetic variance for fitness. However, sexual selection did reshape the between-sex correlation for fitness: significantly strengthening it in the SS lines. After 25 generations, the between-sex correlation for fitness was positive but considerably less than one in the LS lines, suggesting that, although most mutations had sexually concordant fitness effects, sex-limited, and/or sex-biased mutations contributed substantially to the mutational variance. In the SS lines this correlation was strong and could not be distinguished from unity. Individual-based simulations that mimick the experimental setup reveal two conditions that may drive our results: (1) a modest-to-large fraction of mutations have sex-limited (or highly sex-biased) fitness effects, and (2) the average fitness effect of sex-limited mutations is larger than the average fitness effect of

A comparison between indirect and objective wear-time assessment of removable orthodontic appliances.

Science.gov (United States)

Schott, Timm C; Meyer-Gutknecht, Hannes; Mayer, Nicolai; Weber, Joachim; Weimer, Katja

2017-04-01

Patients do not always adhere to the wear times prescribed for removable orthodontic appliances. We evaluated the validity and usability of indirect wear-time assessment methods by comparing wear-time estimates with microelectronically measured wear times in patients with removable orthodontic appliances. Wear times of 33 expansion plates, 34 functional appliances, and 42 retention plates of patients aged 6-20 years (12.3±2.9 years, 50.5% female) were indirectly determined by practitioners using a questionnaire assessing five parameters on a 5-point Likert scale: appliance handling, appliance appearance, bite shift, tooth movement, and appliance fit. The perceived difficulty in assessing each parameter was rated. Actual wear times were evaluated with microelectronic sensors in the appliances. Regression analyses revealed that practitioners' decisions about wear times varied depending on the type of appliance and criteria used, with only one standard criterion best predicting estimated wear time for each appliance. Different standard criteria were better predictors of measured wear time: 22.3% of wear-time variability was explained by expansion plate appearance, 31.2% by functional appliance handling, and 18.8% by retainer fitting. However, practitioners rated the difficulty of assessment in most cases as 'easy'. The study was not double blinded for technical reasons, and practitioners may have considered the evaluation criteria more carefully than in normal daily practice. Practitioners' decisions about wear times based on standard criteria strongly vary depending on the type of appliance and criteria used. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

[Prevalence and indirect costs of headache in a Brazilian Company].

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, M; Rodrigues, A de J; De Oliveira, G V; De Souza, K F; Doi, L M; Rocha, M B; Saporta, M A; Orleans, R B; Kotecki, R; Estrela, V V; De Medeiros, V A; Borges, W I

1998-12-01

Employees from a Brazilian oil company research centre (n = 993) were interviewed on the occurrence of headache during a 30 days period. Headache prevalence was 49.8%, with a mean frequency of 4.3 +/- 7.0 attacks per month, lasting 12.2 +/- 21.4 hours each. According to the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria, migraine (5.5%), episodic tension-type headache (26.4%), chronic tension-type headache (1.7%) and headaches not fulfilling the criteria for such disorders (16.2%) were observed. Women suffered comparatively more headache and specifically migraine than men. The pain interfered with work productivity in 10% of the subjects, corresponding to 538.75 hours off. According to an indirect costs estimation for each headache, the company may loose up to US$125.98 per employee annually. Since among headaches migraine has the highest indirect cost, migraine prevention and treatment is particularly important at the working environment. Migraine frequency may be prevented to a large extent, resulting on positive effects in both the quality of life and productivity. The cost-benefit ratio clearly favours therapeutic and preventive programs against chronic headaches.

The contribution of the mitochondrial genome to sex-specific fitness variance.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Shane R T; Connallon, Tim

2017-05-01

Maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) facilitates the evolutionary accumulation of mutations with sex-biased fitness effects. Whereas maternal inheritance closely aligns mtDNA evolution with natural selection in females, it makes it indifferent to evolutionary changes that exclusively benefit males. The constrained response of mtDNA to selection in males can lead to asymmetries in the relative contributions of mitochondrial genes to female versus male fitness variation. Here, we examine the impact of genetic drift and the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) among mutations-including the correlation of mutant fitness effects between the sexes-on mitochondrial genetic variation for fitness. We show how drift, genetic correlations, and skewness of the DFE determine the relative contributions of mitochondrial genes to male versus female fitness variance. When mutant fitness effects are weakly correlated between the sexes, and the effective population size is large, mitochondrial genes should contribute much more to male than to female fitness variance. In contrast, high fitness correlations and small population sizes tend to equalize the contributions of mitochondrial genes to female versus male variance. We discuss implications of these results for the evolution of mitochondrial genome diversity and the genetic architecture of female and male fitness. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

A comparison of the impact of direct and indirect benefits of mating decisions in the rose bitterling (Rhodeus ocellatus)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Agbali, M.; Spence, R.; Reichard, Martin; Smith, C.

2012-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 4 (2012), s. 279-288 ISSN 1565-9801 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/09/1163 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : bitterling * direct selection * indirect selection * mate choice * oviposition * Rhodeus ocellatus Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.444, year: 2012 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1560/IJEE.58.4.279

Supersymmetric dark matter: Indirect detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergstroem, L.

2000-01-01

Dark matter detection experiments are improving to the point where they can detect or restrict the primary particle physics candidates for non baryonic dark matter. The methods for detection are usually categorized as direct, i.e., searching for signals caused by passage of dark matter particles in terrestrial detectors, or indirect. Indirect detection methods include searching for antimatter and gamma rays, in particular gamma ray lines, in cosmic rays and high-energy neutrinos from the centre of the Earth or Sun caused by accretion and annihilation of dark matter particles. A review is given of recent progress in indirect detection, both on the theoretical and experimental side

Updated Status of the Global Electroweak Fit and Constraints on New Physics

CERN Document Server

Baak, M; Haller, J; Hoecker, A; Kennedy, D; Moenig, K; Schott, M; Stelzer, J

2012-01-01

We present an update of the Standard Model fit to electroweak precision data. We include newest experimental results on the top quark mass, the W mass and width, and the Higgs boson mass bounds from LEP, Tevatron and the LHC. We also include a new determination of the electromagnetic coupling strength at the Z pole. We find for the Higgs boson mass (96 +31 -24) GeV and (120 +12 -5) GeV when not including and including the direct Higgs searches, respectively. From the latter fit we indirectly determine the W mass to be (80.362 +- 0.013) GeV. We exploit the data to determine experimental constraints on the oblique vacuum polarisation parameters, and confront these with predictions from the Standard Model (SM) and selected SM extensions. By fitting the oblique parameters to the electroweak data we derive allowed regions in the BSM parameter spaces. We revisit and consistently update these constraints for a fourth fourth fermion generation, two Higgs doublet, inert Higgs and littlest Higgs models, models with lar...

Updated Status of the Global Electroweak Fit and Constraints on New Physics

CERN Document Server

Baak, Max; Haller, Johannes; Hoecker, Andreas; Ludwig, Doerthe; Moenig, Klaus; Schott, Matthias; Stelzer, Joerg

2011-01-01

We present an update of the Standard Model fit to electroweak precision data. We include newest experimental results on the top quark mass, the W mass and width, and the Higgs boson mass bounds from LEP, Tevatron and the cLHC. We also include a new determination of the electromagnetic coupling strength at the Z pole. We find for the Higgs boson mass (96 +31 -24) GeV and (120 +12 -5) GeV when not including and including the direct Higgs searches, respectively. From the latter fit we indirectly determine the W mass to be (80.359 +0.017 -0.010) GeV. We exploit the data to determine experimental constraints on the oblique vacuum polarisation parameters, and confront these with predictions from the Standard Model (SM) and selected SM extensions. By fitting the oblique parameters to the electroweak data we derive allowed regions in the BSM parameter spaces. We revisit and consistently update these constraints for a fourth family, two Higgs doublet, inert Higgs and littlest Higgs models, models with large,...

INDIRECT LABOR COSTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OVERHEAD ALLOCATION

OpenAIRE

Bea Chiang

2013-01-01

Cost accounting typically allocates indirect labor cost to cost object based on direct labor hours. The allocation process implicitly assumes that indirect labor costs vary proportionally with direct labor hours. The assumption of a linear relationship between indirect and direct labor is particularly suspicious at low production volume levels because there tends to be a fixed component in indirect labor. The linearity assumption is also challenged by recent increasing complexity of indirect ...

Education Pays, 2010: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. Trends in Higher Education Series

Science.gov (United States)

Baum, Sandy; Ma, Jennifer; Payea, Kathleen

2010-01-01

Students who attend institutions of higher education obtain a wide range of personal, financial, and other lifelong benefits; likewise, taxpayers and society as a whole derive a multitude of direct and indirect benefits when citizens have access to postsecondary education. Accordingly, uneven rates of participation in higher education across…

Associations among Selected Motor Skills and Health-Related Fitness: Indirect Evidence for Seefeldt's Proficiency Barrier in Young Adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Stodden, David F.; True, Larissa K.; Langendorfer, Stephen J.; Gao, Zan

2013-01-01

Purpose: This exploratory study examined the notion of Seefeldt's (1980) hypothesized motor skill "proficiency barrier" related to composite levels of health-related physical fitness (HRF) in young adults. Method: A motor skill competence (MSC) index composed of maximum throwing and kicking speed and jumping distance in 187 young adults…

Emotional fit with culture: a predictor of individual differences in relational well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Mesquita, Batja; Kim, Heejung; Eom, Kimin; Choi, Hyewon

2014-04-01

There is increasing evidence for emotional fit in couples and groups, but also within cultures. In the current research, we investigated the consequences of emotional fit at the cultural level. Given that emotions reflect people's view on the world, and that shared views are associated with good social relationships, we expected that an individual's fit to the average cultural patterns of emotion would be associated with relational well-being. Using an implicit measure of cultural fit of emotions, we found across 3 different cultural contexts (United States, Belgium, and Korea) that (1) individuals' emotional fit is associated with their level of relational well-being, and that (2) the link between emotional fit and relational well-being is particularly strong when emotional fit is measured for situations pertaining to relationships (rather than for situations that are self-focused). Together, the current studies suggest that people may benefit from emotionally "fitting in" to their culture.

Lifecycle GHG emissions of palm biodiesel: Unintended market effects negate direct benefits of the Malaysian Economic Transformation Plan (ETP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul-Manan, Amir F.N.

2017-01-01

Biodiesel expansion can lead to unintended effects that offset the direct GHG benefits of biofuels. Two documented unintended effects are the indirect land use change (ILUC) and indirect energy use change (IEUC). ILUC has been included in many lifecycle GHG studies of biofuels, but IEUC has remained relatively elusive. This paper presents an updated assessment of the lifecycle GHG emissions of palm biodiesel from Malaysia and, for the first time, incorporating the two estimated indirect effects simultaneously. Future GHG emissions of palm biodiesel are projected by taking into account of Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) that aims to reform the oil palm industry in order to achieve a high-income nation. Uncertainties associated with lifecycle GHG models were dealt with using Monte Carlo simulation in order to identify the breadth and likelihood of GHG reductions relative to petroleum-based fuels in the context of the European directives. This study has shown that the ETP, if successfully implemented, can significantly improve the direct GHG emissions of palm biodiesel, but the benefits are offset by the rise in global emissions due to ILUC and IEUC. Biofuel policies should also include IEUC, in addition to ILUC, to avoid GHG emissions leakages. - Highlights: • Estimate current and future lifecycle GHG emissions of Malaysian palm biodiesel. • Evaluate the GHG effects of Malaysia's Economic Transformation Plan (ETP). • Direct GHG benefits of biodiesel offset by indirect market effects. • Palm biodiesel unlikely to enable global GHG emissions reductions. • Global biofuel policy must account for indirect effects.

Analysis of indirect taxation in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khodyakova Olga V.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of the article is analysis of the structure and dynamics of indirect taxes for the previous five years and also the influence of indirect taxation upon formation of income of the State Budget of Ukraine. The article analyses the modern state of indirect taxation in Ukraine. Specific weight of the value added tax, excise tax and customs duty are considered in the structure of tax receipts of the consolidated budget of Ukraine as indirect taxes. The article shows that receipts of the State Budget of Ukraine are mostly provided by indirect taxes. The Ukrainian taxation system is mostly a factor of reduction of the level of economic growth and investment activity in the country and the existing system of administering is not completely capable of excluding the possibility of tax evasion. The prospect of further studies in this direction is improvement of organisation of tax control in Ukraine and differentiation of the value added tax rates depending on the level of consumption of goods and level of income of consumers.

Relativistic four-component calculations of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings with efficient evaluation of the exchange-correlation response kernel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Křístková, Anežka; Malkin, Vladimir G. [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84536 Bratislava (Slovakia); Komorovsky, Stanislav; Repisky, Michal [Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø (Norway); Malkina, Olga L., E-mail: olga.malkin@savba.sk [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84536 Bratislava (Slovakia); Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Comenius University, Bratislava (Slovakia)

2015-03-21

In this work, we report on the development and implementation of a new scheme for efficient calculation of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings in the framework of four-component matrix Dirac-Kohn-Sham approach termed matrix Dirac-Kohn-Sham restricted magnetic balance resolution of identity for J and K, which takes advantage of the previous restricted magnetic balance formalism and the density fitting approach for the rapid evaluation of density functional theory exchange-correlation response kernels. The new approach is aimed to speedup the bottleneck in the solution of the coupled perturbed equations: evaluation of the matrix elements of the kernel of the exchange-correlation potential. The performance of the new scheme has been tested on a representative set of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings. The obtained results have been compared with the corresponding results of the reference method with traditional evaluation of the exchange-correlation kernel, i.e., without employing the fitted electron densities. Overall good agreement between both methods was observed, though the new approach tends to give values by about 4%-5% higher than the reference method. On the average, the solution of the coupled perturbed equations with the new scheme is about 8.5 times faster compared to the reference method.

Relativistic four-component calculations of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings with efficient evaluation of the exchange-correlation response kernel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Křístková, Anežka; Malkin, Vladimir G.; Komorovsky, Stanislav; Repisky, Michal; Malkina, Olga L.

2015-01-01

In this work, we report on the development and implementation of a new scheme for efficient calculation of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings in the framework of four-component matrix Dirac-Kohn-Sham approach termed matrix Dirac-Kohn-Sham restricted magnetic balance resolution of identity for J and K, which takes advantage of the previous restricted magnetic balance formalism and the density fitting approach for the rapid evaluation of density functional theory exchange-correlation response kernels. The new approach is aimed to speedup the bottleneck in the solution of the coupled perturbed equations: evaluation of the matrix elements of the kernel of the exchange-correlation potential. The performance of the new scheme has been tested on a representative set of indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings. The obtained results have been compared with the corresponding results of the reference method with traditional evaluation of the exchange-correlation kernel, i.e., without employing the fitted electron densities. Overall good agreement between both methods was observed, though the new approach tends to give values by about 4%-5% higher than the reference method. On the average, the solution of the coupled perturbed equations with the new scheme is about 8.5 times faster compared to the reference method

Sports medical app support the health and fitness of workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sietske van Berkel; Jaap Stomphorst; Hilco Prins; Marike Hettinga; Wasim Alsaqaf

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development and first version of an eHealth system for sports physicians who support employees in improving their health and fitness. Regular physical activity improves quality of life and has various health benefits. Companies have an interest in the health and

Physical fitness and anthropometric normative values among Colombian-Indian schoolchildren

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeison Alexander Ramos-Sepúlveda

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Substantial evidence indicates that children’s physical fitness levels are markers of their lifestyles and their cardio-metabolic health profile and are predictors of the future risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiometabolic disease, skeletal health and mental health. However, fitness reference values for ethnic children and adolescents have not been published in a Latin-American population. Therefore, the aim of the study was to provide sex- and age-specific physical fitness and anthropometric reference standards among Colombian-Indian schoolchildren. Methods A sample of 576 participants (319 boys and 257 girls aged 10 to 17 years old was assessed using the FUPRECOL test battery. Four components of physical fitness were measured: 1 morphological component: height, weight, body mass index (BMI, waist circumference (WC, triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, and body fat (%; 2 musculoskeletal component: handgrip and standing long jump test; 3 motor component: speed/agility test (4 × 10 m shuttle run; and 4 cardiorespiratory component: course-navette 20 m, shuttle run test and estimation of maximal oxygen consumption by VO2max indirect. Centile smoothed curves for the 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th percentiles were calculated using Cole’s LMS method. Results Our results show that weight, height and BMI in each age group were higher in boys than in girls. In each groups, age showed a significant effect for BMI and WC. Boys showed better than girls in cardiorespiratory fitness, lower- and upper-limb strength and speed/agility and girls performed better in low back flexibility. Conclusion Our results provide for the first time sex- and age-specific physical fitness and anthropometric reference values for Colombian Nasa Indian children and adolescents aged 10–17.9 years.

Indirect, out-of-pocket and medical costs from influenza-related illness in young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Sanchez, Ismael R; Molinari, Noelle-Angelique M; Fairbrother, Gerry; Szilagyi, Peter G; Edwards, Kathryn M; Griffin, Marie R; Cassedy, Amy; Poehling, Katherine A; Bridges, Carolyn; Staat, Mary Allen

2012-06-13

Studies have documented direct medical costs of influenza-related illness in young children, however little is known about the out-of-pocket and indirect costs (e.g., missed work time) incurred by caregivers of children with medically attended influenza. To determine the indirect, out-of-pocket (OOP), and direct medical costs of laboratory-confirmed medically attended influenza illness among young children. Using a population-based surveillance network, we evaluated a representative group of children aged accounting databases, and follow-up interviews with caregivers. Outcome measures included work time missed, OOP expenses (e.g., over-the-counter medicines, travel expenses), and direct medical costs. Costs were estimated (in 2009 US Dollars) and comparisons were made among children with and without high risk conditions for influenza-related complications. Data were obtained from 67 inpatients, 121 ED patients and 92 outpatients with laboratory-confirmed influenza. Caregivers of hospitalized children missed an average of 73 work hours (estimated cost $1456); caregivers of children seen in the ED and outpatient clinics missed 19 ($383) and 11 work hours ($222), respectively. Average OOP expenses were $178, $125 and $52 for inpatients, ED-patients and outpatients, respectively. OOP and indirect costs were similar between those with and without high risk conditions (p>0.10). Medical costs totaled $3990 for inpatients and $730 for ED-patients. Out-of-pocket and indirect costs of laboratory-confirmed and medically attended influenza in young children are substantial and support the benefits of vaccination. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The modern state and problems of training of fitness trainers in the USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasilenko M.N.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The analytical revue of system of professional fitness trainers' training in the USA is presented in the article. Analysis of 40 literature's sources is performed. The mechanisms of obtaining the profession "fitness trainers" ("personal trainers" in the USA are concretized. Investigated, that certification of competence is a necessary condition for a fitness trainers working, but the higher education (on the level of Bachelor's or Master's curriculum isn't needed. Found, that organizations and education institutes are engaged in the certification of fitness specialists. They quickly react to the emergence of new popular fitness technologies, operatively develop educational programs and offer them to the education market. There is a tendency to the emergence of specialized curriculum of Bachelor and Master in higher education. The benefits of the national American education system of future fitness trainers are singled.

Indirect Reciprocity under Incomplete Observation

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Masuda, Naoki

2011-01-01

Indirect reciprocity, in which individuals help others with a good reputation but not those with a bad reputation, is a mechanism for cooperation in social dilemma situations when individuals do not repeatedly interact with the same partners. In a relatively large society where indirect reciprocity is relevant, individuals may not know each other's reputation even indirectly. Previous studies investigated the situations where individuals playing the game have to determine the action possibly without knowing others' reputations. Nevertheless, the possibility that observers of the game, who generate the reputation of the interacting players, assign reputations without complete information about them has been neglected. Because an individual acts as an interacting player and as an observer on different occasions if indirect reciprocity is endogenously sustained in a society, the incompleteness of information may affect either role. We examine the game of indirect reciprocity when the reputations of players are not necessarily known to observers and to interacting players. We find that the trustful discriminator, which cooperates with good and unknown players and defects against bad players, realizes cooperative societies under seven social norms. Among the seven social norms, three of the four suspicious norms under which cooperation (defection) to unknown players leads to a good (bad) reputation enable cooperation down to a relatively small observation probability. In contrast, the three trustful norms under which both cooperation and defection to unknown players lead to a good reputation are relatively efficient. PMID:21829335

The influence of childhood aerobic fitness on learning and memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren B Raine

Full Text Available There is a growing trend of inactivity among children, which may not only result in poorer physical health, but also poorer cognitive health. Previous research has shown that lower fitness has been related to decreased cognitive function for tasks requiring perception, memory, and cognitive control as well as lower academic achievement.To investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness, learning, and memory on a task that involved remembering names and locations on a fictitious map. Different learning strategies and recall procedures were employed to better understand fitness effects on learning novel material.Forty-eight 9-10 year old children (n = 24 high fit; HF and n = 24 low fit; LF performed a task requiring them to learn the names of specific regions on a map, under two learning conditions in which they only studied (SO versus a condition in which they were tested during study (TS. The retention day occurred one day after initial learning and involved two different recall conditions: free recall and cued recall.There were no differences in performance at initial learning between higher fit and lower fit participants. However, during the retention session higher fit children outperformed lower fit children, particularly when the initial learning strategy involved relatively poor recall performance (i.e., study only versus test-study strategy.We interpret these novel data to suggest that fitness can boost learning and memory of children and that these fitness-associated performance benefits are largest in conditions in which initial learning is the most challenging. Such data have important implications for both educational practice and policy.

Lifetime number of mates interacts with female age to determine reproductive success in female guppies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan P Evans

Full Text Available In many species, mating with multiple males confers benefits to females, but these benefits may be offset by the direct and indirect costs associated with elevated mating frequency. Although mating frequency (number of mating events is often positively associated with the degree of multiple mating (actual number of males mated, most studies have experimentally separated these effects when exploring their implications for female fitness. In this paper I describe an alternative approach using the guppy Poecilia reticulata, a livebearing freshwater fish in which females benefit directly and indirectly from mating with multiple males via consensual matings but incur direct and indirect costs of mating as a consequence of male sexual harassment. In the present study, females were experimentally assigned different numbers of mates throughout their lives in order to explore how elevated mating frequency and multiple mating combine to influence lifetime reproductive success (LRS and survival (i.e. direct components of female fitness. Under this mating design, survival and LRS were not significantly affected by mating treatment, but there was a significant interaction between brood size and reproductive cycle (a correlate of female age because females assigned to the high mating treatment produced significantly fewer offspring later in life compared to their low-mating counterparts. This negative effect of mating treatment later in life may be important in these relatively long-lived fishes, and this effect may be further exacerbated by the known cross-generational fitness costs of sexual harassment in guppies.

Fitness in the Workplace: A Corporate Challenge. A Handbook on Employee Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Washington, DC.

This handbook on employee fitness program describes the benefits of developing physical recreation programs in the workplace. Descriptions are offered of various successful programs and their impact on employee health and job performance. (JD)

An Indirect Route for Ethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eggeman, T.; Verser, D.; Weber, E.

2005-04-29

The ZeaChem indirect method is a radically new approach to producing fuel ethanol from renewable resources. Sugar and syngas processing platforms are combined in a novel way that allows all fractions of biomass feedstocks (e.g. carbohydrates, lignins, etc.) to contribute their energy directly into the ethanol product via fermentation and hydrogen based chemical process technologies. The goals of this project were: (1) Collect engineering data necessary for scale-up of the indirect route for ethanol production, and (2) Produce process and economic models to guide the development effort. Both goals were successfully accomplished. The projected economics of the Base Case developed in this work are comparable to today's corn based ethanol technology. Sensitivity analysis shows that significant improvements in economics for the indirect route would result if a biomass feedstock rather that starch hydrolyzate were used as the carbohydrate source. The energy ratio, defined as the ratio of green energy produced divided by the amount of fossil energy consumed, is projected to be 3.11 to 12.32 for the indirect route depending upon the details of implementation. Conventional technology has an energy ratio of 1.34, thus the indirect route will have a significant environmental advantage over today's technology. Energy savings of 7.48 trillion Btu/yr will result when 100 MMgal/yr (neat) of ethanol capacity via the indirect route is placed on-line by the year 2010.

Fitness costs linked to dinitroaniline resistance mutation in Setaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmency, H; Picard, J C; Wang, T

2011-07-01

A mutant Thr-239-Ileu at the α2-tubulin gene was found to confer resistance to dinitroanilines, a family of mitosis-disrupting herbicides. However, mutations affecting microtubule polymerization and cell division are expected to impact growth and reproduction, that is, the fitness of a resistant weed or the yield of a tolerant crop, although it has not been demonstrated yet. This study was designed to test this hypothesis for the growth and reproduction of near-isogenic resistant and susceptible materials that were created in F(2) and F(3) generations after a Setaria viridis x S. italica cross. Differential growth was noticeable at the very onset of seedling growth. The homozygous resistant plants, grown both in a greenhouse cabinet and in the field, were smaller and had lower 1000-grain weight and therefore a lower yield. This fitness penalty is certainly due to modified cell division kinetics. Although the presence of the mutant allele accounted for 20% yield losses, there were also measurable benefits of dinitroaniline resistance, and these benefits are discussed.

Performance comparison of direct and indirect lighting systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubinstein, F.; Morse, O.; Clark, T.

1993-01-01

The performance of a retrofitted indirect lighting system was compared to the performance of a typical de-lamped direct lighting system in a partitioned office space. Power, illuminance and luminance measurements were made for the de-lamped direct lighting system and after installation of the indirect lighting system with various lamp and ballast combinations. Using the same lamps and ballasts, average workplace illuminance was slightly higher with indirect lighting than with direct lighting. With indirect lighting, workplace lumen efficacy was 4.5% lower due to the higher power draw of the lamps in the more open and cooler indirect fixtures. Indirect lighting with 36 watt T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts achieved an initial average workplace illuminance of 45 foot-candles in the partitioned office space at only 1.1 w/ft 2

Physical Fitness Measures Among Adolescents With High and Low Motor Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Þórdís Gísladóttir

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Physical fitness level is considered to yield substantial health benefits. Earlier studies have demonstrated poor physical fitness outcomes and reduced level of physical activity among adolescents. There have been very few studies on adolescents concerning motor competence and its possible relationship with physical fitness. This study’s aim was to compare physical fitness in adolescents aged 15 to 16 years with high (HMC and low motor competence (LMC. From an initial sample of 94 adolescents, a group of 18 were identified as having HMC or LMC on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2. Eight adolescents (3 girls and 5 boys comprised the LMC group, and 10 children (5 girls and 5 boys made up the HMC group. To measure physical fitness, four tasks were used: one endurance test, one power test, one speed test (Test of Physical Fitness and one flexibility test (EUROFIT. A one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences between the group with LMC and the HMC group in all tasks except the endurance task (Reduced Cooper Test. The findings suggest that physical fitness components are negatively associated with LMC. However, no significant difference between the two groups in the Reduced Cooper Test might indicate that adolescents with LMC can enhance their cardiovascular fitness despite their poor motor coordination.

Gyro Drift Correction for An Indirect Kalman Filter Based Sensor Fusion Driver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan-Gun Lee

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Sensor fusion techniques have made a significant contribution to the success of the recently emerging mobile applications era because a variety of mobile applications operate based on multi-sensing information from the surrounding environment, such as navigation systems, fitness trackers, interactive virtual reality games, etc. For these applications, the accuracy of sensing information plays an important role to improve the user experience (UX quality, especially with gyroscopes and accelerometers. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed a novel mechanism to resolve the gyro drift problem, which negatively affects the accuracy of orientation computations in the indirect Kalman filter based sensor fusion. Our mechanism focuses on addressing the issues of external feedback loops and non-gyro error elements contained in the state vectors of an indirect Kalman filter. Moreover, the mechanism is implemented in the device-driver layer, providing lower process latency and transparency capabilities for the upper applications. These advances are relevant to millions of legacy applications since utilizing our mechanism does not require the existing applications to be re-programmed. The experimental results show that the root mean square errors (RMSE before and after applying our mechanism are significantly reduced from 6.3 × 10−1 to 5.3 × 10−7, respectively.

Lessons learned from health and fitness prescription: a Malaysian experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalib A. Latiff

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Proportion of chronic diseases sufferers are increased by age. The usual control measures are therapeutic prescription and clinical counseling. However, its low compliance rate has interfered this effort. Therefore, community intervention can be a suitable prescriptive option to provide a long lasting effect. For that, a package of community intervention has been established in one sub-urban area in Malaysia to observe its acceptability, thus it can be acted as a social instrumentation to bring both biological and social benefits to this group of community. This study used quasi-experimental design on a cohort of elderly citizen aged 45 and above. Respondents are exposed to a mixed and planned prescribed fitness activity using participatory approach. Process involved in program implementation is closely observed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Community participation occurred in a positive and fast mode, with 78% being the elderly people aged above 45 years old. Initial observation revealed that about 47.6% suffering hypertension, while 38.4% hypercholesterolemia, 16.8% obese and 7.1% diabetes mellitus. Physically active members were moderate - about 31.0%. In term of process, participatory approach seems to be very effective to mobilize community towards health and fitness. A planned community fitness program is a form of social instrumentation to bring biological and social benefits to chronic diseases sufferers. It has also useful to promote favorable lifestyle and quality of life of this group of people. (Med J Indones 2007; 16:39-46 Keywords: community intervention, community participation, fitness program, disease burden

Measurement of preheat in aluminium target in indirect drive using the SGIII prototype facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, C; Zheng, J; Wang, Z B; Liu, H; Peng, X S; Wang, F; Ding, Y K

2016-01-01

The velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) is used to demonstrate preheat effect in aluminium in indirect drive. The rear surface motion prior to shock front was observed and compared with a multi-group calculation. By properly adjusting the hard x-ray portion of the radiation source, the calculated rear surface motion fits well with the experimental results, which gives us confidence to predict the preheated temperature of the sample by hard x-rays. Further, the effect of hohlraum geometry is compared and discussed experimentally. The result suggests gas-filled hohlraum or hohlraum with low Z substrates should be considered to further reduce preheating. (paper)

The indirect and direct pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on commencement in post-compulsory education in a historical cohort of Danish school youth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikkel Porsborg; Starkof, Liis; Sessa, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Background: Some studies have found positive associations between physical fitness and academic achievements. Pupils' academic achievements should indicate scholastic abilities to commence a post-compulsory education. However, the effect magnitude of physical fitness and academic achievements...... on commencement in post-compulsory education is unknown. We examined the pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on pupils' commencement in post-compulsory education. Methods: This historical cohort study followed 530 girls and 554 boys from the Danish municipality of Aalborg in the period 2008.......e., through academic achievement) OR of 1.37 (95% CI: 1.20; 1.57). Thus, 51% (95% CI: 27%; 122%) of the effect of physical fitness on post-compulsory education commencement was mediated through academic achievement. Conclusion: Physical fitness had a positive effect on post-compulsory education commencement...

Motor Competence Is Associated with Physical Fitness in Four- to Six-Year-Old Preschool Children

Science.gov (United States)

Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Haga, Monika

2016-01-01

The health benefits of a physical active lifestyle and physical fitness from a young age are widely recognized as beneficial. This study examined the relationship between physical fitness and motor competence in children aged four- to six-years-old. A sample of 42 children (mean age 5.15 years, SD 0.56 year) participated in the study. To assess…

Long-term adherence to exercise: the relationship with functional fitness and personal motivation among community-dwelling independent-living older women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philipe de Souto BarretoI

2011-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study were to examine the relationships between functional fitness, self-esteem, aesthetic body care and long-term adherence to dance, and to identify other characteristics related to dance adherence in the elderly. METHODS: Seventeen women, aged 59-86 years-old, who practised a type of dance labeled "bodily expression". RESULTS: Functional fitness was correlated to dance adherence and was the only factor related to this variable in a linear regression analysis. Self-esteem and aesthetic body care seemed to play an indirect role on adherence. Functional fitness, specially upper-body flexibility and lower-body muscular function, and interest in dance (qualitative data were related to long-term adherence to dance. CONCLUSIONS: Functional fitness and interest in exercising were the main aspects related to participants' long-term adherence to dance.

Direct and indirect co-benefits from energy-efficient residential buildings; Direkte und indirekte Zusatznutzen bei energieeffizienten Wohnbauten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ott, W.; Baur, M. [econcept AG, Zuerich (Switzerland); Jakob, M. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Centre for Energy Policy and Economics (CEPE), Zuerich (Switzerland)

2006-07-01

Co-benefits of energy efficiency investments such as increased comfort of living, reduced noise exposure, and improved indoor air quality are of considerable evidence. However in investment decisions these co-benefits are rarely taken into account. Using various economic estimation methods (discrete choice, hedonic regression, contingent valuation), this study identifies and quantifies in monetary terms the most important co-benefits of energy efficiency measures. The results show that regarding energy efficiency measures, comfort of living plays a major role and that inhabitants express a non-negligible willingness to pay for it. The willingness to pay is larger than the costs of the energy efficiency measures in most cases and for a large part of the population. To utilise this willingness to pay in the market place it is necessary to establish transparency regarding comfort-of-living aspects and to raise awareness about these aspects among all involved actors (inhabitants, investors, architects, planners, promoters, vendors) by adequate information and communication measures. In view of the high relevance and the noticed economic valuation of the qualitative co-benefits, energy efficiency measures have to be promoted with their related enhancements in terms of comfort of living. (author)

Ballistic fractures: indirect fracture to bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Paul J; Sherman, Don; Dau, Nathan; Bir, Cynthia

2011-11-01

Two mechanisms of injury, the temporary cavity and the sonic wave, have been proposed to produce indirect fractures as a projectile passes nearby in tissue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the temporal relationship of pressure waves using strain gauge technology and high-speed video to elucidate whether the sonic wave, the temporary cavity, or both are responsible for the formation of indirect fractures. Twenty-eight fresh frozen cadaveric diaphyseal tibia (2) and femurs (26) were implanted into ordnance gelatin blocks. Shots were fired using 9- and 5.56-mm bullets traversing through the gelatin only, passing close to the edge of the bone, but not touching, to produce an indirect fracture. High-speed video of the impact event was collected at 20,000 frames/s. Acquisition of the strain data were synchronized with the video at 20,000 Hz. The exact time of fracture was determined by analyzing and comparing the strain gauge output and video. Twenty-eight shots were fired, 2 with 9-mm bullets and 26 with 5.56-mm bullets. Eight indirect fractures that occurred were of a simple (oblique or wedge) pattern. Comparison of the average distance of the projectile from the bone was 9.68 mm (range, 3-20 mm) for fractured specimens and 15.15 mm (range, 7-28 mm) for nonfractured specimens (Student's t test, p = 0.036). In this study, indirect fractures were produced after passage of the projectile. Thus, the temporary cavity, not the sonic wave, was responsible for the indirect fractures.

Indirect effects in dual radiation action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaider, M.; Rossi, H.H.

1988-01-01

The basic aim in this paper is to establish the link between indirect effects of radiation action and the spatial distribution of radicals at the time of energy deposition as well as throughout subsequent diffusion and interaction. The fact that radicals diffuse for a finite distance before damaging a biomolecule has dramatic effects on their subsequent probability to result in lesions. Thus at very low DMSO concentrations, where p = 0.5, one expects - all other things being equal - some 75% of the lesions to result from indirect or semidirect lesions. The number calculated here is lower (15%), a direct result of the fact that such lesions involve proximity functions modulated by diffusion. At higher DMSO concentrations this percentage becomes progressively smaller, as expected. It appears thus that for low-LET radiation, the relative amount of indirect damage in single tracks (also termed intratrack or single events) action is very small. By contrast, intertrack (or two-event) contributions will have the ratio between direct and (indirect + semidirect) contributions given by p 2 /(1-p 2 ). The reason for this is that sublesions from different tracks are uniformly distributed throughout the cell nucleus; their probability of interaction should not depend on any previous diffusional processes. For the example given above (p = 0.5) they do expect 65% of intertrack (two-hit) lesions to have resulted from indirect or semidirect mechanisms. This contrast between the almost exclusively direct character of intratrack lesions and the dominant role of indirect action in intertrack lesions produced by low-LET radiation is an important conclusion of this study

Expression of future prospective in indirect speech

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodnaruk Elena Vladimirovna

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the characteristics and use of grammatical semantics and lexical and grammatical means used to create future prospects in double indirect discourse. The material for the study were epic works by contemporary German writers. In the analysis of the empirical material it has been pointed out that indirect discourse has preterial basis and is the kind of most frequent inner speech of characters. The most widely used form with future semantics in preterial indirect speech is conditional I, formally having a conjunctive basis, but is mostly used with the indicative semantics. Competitive to conditional I in indirect speech is preterial indicative. A characteristic feature of the indirect speech is the use of modal verbs, which, thanks to its semantics is usually referred as an action at a later term, creating the prospect of future statements. The most frequent were modal verbs wollen and sollen in the form of the preterite, more rare verbs were m ssen and k nnen. German indirect speech distinguishes the ability to use forms on the basis of conjunctive: preterite and plusquamperfect of conjunctive. Both forms express values similar to those of the indicative. However, conjunctive forms the basis of the data shown in a slightly more pronounced seme of uncertainty that accompanies future uses of these forms in indirect speech. In addition, plusquamperfect conjunctive differs from others by the presence of the seme of completeness.

Synchronization of indirectly coupled Lorenz oscillators

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Synchronization of indirectly coupled Lorenz oscillators: An experimental study. Amit Sharma Manish Dev Shrimali. Synchronization, Coupled Systems and Networks Volume 77 Issue 5 November 2011 pp 881-889 ... The in-phase and anti-phase synchronization of indirectly coupled chaotic oscillators reported in Phys. Rev ...

Indirect estimators in US federal programs

CERN Document Server

1996-01-01

In 1991, a subcommittee of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology met to document the use of indirect estimators - that is, estimators which use data drawn from a domain or time different from the domain or time for which an estimate is required. This volume comprises the eight reports which describe the use of indirect estimators and they are based on case studies from a variety of federal programs. As a result, many researchers will find this book provides a valuable survey of how indirect estimators are used in practice and which addresses some of the pitfalls of these methods.

Comment 1 on workshop in economics - a note on benefit-cost analysis and the distribution of benefits: The greenhouse effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, K.G.

1992-01-01

The application of benefit-cost analysis to environmental problems in general, and to global warming as demonstrated by Kosobud in particular, is a very useful tool. Depending upon the limitations of the relevant data available benefit-cost analysis can offer information to society about how to improve its condition. However, beyond the criticism of its estimate of the Pareto optimal point benefit-cost analysis suffers from a fundamental weakness: It cannot speak to the distribution of the net benefits of implementation of an international greenhouse policy. Within an individual country, debate on a particular policy intervention can effectively separate the issues of achieving a potential Pareto optimum and distributing the benefits necessary to actually accomplish Pareto optimality. This situation occurs because (theoretically, anyway) these decisions are made in the presence of a binding enforcement regime that can redistribute benefits as seen fit. A policy can then be introduced in the manner that achieves the best overall net benefits, and the allocation of these benefits can be treated as a stand-alone problem

THE INDIRECT OBJECT (IO) – ALBANIAN AND ENGLISH

OpenAIRE

Shkelqim Millaku; Xhevahire Topanica

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is too corporate the function of the indirect object between Albanian and English language. The function and the Albanian typical case for indirect object are dative and ablative. This grammatical phenomena is the full contrast between two languages because in English language doesn’t exist dative and ablative us in Albanian. In Albanian and English language, the indirect object is more heterogenic than the direct object. The indirect (direct) object in both of languages...

Adequacy of benefits, distributive justice and individual attitudes and behaviors: A case of public community colleges staff Adequacy of benefits, distributive justice and individual attitudes and behaviors: A case of public community colleges staff

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Cheekiong

2008-10-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to examine the indirect effect of distributive justice in the relationship between adequacy of benefits and individual attitudes and behaviors (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment using 190 usable questionnaires gathered from employees in Malaysian public community colleges (MPCOLLEGE sector. The outcome of stepwise regression analysis showed that the inclusion of distributive justice in the analysis had increased the effect of adequacy of benefits on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Furthermore, this finding confirms that distributive justice does act as a full mediating variable in the benefits program model of the organizational sector sample. In addition, implications and limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research are discussed.This study was conducted to examine the indirect effect of distributive justice in the relationship between adequacy of benefits and individual attitudes and behaviors (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment using 190 usable questionnaires gathered from employees in Malaysian public community colleges (MPCOLLEGE sector. The outcome of stepwise regression analysis showed that the inclusion of distributive justice in the analysis had increased the effect of adequacy of benefits on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Furthermore, this finding confirms that distributive justice does act as a full mediating variable in the benefits program model of the organizational sector sample. In addition, implications and limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research are discussed.

The ‘strength of weak ties’ among female baboons : fitness-related benefits of social bonds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McFarland, Richard; Murphy, Derek; Lusseau, David; Henzi, S. Peter; Parker, Jessica L.; Pollet, Thomas V.; Barrett, Louise

2017-01-01

Studies across a range of species have shown that sociability has positive fitness consequences. Among baboons, both increased infant survival and adult longevity have been associated with the maintenance of strong, equitable and durable social bonds. However, not all baboon populations show these

Exogenous indirect photoinactivation of bacterial pathogens and indicators in water with natural and synthetic photosensitizers in simulated sunlight with reduced UVB.

Science.gov (United States)

Maraccini, P A; Wenk, J; Boehm, A B

2016-08-01

To investigate the UVB-independent and exogenous indirect photoinactivation of eight human health-relevant bacterial species in the presence of photosensitizers. Eight bacterial species were exposed to simulated sunlight with greatly reduced UVB light intensity in the presence of three synthetic photosensitizers and two natural photosensitizers. Inactivation curves were fit with shoulder log-linear or first-order kinetic models, from which the presence of a shoulder and magnitude of inactivation rate constants were compared. Eighty-four percent reduction in the UVB light intensity roughly matched a 72-95% reduction in the overall bacterial photoinactivation rate constants in sensitizer-free water. With the UVB light mostly reduced, the exogenous indirect mechanism contribution was evident for most bacteria and photosensitizers tested, although most prominently with the Gram-positive bacteria. Results confirm the importance of UVB light in bacterial photoinactivation and, with the reduction of the UVB light intensity, that the Gram-positive bacteria are more vulnerable to the exogenous indirect mechanism than Gram-negative bacteria. UVB is the most important range of the sunlight spectrum for bacterial photoinactivation. In aquatic environments where photosensitizers are present and there is high UVB light attenuation, UVA and visible wavelengths can contribute to exogenous indirect photoinactivation. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Long-term effects of physically active academic lessons on physical fitness and executive functions in primary school children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Greeff, Johannes W; Hartman, Esther; Wijnsma, Marijke; Bosker, Roelof J; Doolaard, Simone; Visscher, Christiaan

Integrating physical activity into the curriculum has potential health and cognitive benefits in primary school children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physically active academic lessons on cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness and executive functions. In the current

NUTRITION AND FITNESS: CULTURAL, GENETIC AND METABOLIC ASPECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artemis P. Simopoulos

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Selected Proceedings of the International Congress and Exhibition on Nutrition, Fitness and Health, Shanghai, November 30 to December 2, 2006 The book presents selected papers from the International Congress and Exhibition on Nutrition, Fitness and Health held in Shanghai, China from November 30 to December 2, 2006. PURPOSE This volume is designed to update interested parties on the nutrition and fitness issues from the cultural, genetic and metabolic point of views. FEATURES The book starts with a keynote presentation on nutrition, fitness and the concept of positive health from ancient times to the present. Subsequently papers focusing on the role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in health and disease follow. Other topics addressed are non-conventional genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease; the impact of the APO E genotype on health, nutrition and fitness; nutrition in the prevention of chronic disease; and, the connection between exercise and obesity. The formation is concluded by the papers on nutritional risk factors for gastrointestinal cancers, Mediterranean diets as a global resource in health and disease, and the role of politics and politicians on the relevant issues. AUDIENCE Obviously; dieticians, nutritionists, geneticists and exercise physiologists will be interested in these proceedings since the book covers broadly their field. Then again; health care providers, historians, general practitioners and scientists in industry and government might benefit as well. ASSESSMENT It is safe to say that this volume represent a helpful source for anybody who is involved with Nutrition, Fitness and Health in one way or another

Indirect Medical Education and Disproportionate Share Adj...

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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Indirect Medical Education and Disproportionate Share Adjustments to Medicare Inpatient Payment Rates The indirect medical education (IME) and disproportionate share...

Indirect Comorbidity in Childhood and Adolescence

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William eCopeland

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: Comorbidity between psychiatric disorders is common, but pairwise associations between two disorders may be explained by the presence of other diagnoses that are associated with both disorders or indirect comorbidity. Method: Comorbidities of common childhood psychiatric disorders were tested in three community samples of children ages 6 to 17 (8931 observations of 2965 subjects. Psychiatric disorder status in all three samples was assessed with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment. Indirect comorbidity was defined as A-B associations that decreased from significance to nonsignificance after adjusting for other disorders. Results: All tested childhood psychiatric disorders were positively associated in bivariate analyses. After adjusting for comorbidities, many ssociations involving a behavioral disorder and an emotional disorder were attenuated suggesting indirect comorbidity. Generalized anxiety and depressive disorders displayed a very high level of overlap (adjusted OR=37.9. All analyses were rerun with depressive disorders grouped with generalized anxiety disorder in a single distress disorders category. In these revised models, all associations between and emotional disorder and a behavior disorder met our criteria for indirect comorbidity except for the association of oppositional defiant disorder with distress disorders (OR=11.3. Follow-up analyses suggested that the indirect associations were primarily accounted for by oppositional defiant disorder and the distress disorder category. There was little evidence of either sex differences or differences by developmental period Conclusions: After accounting for the overlap between depressive disorders with generalized anxiety disorder, direct comorbidity between emotional and behavioral disorders was uncommon. When there was evidence of indirect comorbidity, ODD and distress disorders were the key intermediary diagnoses accounting for the apparent associations.

Influence of fitness and physical activity on cardiovascular reactivity to musical performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasley, David; Taylor, Adrian; Backx, Karianne; Williamon, Aaron

2012-01-01

The current study examines the relationships between physical activity and fitness and reactivity to a musical performance stressor (MPS). Numerous studies suggest that being fitter and more physically active has a beneficial effect on individuals' cardiovascular responses to laboratory-based mental challenges. The results are equivocal regarding the transfer of such benefits to real world contexts such as musical performance. Forty six advanced music students completed this assessment. All participants completed a 20-min pre-performance assessment of heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV) and blood pressure. Participants also completed baseline measures and a sub-maximal fitness assessment on a separate day. A positive association between fitness and HR pre-MPS was found. Fitness was also positively associated with root mean square SD RR(interval) before the MPS. Higher fitness was related to lower state anxiety post-MPS. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to classical musicians' day-to-day work and performance.

Induced prismatic effects due to poorly fitting spectacle frames

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. R. Moodley

2011-12-01

toms were reported by 50% of subjects experiencing base-out, 0% base-in and 47% vertical induced prismatic effects.  However, no correlation existed between those subjects experiencing induced prism and symptoms reported.  Prism adaptation may account for some participants being asymptomatic.  Sixty three percent of subjects were not aware of the importance of properly fitted spectacle frames.  Proper optical dispensing with associated patient education is necessary to achieve optimal optical benefits of spectacles and careful attention should be given to this aspect by practitioners.  It is recommended that patients return periodically to their optometrists to have the frame alignment assessed and the fit modified if necessary. (S Afr Optom 2011 70(4 168-174

Forecasting of indirect consumables for a Job Shop

Science.gov (United States)

Shakeel, M.; Khan, S.; Khan, W. A.

2016-08-01

A job shop has an arrangement where similar machines (Direct consumables) are grouped together and use indirect consumables to produce a product. The indirect consumables include hack saw blades, emery paper, painting brush etc. The job shop is serving various orders at a particular time for the optimal operation of job shop. Forecasting is required to predict the demand of direct and indirect consumables in a job shop. Forecasting is also needed to manage lead time, optimize inventory cost and stock outs. The objective of this research is to obtain the forecast for indirect consumables. The paper shows how job shop can manage their indirect consumables more accurately by establishing a new technique of forecasting. This results in profitable use of job shop by multiple users.

Mapping the fitness landscape of gene expression uncovers the cause of antagonism and sign epistasis between adaptive mutations.

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Hsin-Hung Chou

2014-02-01

Full Text Available How do adapting populations navigate the tensions between the costs of gene expression and the benefits of gene products to optimize the levels of many genes at once? Here we combined independently-arising beneficial mutations that altered enzyme levels in the central metabolism of Methylobacterium extorquens to uncover the fitness landscape defined by gene expression levels. We found strong antagonism and sign epistasis between these beneficial mutations. Mutations with the largest individual benefit interacted the most antagonistically with other mutations, a trend we also uncovered through analyses of datasets from other model systems. However, these beneficial mutations interacted multiplicatively (i.e., no epistasis at the level of enzyme expression. By generating a model that predicts fitness from enzyme levels we could explain the observed sign epistasis as a result of overshooting the optimum defined by a balance between enzyme catalysis benefits and fitness costs. Knowledge of the phenotypic landscape also illuminated that, although the fitness peak was phenotypically far from the ancestral state, it was not genetically distant. Single beneficial mutations jumped straight toward the global optimum rather than being constrained to change the expression phenotypes in the correlated fashion expected by the genetic architecture. Given that adaptation in nature often results from optimizing gene expression, these conclusions can be widely applicable to other organisms and selective conditions. Poor interactions between individually beneficial alleles affecting gene expression may thus compromise the benefit of sex during adaptation and promote genetic differentiation.

Differences in Foliage Affect Performance of the Lappet Moth, Streblote panda: Implications for Species Fitness

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, D.; Molina, J.M.

2010-01-01

Implications for adults' fitness through the foliage effects of five different host plants on larval survival and performance of the lappet moth, Streblote panda Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), as well as their effect on species fitness were assayed. Larvae were reared under controlled laboratory conditions on excised foliage. Long-term developmental experiments were done using first instar larvae to adult emergence, and performance experiments were done using fifth instar larvae. Survival, development rates, and food use were measured. Foliar traits analysis indicated that leaves of different host plants varied, significantly affecting larvae performance and adult fitness. Pistacia lentiscus L. (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), Arbutus unedo L. (Ericales: Ericaceae), and Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss. (Fabales: Fabaceae) were the most suitable hosts. Larvae fed on Tamarix gallica L. (Caryophyllales: Tamaricaceae) and Spartium junceum L. (Fabales: Fabaceae) showed the lowest survival, rates of development and pupal and adult weight. In general, S. panda showed a relatively high capacity to buffer low food quality, by reducing developmental rates and larvae development thereby reaching the minimum pupal weight that ensures adult survival. Less suitable plants seem to have indirect effects on adult fitness, producing smaller adults that could disperse to other habitats. PMID:21062148

Influence of cornicle droplet secretions of the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae, on parasitism behavior of naïve and experienced Diaeretiella rapae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moayeri, Hamid R. S.; Rasekh, Arash; Enkegaard, Annie

2014-01-01

Insects have evolved amazing methods of defense to ward off enemies. Many aphids release cornicle secretions when attacked by predators and parasitoids. These secretions contain an alarm pheromone that alerts other colony members of danger, thereby providing indirect fitness benefits to the relea...

III. The importance of physical activity and aerobic fitness for cognitive control and memory in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaddock-Heyman, Laura; Hillman, Charles H; Cohen, Neal J; Kramer, Arthur F

2014-12-01

In this chapter, we review literature that examines the association among physical activity, aerobic fitness, cognition, and the brain in elementary school children (ages 7-10 years). Specifically, physical activity and higher levels of aerobic fitness in children have been found to benefit brain structure, brain function, cognition, and school achievement. For example, higher fit children have larger brain volumes in the basal ganglia and hippocampus, which relate to superior performance on tasks of cognitive control and memory, respectively, when compared to their lower fit peers. Higher fit children also show superior brain function during tasks of cognitive control, better scores on tests of academic achievement, and higher performance on a real-world street crossing task, compared to lower fit and less active children. The cross-sectional findings are strengthened by a few randomized, controlled trials, which demonstrate that children randomly assigned to a physical activity intervention group show greater brain and cognitive benefits compared to a control group. Because these findings suggest that the developing brain is plastic and sensitive to lifestyle factors, we also discuss typical structural and functional brain maturation in children to provide context in which to interpret the effects of physical activity and aerobic fitness on the developing brain. This research is important because children are becoming increasingly sedentary, physically inactive, and unfit. An important goal of this review is to emphasize the importance of physical activity and aerobic fitness for the cognitive and brain health of today's youth. © 2014 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Fitting PAC spectra with stochastic models: PolyPacFit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zacate, M. O., E-mail: zacatem1@nku.edu [Northern Kentucky University, Department of Physics and Geology (United States); Evenson, W. E. [Utah Valley University, College of Science and Health (United States); Newhouse, R.; Collins, G. S. [Washington State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy (United States)

2010-04-15

PolyPacFit is an advanced fitting program for time-differential perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. It incorporates stochastic models and provides robust options for customization of fits. Notable features of the program include platform independence and support for (1) fits to stochastic models of hyperfine interactions, (2) user-defined constraints among model parameters, (3) fits to multiple spectra simultaneously, and (4) any spin nuclear probe.

Predation-related costs and benefits of conspecific attraction in songbirds--an agent-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Szymkowiak, Jakub; Kuczyński, Lechosław

2015-01-01

Songbirds that follow a conspecific attraction strategy in the habitat selection process prefer to settle in habitat patches already occupied by other individuals. This largely affects the patterns of their spatio-temporal distribution and leads to clustered breeding. Although making informed settlement decisions is expected to be beneficial for individuals, such territory clusters may potentially provide additional fitness benefits (e.g., through the dilution effect) or costs (e.g., possibly facilitating nest localization if predators respond functionally to prey distribution). Thus, we hypothesized that the fitness consequences of following a conspecific attraction strategy may largely depend on the composition of the predator community. We developed an agent-based model in which we simulated the settling behavior of birds that use a conspecific attraction strategy and breed in a multi-predator landscape with predators that exhibited different foraging strategies. Moreover, we investigated whether Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions according to the perceived predation risk may improve the fitness of birds that rely on conspecific cues. Our results provide evidence that the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction are predation-related. We found that in landscapes dominated by predators able to respond functionally to prey distribution, clustered breeding led to fitness costs. However, this cost could be reduced if birds performed Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions and perceived nesting with too many neighbors as a threat. Our results did not support the hypothesis that in landscapes dominated by incidental predators, clustered breeding as a byproduct of conspecific attraction provides fitness benefits through the dilution effect. We suggest that this may be due to the spatial scale of songbirds' aggregative behavior. In general, we provide evidence that when considering the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction for

Predation-Related Costs and Benefits of Conspecific Attraction in Songbirds—An Agent-Based Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Szymkowiak, Jakub; Kuczyński, Lechosław

2015-01-01

Songbirds that follow a conspecific attraction strategy in the habitat selection process prefer to settle in habitat patches already occupied by other individuals. This largely affects the patterns of their spatio-temporal distribution and leads to clustered breeding. Although making informed settlement decisions is expected to be beneficial for individuals, such territory clusters may potentially provide additional fitness benefits (e.g., through the dilution effect) or costs (e.g., possibly facilitating nest localization if predators respond functionally to prey distribution). Thus, we hypothesized that the fitness consequences of following a conspecific attraction strategy may largely depend on the composition of the predator community. We developed an agent-based model in which we simulated the settling behavior of birds that use a conspecific attraction strategy and breed in a multi-predator landscape with predators that exhibited different foraging strategies. Moreover, we investigated whether Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions according to the perceived predation risk may improve the fitness of birds that rely on conspecific cues. Our results provide evidence that the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction are predation-related. We found that in landscapes dominated by predators able to respond functionally to prey distribution, clustered breeding led to fitness costs. However, this cost could be reduced if birds performed Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions and perceived nesting with too many neighbors as a threat. Our results did not support the hypothesis that in landscapes dominated by incidental predators, clustered breeding as a byproduct of conspecific attraction provides fitness benefits through the dilution effect. We suggest that this may be due to the spatial scale of songbirds’ aggregative behavior. In general, we provide evidence that when considering the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction for

Predation-related costs and benefits of conspecific attraction in songbirds--an agent-based approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakub Szymkowiak

Full Text Available Songbirds that follow a conspecific attraction strategy in the habitat selection process prefer to settle in habitat patches already occupied by other individuals. This largely affects the patterns of their spatio-temporal distribution and leads to clustered breeding. Although making informed settlement decisions is expected to be beneficial for individuals, such territory clusters may potentially provide additional fitness benefits (e.g., through the dilution effect or costs (e.g., possibly facilitating nest localization if predators respond functionally to prey distribution. Thus, we hypothesized that the fitness consequences of following a conspecific attraction strategy may largely depend on the composition of the predator community. We developed an agent-based model in which we simulated the settling behavior of birds that use a conspecific attraction strategy and breed in a multi-predator landscape with predators that exhibited different foraging strategies. Moreover, we investigated whether Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions according to the perceived predation risk may improve the fitness of birds that rely on conspecific cues. Our results provide evidence that the fitness consequences of conspecific attraction are predation-related. We found that in landscapes dominated by predators able to respond functionally to prey distribution, clustered breeding led to fitness costs. However, this cost could be reduced if birds performed Bayesian updating of prior settlement decisions and perceived nesting with too many neighbors as a threat. Our results did not support the hypothesis that in landscapes dominated by incidental predators, clustered breeding as a byproduct of conspecific attraction provides fitness benefits through the dilution effect. We suggest that this may be due to the spatial scale of songbirds' aggregative behavior. In general, we provide evidence that when considering the fitness consequences of conspecific

Motor competence and health related physical fitness in youth: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattuzzo, Maria Teresa; Dos Santos Henrique, Rafael; Ré, Alessandro Hervaldo Nicolai; de Oliveira, Ilana Santos; Melo, Bruno Machado; de Sousa Moura, Mariana; de Araújo, Rodrigo Cappato; Stodden, David

2016-02-01

This study aimed to review the scientific evidence on associations between motor competence (MC) and components of health related physical fitness (HRPF), in children and adolescents. Systematic review. Systematic search of Academic Search Premier, ERIC, PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, SportDiscus, and Web of Science databases was undertaken between October 2012 and December 2013. Studies examining associations between MC and HRPF components (body weight status, cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal fitness and flexibility) in healthy children and adolescents, published between 1990 and 2013, were included. Risk of bias within studies was assessed using CONSORT and STROBE guidelines. The origin, design, sample, measure of MC, measure of the HRPF, main results and statistics of the studies were analyzed and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Forty-four studies matched all criteria; 16 were classified as low risk of bias and 28 as medium risk. There is strong scientific evidence supporting an inverse association between MC and body weight status (27 out of 33 studies) and a positive association between MC and cardiorespiratory fitness (12 out of 12 studies) and musculoskeletal fitness (7 out of 11 studies). The relationship between MC and flexibility was uncertain. Considering the noted associations between various assessments of MC and with multiple aspects of HRPF, the development of MC in childhood may both directly and indirectly augment HRPF and may serve to enhance the development of long-term health outcomes in children and adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Efficacy of Daratumumab Monotherapy and Pomalidomide Plus Low-Dose Dexamethasone in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma: A Matching Adjusted Indirect Comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Sanden, Suzy; Ito, Tetsuro; Diels, Joris; Vogel, Martin; Belch, Andrew; Oriol, Albert

2018-03-01

Daratumumab (a human CD38-directed monoclonal antibody) and pomalidomide (an immunomodulatory drug) plus dexamethasone are both relatively new treatment options for patients with heavily pretreated multiple myeloma. A matching adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was used to compare absolute treatment effects of daratumumab versus pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone (LoDex; 40 mg) on overall survival (OS), while adjusting for differences between the trial populations. The MAIC method reduces the risk of bias associated with naïve indirect comparisons. Data from 148 patients receiving daratumumab (16 mg/kg), pooled from the GEN501 and SIRIUS studies, were compared separately with data from patients receiving pomalidomide + LoDex in the MM-003 and STRATUS studies. The MAIC-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for OS of daratumumab versus pomalidomide + LoDex was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.83; p  = .0041) for MM-003 and 0.51 (95% CI, 0.37-0.69; p  < .0001) for STRATUS. The treatment benefit was even more pronounced when the daratumumab population was restricted to pomalidomide-naïve patients (MM-003: HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.17-0.66; p  = .0017; STRATUS: HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.21-0.79; p  = .0082). An additional analysis indicated a consistent trend of the OS benefit across subgroups based on M-protein level reduction (≥50%, ≥25%, and <25%). The MAIC results suggest that daratumumab improves OS compared with pomalidomide + LoDex in patients with heavily pretreated multiple myeloma. This matching adjusted indirect comparison of clinical trial data from four studies analyzes the survival outcomes of patients with heavily pretreated, relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who received either daratumumab monotherapy or pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone. Using this method, daratumumab conferred a significant overall survival benefit compared with pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone. In the absence of head-to-head trials, these

Sexy sons from re-mating do not recoup the direct costs of harmful male interactions in the Drosophila melanogaster laboratory model system.

Science.gov (United States)

Orteiza, N; Linder, J E; Rice, W R

2005-09-01

The empirical foundation for sexual conflict theory is the data from many different taxa demonstrating that females are harmed while interacting with males. However, the interpretation of this keystone evidence has been challenged because females may more than counterbalance the direct costs of interacting with males by the indirect benefits of obtaining higher quality genes for their offspring. A quantification of this trade-off is critical to resolve the controversy and is presented here. A multi-generation fitness assay in the Drosophila melanogaster laboratory model system was used to quantify both the direct costs to females due to interactions with males and indirect benefits via sexy sons. We specifically focus on the interactions that occur between males and nonvirgin females. In the laboratory environment of our base population, females mate soon after eclosion and store sufficient sperm for their entire lifetime, yet males persistently court these nonvirgin females and frequently succeed in re-mating them. Females may benefit from these interactions despite direct costs to their lifetime fecundity if re-mating allows them to trade-up to mates of higher genetic quality and thereby secure indirect benefits for their offspring. We found that direct costs of interactions between males and nonvirgin females substantially exceeded indirect benefits through sexy sons. These data, in combination with past studies of the good genes route of indirect benefits, demonstrate that inter-sexual interactions drive sexually antagonistic co-evolution in this model system.

Daily physical activity related to aerobic fitness and body fat in an urban sample of children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dencker, M; Thorsson, O; Karlsson, M K

2008-01-01

This study evaluates associations between objectively measured daily physical activity vs aerobic fitness and body fat in children aged 8-11 years. A cross-sectional study of 225 children aged 7.9-11.1 years was performed. Abdominal fat mass (AFM) and total body fat (TBF) were quantified by dual......-energy x-ray absorptiometry. TBF was calculated as percentage of total body mass (BF%). Body fat distribution was calculated as AFM/TBF. Aerobic fitness was measured by indirect calorimetry during a maximal cycle ergometer exercise test. Daily physical activity was assessed by accelerometers for 4 days...... and daily accumulation of moderate-to-vigorous and vigorous activity was calculated. Significant relationships (Pfitness (r=0.38), whereas moderate-to-vigorous activity displayed weaker relationships...

Direct and indirect punishment among strangers in the field.

Science.gov (United States)

Balafoutas, Loukas; Nikiforakis, Nikos; Rockenbach, Bettina

2014-11-11

Many interactions in modern human societies are among strangers. Explaining cooperation in such interactions is challenging. The two most prominent explanations critically depend on individuals' willingness to punish defectors: In models of direct punishment, individuals punish antisocial behavior at a personal cost, whereas in models of indirect reciprocity, they punish indirectly by withholding rewards. We investigate these competing explanations in a field experiment with real-life interactions among strangers. We find clear evidence of both direct and indirect punishment. Direct punishment is not rewarded by strangers and, in line with models of indirect reciprocity, is crowded out by indirect punishment opportunities. The existence of direct and indirect punishment in daily life indicates the importance of both means for understanding the evolution of cooperation.

Exploring the relations among physical fitness, executive functioning, and low academic achievement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Bruijn, A.G.M.; Hartman, E.; Kostons, D.; Visscher, C.; Bosker, R.J.

Physical fitness seems to be related to academic performance, at least when taking the role of executive functioning into account. This assumption is highly relevant for the vulnerable population of low academic achievers because their academic performance might benefit from enhanced physical

Jordanian dialysis patients' perceived exercise benefits and barriers: a correlation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Darawad, Muhammad W; Khalil, Amani A

2013-01-01

To investigate Jordanian end-stage renal disease (ESRD)patients' perceived exercise benefits and barriers, and their correlation with patients' demographic variables and dialysis measures. A descriptive correlational study was conducted using cross-sectional survey, using a convenience sample of 190 ESRD dialyzed patients who were recruited from eight hospitals in Jordan. Participants significantly perceived exercise benefits (M= 2.88/4, SD± .67) higher than barriers (M= 2.66, SD± .62). The most frequent perceived exercise benefits were preventing muscular atrophy and improving mood, whereas tiredness and lower-extremity fatigue were the most frequent exercise barriers. Finally, acceptable values of Cronbach's Alpha were revealed for perceived exercise subscale, barriers subscale, and total scale (α= .88, .81, and .70, respectively). Participants focused more on exercise benefits than barriers, and on direct exercise benefits and barriers than the indirect. The results of this study have important implications for the efforts that aim at improving ESRD patients' exercise behaviors. © 2013 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

JUSTIFICATION FOR INDIRECT DISCRIMINATION IN EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălina-Adriana Ivănuş

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The right to non-discrimination is very important for a civilized society. EU legislation establishes direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, instruction to discriminate and any less favourable treatment of a woman related to pregnancy or maternity leave as forms of discrimination. The law and the Court of Justice permit the justification of indirect discrimination.

JUSTIFICATION FOR INDIRECT DISCRIMINATION IN EU

OpenAIRE

Cătălina-Adriana Ivănuş

2014-01-01

The right to non-discrimination is very important for a civilized society. EU legislation establishes direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, instruction to discriminate and any less favourable treatment of a woman related to pregnancy or maternity leave as forms of discrimination. The law and the Court of Justice permit the justification of indirect discrimination.

Dancer Perceptions of the Cognitive, Social, Emotional, and Physical Benefits of Modern Styles of Partnered Dancing

Science.gov (United States)

Lakes, Kimberley D.; Marvin, Shesha; Rowley, Jessica; Nicolas, Malia San; Arastoo, Sara; Viray, Leo; Orozco, Amanda; Jurnak, Fran

2016-01-01

Objective To study dancers’ perceptions of the physical, cognitive, affective, and social benefits of partnered dancing. Method 225 dancers (71% female) were recruited through a community ballroom dance center and completed an online survey designed to measure their perceptions of the physical, cognitive, affective, and social benefits of modern, partnered dance styles (swing, Lindy Hop, and ballroom dancing). Subgroups were formed for analyses. For one set of analyses, groups based on length of dance participation were formed: experienced (dancing for more than 2 years) or novice (dancing for less than a year) dancers. For another set of analyses, groups based on frequency of dance practice were formed: committed (dancing at least one or more times per week) or occasional (dancing two or fewer times per month). Results The majority of participants reported perceived benefits in physical fitness, cognition, affect, and social functioning. Experienced dancers reported significantly greater self-perceived physical, social, and cognitive benefits than novice dancers. Committed dancers were more likely than occasional dancers to report improvements in physical fitness, U = 6,942, z = 2.38, r = .16, p dance participation significantly predicted perceived physical benefits [X2 (1,6) = 35.463, p dance styles is associated with perceived improvements in physical fitness, cognitive functioning, social functioning, mood, and self-confidence, and that perceived benefits may increase as individuals dance more frequently and over longer periods of time. PMID:27261991

Indirect vs Direct Voice Therapy for Children With Vocal Nodules: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartnick, Christopher; Ballif, Catherine; De Guzman, Vanessa; Sataloff, Robert; Campisi, Paolo; Kerschner, Joseph; Shembel, Adrianna; Reda, Domenic; Shi, Helen; Sheryka Zacny, Elinore; Bunting, Glenn

2018-02-01

Benign vocal fold nodules affect 12% to 22% of the pediatric population, and 95% of otolaryngologists recommend voice therapy as treatment. However, no randomized clinical trials that we are aware of have shown its benefits. To determine the impact of voice therapy in children with vocal fold nodules according to pretherapy and posttherapy scores on the Pediatric Voice-Related Quality of Life (PVRQOL) survey; secondary objectives included changes in phonatory parameters. For this multicenter randomized clinical trial, 114 children ages 6 to 10 years with vocal fold nodules, PVRQOL scores less than 87.5, and dysphonia for longer than 12 weeks were recruited from outpatient voice and speech clinics. This age range was identified because these patients have not experienced pubertal changes of the larynx, tolerate stroboscopy, and cooperate with voice therapy. Participants were blinded to treatment arm. Participants received either indirect or direct therapy for 8 to 12 weeks. Indirect therapy focused on education and discussion of voice principles, while direct treatment used the stimulus, response, antecedent paradigm. The primary outcome measure was PVRQOL score change before and after treatment. Secondary phonatory measures were also compared. Overall, 114 children were recruited for study (mean [SD] age, 8 [1.4] years; 83 males [73%]); with 57 randomized to receive either indirect or direct therapy. Both direct and indirect therapy approaches showed significant differences in PVRQOL scores pretherapy to posttherapy. The mean increase in PVRQOL score for direct therapy was 19.2, and 14.7 for indirect therapy (difference, 4.5; 95.3% CI, -10.8 to 19.8). Of 44 participants in the direct therapy group, 27 (61%) achieved a clinically meaningful PVRQOL improvement, compared with 26 of 49 (53%) for indirect therapy (difference, 8%; 95% CI, -12 to 28). Post hoc stratification showed robust effects in the direct therapy group for older children (Cohen d = 0.50) and the

Do soccer and Zumba exercise improve fitness and indicators of health among female hospital employees?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barene, S; Krustrup, Peter; Jackman, S R

2014-01-01

This randomized controlled study investigated the effectiveness of soccer and Zumba on fitness and health indicators in female participants recruited from a workplace. One hundred seven hospital employees were cluster-randomized to either a soccer group (SG), Zumba group (ZG), or control group (CG......-term soccer training as well asZumba outside working hours may result in fitness andmodest health benefits among female hospital employees...

Factors influencing individual variation in perceptual directional microphone benefit.

Science.gov (United States)

Keidser, Gitte; Dillon, Harvey; Convery, Elizabeth; Mejia, Jorge

2013-01-01

Large variations in perceptual directional microphone benefit, which far exceed the variation expected from physical performance measures of directional microphones, have been reported in the literature. The cause for the individual variation has not been systematically investigated. To determine the factors that are responsible for the individual variation in reported perceptual directional benefit. A correlational study. Physical performance measures of the directional microphones obtained after they had been fitted to individuals, cognitive abilities of individuals, and measurement errors were related to perceptual directional benefit scores. Fifty-nine hearing-impaired adults with varied degrees of hearing loss participated in the study. All participants were bilaterally fitted with a Motion behind-the-ear device (500 M, 501 SX, or 501 P) from Siemens according to the National Acoustic Laboratories' non-linear prescription, version two (NAL-NL2). Using the Bamford-Kowal-Bench (BKB) sentences, the perceptual directional benefit was obtained as the difference in speech reception threshold measured in babble noise (SRTn) with the devices in directional (fixed hypercardioid) and in omnidirectional mode. The SRTn measurements were repeated three times with each microphone mode. Physical performance measures of the directional microphone included the angle of the microphone ports to loudspeaker axis, the frequency range dominated by amplified sound, the in situ signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the in situ three-dimensional, articulation-index weighted directivity index (3D AI-DI). The cognitive tests included auditory selective attention, speed of processing, and working memory. Intraparticipant variation on the repeated SRTn's and the interparticipant variation on the average SRTn were used to determine the effect of measurement error. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effect of other factors. Measurement errors explained 52% of the variation

Fitness club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness club

2011-01-01

General fitness Classes Enrolments are open for general fitness classes at CERN taking place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday lunchtimes in the Pump Hall (building 216). There are shower facilities for both men and women. It is possible to pay for 1, 2 or 3 classes per week for a minimum of 1 month and up to 6 months. Check out our rates and enrol at: http://cern.ch/club-fitness Hope to see you among us! CERN Fitness Club fitness.club@cern.ch  

Potential benefits of satiety to the consumer: scientific considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hetherington, M M; Cunningham, K; Dye, L; Gibson, E L; Gregersen, N T; Halford, J C G; Lawton, C L; Lluch, A; Mela, D J; Van Trijp, H C M

2013-06-01

Foods and dietary patterns that enhance satiety may provide benefit to consumers. The aim of the present review was to describe, consider and evaluate research on potential benefits of enhanced satiety. The proposal that enhanced satiety could only benefit consumers by a direct effect on food intake should be rejected. Instead, it is proposed that there is a variety of routes through which enhanced satiety could (indirectly) benefit dietary control or weight-management goals. The review highlights specific potential benefits of satiety, including: providing appetite control strategies for consumers generally and for those who are highly responsive to food cues; offering pleasure and satisfaction associated with low-energy/healthier versions of foods without feeling 'deprived'; reducing dysphoric mood associated with hunger especially during energy restriction; and improved compliance with healthy eating or weight-management efforts. There is convincing evidence of short-term satiety benefits, but only probable evidence for longer-term benefits to hunger management, possible evidence of benefits to mood and cognition, inadequate evidence that satiety enhancement can promote weight loss, and no evidence on which consumers would benefit most from satiety enhancement. The appetite-reducing effects of specific foods or diets will be much more subtle than those of pharmaceutical compounds in managing hunger; nevertheless, the experience of pharmacology in producing weight loss via effects on appetite suggests that there is potential benefit of satiety enhancement from foods incorporated into the diet to the consumer.

An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles from Neighbouring Plants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel M Mutyambai

C. sesamiae parasitic wasps indicated that these parasitoids preferred volatiles from oviposited and neighbouring landrace plants compared to those from the control plants. This effect was absent in the standard commercial hybrid we tested. There was no HIPV induction and no difference in parasitoid attraction in neighbouring and control hybrid maize plants. These results show plant-plant signalling: 'Nyamula' maize plants emitting oviposition-induced volatiles attractive to the herbivore's natural enemies can induce this indirect defence trait in conspecific neighbouring undamaged maize plants. Maize plants growing in a field may thus benefit from this indirect defence through airborne signalling which may enhance the fitness of the volatile-emitting plant by increasing predation pressure on herbivores.

Siblings' Perceptions of Differential Treatment, Fairness, and Jealousy and Adolescent Adjustment: A Moderated Indirect Effects Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Loeser, Meghan K; Whiteman, Shawn D; McHale, Susan M

2016-08-01

Youth's perception of parents' differential treatment (PDT) are associated with maladjustment during adolescence. Although the direct relations between PDT and youth's maladjustment have been well established, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. We addressed this gap by examining whether sibling jealousy accounted for the links between PDT and youth's depressive symptoms, self-worth, and risky behaviors. Additionally, we examined whether youth's perceptions of fairness regarding their treatment as well as the gender constellation of the dyad moderated these indirect relations (i.e., moderated-indirect effects). Participants were first- and second-born adolescent siblings ( M = 15.96, SD = .72 years for older siblings, M = 13.48, SD = 1.02 years for younger siblings) and their parents from 197 working and middle class European American families. Data were collected via home interviews. A series of Conditional Process Analyses revealed significant indirect effects of PDT through sibling jealousy to all three adjustment outcomes. Furthermore, perceptions of fairness moderated the relations between PDT and jealousy, such that the indirect effects were only significant at low (-1 SD ) and average levels of fairness. At high levels of fairness (+1 SD ) there was no association between PDT, jealousy, and youth adjustment. Taken together, results indicate that youth and parents would benefit from engaging in clear communication regarding the reasoning for the occurrence of differential treatment, likely maximizing youth and parent perceptions of that treatment as being fair, and in turn mitigating sibling jealousy and maladjustment.

Siblings’ Perceptions of Differential Treatment, Fairness, and Jealousy and Adolescent Adjustment: A Moderated Indirect Effects Model

Science.gov (United States)

Loeser, Meghan K.; Whiteman, Shawn D.; McHale, Susan M.

2016-01-01

Youth's perception of parents’ differential treatment (PDT) are associated with maladjustment during adolescence. Although the direct relations between PDT and youth's maladjustment have been well established, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. We addressed this gap by examining whether sibling jealousy accounted for the links between PDT and youth's depressive symptoms, self-worth, and risky behaviors. Additionally, we examined whether youth's perceptions of fairness regarding their treatment as well as the gender constellation of the dyad moderated these indirect relations (i.e., moderated-indirect effects). Participants were first- and second-born adolescent siblings (M = 15.96, SD = .72 years for older siblings, M = 13.48, SD = 1.02 years for younger siblings) and their parents from 197 working and middle class European American families. Data were collected via home interviews. A series of Conditional Process Analyses revealed significant indirect effects of PDT through sibling jealousy to all three adjustment outcomes. Furthermore, perceptions of fairness moderated the relations between PDT and jealousy, such that the indirect effects were only significant at low (−1 SD) and average levels of fairness. At high levels of fairness (+1 SD) there was no association between PDT, jealousy, and youth adjustment. Taken together, results indicate that youth and parents would benefit from engaging in clear communication regarding the reasoning for the occurrence of differential treatment, likely maximizing youth and parent perceptions of that treatment as being fair, and in turn mitigating sibling jealousy and maladjustment. PMID:27867295

Relatedness facilitates cooperation in the subsocial spider, Stegodyphus tentoriicola

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruch, Jasmin; Heinrich, Lisa; Bilde, T.

2009-01-01

Background Cooperative hunting and foraging in spiders is rare and prone to cheating such that the actions of selfish individuals negatively affect the whole group. The resulting social dilemma may be mitigated by kin selection since related individuals lose indirect fitness benefits by acting...

Demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in nature-based jobs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nellie de Crom

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Meaningful work and personal engagement are important dimensions of flourishing of employees, especially when individuals work in challenging jobs. Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in individuals in nature-based jobs. Motivation for the study: Individuals working in nature often work under challenging circumstances without the necessary resources. A research gap exists regarding the effects of demands–abilities fit and work beliefs on meaningful work. It is also not clear how these antecedents and meaningful work will impact the engagement of individuals working in nature. Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional survey was used with a convenience sample of 161 nature-based employees. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire consisting of items from the demands–abilities fit scale, work–life questionnaire, work and meaning Inventory, work engagement scale and a biographical questionnaire. Main findings: Work beliefs (calling, career and job and demands–abilities fit predicted a large percentage of the variance in meaning making. Work beliefs (calling and job and demands–abilities fit also predicted a large percentage of the variance in greater good motivations. Demands–abilities fit and a calling work orientation indirectly affected work engagement via meaningful work. The scales which measured calling and job orientations showed insufficient discriminant validity in relation to the scales which measured positive meaning and work engagement. Practical and managerial implications: Managers should consider implementing interventions to affect the demands–abilities fit (through human resource management interventions and work beliefs of individuals working in nature (through job crafting. Promoting perceptions of meaningful work might contribute to higher personal engagement

Riboflavin Provisioning Underlies Wolbachia's Fitness Contribution to Its Insect Host.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriyama, Minoru; Nikoh, Naruo; Hosokawa, Takahiro; Fukatsu, Takema

2015-11-10

Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia represent the most successful symbiotic bacteria in the terrestrial ecosystem. The success of Wolbachia has been ascribed to its remarkable phenotypic effects on host reproduction, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, whereby maternally inherited bacteria can spread in their host populations at the expense of their host's fitness. Meanwhile, recent theoretical as well as empirical studies have unveiled that weak and/or conditional positive fitness effects may significantly facilitate invasion and spread of Wolbachia infections in host populations. Here, we report a previously unrecognized nutritional aspect, the provision of riboflavin (vitamin B2), that potentially underpins the Wolbachia-mediated fitness benefit to insect hosts. A comparative genomic survey for synthetic capability of B vitamins revealed that only the synthesis pathway for riboflavin is highly conserved among diverse insect-associated Wolbachia strains, while the synthesis pathways for other B vitamins were either incomplete or absent. Molecular phylogenetic and genomic analyses of riboflavin synthesis genes from diverse Wolbachia strains revealed that, in general, their phylogenetic relationships are concordant with Wolbachia's genomic phylogeny, suggesting that the riboflavin synthesis genes have been stably maintained in the course of Wolbachia evolution. In rearing experiments with bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) on blood meals in which B vitamin contents were manipulated, we demonstrated that Wolbachia's riboflavin provisioning significantly contributes to growth, survival, and reproduction of the insect host. These results provide a physiological basis upon which Wolbachia-mediated positive fitness consequences are manifested and shed new light on the ecological and evolutionary relevance of Wolbachia infections. Conventionally, Wolbachia has been regarded as a parasitic bacterial endosymbiont that manipulates the host insect's reproduction in a

The indirect and direct pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on commencement in post-compulsory education in a historical cohort of Danish school youth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikkel Porsborg; Starkopf, Liis; Sessa, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Background: Some studies have found positive associations between physical fitness and academic achievements. Pupils' academic achievements should indicate scholastic abilities to commence a post-compulsory education. However, the effect magnitude of physical fitness and academic achievements...... on commencement in post-compulsory education is unknown. We examined the pathways between physical fitness and academic achievement on pupils' commencement in post-compulsory education. Methods: This historical cohort study followed 530 girls and 554 boys from the Danish municipality of Aalborg in the period 2008......-2014, 13 to 15 years old in 2010. Physical fitness was assessed through a watt-max cycle ergometer test represented as VO2max (mL·kg-1·min-1). Academic achievement, commencement status and information on covariates were obtained from Danish nationwide registers. Causal inference based mediation analysis...

Fitness, fatness, and academic performance in seventh-grade elementary school students

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background In addition to the benefits on physical and mental health, cardiorespiratory fitness has shown to have positive effects on cognition. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and body weight status on academic performance among seventh-grade students. Methods Participants included 1531 grade 7 students (787 male, 744 female), ranging in age from 12 to 14 years (Mage = 12.3 ± 0.60), from 3 different cohorts. Academic performance was measured using the marks students had, at the end of their academic year, in mathematics, language (Portuguese), foreign language (English), and sciences. To assess cardiorespiratory fitness the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, from Fitnessgram, was used as the test battery. The relationship between academic achievement and the independent and combined association of cardiorespiratory fitness/weight status was analysed, using multinomial logistic regression. Results Cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status were independently related with academic achievement. Fit students, compared with unfit students had significantly higher odds for having high academic achievement (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.48-3.55, p academic achievement (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.82-7.34, p academic achievement in seventh-grade students independent of the different cohorts, providing further support that aerobically fit and normal weight students are more likely to have better performance at school regardless of the year that they were born. PMID:25001376

Indirect Genetic Effects for group-housed animals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Setegn Worku

This thesis investigated social interactions in group-housed animals. The main findings of this thesis: 1) Statistical methods to estimate indirect genetic effects when interactions differ between kin vs. non-kin were developed. 2) Indirect genetic effects contribute a substantial amount...... of heritable variation for bite mark traits in group-housed min. 3) Indirect genetic effects estimation needs to take into account systematic interactions due to sex or kin for bite mark trait in group-housed min. 4) Genomic selection can be used to increase the response to selection for survival time in Brown...

Indirectness in Discourse: Ethnicity as Conversational Style.

Science.gov (United States)

Tannen, Deborah

1981-01-01

Examines social differences in expectations of indirectness in conversations between married couples, both Greek and Greek-American. Concludes that Greeks are more likely to expect indirectness in the context presented and that Greek-Americans have retained the Greek communicative patterns. (FL)

Manifestation of Aerosol Indirect Effects in Arctic Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Lubin, D.; Vogelmann, A. M.

2009-12-01

The first aerosol indirect effect has traditionally been conceived as an enhancement of shortwave cloud reflectance in response to decreased effective droplet size at fixed liquid water path, as cloud nucleating aerosol becomes entrained in the cloud. The high Arctic, with its pervasive low-level stratiform cloud cover and frequent episodes of anthropogenic aerosol (Artic "haze"), has in recent years served as a natural laboratory for research on actual manifestations of aerosol indirect effects. This paper will review the surprising set of developments: (1) the detection of the indirect effect as a source of surface warming, rather than cooling, throughout early spring, (2) a transition to a cooling effect in late spring, corresponding to the beginning of the sea ice melt season, and (3) detection of an indirect effect during summer, outside of the "Arctic haze" season. This paper will also discuss measurements of spectral shortwave irradiance (350-2200 nm) made at Barrow, Alaska, during the U.S. Department of Energy's Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC), which reveal complications in our conception of the indirect effect related to the ice phase in Arctic stratiform clouds.

Smoking Cessation Is Associated With Lower Indirect Costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Christine L; Bruno, Marianna; Emir, Birol; Li, Vicky W; Goren, Amir

2018-06-01

This study quantified differences in indirect costs due to decreased work productivity between current and former smokers. Former smokers were further categorized by number of years since quitting to assess corresponding differences. Data on employed individuals were obtained from the 2013 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS; N = 75,000). Indirect costs were calculated for current smokers and former smokers from weekly wages based on age and sex. The annual total indirect costs for current smokers were $1327.53, $1560.18, and $1839.87 higher than for those who quit 0 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, and more than or equal to 11 years prior, respectively. There were no significant differences in mean total indirect costs between the former smoker groups. Current smokers showed significantly higher total annual indirect costs compared with former smokers, independently of the number of years since quitting smoking.

On the Relative Size of Direct and Indirect Taxation

OpenAIRE

Soldatos, Gerasimos T.

2014-01-01

Modifying the standard analytical apparatuses for direct and indirect tax evasion to incorporate forward indirect tax shift in a monopolistically competitive environment, this paper maintains that indirect tax evasion would exceed for sure direct tax evasion only under consumer risk neutrality and a tax policy zeroing the tax shift. Also, in the presence of tax evasion, there cannot be optimal direct-indirect tax mix, because tax evasion is accompanied by uncertainty and hence, nonlinearities...

The relationship between physical activity, fitness, physical complaints and BMI in German adults - results of a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tittlbach, Susanne A; Jekauc, Darko; Schmidt, Steffen C E; Woll, Alexander; Bös, Klaus

2017-09-01

This study's aims were to describe the development of physical activity, physical fitness (PF), subjective (physical complaints (PC)) and objective (Body mass index (BMI)) health measures and to examine the relationship between the development trajectories. In addition, the study also aimed to assess the influence of sociodemographic determinants (age, sex, socioeconomic status (SES)) in German adults over a period of 18 years. The longitudinal study population comprises of 721 men and women, aged 33-76 years over the study period. There was self-report of physical activity and PC and testing of physical fitness and BMI in each study year (1992, 1997, 2002 and 2010). Latent growth curve models were used to analyse the development. Physical activity slightly increased while fitness, PC and BMI worsened over the course of 18 years. Sex, age and SES play important roles concerning physical activity, fitness and health. Several integrative associations could be detected between physical activity, fitness, PC and BMI as well as their trajectories. In particular, high initial levels of physical activity and fitness protect from high PC and BMI.The slope of physical activity was not significantly associated with slopes of fitness, PC and BMI. However, increase of fitness resulted in decrease of PC. A general positive development regarding the amount of physical activity could be detected. However, if it is only an unsystematic increase of physical activity, this is not in itself enough to achieve health benefits. The strengthening of fitness should be focused when increasing physical activity, since only then a health benefit is possible.

Cross-generational effects of sexual harassment on female fitness in the guppy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasparini, Clelia; Devigili, Alessandro; Pilastro, Andrea

2012-02-01

Sexual harassment is a common outcome of sexual conflict over mating rate. A large number of studies have identified several direct costs to females of sexual harassment including energy expenditure and reduced foraging ability. However, the fitness consequences of sexual harassment for descendants have rarely been investigated. Here, we manipulated the level of sexual harassment and mating rate in two groups of female guppies, Poecilia reticulata, a live-bearing fish in which sexual conflict over mating rate is particularly pronounced. Each female was allowed to interact with three males for one day (low sexual harassment, LSH) or for eight days (high sexual harassment, HSH) during each breeding cycle throughout their life. Female lifetime fecundity did not differ between the groups, but we found a strong effect on offspring fitness. HSH females produced (1) daughters with smaller bodies and (2) sons with shorter gonopodia, which were less attractive to females and less successful in coercive matings than their LSH counterparts. Although these results may be influenced by the indirect effects of sex ratio differences between treatments, they suggest that sexual harassment and elevated mating rate can have negative cross-generational fitness effects and more profound evolutionary consequences than currently thought. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Updated status of the global electroweak fit and constraints on new physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baak, M.; Hoecker, A.; Schott, M. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Goebel, M.; Ludwig, D. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Haller, J. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Goettingen Univ. (Germany). II. Physikalisches Inst.; Moenig, K. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Stelzer, J. [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

2011-07-15

We present an update of the Standard Model fit to electroweak precision data. We include newest experimental results on the top quark mass, the W mass and width, and the Higgs boson mass bounds from LEP, Tevatron and the LHC. We also include a new determination of the electromagnetic coupling strength at the Z pole. We find for the Higgs boson mass 96{sub -24}{sup +31} GeV and 120{sub -5}{sup +12} GeV when not including and including the direct Higgs searches, respectively. From the latter fit we indirectly determine the W mass to be (80.362{+-} 0.013)GeV. We exploit the data to determine experimental constraints on the oblique vacuum polarisation parameters, and confront these with predictions from the Standard Model (SM) and selected SM extensions. By fitting the oblique parameters to the electroweak data we derive allowed regions in the BSM parameter spaces. We revisit and consistently update these constraints for a fourth fermion generation, two Higgs doublet, inert Higgs and littlest Higgs models, models with large, universal or warped extra dimensions and technicolour. In most of the models studied a heavy Higgs boson can be made compatible with the electroweak precision data. (orig.)

Measurement of Indirect CP Violation in Charm at LHCb

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00342046

This thesis describes two pieces of work. The first is a study of the resolution of the LHCb vertex locator throughout Run 1. The second comprises analyses to measure the charm mixing and $CP$ violation observables $A_{\\Gamma}$ and $y_{CP}$. An estimate of the resolution of the LHCb vertex locator is required for use in the track fits. A method to measure the resolution with collision data has been developed and tested. The performance of the sub-detector throughout Run 1 of the LHC has been assessed. A significant degrading of the resolution has been seen. The effects of this on the track reconstruction has been examined with little change in the measured quantities being observed. The measurement of indirect $CP$ violation in neutral $D$ meson transitions has been measured through the observables $A_{\\Gamma}$ and $y_{CP}$, using $fb^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions with a centre of mass energy $7 TeV$, collected by the LHCb detector in 2011. $A_{\\Gamma}$ describes the $CP$ asymmetry of the lifetime of the $D^0$ dec...

Accuracy of digital models obtained by direct and indirect data capturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Güth, Jan-Frederik; Keul, Christine; Stimmelmayr, Michael; Beuer, Florian; Edelhoff, Daniel

2013-05-01

With direct and indirect digitalisation, two access points to CAD/CAM-generated restorations are available. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of the single steps of both approaches by comparing construction datasets using a new methodology. Twelve test datasets were generated in vitro (1) with the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner (COS) (2) by digitizing polyether impressions (IMP) and (3) by scanning the referring gypsum cast by the Lava Scan ST laboratory scanner (ST) at a time. Using an inspection software, these datasets were superimposed by a best fit algorithm with the reference dataset (REF), gained from industrial computed tomography, and divergences were analysed. On the basis of average positive and negative deviations between test- and REF datasets, it could be shown that direct digitalisation accomplished the most accurate results (COS, 17 μm/-13 μm; SD ± 19 μm), followed by digitized polyether impression (IMP, 23 μm/-22 μm; SD ± 31 μm) and indirect digitalisation (ST, 36 μm/-35 μm; SD ± 52 μm). The mean absolute values of Euclidean distances showed the least values for COS (15 μm; SD ± 6 μm), followed by IMP (23 μm; SD ± 9 μm) and ST (36 μm; SD ± 7 μm). The mean negative and mean absolute values of all groups were significantly different. Comparing the mean positive values of the groups, IMP and COS (p = 0.082) showed no significant difference, whereas ST and COS, and ST and IMP exhibited statistically significant differences. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the direct digitalisation with Lava C.O.S. showed statistically significantly higher accuracy compared to the conventional procedure of impression taking and indirect digitalisation. Within the limitations of this study, the method of direct digitalisation seems to have the potential to improve the accuracy of impressions for four-unit FDPs.

Drosophila Perpetuates Nutritional Mutualism by Promoting the Fitness of Its Intestinal Symbiont Lactobacillus plantarum

OpenAIRE

Storelli, Gilles; Strigini, Maura; Grenier, Théodore; Bozonnet, Loan; Schwarzer, Martin; Daniel, Catherine; Matos, Renata; Leulier, François

2018-01-01

Summary Facultative animal-bacteria symbioses, which are critical determinants of animal fitness, are largely assumed to be mutualistic. However, whether commensal bacteria benefit from the association has not been rigorously assessed. Using a simple and tractable gnotobiotic model— Drosophila mono-associated with one of its dominant commensals, Lactobacillus plantarum—we reveal that in addition to benefiting animal growth, this facultative symbiosis has a positive impact on commensal bacteri...

System markets: Indirect network effects in action, or inaction?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.L.G. Binken (Jeroen)

2010-01-01

textabstractIn this dissertation, I empirically examine system markets up close. More specifically I examine indirect network effects, both demand-side and supply-side indirect network effects. Indirect network effects are the source of positive feedback in system markets, or so network effect

21 CFR 870.3640 - Indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer... Indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer. (a) Identification. An indirect pacemaker generator function analyzer is an electrically powered device that is used to determine pacemaker function or...

Implementing a resident lifting system in an extended care hospital. Demonstrating cost-benefit.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Jerry; Yassi, Analee; Ronald, Lisa A; Tate, Robert B; Hacking, Penny; Colby, Teresa

2002-03-01

1. Implemeting mechanical resident lifting equipment in an extended care facility produced a payback from direct savings alone within 4 years. Payback occurred more quickly when the effect of indirect savings or the trend to rising compensation costs was considered. 2. Combining the observations of the occupational health nurses related to staff well being with relevant cost-benefit data is useful in influencing decision makers and in securing funding for prevention measures. 3. Clear identification of a viewpoint is an important part of an economic evaluation and cost-benefit analysis.

Direct and indirect effects of enablers on HIV testing, initiation and retention in antiretroviral treatment and AIDS related mortality.

Science.gov (United States)

Safarnejad, Ali; Izazola-Licea, Jose-Antonio

2017-01-01

An enabling environment is believed to have significant and critical effects on HIV and AIDS program implementation and desired outcomes. This paper estimates the paths, directionality, and direct and indirect associations between critical enablers with antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage and to AIDS-related mortality. Frameworks that consider the role of enablers in HIV and AIDS programs were systematically reviewed to develop a conceptual model of interaction. Measurements for constructs of the model were pooled from the latest publicly available data. A hypothetical model, including latent/unobserved factors and interaction of enablers, program activities and outcomes, was analyzed cross-sectionally with structural equation modeling. Coefficients of the model were used to estimate the indirect associations of enablers to treatment coverage and the subsequent associated impact on AIDS related mortality. The model's fit was adequate (RMSEA = 0·084, 90% CI [0·062, 0·104]) and the indirect effects of enablers on outcomes were measured. Enablers having significant associations with increased ART coverage were social/financial protection, governance, anti-discrimination, gender equality, domestic AIDS spending, testing service delivery, and logistics. Critical enablers are significantly correlated to outcomes like ART coverage and AIDS related mortality. Even while this model does not allow inference on causality, it provides directionality and magnitude of the significant associations.

Solid Phase Micro-Extraction GC–MS Analysis of Natural Volatile Components in Melon and Rice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeven, H.A.; Jonker, H.H.; Vos, de C.H.; Hall, R.D.

2012-01-01

The natural fragrance compounds produced by plants play key roles in the long-term fitness and survival of these plants as well as being of direct/indirect benefit to man. Almost all plant fragrances, either pleasant or unpleasant, comprise many different compounds, from different chemical classes

Executive functions, visual-motor coordination, physical fitness and academic achievement: Longitudinal relations in typically developing children.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberer, Nicole; Gashaj, Venera; Roebers, Claudia M

2018-04-01

The present longitudinal study included different school readiness factors measured in kindergarten with the aim to predict later academic achievement in second grade. Based on data of N = 134 children, the predictive power of executive functions, visual-motor coordination and physical fitness on later academic achievement was estimated using a latent variable approach. By entering all three predictors simultaneously into the model to predict later academic achievement, significant effects of executive functions and visual-motor coordination on later academic achievement were found. The influence of physical fitness was found to be substantial but indirect via executive functions. The cognitive stimulation hypothesis as well as the automaticity hypothesis are discussed as an explanation for the reported relations. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fitness consequences of timing of migration and breeding in cormorants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phillip Gienapp

Full Text Available In most bird species timing of breeding affects reproductive success whereby early breeding is favoured. In migratory species migration time, especially arrival at the breeding grounds, and breeding time are expected to be correlated. Consequently, migration time should also have fitness consequences. However, in contrast to breeding time, evidence for fitness consequences of migration time is much more limited. Climate change has been shown to negatively affect the synchrony between trophic levels thereby leading to directional selection on timing but again direct evidence in avian migration time is scarce. We here analysed fitness consequences of migration and breeding time in great cormorants and tested whether climate change has led to increased selection on timing using a long-term data set from a breeding colony on the island of Vorsø (Denmark. Reproductive success, measured as number of fledglings, correlated with breeding time and arrival time at the colony and declined during the season. This seasonal decline became steeper during the study period for both migration and breeding time and was positively correlated to winter/spring climate, i.e. selection was stronger after warmer winters/springs. However, the increasing selection pressure on timing seems to be unrelated to climate change as the climatic variables that were related to selection strength did not increase during the study period. There is indirect evidence that phenology or abundances of preferred prey species have changed which could have altered selection on timing of migration and breeding.

10 CFR 602.15 - Indirect cost limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Indirect cost limitations. 602.15 Section 602.15 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS EPIDEMIOLOGY AND OTHER HEALTH STUDIES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.15 Indirect cost limitations. Awards issued under this part for conferences and...

Direct and indirect impact of federal transfer to individuals and to the government of Puerto Rico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ángel Luis Ruiz Mercado

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The Puerto Rico Planning Board classifies individual transfer payments into two categories: “earned transfers” and “granted” transfers. The purpose of this work is to estimate the direct and indirect economic effects of federal and other transfer payments to Puerto Rico using two input-output models and two vectors of employment and income coefficients base on tables for years 1992 and 2002. The economic impacts were estimated for three economic indicators namely, gross output, direct and indirect employment and direct and indirect wage income. The results presented in this work shows that the argument that Puerto Ricans enjoy relatively generous income supplements and retirement benefits without imposing heavy tax burdens on highly compensated workers failed to distinguish that most of the transfer payments to individuals were in the category of earned transfers. It is doubtful that this type of transfer “imposeheavy tax burdens” to American taxpayers. Since we are an open economy mostof the income generated by transfer to individuals is spent of goods and servicesa substantial amount of which comes from United States. It is also doubtful thatearned transfer to individuals (especially transfers in the form of pensions andpayments to veterans have any significant impact on the labor force participation rate or the incentives to work.

Survival benefits select for group living in a social spider despite reproductive costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bilde, T.; Coates, K.S.; Birkhofer, K.

2007-01-01

The evolution of cooperation requires benefits of group living to exceed costs. Hence, some components of fitness are expected to increase with increasing group size, whereas others may decrease because of competition among group members. The social spiders provide an excellent system to investig......The evolution of cooperation requires benefits of group living to exceed costs. Hence, some components of fitness are expected to increase with increasing group size, whereas others may decrease because of competition among group members. The social spiders provide an excellent system...... to investigate the costs and benefits of group living: they occur in groups of various sizes and individuals are relatively short-lived, therefore life history traits and Lifetime Reproductive Success (LRS) can be estimated as a function of group size. Sociality in spiders has originated repeatedly...... and survival in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola in two populations in Namibia. In both populations, the major benefit of group living was improved survival of colonies and late-instar juveniles with increasing colony size. By contrast, female fecundity, female body size and early juvenile survival...

Health benefits of different sport disciplines for adults: systematic review of observational and intervention studies with meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oja, Pekka; Titze, Sylvia; Kokko, Sami; Kujala, Urho M; Heinonen, Ari; Kelly, Paul; Koski, Pasi; Foster, Charlie

2015-04-01

The aim was to assess the quality and strength of evidence for the health benefits of specific sport disciplines. Electronic search yielded 2194 records and the selection resulted in 69 eligible studies (47 cross-sectional, 9 cohort, 13 intervention studies). 105 comparisons between participation and non-participation groups in 26 different sport disciplines were reported. Moderately strong evidence showed that both running and football improve aerobic fitness and cardiovascular function at rest, and football reduces adiposity. Conditional evidence showed that running benefits metabolic fitness, adiposity and postural balance, and football improves metabolic fitness, muscular performance, postural balance, and cardiac function. Evidence for health benefits of other sport disciplines was either inconclusive or tenuous. The evidence base for the health benefits of specific sports disciplines is generally compromised by weak study design and quality. Future research should address the health effects of different sport disciplines using rigorous research designs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Starting participation in an employee fitness program: attitudes, social influence, and self-efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lechner, L; De Vries, H

1995-11-01

This article presents a study of the determinants of starting participation in an employee fitness program. Information from 488 employees, recruited from two worksites, was obtained. From these employees the determinants of participation were studied. A questionnaire based on two theoretical models was used. The Stages of Change model was used to measure the health behavior, consisting of precontemplation (no intention to participate), contemplation (considering participation), preparation (intending to participate within a short period), and action (participating in fitness). The possible determinants were measured according to the ASE model, including the attitude toward an employee fitness program, social influence, and self-efficacy expectations. Subjects in action stage were most convinced of the benefits of participation in the employee fitness program and of their own skills to participate in a fitness program. Subjects in precontemplation stage were least convinced of the advantages of participation and had the lowest self-efficacy scores. Subjects in action stage experienced the most social support to participate in the employee fitness program. Health education for employees within industrial fitness programs can be tailored toward their motivational stage. Promotional activities for industrial fitness programs should concentrate on persons in the precontemplation and contemplation stages, since people in these stages are insufficiently convinced of the advantages of a fitness program and expect many problems with regard to their ability to participate in the program.

Anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics of young male soccer players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leslie Andrews Portes

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine anthropometric and physical fitnesscharacteristics of Brazilian male children and adolescents at the beginning of soccer training. Inthis study, 282 male soccer players ranging in age from 10 to 13 years were evaluated. The athletesparticipated in a formal soccer training program 3 times per week, with each training lasting 3hours. Anthropometric and physical fitness parameters were obtained. The boys were divided intoage classes and prevalence data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test. Parametric datawere compared by one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test, when necessary. The resultsare expressed as the mean ± standard deviation and a p value <0.05 was considered to be significant.Growth, development, body adiposity and physical fitness characteristics were adequateand proportional to age among the boys studied (p<0.05. It was concluded that anthropometricand physical fitness characteristics of young male elite soccer players improve with and areproportional to age. Children and adolescents greatly benefit from regular physical activity. Thepresent results show that young male soccer players present adequate anthropometric conditionsand physical fitness prior to the initiation of formal training at soccer clubs.

10 CFR 605.16 - Indirect cost limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Indirect cost limitations. 605.16 Section 605.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS THE OFFICE OF ENERGY RESEARCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 605.16 Indirect cost limitations. Awards issued under this part for conferences and scientific...

77 FR 41899 - Indirect Food Additives: Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 177 [Docket No. FDA-2012-F-0031] Indirect Food Additives: Polymers AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION... CFR part 177 is amended as follows: PART 177--INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: POLYMERS 0 1. The authority...

Indirect inference with time series observed with error

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rossi, Eduardo; Santucci de Magistris, Paolo

estimation. We propose to solve this inconsistency by jointly estimating the nuisance and the structural parameters. Under standard assumptions, this estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. A condition for the identification of ARMA plus noise is obtained. The proposed methodology is used......We analyze the properties of the indirect inference estimator when the observed series are contaminated by measurement error. We show that the indirect inference estimates are asymptotically biased when the nuisance parameters of the measurement error distribution are neglected in the indirect...... to estimate the parameters of continuous-time stochastic volatility models with auxiliary specifications based on realized volatility measures. Monte Carlo simulations shows the bias reduction of the indirect estimates obtained when the microstructure noise is explicitly modeled. Finally, an empirical...

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2012-01-01

Open to All: http://cern.ch/club-fitness  fitness.club@cern.ch Boxing Your supervisor makes your life too tough ! You really need to release the pressure you've been building up ! Come and join the fit-boxers. We train three times a week in Bd 216, classes for beginners and advanced available. Visit our website cern.ch/Boxing General Fitness Escape from your desk with our general fitness classes, to strengthen your heart, muscles and bones, improve you stamina, balance and flexibility, achieve new goals, be more productive and experience a sense of well-being, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime, Tuesday mornings before work and Thursday evenings after work – join us for one of our monthly fitness workshops. Nordic Walking Enjoy the great outdoors; Nordic Walking is a great way to get your whole body moving and to significantly improve the condition of your muscles, heart and lungs. It will boost your energy levels no end. Pilates A body-conditioning technique de...

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Computer Resources for Machine Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Champion, Richard A.

2007-01-01

Machine learning describes pattern-recognition algorithms - in this case, probabilistic neural networks (PNNs). These can be computationally intensive, in part because of the nonlinear optimizer, a numerical process that calibrates the PNN by minimizing a sum of squared errors. This report suggests efficiencies that are expressed as cost and benefit. The cost is computer time needed to calibrate the PNN, and the benefit is goodness-of-fit, how well the PNN learns the pattern in the data. There may be a point of diminishing returns where a further expenditure of computer resources does not produce additional benefits. Sampling is suggested as a cost-reduction strategy. One consideration is how many points to select for calibration and another is the geometric distribution of the points. The data points may be nonuniformly distributed across space, so that sampling at some locations provides additional benefit while sampling at other locations does not. A stratified sampling strategy can be designed to select more points in regions where they reduce the calibration error and fewer points in regions where they do not. Goodness-of-fit tests ensure that the sampling does not introduce bias. This approach is illustrated by statistical experiments for computing correlations between measures of roadless area and population density for the San Francisco Bay Area. The alternative to training efficiencies is to rely on high-performance computer systems. These may require specialized programming and algorithms that are optimized for parallel performance.

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-01-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in an Appendix.

The Effect of SMED on Benefits Gained in Maquiladora Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Roberto Díaz-Reza

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED has achieved great industrial popularity. However, it remains unclear to what extent and how SMED implementation at its different stages benefits industries. To address this gap, this research proposes a structural equation model to quantitatively measure SMED effects. The model has six hypotheses that link SMED stages and benefits. To statistically validate such hypotheses, a questionnaire was administered to 373 Mexican maquiladoras located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Results show that before starting SMED implementation process, companies must be appropriately familiarized with their production process. Mainly, manufacturing companies in Ciudad Juárez need to focus their efforts on the SMED planning stage (Step 1 in order to identify important internal production activities and turn them into external activities. In fact, SMED planning stage has direct and indirect effects on subsequent stages and SMED benefits.

Direct and indirect land use changes issues in European sustainability initiatives: State-of-the-art, open issues and future developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Stappen, Florence; Brose, Isabelle; Schenkel, Yves

2011-01-01

Facing climate change and growing energy prices, the use of bioenergy is continuously increasing in order to diminish greenhouse gas emissions, secure energy supply and create employment in rural areas. Because the production of biomass or biofuels, wherever it takes place, comes along with externalities, positive or negative, the need for biomass and bioenergy sustainability criteria is more than ever felt. Research on sustainability criteria and certification systems has started through several national and international initiatives. Considering the benefits of an increased use of bioenergy but also the urge for limiting potential negative environmental and socio-economic impacts, the aim of these initiatives was to make the first move regarding bioenergy sustainability, while waiting for the European legislation to regulate this crucial issue. Land use changes, whether direct or indirect, are one of the most important consequences of bioenergy production. While direct land use changes are more easily assessed locally, indirect land use changes exceed the company level and need to be considered at a global scale. Methodologies for dealing with direct and indirect land use changes are proposed among others in the European, Dutch, British and German sustainability initiatives. This paper aims at presenting and comparing those four European initiatives, with a focus on their propositions for direct and indirect land use changes assessment. Key issues are discussed and recommendations are made for steps to overcome identified difficulties in accurately assessing the effects of indirect land use change due to bioenergy production.

Decreased Odds of Injection Risk Behavior Associated With Direct Versus Indirect Use of Syringe Exchange: Evidence From Two California Cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Behrends, Czarina N; Li, Chin-Shang; Gibson, David R

2017-07-29

While there is substantial evidence that syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective in preventing HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID), nearly all the evidence comes from PWID who obtain syringes from an SEP directly. Much less is known about the benefits of secondary exchange to PWID who get syringes indirectly from friends or acquaintances who visit an SEP for them. We evaluated the effectiveness of direct versus indirect syringe exchange in reducing HIV-related high-risk injecting behavior among PWID in two separate studies conducted in Sacramento and San Jose, California, cities with quite different syringe exchange models. In both studies associations between direct and indirect syringe exchange and self-reported risk behavior were examined with multivariable logistic regression models. Study 1 assessed effects of a "satellite" home-delivery syringe exchange in Sacramento, while Study 2 evaluated a conventional fixed-site exchange in San Jose. Multivariable analyses revealed 95% and 69% reductions, respectively, in high-risk injection associated with direct use of the SEPs in Sacramento and San Jose, and a 46% reduction associated with indirect use of the SEP in Sacramento. Conclusions/Importance: The very large effect of direct SEP use in Sacramento was likely due in part to home delivery of sterile syringes. While more modest effects were associated with indirect use, such use nevertheless is valuable in reducing the risk of HIV transmission of PWID who are unable or unwilling to visit a syringe exchange.

The association between aerobic fitness and language processing in children: implications for academic achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Scudder, Mark R; Federmeier, Kara D; Raine, Lauren B; Direito, Artur; Boyd, Jeremy K; Hillman, Charles H

2014-06-01

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) have been instrumental for discerning the relationship between children's aerobic fitness and aspects of cognition, yet language processing remains unexplored. ERPs linked to the processing of semantic information (the N400) and the analysis of language structure (the P600) were recorded from higher and lower aerobically fit children as they read normal sentences and those containing semantic or syntactic violations. Results revealed that higher fit children exhibited greater N400 amplitude and shorter latency across all sentence types, and a larger P600 effect for syntactic violations. Such findings suggest that higher fitness may be associated with a richer network of words and their meanings, and a greater ability to detect and/or repair syntactic errors. The current findings extend previous ERP research explicating the cognitive benefits associated with greater aerobic fitness in children and may have important implications for learning and academic performance. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Carrying photosynthesis genes increases ecological fitness of cyanophage in silico.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellweger, Ferdi L

2009-06-01

Several viruses infecting marine cyanobacteria carry photosynthesis genes (e.g. psbA, hli) that are expressed, yield proteins (D1, HLIP) and help maintain the cell's photosynthesis apparatus during the latent period. This increases energy and speeds up virus production, allowing for a reduced latent period (a fitness benefit), but it also increases the DNA size, which slows down new virus production and reduces burst size (a fitness cost). How do these genes affect the net ecological fitness of the virus? Here, this question is explored using a combined systems biology and systems ecology ('systems bioecology') approach. A novel agent-based model simulates individual cyanobacteria cells and virus particles, each with their own genes, transcripts, proteins and other properties. The effect of D1 and HLIP proteins is explicitly considered using a mechanistic photosynthesis component. The model is calibrated to the available database for Prochlorococcus ecotype MED4 and podovirus P-SSP7. Laboratory- and field-scale in silico survival, competition and evolution (gene packaging error) experiments with wild type and genetically engineered viruses are performed to develop vertical survival and fitness profiles, and to determine the optimal gene content. The results suggest that photosynthesis genes are nonessential, increase fitness in a manner correlated with irradiance, and that the wild type has an optimal gene content.

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2011-01-01

The CERN Fitness Club is organising Zumba Classes on the first Wednesday of each month, starting 7 September (19.00 – 20.00). What is Zumba®? It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health. Above all it’s great fun and an excellent work out. Price: 22 CHF/person Sign-up via the following form: https://espace.cern.ch/club-fitness/Lists/Zumba%20Subscription/NewForm.aspx For more info: fitness.club@cern.ch

A Bayesian approach to probabilistic sensitivity analysis in structured benefit-risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Waddingham, Ed; Mt-Isa, Shahrul; Nixon, Richard; Ashby, Deborah

2016-01-01

Quantitative decision models such as multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can be used in benefit-risk assessment to formalize trade-offs between benefits and risks, providing transparency to the assessment process. There is however no well-established method for propagating uncertainty of treatment effects data through such models to provide a sense of the variability of the benefit-risk balance. Here, we present a Bayesian statistical method that directly models the outcomes observed in randomized placebo-controlled trials and uses this to infer indirect comparisons between competing active treatments. The resulting treatment effects estimates are suitable for use within the MCDA setting, and it is possible to derive the distribution of the overall benefit-risk balance through Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation. The method is illustrated using a case study of natalizumab for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stochasticity in economic losses increases the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Miguel; Placì, Sarah; Wedekind, Claus

2015-12-14

Recent theory predicts harsh and stochastic conditions to generally promote the evolution of cooperation. Here, we test experimentally whether stochasticity in economic losses also affects the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity, a type of cooperation that is very typical for humans. We used a repeated helping game with observers. One subject (the "Unlucky") lost some money, another one (the "Passer-by") could reduce this loss by accepting a cost to herself, thereby building up a reputation that could be used by others in later interactions. The losses were either stable or stochastic, but the average loss over time and the average efficiency gains of helping were kept constant in both treatments. We found that players with a reputation of being generous were generally more likely to receive help by others, such that investing into a good reputation generated long-term benefits that compensated for the immediate costs of helping. Helping frequencies were similar in both treatments, but players with a reputation to be selfish lost more resources under stochastic conditions. Hence, returns on investment were steeper when losses varied than when they did not. We conclude that this type of stochasticity increases the value of reputation in indirect reciprocity.

Feed-in tariff structure development for photovoltaic electricity and the associated benefits for the Kingdom of Bahrain

Science.gov (United States)

Haji, Shaker; Durazi, Amal; Al-Alawi, Yaser

2018-05-01

In this study, the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme was considered to facilitate an effective introduction of renewable energy in the Kingdom of Bahrain. An economic model was developed for the estimation of feasible FIT rates for photovoltaic (PV) electricity on a residential scale. The calculations of FIT rates were based mainly on the local solar radiation, the cost of a grid-connected PV system, the operation and maintenance cost, and the provided financial support. The net present value and internal rate of return methods were selected for model evaluation with the guide of simple payback period to determine the cost of energy and feasible FIT rates under several scenarios involving different capital rebate percentages, loan down payment percentages, and PV system costs. Moreover, to capitalise on the FIT benefits, its impact on the stakeholders beyond the households was investigated in terms of natural gas savings, emissions cutback, job creation, and PV-electricity contribution towards the energy demand growth. The study recommended the introduction of the FIT scheme in the Kingdom of Bahrain due to its considerable benefits through a setup where each household would purchase the PV system through a loan, with the government and the electricity customers sharing the FIT cost.

Fitness and virulence of a bacterial endoparasite in an environmentally stressed crustacean host.

Science.gov (United States)

Coors, Anja; De Meester, Luc

2011-01-01

Host-parasite interactions are shaped by the co-evolutionary arms race of parasite virulence, transmission success as well as host resistance and recovery. The virulence and fitness of parasites may depend on host condition, which is mediated, for instance, by host energy constraints. Here, we investigated to what extent stress imposed by predation threat and environmental pollutants influences host-parasite interactions. We challenged the crustacean host Daphnia magna with the sterilizing bacterial endoparasite Pasteuria ramosa and simultaneously exposed the host to fish kairomones, the pesticide carbaryl or both stressors. While parasite virulence, measured as impact on host mortality and sterilization, increased markedly after short-term pesticide exposure, it was not influenced by predation threat. Parasite fitness, measured in terms of produced transmission stages, decreased both in fish and pesticide treatments. This effect was much stronger under predation threat than carbaryl exposure, and was attributable to reduced somatic growth of the host, presumably resulting in fewer resources for parasite development. While the indirect impact of both stressors on spore loads provides evidence for host condition-dependent parasite fitness, the finding of increased virulence only under carbaryl exposure indicates a stronger physiological impact of the neurotoxic chemical compared with the effect of a non-toxic fish kairomone.

Indirect techniques in nuclear astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhamedzhanov, A.M.; Tribble, R.E.; Blokhintsev, L.D.; Cherubini, S.; Spitaleri, C.; Kroha, V.; Nunes, F.M.

2005-01-01

It is very difficult or often impossible to measure in the lab conditions nuclear cross sections at astrophysically relevant energies. That is why different indirect techniques are used to extract astrophysical information. In this talk different experimental possibilities to get astrophysical information using radioactive and stable beams will be addressed. 1. The asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) method. 2. Radiative neutron captures are determined by the spectroscopic factors (SP). A new experimental technique to determine the neutron SPs will be addressed. 3. 'Trojan Horse' is another unique indirect method, which allows one to extract the astrophysical factors for direct and resonant nuclear reactions at astrophysically relevant energies. (author)

Effect of a Bicycling Unit on the Fitness of Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lirgg, Cathy D.; Gorman, Dean R.; Merrie, Michael D.; Hadadi, Atyh A.

2018-01-01

Many physical educators today are teaching lifetime sports, including outdoor activities such as cycling. Even though cycling is a low impact exercise that aids stamina and fitness, little is known about additional benefits in other areas including agility, balance, and explosive power. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there are…

Macro-economic benefits of an expanded oil sands industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

Probable impact of benefits of expanded oil sands development on employment and government revenues were analyzed. Investment in proposed oil sands facilities was forecast to create about 1 million person-years of direct and indirect employment. Forty percent of employment gains would be created in Alberta, with remaining positions mostly in Ontario and Quebec. Government taxes, royalties, reduced debts interest costs and revenues to municipalities, hospitals and pension plans would increase by $97 billion (1994 dollars) between 1995 and 2025. Additional benefits would include increases in average Canadian disposable incomes, substitution of imported with domestic oil, and expansion of gross domestic product in Alberta by 5%. Some variation may be expected because of accuracy of assumptions that were made in the analysis, but the character of the results were not expected to change

Indirect Taxes in Romania – an Econometric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Penu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Indirect taxes have a significant weight in the GDP. Statistical data reveals that the new states that joined the EU in its funding sources to the greatest extent through indirect taxes. They reveal, on the one hand, reducing the tax burden on the producer, and on the other hand, the difficulty faced by the country in direct tax collection, but also some problems of social nature. This article proposes an econometric analysis of the relationship between indirect taxes and household final consumption expenditure.

The effect of job insecurity on employee health complaints: A within-person analysis of the explanatory role of threats to the manifest and latent benefits of work.

Science.gov (United States)

Vander Elst, Tinne; Näswall, Katharina; Bernhard-Oettel, Claudia; De Witte, Hans; Sverke, Magnus

2016-01-01

The current study contributes to the literature on job insecurity by highlighting threat to the benefits of work as an explanation of the effect of job insecurity on health complaints. Building on the latent deprivation model, we predicted that threats to both manifest (i.e., financial income) and latent benefits of work (i.e., collective purpose, social contacts, status, time structure, activity) mediate the relationships from job insecurity to subsequent mental and physical health complaints. In addition, in line with the conservation of resources theory, we proposed that financial resources buffer the indirect effect of job insecurity on health complaints through threat to the manifest benefit. Hypotheses were tested using a multilevel design, in which 3 measurements (time lag of 6 months between subsequent measurements) were clustered within 1,994 employees (in Flanders, Belgium). This allowed for the investigation of within-person processes, while controlling for variance at the between-person level. The results demonstrate that job insecurity was related to subsequent threats to both manifest and latent benefits, and that these threats in turn were related to subsequent health complaints (with an exception for threat to the manifest benefit that did not predict mental health complaints). Three significant indirect effects were found: threat to the latent benefits mediated the relationships between job insecurity and both mental and physical health complaints, and threat to the manifest benefit mediated the relationship between job insecurity and physical health complaints. Unexpectedly, the latter indirect effect was exacerbated by financial resources. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Fitness cost

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Karen L.; Pedersen, Thomas M.; Udekwu, Klas I.

2012-01-01

phage types, predominantly only penicillin resistant. We investigated whether isolates of this epidemic were associated with a fitness cost, and we employed a mathematical model to ask whether these fitness costs could have led to the observed reduction in frequency. Bacteraemia isolates of S. aureus...... from Denmark have been stored since 1957. We chose 40 S. aureus isolates belonging to phage complex 83A, clonal complex 8 based on spa type, ranging in time of isolation from 1957 to 1980 and with varyous antibiograms, including both methicillin-resistant and -susceptible isolates. The relative fitness...... of each isolate was determined in a growth competition assay with a reference isolate. Significant fitness costs of 215 were determined for the MRSA isolates studied. There was a significant negative correlation between number of antibiotic resistances and relative fitness. Multiple regression analysis...

The power of indirect social ties

OpenAIRE

Zuo, Xiang; Blackburn, Jeremy; Kourtellis, Nicolas; Skvoretz, John; Iamnitchi, Adriana

2014-01-01

While direct social ties have been intensely studied in the context of computer-mediated social networks, indirect ties (e.g., friends of friends) have seen little attention. Yet in real life, we often rely on friends of our friends for recommendations (of good doctors, good schools, or good babysitters), for introduction to a new job opportunity, and for many other occasional needs. In this work we attempt to 1) quantify the strength of indirect social ties, 2) validate it, and 3) empiricall...

Two distinct neural mechanisms underlying indirect reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Takamitsu; Takezawa, Masanori; Nakawake, Yo; Kunimatsu, Akira; Yamasue, Hidenori; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Miyashita, Yasushi; Masuda, Naoki

2014-03-18

Cooperation is a hallmark of human society. Humans often cooperate with strangers even if they will not meet each other again. This so-called indirect reciprocity enables large-scale cooperation among nonkin and can occur based on a reputation mechanism or as a succession of pay-it-forward behavior. Here, we provide the functional and anatomical neural evidence for two distinct mechanisms governing the two types of indirect reciprocity. Cooperation occurring as reputation-based reciprocity specifically recruited the precuneus, a region associated with self-centered cognition. During such cooperative behavior, the precuneus was functionally connected with the caudate, a region linking rewards to behavior. Furthermore, the precuneus of a cooperative subject had a strong resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) with the caudate and a large gray matter volume. In contrast, pay-it-forward reciprocity recruited the anterior insula (AI), a brain region associated with affective empathy. The AI was functionally connected with the caudate during cooperation occurring as pay-it-forward reciprocity, and its gray matter volume and rsFC with the caudate predicted the tendency of such cooperation. The revealed difference is consistent with the existing results of evolutionary game theory: although reputation-based indirect reciprocity robustly evolves as a self-interested behavior in theory, pay-it-forward indirect reciprocity does not on its own. The present study provides neural mechanisms underlying indirect reciprocity and suggests that pay-it-forward reciprocity may not occur as myopic profit maximization but elicit emotional rewards.

Indirect effects in community ecology: Their definition, study and importance.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, S Y

1991-07-01

The diversity of indirect interactions that can occur within communities is large. Recent research on indirect interactions is scattered in the literature under numerous labels. The definition of indirect effects is an important aspect of their study, and clarifies some of the subtle differences among indirect effects found in natural communities. Choosing which species to study, how to manipulate species and for what duration, which attributes to measure and, finally, which analytical techniques to use are all problems facing the community ecologist. Ultimately, we are striving for the best means of determining the relative importance of direct and indirect effects in structuring communities. Copyright © 1991. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Preschool children's behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayuko Kato-Shimizu

Full Text Available Social indirect reciprocity seems to be crucial in enabling large-scale cooperative networks among genetically unrelated individuals in humans. However, there are relatively few studies on social indirect reciprocity in children compared to adults. Investigating whether young children have a behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity will help us understand how and when the fundamental ability to form cooperative relationships among adults is acquired. Using naturalistic observation at a nursery school, this study examined whether 5- to 6-year-olds show a behavioral tendency to engage in social indirect reciprocity in response to their peers' prosocial behavior toward a third party. The results revealed that bystander children tended to display prosocial behavior toward their peers more frequently after observing these peers' prosocial behavior toward third-party peers, compared with control situations; this suggests that 5- to 6-year-olds may have an essential behavioral tendency to establish social indirect reciprocity when interacting with peers in their daily lives. In addition, bystanders tended to display affiliative behavior after observing focal children's prosocial behavior. In other words, observing peers' prosocial behavior toward third-party peers evoked bystanders' positive emotions toward the helpers. Considering both the present results and previous findings, we speculate that in preschoolers, such positive emotions might mediate the increase in the bystander's prosocial behavior toward the helper. In addition, an intuitional emotional process plays an important role in the preschooler's behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity in natural interactions with peers.

Preschool children's behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato-Shimizu, Mayuko; Onishi, Kenji; Kanazawa, Tadahiro; Hinobayashi, Toshihiko

2013-01-01

Social indirect reciprocity seems to be crucial in enabling large-scale cooperative networks among genetically unrelated individuals in humans. However, there are relatively few studies on social indirect reciprocity in children compared to adults. Investigating whether young children have a behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity will help us understand how and when the fundamental ability to form cooperative relationships among adults is acquired. Using naturalistic observation at a nursery school, this study examined whether 5- to 6-year-olds show a behavioral tendency to engage in social indirect reciprocity in response to their peers' prosocial behavior toward a third party. The results revealed that bystander children tended to display prosocial behavior toward their peers more frequently after observing these peers' prosocial behavior toward third-party peers, compared with control situations; this suggests that 5- to 6-year-olds may have an essential behavioral tendency to establish social indirect reciprocity when interacting with peers in their daily lives. In addition, bystanders tended to display affiliative behavior after observing focal children's prosocial behavior. In other words, observing peers' prosocial behavior toward third-party peers evoked bystanders' positive emotions toward the helpers. Considering both the present results and previous findings, we speculate that in preschoolers, such positive emotions might mediate the increase in the bystander's prosocial behavior toward the helper. In addition, an intuitional emotional process plays an important role in the preschooler's behavioral tendency toward social indirect reciprocity in natural interactions with peers.

Study protocol: fit for delivery - can a lifestyle intervention in pregnancy result in measurable health benefits for mothers and newborns? A randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagedal Linda Reme

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The global obesity epidemic has led to increased attention on pregnancy, a period when women are at risk of gaining excessive weight. Excessive gestational weight gain is associated with numerous complications, for both mother and child. Though the problem is widespread, few studies have examined the effect of a lifestyle intervention in pregnancy designed to limit maternal weight gain. The Fit for Delivery study will explore the effectiveness of nutritional counseling coupled with exercise classes compared with standard prenatal care. The aims of the study are to examine the effect of the intervention on maternal weight gain, newborn birth weight, glucose regulation, complications of pregnancy and delivery, and maternal weight retention up to 12 months postpartum. Methods/design Fit for Delivery is a randomized controlled trial that will include 600 women expecting their first child. To be eligible, women must be 18 years of age or older, of less than 20 weeks gestational age, with a singleton pregnancy, and have a Body Mass Index (BMI ≥ 19 kg/m2. The women will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. The control group will receive standard prenatal care. The intervention group will, in addition, receive nutritional counseling by phone, access to twice-weekly exercise sessions, and information on healthy eating and physical activity provided in pamphlets, evening meetings and an interactive website. Both groups will be monitored by weighing (including bioimpedance measurements of percent body fat, blood tests, self-report questionnaires and hospital record review. Discussion Weight gained in pregnancy affects the health of both the mother and her unborn child, and simple models for efficient intervention are in high demand. The Fit for Delivery intervention provides concrete advice on limiting energy intake and practical training in increasing physical activity. This lifestyle intervention

Separating astrophysical sources from indirect dark matter signals

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal-Gaskins, Jennifer M.

2015-01-01

Indirect searches for products of dark matter annihilation and decay face the challenge of identifying an uncertain and subdominant signal in the presence of uncertain backgrounds. Two valuable approaches to this problem are (i) using analysis methods which take advantage of different features in the energy spectrum and angular distribution of the signal and backgrounds and (ii) more accurately characterizing backgrounds, which allows for more robust identification of possible signals. These two approaches are complementary and can be significantly strengthened when used together. I review the status of indirect searches with gamma rays using two promising targets, the Inner Galaxy and the isotropic gamma-ray background. For both targets, uncertainties in the properties of backgrounds are a major limitation to the sensitivity of indirect searches. I then highlight approaches which can enhance the sensitivity of indirect searches using these targets. PMID:25304638

Enclosed nests may provide greater thermal than nest predation benefits compared with open nests across latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Thomas E.; Boyce, Andy J.; Fierro-Calderon, Karolina; Mitchell, Adam E.; Armstad, Connor E.; Mouton, James C.; Bin Soudi, Evertius E.

2017-01-01

Nest structure is thought to provide benefits that have fitness consequences for several taxa. Traditionally, reduced nest predation has been considered the primary benefit underlying evolution of nest structure, whereas thermal benefits have been considered a secondary or even non-existent factor. Yet, the relative roles of these factors on nest structures remain largely unexplored.Enclosed nests have a constructed or natural roof connected to sides that allow a restricted opening or tube entrance that provides cover in all directions except the entrance, whereas open nests are cups or platforms that are open above. We show that construction of enclosed nests is more common among songbirds (Passeriformes) in tropical and southern hemisphere regions than in north temperate regions. This geographic pattern may reflect selection from predation risk, under long-standing assumptions that nest predation rates are higher in southern regions and that enclosed nests reduce predation risk compared with open cup nests. We therefore compared nest predation rates between enclosed vs. open nests in 114 songbird species that do not nest in tree holes among five communities of coexisting birds, and for 205 non-hole-nesting species from the literature, across northern temperate, tropical, and southern hemisphere regions.Among coexisting species, enclosed nests had lower nest predation rates than open nests in two south temperate sites, but not in either of two tropical sites or a north temperate site. Nest predation did not differ between nest types at any latitude based on literature data. Among 319 species from both our field studies and the literature, enclosed nests did not show consistent benefits of reduced predation and, in fact, predation was not consistently higher in the tropics, contrary to long-standing perspectives.Thermal benefits of enclosed nests were indicated based on three indirect results. First, species that built enclosed nests were smaller than species using

Randomised controlled trial of informal team sports for cardiorespiratory fitness and health benefit in Pacific adults.

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Biddle, Mark G; Vincent, Grace; McCambridge, Alana; Britton, Gabrielle; Dewes, Ofa; Elley, C Raina; Moyes, Simon A; Edge, Johann

2011-12-01

Rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are high among Pacific people in New Zealand. Physical activity is recommended in the prevention and management of these conditions. Community-based, 'small-sided game' group activities may be an effective and culturally appropriate way to promote physical activity within Pacific communities. To assess the effectiveness of small-sided games-based exercise on fitness and health parameters among Pacific adults over four weeks. Twenty untrained (13 female) Pacific adults were randomised to intervention or control. Intervention participants were offered 45 minutes of small-sided games three times per week for four weeks. Control participants were offered one-month gym membership after the trial. Primary outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂peak) and leg strength (maximal concentric force of quadriceps at 60°/second) measured at baseline and four weeks. Secondary outcomes included glycaemia, lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), and inflammatory markers. Multivariable regression models were used to assess differences between groups, adjusting for baseline values, age and gender. At baseline, mean age was 34.8 years (SD 12.6), BMI 36.3 (6.7), systolic BP 127.7 mmHg (12.1), HbA1c 6.1% (1.9), VO₂peak 2.5 L/min (0.6) and leg strength 170.0 N.m (57.4). Sixteen participants completed the trial. Change in outcomes were greater in intervention than control participants in absolute VO₂peak (0.9 L/min (p=0.003)), leg strength (17.8 N.m (p=0.04)) and HDL (0.12 mmol/L (p=0.02)). There were no other significant differences. Small-sided games appear to be a promising means for improving the health and cardiorespiratory fitness and reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Pacific adults.

The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study | van Rensburg ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusions: These results suggest that the web-based FitTrack Index may be considered an appropriate tool to evaluate exercise capacity and cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals following an aerobic training programme. Keywords: Aerobic fitness, Exercise ability, Recreational fitness, Cardiovascular fitness, ...

Transparent wide band gap crystals follow indirect allowed transition and bipolaron hopping mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feroz A. Mir

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, we carried out structural, optical and dielectric studies on micro-crystals of Oxypeucedanin (C16H14O5, isolated from the roots of plant Prangos pabularia (Mir et al. (2014 [3,4]. The obtained trend in frequency exponent (s with frequency (ω indicates that the universal dynamic response is followed by this compound. From optical absorption spectroscopy, the optical band gap (Eg was estimated around 3.76 eV and system is showing indirect allowed transition. Using Eg in certain relation of s, a close value of s (as much close obtained by fitting ac conductivity was obtained. This method was further used for other similar systems and again same trend was obtained. So a general conclusion was made that the high transmitting wide band insulators or semiconductors may follow bipolaron hopping transport mechanism.

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-08-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in Appendix A. An example problem file and its solution is given in Appendix B.

Strength and cardiometabolic risk in young adults: The mediator role of aerobic fitness and waist circumference.

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Díez-Fernández, A; Martínez-Vizcaíno, V; Torres-Costoso, A; Cañete García-Prieto, J; Franquelo-Morales, P; Sánchez-López, M

2018-02-22

The aim of this study was to analyze the mediation role of cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference in the association between muscular strength and cardiometabolic risk. A cross-sectional study involved first-year college students (n = 370) from a Spanish public university was performed. We measured weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, biochemical variables, maximum handgrip strength assessment, and cardiorespiratory fitness. We calculated handgrip dynamometry/weight and a previously validated cardiometabolic risk index. Analysis of covariance models was conducted to test differences in cardiometabolic risk values across muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and waist circumference categories, controlling for confounders. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used for the multiple mediation analysis. The relationship between muscular strength and cardiometabolic risk did not remain significant (c' = 1.76 [1.4]; P > .05) in a multiple serial bootstrapped mediation model including cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference as mediators when controlling for age and sex. According to the indirect effect, the significant paths in the model mediating this relationship between muscular strength and cardiometabolic risk index were as follows: muscular strength → waist circumference → cardiometabolic risk index (-4.899; 95% CI: -6.690; -3.450) and muscular strength → cardiorespiratory fitness → waist circumference → cardiometabolic risk index (-0.720; 95% CI: -1.316; -0.360). Both cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference mediate the association between muscular strength and cardiometabolic risk in young adults. Thus, our results place cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference as the main targets of physical activity programmes aimed at preventing cardiometabolic diseases. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

On the origins of narrative : Storyteller bias as a fitness-enhancing strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, M S

1996-12-01

Stories consist largely of representations of the human social environment. These representations can be used to influence the behavior of others (consider, e.g., rumor, propaganda, public relations, advertising). Storytelling can thus be seen as a transaction in which the benefit to the listener is information about his or her environment, and the benefit to the storyteller is the elicitation of behavior from the listener that serves the former's interests. However, because no two individuals have exactly the same fitness interests, we would expect different storytellers to have different narrative perspectives and priorities due to differences in sex, age, health, social status, marital status, number of offspring, and so on. Tellingly, the folklore record indicates that different storytellers within the same cultural group tell the same story differently. Furthermore, the historical and ethnographic records provide numerous examples of storytelling deliberately used as a means of political manipulation. This evidence suggests that storyteller bias is rooted in differences in individual fitness interests, and that storytelling may have originated as a means of promoting these interests.

Direct and indirect effects of enablers on HIV testing, initiation and retention in antiretroviral treatment and AIDS related mortality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Safarnejad

Full Text Available An enabling environment is believed to have significant and critical effects on HIV and AIDS program implementation and desired outcomes. This paper estimates the paths, directionality, and direct and indirect associations between critical enablers with antiretroviral treatment (ART coverage and to AIDS-related mortality.Frameworks that consider the role of enablers in HIV and AIDS programs were systematically reviewed to develop a conceptual model of interaction. Measurements for constructs of the model were pooled from the latest publicly available data. A hypothetical model, including latent/unobserved factors and interaction of enablers, program activities and outcomes, was analyzed cross-sectionally with structural equation modeling. Coefficients of the model were used to estimate the indirect associations of enablers to treatment coverage and the subsequent associated impact on AIDS related mortality.The model's fit was adequate (RMSEA = 0·084, 90% CI [0·062, 0·104] and the indirect effects of enablers on outcomes were measured. Enablers having significant associations with increased ART coverage were social/financial protection, governance, anti-discrimination, gender equality, domestic AIDS spending, testing service delivery, and logistics.Critical enablers are significantly correlated to outcomes like ART coverage and AIDS related mortality. Even while this model does not allow inference on causality, it provides directionality and magnitude of the significant associations.

Indirect search for dark matter with AMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goy, Corinne

2006-01-01

This document summarises the potential of AMS in the indirect search for Dark Matter. Observations and cosmology indicate that the Universe may include a large amount of Dark Matter of unknown nature. A good candidate is the Ligthest Supersymmetric Particle in R-Parity conserving models. AMS offers a unique opportunity to study Dark Matter indirect signature in three spectra: gamma, antiprotons and positrons

[Physical fitness in dependence on cardiovascular risk factors - an assessment of 20- to 30-year-old adults].

Science.gov (United States)

Sammito, S; Niebel, I

2013-01-01

Cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors are already common in the young adult population. The prevalence of obesity increases. More and more employees are not able to stand the physical demands at the workplace. In the course of increasing the statutory retirement age ("retirement with 67") more knowledge about the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their influence on the physical fitness is necessary for a wise and goal-oriented primary prevention. A retrospective analysis of survey examinations from young German soldiers in terms of prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their physical fitness was undertaken. The causes for rejection were analysed. In the group of 646 test persons (in average 23.4 years old) there were large rates of people with overweight (37.9%) and obesity (10.8%). Smoking (55.6%), hypercholesteremia (18.6%) and hypertriglyceridemia (13.3%) were also common. Apparent diseases were rare. With an increasing number of cardiovascular risk factors, the physical fitness was significantly lower. High liver enzymes, obesity and lacking physical fitness were reasons for rejection. Already in this young adult collective cardiovascular risk factors are widely spread. This reduces the physical fitness directly or indirectly. A goal-oriented primary prevention is already necessary in this collective of young employees to avoid later limitations in ability to work. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A review of Indirect Matrix Converter Topologies

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Salem Rahmani

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract—Matrix Converter (MC is a modern direct AC/AC electrical power converter without dc-link capacitor. MC is operated in four quadrant, assuring a control of the output voltage, amplitude and frequency. The matrix converter has recently attracted significant attention among researchers and it has become increasing attractive for applications of wind energy conversion, military power supplies, induction motor drives, etc. Recently, different MC topologies have been proposed and developed which have their own advantages and disadvantages. Matrix converter can be classified as direct and indirect structures. The direct one has been elaborated in previous work. In this paper the indirect MCs are reviewed. Different characteristics of the indirect MC topologies are mentioned to show the strengths and weaknesses of such converter topologies.

Indirect Control for Demand Side Management – A Conceptual Introduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heussen, Kai; You, Shi; Biegel, Benjamin

2012-01-01

The concept of “indirect control” has become a relevant discussion term in relation to activation distributed and small-scale demand and generation units to provide resources for power system balancing. The term and its association with price signals has, however caused some confusion as to its...... correct definition, either as a control or a market concept. This paper aims to provide a conceptual introduction to "indirect control" for management of small and distributed demand side resources. A review of control concepts and an analysis of "indirectness" features are provided to create a framework...... for systematic classification of indirect control strategies. The concepts developed then enable a discussion of control performance and valuation of direct- and indirect control strategies....

Physical Fitness Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdes, Alice

This document presents baseline data on physical fitness that provides an outline for assessing the physical fitness of students. It consists of 4 tasks and a 13-item questionnaire on fitness-related behaviors. The fitness test evaluates cardiorespiratory endurance by a steady state jog; muscular strength and endurance with a two-minute bent-knee…

The Influence of Direct and Indirect Speech on Source Memory

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Anita Eerland

2018-02-01

Full Text Available People perceive the same situation described in direct speech (e.g., John said, “I like the food at this restaurant” as more vivid and perceptually engaging than described in indirect speech (e.g., John said that he likes the food at the restaurant. So, if direct speech enhances the perception of vividness relative to indirect speech, what are the effects of using indirect speech? In four experiments, we examined whether the use of direct and indirect speech influences the comprehender’s memory for the identity of the speaker. Participants read a direct or an indirect speech version of a story and then addressed statements to one of the four protagonists of the story in a memory task. We found better source memory at the level of protagonist gender after indirect than direct speech (Exp. 1–3. When the story was rewritten to make the protagonists more distinctive, we also found an effect of speech type on source memory at the level of the individual, with better memory after indirect than direct speech (Exp. 3–4. Memory for the content of the story, however, was not influenced by speech type (Exp. 4. While previous research showed that direct speech may enhance memory for how something was said, we conclude that indirect speech enhances memory for who said what.

A more active lifestyle in persons with a recent spinal cord injury benefits physical fitness and health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nooijen, C. F. J.; de Groot, S.; Bergen, M. P.; Stam, H. J.; Bussmann, J. B. J.; van den Berg-Emons, R. J.; Postma, K.

Study design: A prospective cohort study. Objectives: To study the longitudinal relationship between objectively measured everyday physical activity level, and physical fitness and lipid profile in persons with a recent spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: A rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands

A more active lifestyle in persons with a recent spinal cord injury benefits physical fitness and health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.F.J. Nooijen (Carla); S. de Groot (Sonja); K. Postma (Karin); M.P. Bergen (Michael); H.J. Stam (Henk); J.B.J. Bussmann (Hans); H.J.G. van den Berg-Emons (Rita)

2012-01-01

textabstractStudy design:A prospective cohort study. Objectives:To study the longitudinal relationship between objectively measured everyday physical activity level, and physical fitness and lipid profile in persons with a recent spinal cord injury (SCI).Setting:A rehabilitation centre in the

Indirect self-destructiveness in individuals with schizophrenia

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Konstantinos Tsirigotis

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore the indirect self-destructiveness syndrome in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Two hundred individuals with paranoid schizophrenia (117 men and 83 women, mean age 37.15 years, all in remission, were examined using the Polish version of the Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale. Two hundred well-matched healthy individuals served as a control group. Results: The intensity of indirect self-destructiveness was greater in the schizophrenia group than in controls. The intensity of each manifestation was as follows (in decreasing order: helplessness and passiveness in the face of difficulties (A5, personal and social neglects (A3, lack of planfulness (A4, poor health maintenance (A2, transgression and risk (A1. Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia displayed more behaviors that were indirectly self-destructive than healthy controls; they scored better than healthy controls only on caring for their own health. The patients showed the lowest intensity of behaviors connected with the active form of indirect self-destructiveness, and the highest intensity of behaviors connected with the passive form. These findings may enable delivery of more effective forms of pharmacological and psychosocial help to patients with schizophrenia.

Epidemic spreading through direct and indirect interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganguly, Niloy; Krueger, Tyll; Mukherjee, Animesh; Saha, Sudipta

2014-09-01

In this paper we study the susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic dynamics, considering a specialized setting where popular places (termed passive entities) are visited by agents (termed active entities). We consider two types of spreading dynamics: direct spreading, where the active entities infect each other while visiting the passive entities, and indirect spreading, where the passive entities act as carriers and the infection is spread via them. We investigate in particular the effect of selection strategy, i.e., the way passive entities are chosen, in the spread of epidemics. We introduce a mathematical framework to study the effect of an arbitrary selection strategy and derive formulas for prevalence, extinction probabilities, and epidemic thresholds for both indirect and direct spreading. We also obtain a very simple relationship between the extinction probability and the prevalence. We pay special attention to preferential selection and derive exact formulas. The analysis reveals that an increase in the diversity in the selection process lowers the epidemic thresholds. Comparing the direct and indirect spreading, we identify regions in the parameter space where the prevalence of the indirect spreading is higher than the direct one.

An indecent proposal: the dual functions of indirect speech.

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Chakroff, Aleksandr; Thomas, Kyle A; Haque, Omar S; Young, Liane

2015-01-01

People often use indirect speech, for example, when trying to bribe a police officer by asking whether there might be "a way to take care of things without all the paperwork." Recent game theoretic accounts suggest that a speaker uses indirect speech to reduce public accountability for socially risky behaviors. The present studies examine a secondary function of indirect speech use: increasing the perceived moral permissibility of an action. Participants report that indirect speech is associated with reduced accountability for unethical behavior, as well as increased moral permissibility and increased likelihood of unethical behavior. Importantly, moral permissibility was a stronger mediator of the effect of indirect speech on likelihood of action, for judgments of one's own versus others' unethical action. In sum, the motorist who bribes the police officer with winks and nudges may not only avoid public punishment but also maintain the sense that his actions are morally permissible. Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Relationship of functional fitness with daily steps in community-dwelling older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

de Melo, Lucelia Luna; Menec, Verena H; Ready, A Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Walking is the main type of physical activity among community-dwelling older adults and it is associated with various health benefits. However, there is limited evidence about the relationship between functional fitness and walking performed under independent living conditions among older adults. This study examined the relationship between functional fitness and steps walked per day among older adults, both assessed objectively, with performance-based measures accounting for the effect of age, gender, and chronic conditions. In this cross-sectional study, 60 participants aged 65 years or older (mean = 76.9 ± 7.3 years, range 65-92 years) wore pedometers for 3 consecutive days. Functional fitness was measured using the Functional Fitness Test (lower and upper body strength, endurance, lower and upper body flexibility, agility/balance). The outcome measure was the mean number of steps walked for 3 days with participants classified into tertiles: low walkers (age, gender, and the number of chronic conditions, none of the functional fitness parameters was significantly associated with steps taken per day when comparing medium walkers with low walkers. In contrast, all functional fitness parameters, except upper body flexibility, were significantly associated with steps taken per day when comparing high walkers with low walkers. In this sample of older adults, greater functional fitness was associated only with relatively high levels of walking involving 6500 steps per day or more. It was not related to medium walking levels. The findings point to the importance of interventions to maintain or enhance functional fitness among older adults.

Physical fitness and amount of asthma and asthma-like symptoms from childhood to adulthood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guldberg-Møller, Jørgen; Hancox, Bob; Mikkelsen, Dennis

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The potential benefits of physical activity on the development of respiratory symptoms are not well known. The present study investigated the longitudinal association between physical fitness and the development of asthma-like symptoms from childhood to adulthood in a longitudinal...... community-based study. METHODS: Participants were assessed at ages 9, 15, 20 and 29 years. Asthma-like symptoms and physical fitness was assessed at each age. RESULTS: Tracking for physical fitness was high from age 9 to 29 years. Using logistic regression, high physical fitness at age 9 predicted a lower...... prevalence of asthma-like symptoms at ages 9, 20 and 29 years. Asthma at age 9 and female sex and smoking at any age were also independently associated with the presence of asthma-like symptoms. Our findings suggest that the risk for the development of asthma is reduced by 3% and of asthma-like symptoms...

Fitness Trade-Offs in Competence Differentiation of Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yüksel, Melih; Power, Jeffrey J; Ribbe, Jan; Volkmann, Thorsten; Maier, Berenike

2016-01-01

In the stationary phase, Bacillus subtilis differentiates stochastically and transiently into the state of competence for transformation (K-state). The latter is associated with growth arrest, and it is unclear how the ability to develop competence is stably maintained, despite its cost. To quantify the effect differentiation has on the competitive fitness of B. subtilis, we characterized the competition dynamics between strains with different probabilities of entering the K-state. The relative fitness decreased with increasing differentiation probability both during the stationary phase and during outgrowth. When exposed to antibiotics inhibiting cell wall synthesis, transcription, and translation, cells that differentiated into the K-state showed a selective advantage compared to differentiation-deficient bacteria; this benefit did not require transformation. Although beneficial, the K-state was not induced by sub-MIC concentrations of antibiotics. Increasing the differentiation probability beyond the wt level did not significantly affect the competition dynamics with transient antibiotic exposure. We conclude that the competition dynamics are very sensitive to the fraction of competent cells under benign conditions but less sensitive during antibiotic exposure, supporting the picture of stochastic differentiation as a fitness trade-off.

Costs and benefits of chemical defence in the Red Alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera.

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Göran M Nylund

Full Text Available A number of studies have shown that the production of chemical defences is costly in terrestrial vascular plants. However, these studies do not necessarily reflect the costs of defence production in macroalgae, due to structural and functional differences between vascular plants and macroalgae. Using a specific culturing technique, we experimentally manipulated the defence production in the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera to examine if the defence is costly in terms of growth. Furthermore, we tested if the defence provides fitness benefits by reducing harmful bacterial colonisation of the alga. Costly defences should provide benefits to the producer in order to be maintained in natural populations, but such benefits through protection against harmful bacterial colonisation have rarely been documented in macroalgae. We found that algae with experimentally impaired defence production, but with an externally controlled epibacterial load, grew significantly better than algae with normal defence production. We also found that undefended algae exposed to a natural epibacterial load experienced a substantial reduction in growth and a 6-fold increase in cell bleaching, compared to controls. Thus, this study provides experimental evidence that chemical defence production in macroalgae is costly, but that the cost is outweighed by fitness benefits provided through protection against harmful bacterial colonisation.

Indirect techniques in nuclear astrophysics: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tribble, R E; Mukhamedzhanov, A M; Bertulani, C A; Cognata, M La; Spitaleri, C

2014-01-01

In this review, we discuss the present status of three indirect techniques that are used to determine reaction rates for stellar burning processes, asymptotic normalization coefficients, the Trojan Horse method and Coulomb dissociation. A comprehensive review of the theory behind each of these techniques is presented. This is followed by an overview of the experiments that have been carried out using these indirect approaches. (review article)

Indirect techniques in nuclear astrophysics: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tribble, R E; Bertulani, C A; Cognata, M La; Mukhamedzhanov, A M; Spitaleri, C

2014-10-01

In this review, we discuss the present status of three indirect techniques that are used to determine reaction rates for stellar burning processes, asymptotic normalization coefficients, the Trojan Horse method and Coulomb dissociation. A comprehensive review of the theory behind each of these techniques is presented. This is followed by an overview of the experiments that have been carried out using these indirect approaches.

Indirect effects of domestic and wild herbivores on butterflies in an African savanna.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkerson, Marit L; Roche, Leslie M; Young, Truman P

2013-10-01

Indirect interactions driven by livestock and wild herbivores are increasingly recognized as important aspects of community dynamics in savannas and rangelands. Large ungulate herbivores can both directly and indirectly impact the reproductive structures of plants, which in turn can affect the pollinators of those plants. We examined how wild herbivores and cattle each indirectly affect the abundance of a common pollinator butterfly taxon, Colotis spp., at a set of long-term, large herbivore exclosure plots in a semiarid savanna in central Kenya. We also examined effects of herbivore exclusion on the main food plant of Colotis spp., which was also the most common flowering species in our plots: the shrub Cadaba farinosa. The study was conducted in four types of experimental plots: cattle-only, wildlife-only, cattle and wildlife (all large herbivores), and no large herbivores. Across all plots, Colotis spp. abundances were positively correlated with both Cadaba flower numbers (adult food resources) and total Cadaba canopy area (larval food resources). Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that floral resources drove the abundance of Colotis butterflies. Excluding browsing wildlife increased the abundances of both Cadaba flowers and Colotis butterflies. However, flower numbers and Colotis spp. abundances were greater in plots with cattle herbivory than in plots that excluded all large herbivores. Our results suggest that wild browsing herbivores can suppress pollinator species whereas well-managed cattle use may benefit important pollinators and the plants that depend on them. This study documents a novel set of ecological interactions that demonstrate how both conservation and livelihood goals can be met in a working landscape with abundant wildlife and livestock.

The Indirect cost of illness in Africa

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Joses Muthuri Kirigia

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The current study estimated (a the indirect costs associated with non-fatal disability and premature death across a wide range of diseases and health conditions in Africa in 2015 and (b the potential savings that could be accrued if countries were to meet the 3 health targets of the substainable development goal (SDG compared to the costs under the status quo. Methods: This study used the lost output or human capital approach to quantify the gross domestic product (GDP losses associated with the disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs lost due to all causes by age group as well as by country economic classification (Group 1: 10 high/upper-middle income countries; Group 2: 17 lower-middle income countries; and Group 3: 27 low income countries. Results: The expected indirect cost of the 704,765,879 DALYs lost in Africa in 2015 was Int$ 2,983,187,560,197. Of this amount, 25.17%, 57.84% and 16.99% were incurred by the economies of the countries comprising Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3, respectively. Of the total continental indirect cost, 36.9%, 10.5%, 13.7%, 17.0%, 7.6%, 6.8% and 7.5% were associated with people aged 0-4, 5-14, 15-29, 30-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 years or older, respectively. Most of the total indirect cost (56.61% was attributable to maternal conditions, AIDS, tuberculosis (TB, malaria, neglected tropicald diseases (NTDs, non-communicable diseases and traffic injuries. Approximately half (47% of this cost could be avoided (or saved every year if the 3 (health targets of the SDG were fully met. Conclusion: The study estimated the total indirect cost of illness due to all causes by age group and country economic classification. The annual indirect cost is substantial. The findings contained in this paper suggest that health system strengthening should focus on both rich and poor countries, people of all ages and specific disease categories.

Selection for components of complex characteristics - indirect selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haensel, H.

1984-01-01

A hierarchy of complexity exists in plant characteristics. The efficiency of indirect selection for a complex characteristic by a sub-trait depends on the heritability of the complex characteristic (hsub(c)), the heritability of the sub-trait (hsub(s)), and the genotypic correlation between sub-trait and complex characteristic (rsub(s.c)). In 1961 hsub(s)Xrsub(s.c)>hsub(c) was postulated, when indirect selection becomes more efficient than direct selection. Numerical examples for this relationship are given and a table for indirect selection for yield in wheat is elaborated. Efficiency ranking of sub-traits in indirect selection may change with climate, conditions of cultivation, the level of other sub-traits, the level of the complex characteristic already reached by breeding, and the breeding material. An example shows that regression analysis for different sub-traits on the same complex characteristic, and an estimation of the differences of the within - and the between - variety slopes, may help to select the more efficient sub-trait. In another example, where simultaneous selection was made for two polygenic characteristics, one directly and the other indirectly by two sub-traits, less than half the F 5 -lines had to be continued, when using the more efficient sub-trait. (author)

Indirect reciprocity in three types of social dilemmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Ohtsuki, Hisashi

2014-08-21

Indirect reciprocity is a key mechanism for the evolution of human cooperation. Previous studies explored indirect reciprocity in the so-called donation game, a special class of Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) with unilateral decision making. A more general class of social dilemmas includes Snowdrift (SG), Stag Hunt (SH), and PD games, where two players perform actions simultaneously. In these simultaneous-move games, moral assessments need to be more complex; for example, how should we evaluate defection against an ill-reputed, but now cooperative, player? We examined indirect reciprocity in the three social dilemmas and identified twelve successful social norms for moral assessments. These successful norms have different principles in different dilemmas for suppressing cheaters. To suppress defectors, any defection against good players is prohibited in SG and PD, whereas defection against good players may be allowed in SH. To suppress unconditional cooperators, who help anyone and thereby indirectly contribute to jeopardizing indirect reciprocity, we found two mechanisms: indiscrimination between actions toward bad players (feasible in SG and PD) or punishment for cooperation with bad players (effective in any social dilemma). Moreover, we discovered that social norms that unfairly favor reciprocators enhance robustness of cooperation in SH, whereby reciprocators never lose their good reputation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the comprehensibility and perceived privacy protection of indirect questioning techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Adrian; Waubert de Puiseau, Berenike; Schmidt, Alexander F; Musch, Jochen

2017-08-01

On surveys that assess sensitive personal attributes, indirect questioning aims at increasing respondents' willingness to answer truthfully by protecting confidentiality. However, the assumption that subjects understand questioning procedures fully and trust them to protect their privacy is rarely tested. In a scenario-based design, we compared four indirect questioning procedures in terms of their comprehensibility and perceived privacy protection. All indirect questioning techniques were found to be less comprehensible by respondents than a conventional direct question used for comparison. Less-educated respondents experienced more difficulties when confronted with any indirect questioning technique. Regardless of education, the crosswise model was found to be the most comprehensible among the four indirect methods. Indirect questioning in general was perceived to increase privacy protection in comparison to a direct question. Unexpectedly, comprehension and perceived privacy protection did not correlate. We recommend assessing these factors separately in future evaluations of indirect questioning.

Task-technology fit of video telehealth for nurses in an outpatient clinic setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Cady, Rhonda G; Finkelstein, Stanley M

2014-07-01

Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task-technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task-technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time-motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task-technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task-technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task-technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology.

Hand-held indirect calorimeter offers advantages compared with prediction equations, in a group of overweight women, to determine resting energy expenditures and estimated total energy expenditures during research screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Spears, Karen E; Kim, Hyunsook; Behall, Kay M; Conway, Joan M

2009-05-01

To compare standardized prediction equations to a hand-held indirect calorimeter in estimating resting energy and total energy requirements in overweight women. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by hand-held indirect calorimeter and calculated by prediction equations Harris-Benedict, Mifflin-St Jeor, World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations University (WHO), and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). Physical activity level, assessed by questionnaire, was used to estimate total energy expenditure (TEE). Subjects (n=39) were female nonsmokers older than 25 years of age with body mass index more than 25. Repeated measures analysis of variance, Bland-Altman plot, and fitted regression line of difference. A difference within +/-10% of two methods indicated agreement. Significant proportional bias was present between hand-held indirect calorimeter and prediction equations for REE and TEE (Pvalues and underestimated at higher values. Mean differences (+/-standard error) for REE and TEE between hand-held indirect calorimeter and Harris-Benedict were -5.98+/-46.7 kcal/day (P=0.90) and 21.40+/-75.7 kcal/day (P=0.78); between hand-held indirect calorimeter and Mifflin-St Jeor were 69.93+/-46.7 kcal/day (P=0.14) and 116.44+/-75.9 kcal/day (P=0.13); between hand-held indirect calorimeter and WHO were -22.03+/-48.4 kcal/day (P=0.65) and -15.8+/-77.9 kcal/day (P=0.84); and between hand-held indirect calorimeter and DRI were 39.65+/-47.4 kcal/day (P=0.41) and 56.36+/-85.5 kcal/day (P=0.51). Less than 50% of predictive equation values were within +/-10% of hand-held indirect calorimeter values, indicating poor agreement. A significant discrepancy between predicted and measured energy expenditure was observed. Further evaluation of hand-held indirect calorimeter research screening is needed.

Good genes and sexual selection in dung beetles (Onthophagus taurus: genetic variance in egg-to-adult and adult viability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Garcia-Gonzalez

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Whether species exhibit significant heritable variation in fitness is central for sexual selection. According to good genes models there must be genetic variation in males leading to variation in offspring fitness if females are to obtain genetic benefits from exercising mate preferences, or by mating multiply. However, sexual selection based on genetic benefits is controversial, and there is limited unambiguous support for the notion that choosy or polyandrous females can increase the chances of producing offspring with high viability. Here we examine the levels of additive genetic variance in two fitness components in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus. We found significant sire effects on egg-to-adult viability and on son, but not daughter, survival to sexual maturity, as well as moderate coefficients of additive variance in these traits. Moreover, we do not find evidence for sexual antagonism influencing genetic variation for fitness. Our results are consistent with good genes sexual selection, and suggest that both pre- and postcopulatory mate choice, and male competition could provide indirect benefits to females.

The level of physical fitness in children aged 6-7years with low birthweight.

Science.gov (United States)

Cieśla, Elżbieta; Zaręba, Monika; Kozieł, Sławomir

2017-08-01

Level of physical fitness is related to the functional status of most of the bodily functions and so it appears to be very important to identify perinatal factors influencing physical fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of birth weight on the level of physical fitness in children 6-7years of age. Physical fitness was assessed using EUROFIT tests in 28,623 children, aged 6-7years, from rural areas in Poland. Children below the 10th percentile for birth weight for gestational age were defined as small for gestational age (SGA). The influence of birth weight on parameters of fitness was assessed by means of covariance analysis. With the controls of age, sex and body size, children of low birth weight have shown significantly lower levels of body flexibility and running speed. The leg strength of children with SGA turned out to be significantly lower only in 7-year-old boys. This study has revealed the significant influence of birth weight on physical fitness. The results suggest the importance of early intervention and its possible benefits for developing and maintaining the proper level of physical fitness further in life. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tipping and Concentration in Markets with Indirect Network Effects

OpenAIRE

Jean-Pierre H. Dubé; Günter J. Hitsch; Pradeep K. Chintagunta

2010-01-01

This paper develops a framework for measuring “tipping”—the increase in a firm's market share dominance caused by indirect network effects. Our measure compares the expected concentration in a market to the hypothetical expected concentration that would arise in the absence of indirect network effects. In practice, this measure requires a model that can predict the counterfactual market concentration under different parameter values capturing the strength of indirect network effects. We build...

The Adoption of Indirect Instruments of Monetary Policy

OpenAIRE

Tomás J. T. Baliño; Charles Enoch; William E. Alexander

1995-01-01

This paper examines the experience of implementing indirect instruments of monetary policy. The experiences of country studies illustrate the variety of circumstances under which indirect instruments of monetary policy have been introduced. Case Studies are presented for Chile, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Poland.

With a little help from my kin: barn swallow nestlings modulate solicitation of parental care according to nestmates' need.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Andrea; Caprioli, M; Boncoraglio, G; Saino, N; Rubolini, D

2012-09-01

In altricial species, offspring competing for access to limiting parental resources (e.g. food) are selected to achieve an optimal balance between the costs of scrambling for food, the benefits of being fed and the indirect costs of subtracting food to relatives. As the marginal benefits of acquiring additional food decrease with decreasing levels of need, satiated offspring should be prone to favour access to food by their needy kin, thus enhancing their own indirect fitness, while concomitantly reducing costs of harsh competition with hungry broodmates. We tested this prediction in feeding trials of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings by comparing begging behaviour and food intake of two similar-sized nestmates, one of which was food-deprived (FD). Non-food-deprived (NFD) offspring modulated begging intensity depending on their nestmate's need: when competing with FD nestmates, NFD nestlings reduced both the intensity and frequency of begging displays compared to themselves in the control trial before food deprivation. Hence, NFD nestlings reduced their competitiveness to the advantage of FD nestmates, which obtained more feedings and showed a threefold larger increase in body mass. Moderation of individual selfishness can therefore be adaptive in the presence of a needier kin, because the indirect fitness benefits of promoting its condition can outweigh the costs of forgoing being fed, and because it limits the cost of begging escalation against a vigorous competitor. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2012 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Analyzing paired diagnostic studies by estimating the expected benefit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerke, Oke; Høilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Vach, Werner

2015-01-01

is of an indirect nature as test results do influence downstream clinical decisions, but test performance (as characterized by sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive values of a procedure) is, at best, only a surrogate endpoint for patient outcome and does not necessarily translate into it. Not many...... randomized controlled trials have been conducted so far in diagnostic research, and, hence, we need alternative approaches to close the gap between test characteristics and patient outcomes. Several informal approaches have been suggested in order to close this gap, and decision modeling has been advocated...... as a means of obtaining formal approaches. Recently, the expected benefit has been proposed as a quantity that allows a simple formal approach, and we take up this suggestion in this paper. We regard the expected benefit as an estimation problem and consider two approaches to statistical inference. Moreover...

The Association Between Self-Rated Fitness and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Karina Gregersen; Rosthøj, Susanne; Linneberg, Allan

2018-01-01

To assess criterion validity of a single item question on self-rated physical fitness against objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness. From the Health2008 study 749 men and women between 30 and 60 years of age rated their fitness as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. Cardiorespiratory...... fitness was estimated with the watt-max test. Agreement between self-rated and objectively measured physical fitness was assessed by Cohen's weighted kappa coefficient. Correlation was determined by Goodman & Kruskal's gamma correlation coefficient. All analyses were stratified according to gender. Data...... from 323 men and 426 women were analysed. There was a slight agreement between self-rated and objectively measured fitness in men (weighted kappa: 0.18, [95%CI: 0.13;0.23]) and a fair agreement in women (weighted kappa: 0.27, [95%CI: 0.22;0.32]). In both genders, self-rated fitness was positively...

First indirect x-ray imaging tests with an 88-mm diameter single crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumpkin, A. H. [Fermilab; Macrander, A. T. [Argonne

2017-02-01

Using the 1-BM-C beamline at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), we have performed the initial indirect x - ray imaging point-spread-function (PSF) test of a unique 88-mm diameter YAG:Ce single crystal of only 100 - micron thickness. The crystal was bonded to a fiber optic plat e (FOP) for mechanical support and to allow the option for FO coupling to a large format camera. This configuration resolution was compared to that of self - supported 25-mm diameter crystals, with and without an Al reflective coating. An upstream monochromator was used to select 17-keV x-rays from the broadband APS bending magnet source of synchrotron radiation. The upstream , adjustable Mo collimators were then used to provide a series of x-ray source transverse sizes from 200 microns down to about 15-20 microns (FWHM) at the crystal surface. The emitted scintillator radiation was in this case lens coupled to the ANDOR Neo sCMOS camera, and the indirect x-ray images were processed offline by a MATLAB - based image processing program. Based on single Gaussian peak fits to the x-ray image projected profiles, we observed a 10.5 micron PSF. This sample thus exhibited superior spatial resolution to standard P43 polycrystalline phosphors of the same thickness which would have about a 100-micron PSF. Lastly, this single crystal resolution combined with the 88-mm diameter makes it a candidate to support future x-ray diffraction or wafer topography experiments.

How within-group behavioural variation and task efficiency enhance fitness in a social group.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruitt, Jonathan N; Riechert, Susan E

2011-04-22

How task specialization, individual task performance and within-group behavioural variation affects fitness is a longstanding and unresolved problem in our understanding of animal societies. In the temperate social spider, Anelosimus studiosus, colony members exhibit a behavioural polymorphism; females either exhibit an aggressive 'asocial' or docile 'social' phenotype. We assessed individual prey-capture success for both phenotypes, and the role of phenotypic composition on group-level prey-capture success for three prey size classes. We then estimated the effect of group phenotypic composition on fitness in a common garden, as inferred from individual egg-case masses. On average, asocial females were more successful than social females at capturing large prey, and colony-level prey-capture success was positively associated with the frequency of the asocial phenotype. Asocial colony members were also more likely to engage in prey-capture behaviour in group-foraging situations. Interestingly, our fitness estimates indicate females of both phenotypes experience increased fitness when occupying colonies containing unlike individuals. These results imply a reciprocal fitness benefit of within-colony behavioural variation, and perhaps division of labour in a spider society.

The association between reality-based beliefs and indirectly experienced traumatization.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiri, Shimon; Wexler, Isaiah D; Schwartz, Isabella; Kadari, Michal; Kreitler, Shulamith

2010-12-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the association between belief types and the magnitude of indirect traumatization. Specific types of beliefs were defined in terms of the cognitive orientation theory, which is a cognitive-motivational approach to the understanding, predicting, and changing of behaviors. Belief types that were analyzed included beliefs about self, general beliefs, beliefs about norms, and goal beliefs as they relate to personal growth. Study participants included 38 rescuers (body handlers), 37 nurses, and 31 rehabilitation workers who treated injured civilians that had been exposed to politically motivated violence. The Cognitive Orientation for Posttraumatic Growth Scale was used to assess beliefs about personal growth. The Revised Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Inventory was administered to evaluate indirect traumatization. The results indicate that three of the four belief types related to personal growth were associated with the level of indirect traumatization. Optimistic and positive beliefs about self and general beliefs were associated with a lower level of indirect traumatization symptomatology, suggesting that these types of beliefs may counteract indirect traumatization. On the other hand, stronger goal beliefs were associated with greater indirect traumatization. The negative association between positive goal beliefs and indirect trauma may be related to the gap the individual perceives between the hoped-for ideals and the trauma-stricken reality. These results indicate the importance of cognitive beliefs and their possible role in determining the response to indirect traumatization.

Direct versus indirect detection of supersymmetric dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This document gathers the slides that were presented during the workshop 'direct versus indirect detection of supersymmetric dark matter'(about 30 contributions). This workshop intended to bring together people from the particle theory community, astrophysicists and cosmologists, as well as experimentalists involved in the detection of dark matter. The aim is to generate a discussion about current and future strategies for detection of SUSY dark matter (with focus, but not exclusively, on neutralinos). Complementarities between accelerator, direct and indirect searches as well as a comparison between the uncertainties in direct and indirect searches of dark matter, are supposed to be discussed. Among the issues which will be addressed are: -) the crucial questions related to the structure of galaxies (local dark matter density, clumping, anomalous velocity distributions, etc.) ; -) the possibilities offered by the present and future experimental facilities for direct and indirect (photon, neutrino) searches; -) the potential for the discovery of SUSY at LHC and beyond; and -) the parameterization of the SUSY breaking models beyond the minimal versions

Cost-benefit analysis for waste segregation at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

This report presents a cost-benefit analysis for the segregation of mixed, hazardous, and nonhazardous wastes at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The cost-benefit analysis was conducted to determine if current waste segregation practices and additional candidates for waste segregation at LLNL might have the potential for significant waste source reduction and annual savings in treatment and disposal costs. In the following cost-benefit analysis, capital costs and recurring costs of waste segregation practices are compared to the economic benefits of savings in treatment and disposal costs. Indirect or overhead costs associated with these wastes are not available and have not been included. Not considered are additional benefits of waste segregation such as decreased potential for liability to LLNL for adverse environmental effects, improved worker safety, and enhanced LLNL image within the community because of environmental improvement. The economic evaluations in this report are presented on a Lab-wide basis. All hazardous wastes generated by a program are turned over to the Hazardous Waste Management (HWM) group, which is responsible for the storage, treatment, or disposal of these wastes and funded funded directly for this work

Mind, Body, and Spirit: The Benefits of Martial Arts Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Karrie P.

1997-01-01

Explains how martial arts, specifically karate, can benefit today's youth. States that karate promotes physical fitness, and also helps students learn to relax and calm their bodies, develop strong mind/body connections, and enhance mental calmness. Karate students also show increased self-esteem, attain goals, and develop an understanding of…

Theoretical and testing performance of an innovative indirect evaporative chiller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Yi; Xie, Xiaoyun [Department of Building Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

2010-12-15

An indirect evaporative chiller is a device used to produce chilled water at a temperature between the wet bulb temperature and dew point of the outdoor air, which can be used in building HVAC systems. This article presents a theoretical analysis and practical performance of an innovative indirect evaporative chiller. First, the process of the indirect evaporative chiller is introduced; then, the matching characteristics of the process are presented and analyzed. It can be shown that the process that produces cold water by using dry air is a nearly-reversible process, so the ideal produced chilled water temperature of the indirect evaporative chiller can be set close to the dew point temperature of the chiller's inlet air. After the indirect evaporative chiller was designed, simulations were done to analyze the output water temperature, the cooling efficiency relative to the inlet dew point temperature, and the COP that the chiller can performance. The first installation of the indirect evaporative chiller of this kind has been run for 5 years in a building in the city of Shihezi. The tested output water temperature of the chiller is around 14-20 C, which is just in between of the outdoor wet bulb temperature and dew point. The tested COP{sub r,s} of the developed indirect evaporative chiller reaches 9.1. Compared with ordinary air conditioning systems, the indirect evaporative chiller can save more than 40% in energy consumption due to the fact that the only energy consumed is from pumps and fans. An added bonus is that the indirect evaporative chiller uses no CFCs that pollute to the aerosphere. The tested internal parameters, such as the water-air flow rate ratio and heat transfer area for each heat transfer process inside the chiller, were analyzed and compared with designed values. The tested indoor air conditions, with a room temperature of 23-27 C and relative humidity of 50-70%, proved that the developed practical indirect evaporative chiller

FItness programy a individuální přístup ve fitness

OpenAIRE

Rambous, Milan

2008-01-01

Souhrn: Tato diplomová práce se zabývá problematikou fitness programů a individuálru'ho přístupu ve fitness centrech. Celé téma zahrnuje rozpracování postupu při vytváření fitness programů a roli osobního trenéra ve fitness. Dále jsou zde uvedeny specifika některých fitness programů a v empirické části pak příklad dvou individuálních fitness programů. Název práce: Fitness programy a individuálnípřístup ve fitness Title: FITNESS PROGRAMS AND INDIVIDUAL CARE IN FITNESS Cíle práce: 1. podrobný p...

Fitness Trade-offs Result in the Illusion of Social Success.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Jason B; Howie, Jennifer A; Parkinson, Katie; Gruenheit, Nicole; Melo, Diogo; Rozen, Daniel; Thompson, Christopher R L

2015-04-20

Cooperation is ubiquitous across the tree of life, from simple microbes to the complex social systems of animals. Individuals cooperate by engaging in costly behaviors that can be exploited by other individuals who benefit by avoiding these associated costs. Thus, if successful exploitation of social partners during cooperative interactions increases relative fitness, then we expect selection to lead to the emergence of a single optimal winning strategy in which individuals maximize their gain from cooperation while minimizing their associated costs. Such social "cheating" appears to be widespread in nature, including in several microbial systems, but despite the fitness advantages favoring social cheating, populations tend to harbor significant variation in social success rather than a single optimal winning strategy. Using the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, we provide a possible explanation for the coexistence of such variation. We find that genotypes typically designated as "cheaters" because they produce a disproportionate number of spores in chimeric fruiting bodies do not actually gain higher fitness as a result of this apparent advantage because they produce smaller, less viable spores than putative "losers." As a consequence of this trade-off between spore number and viability, genotypes with different spore production strategies, which give the appearance of differential social success, ultimately have similar realized fitness. These findings highlight the limitations of using single fitness proxies in evolutionary studies and suggest that interpreting social trait variation in terms of strategies like cheating or cooperating may be misleading unless these behaviors are considered in the context of the true multidimensional nature of fitness. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

System markets: Indirect network effects in action, or inaction?

OpenAIRE

Binken, Jeroen

2010-01-01

textabstractIn this dissertation, I empirically examine system markets up close. More specifically I examine indirect network effects, both demand-side and supply-side indirect network effects. Indirect network effects are the source of positive feedback in system markets, or so network effect theory tells us. Systems are composed of complementary and interdependent products, such as hardware and software. For instance, a video game system is composed of the video game console, on the one han...

Indirect detection methods: Looking for what is not there

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeung, E.S.

1989-01-01

Indirect detection allows one to monitor species that normally do not give a response. It has grown from an intellectual curiosity to become an extremely useful tool. For volume displacement, polarimetry gives the best results. For charge displacement, ion chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis are ideal situations for applying indirect fluorescence detection. LOD surpasses all but the most specialized detection schemes. Future developments in systems specially designed for indirect detection should make these schemes even more powerful

Computer code FIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohmann, D.; Koehler, T.

1987-02-01

This is a description of the computer code FIT, written in FORTRAN-77 for a PDP 11/34. FIT is an interactive program to decude position, width and intensity of lines of X-ray spectra (max. length of 4K channels). The lines (max. 30 lines per fit) may have Gauss- or Voigt-profile, as well as exponential tails. Spectrum and fit can be displayed on a Tektronix terminal. (orig.) [de

Cognitive screening of older drivers does not produce safety benefits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siren, Anu Kristiina; Meng, Annette

2012-01-01

Although screening policies for older drivers based on chronological age are widely used in many countries, previous research has shown that increasing age does not cause higher crash rates and that consequently, chronological age per se is at best only a weak predictor of safe driving performanc...... is an example of a political measure that intuitively makes sense, but fails to produce the desired benefits. On the contrary, on a system level, it decreases the overall safety and is connected to various direct and indirect costs........ Previous research on age-based mandatory screening of older drivers has not been able to demonstrate any safety benefits from screening measures.The present study is a population-based evaluation of the safety effects that the introduction of the cognitive test as an age-based screening tool has had...

A Healthy Brain in a Healthy Body: Brain Network Correlates of Physical and Mental Fitness.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Douw, L.; Nieboer, D.; van Dijk, B.W.; Stam, C.J.; Twisk, J.W.R.

2014-01-01

A healthy lifestyle is an important focus in today's society. The physical benefits of regular exercise are abundantly clear, but physical fitness is also associated with better cognitive performance. How these two factors together relate to characteristics of the brain is still incompletely

CONTRIBUTION OF INDIRECT TAXES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHIRCULESCU MARIA FELICIA

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The work is based on the fact that at any time and in any society, taxation is regarded as undesirable for all taxpayers. The existence and it's manifestation is justified, because the operation of any company involves costs that must be covered by sufficient resources. Since ancient times, each state has adopted its own tax system, more or less perfected, as the state has experienced a greater or lesser economic and military power At the base of this work stays the fact that tax systems are a key factor influencing the overall efficiency of the economy. They determine the size tendency to save, invest and work, influencing the increase in production and employment, which is essential sights integral economic strategy, making tax reform an important component of economic reform. This paper aims to analyze the indirect taxes and their contribution to the public revenues in Romania, the purpose paper contains an analysis based on statistical series as indirect taxation is where tax harmonization was possible. Through analyzes, the paper aims to provide answers to the problem of the contradiction between the growing need for budgetary revenues, which entails a continuous amplification and diversification of taxation, on the one hand, and the need to stimulate economic development, on the other hand. The harmonization of indirect taxation had been achieved since this touches the free movement of goods and the freedom to supply services, not being able to say the same thing about direct taxation, which is why the European Community Treaty does not specify expressly the alignment of direct taxation, considering that direct taxation is a matter of Internal Policies that, for a country free option.

Replicating the EnhanceFitness physical activity program in Hawai`i's multicultural population, 2007-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomioka, Michiyo; Sugihara, Naomi; Braun, Kathryn L

2012-01-01

Despite evidence of the benefits of regular physical activity, many older adults are not physically active. Health professionals are challenged to replicate evidence-based programs to address low levels of physical activity among members of their communities. EnhanceFitness is an evidence-based group exercise program developed in Seattle to increase the strength, flexibility, and balance of older adults. Hawai`i's Healthy Aging Partnership supported the rural island of Kaua`i to select, adapt, implement, and evaluate EnhanceFitness to increase physical activity among older adult residents (75% Asian/Pacific Islander [API]). Evaluation measures of the replication of EnhanceFitness included fidelity of EnhanceFitness delivery and participants' attendance, satisfaction with the program, confidence to exercise regularly, and pre-post fitness check measures of physical performance (chair stands, arm curls, and the up-and-go test). Between July 2007 and December 2010, 223 Kaua`i residents enrolled in EnhanceFitness; 178 (80%) participated at least 4 months and completed the 4-month fitness checks. EnhanceFitness classes were offered with a high degree of fidelity, and both API and white participants significantly improved their physical performance (chair stands, t = -11.06, P program and instructors and high confidence to continue to exercise regularly. EnhanceFitness is replicable in Hawai`i and increased physical performance among API and white older adults. This case study outlines a replication process that other communities can follow.

A cross-cultural study of perceived benefit versus risk as mediators in the trust-acceptance relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Bronfman, Nicolás C; Vázquez, Esperanza López

2011-12-01

Several recent studies have identified the significant role social trust in regulatory organizations plays in the public acceptance of various technologies and activities. In a cross-cultural investigation, the current work explores empirically the relationship between social trust in management authorities and the degree of public acceptability of hazards for individuals residing in either developed or emerging Latin American economies using confirmatory rather than exploratory techniques. Undergraduates in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile and the United States and Spain assessed trust in regulatory authorities, public acceptance, personal knowledge, and the risks and benefits for 23 activities and technological hazards. Four findings were encountered. (i) In Latin American nations trust in regulatory entities was strongly and significantly (directly as well as indirectly) linked with the public's acceptance of any activity or technology. In developed countries trust and acceptability are essentially linked indirectly (through perceived risk and perceived benefit). (ii) Lack of knowledge strengthened the magnitude and statistical significance of the trust-acceptability relationship in both developed and developing countries. (iii) For high levels of claimed knowledge, the impact on the trust-acceptability relationship varied depending upon the origin of the sample. (iv) Confirmatory analysis revealed the relative importance of perceived benefit over perceived risk in meditating the trust-acceptability causal chain. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Achieving social-ecological fit through bottom-up collaborative governance: an empirical investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela M. Guerrero

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Significant benefits can arise from collaborative forms of governance that foster self-organization and flexibility. Likewise, governance systems that fit with the extent and complexity of the system under management are considered essential to our ability to solve environmental problems. However, from an empirical perspective the fundamental question of whether self-organized (bottom-up collaborative forms of governance are able to accomplish adequate fit is unresolved. We used new theory and methodological approaches underpinned by interdisciplinary network analysis to address this gap by investigating three governance challenges that relate to the problem of fit: shared management of ecological resources, management of interconnected ecological resources, and cross-scale management. We first identified a set of social-ecological network configurations that represent the hypothesized ways in which collaborative arrangements can contribute to addressing these challenges. Using social and ecological data from a large-scale biodiversity conservation initiative in Australia, we empirically determined how well the observed patterns of stakeholder interactions reflect these network configurations. We found that stakeholders collaborate to manage individual parcels of native vegetation, but not for the management of interconnected parcels. In addition, our data show that the collaborative arrangements enable management across different scales (local, regional, supraregional. Our study provides empirical support for the ability of collaborative forms of governance to address the problem of fit, but also suggests that in some cases the establishment of bottom-up collaborative arrangements would likely benefit from specific guidance to facilitate the establishment of collaborations that better align with the ways ecological resources are interconnected across the landscape. In our case study region, this would improve the capacity of stakeholders to

Integration of scanned document management with the anatomic pathology laboratory information system: analysis of benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Rodney A; Simmons, Kim; Grimm, Erin E; Middlebrooks, Michael; Changchien, Rosy

2006-11-01

Electronic document management systems (EDMSs) have the potential to improve the efficiency of anatomic pathology laboratories. We implemented a novel but simple EDMS for scanned documents as part of our laboratory information system (AP-LIS) and collected cost-benefit data with the intention of discerning the value of such a system in general and whether integration with the AP-LIS is advantageous. We found that the direct financial benefits are modest but the indirect and intangible benefits are large. Benefits of time savings and access to data particularly accrued to pathologists and residents (3.8 h/d saved for 26 pathologists and residents). Integrating the scanned document management system (SDMS) into the AP-LIS has major advantages in terms of workflow and overall simplicity. This simple, integrated SDMS is an excellent value in a practice like ours, and many of the benefits likely apply in other practice settings.

Indirect genetics effects and evolutionary constraint: an analysis of social dominance in red deer, Cervus elaphus.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, A J; Morrissey, M B; Adams, M J; Walling, C A; Guinness, F E; Pemberton, J M; Clutton-Brock, T H; Kruuk, L E B

2011-04-01

By determining access to limited resources, social dominance is often an important determinant of fitness. Thus, if heritable, standard theory predicts mean dominance should evolve. However, dominance is usually inferred from the tendency to win contests, and given one winner and one loser in any dyadic contest, the mean proportion won will always equal 0.5. Here, we argue that the apparent conflict between quantitative genetic theory and common sense is resolved by recognition of indirect genetic effects (IGEs). We estimate selection on, and genetic (co)variance structures for, social dominance, in a wild population of red deer Cervus elaphus, on the Scottish island of Rum. While dominance is heritable and positively correlated with lifetime fitness, contest outcomes depend as much on the genes carried by an opponent as on the genotype of a focal individual. We show how this dependency imposes an absolute evolutionary constraint on the phenotypic mean, thus reconciling theoretical predictions with common sense. More generally, we argue that IGEs likely provide a widespread but poorly recognized source of evolutionary constraint for traits influenced by competition. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2011 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Indirect taxes on food in Southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denize Mirian da Silva

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to estimate the indirect tax burden on food for ten income classes, based on income and household total expenditure in southern Brazil. Thus it can be seen as indirect taxes on foods affect the monetary income and consumption pattern of households. To reach the objectives proposed, will be used the Pintos-Payeras (2008 model. The database iscomposed by microdata from the Household Budgeting Survey (POF 2008-2009 and the tax regulations of the country and the southern states of Brazil. The results show that indirect taxes on food in Southern Brazil is regressive when based on income and expenditure of household , ie , the poorest people pay proportionately more taxes and have their consumption pattern highest taxed ICMS (Brazilian value added tax is the tax that contributes most to the regressivity.

An indirect technique for assuring simplicity and marginal integrity of provisional restorations during full mouth rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Jabbari, Youssef S; Al-Rasheed, Abdulaziz; Smith, Jesse W; Iacopino, Anthony M

2013-01-01

Full mouth rehabilitation with fixed prosthodontics can be a time- and labor-intensive process. The use of provisional restorations allows the treating clinician to determine the functional and esthetic requirements of the definitive prostheses. However, in the case of full mouth rehabilitation, the individual preparation of provisional restorations for multiple teeth may complicate the provisional phase and increase the treatment time. This article describes a method to simplify the indirect fabrication of provisional restorations for full mouth reconstruction. Provisional restorations may be easily achieved by splinting the provisional restorations in sextants, trimming them according to red pencil marks around the prepared margins as guidelines, and fitting them in the laboratory, utilizing a second set of solid casts for the prepared teeth.

Tests of α{sub s} running from QCD fits to collider data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuprash, Oleg; Geiser, Achim [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Hamburg University, Institute of Experimental Physics, Hamburg (Germany)

2015-07-01

The running of the strong coupling constant, α{sub s}(μ), is tested in a QCD analysis using jet measurements at LHC, Tevatron and HERA in combination with inclusive DIS data. Here μ is associated with the energy scale in the process, typically with the jet transverse energy. For the α{sub s} running test, the parameter n{sub f} of the running, which gives the number of active quarks contributing to loop corrections of the jet and DIS cross sections, is replaced by n{sub f} + Δn{sub f} at energy scales greater than μ > μ{sub thresh}. A series of simultaneous α{sub s}(M{sub Z}) + Δn{sub f} + proton PDF fits to world collider cross section data is done at Next-to-Leading Order QCD, for μ{sub thresh} values ranging from 1 GeV to 1 TeV. The fitted Δn{sub f} is consistent with zero at all tested scales, which gives a precise quantitative confirmation of the QCD running of α{sub s} over 3 orders of magnitude in energy scale. The presented study also provides a new way for indirect searches of the physics beyond the Standard Model.

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Customer Retention in Fitness Industry

OpenAIRE

Ilina, Aleksandra

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the most effective ways of social media marketing that can be applied for customers’ loyalty management in fitness industry, as well as particular features, benefits, and methods of these strategies. The main idea is to create appropriate guidelines for the case companies to build social bonds with customer that will positively impact on maintaining communication and retention. The data for this study were collected from several sources, such as ...

Indirect Estimation of Selected Measures of Fertility and Marital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DLHS6

2018-01-09

Jan 9, 2018 ... marital status distribution data of India especially of the 2011 census in deriving indirectly the fertility measures .... 2011 Census, Economic and Political weekly, EPW Vol. ... Indirect Estimates of Total Fertility Rate Using Child.

Indirect approach for estimation of forest degradation in non-intact dry forest

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dons, Klaus; Bhattarai, Sushma; Meilby, Henrik

2016-01-01

Background Implementation of REDD+ requires measurement and monitoring of carbon emissions from forest degradation in developing countries. Dry forests cover about 40 % of the total tropical forest area, are home to large populations, and hence often display high disturbance levels....... They are susceptible to gradual but persistent degradation and monitoring needs to be low cost due to the low potential benefit from carbon accumulation per unit area. Indirect remote sensing approaches may provide estimates of subsistence wood extraction, but sampling of biomass loss produces zero-inflated continuous...... data that challenges conventional statistical approaches. We introduce the use of Tweedie Compound Poisson distributions from the exponential dispersion family with Generalized Linear Models (CPGLM) to predict biomass loss as a function of distance to nearest settlement in two forest areas in Tanzania...

Direct versus indirect detection of supersymmetric dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

This document gathers the slides that were presented during the workshop 'direct versus indirect detection of supersymmetric dark matter'(about 30 contributions). This workshop intended to bring together people from the particle theory community, astrophysicists and cosmologists, as well as experimentalists involved in the detection of dark matter. The aim is to generate a discussion about current and future strategies for detection of SUSY dark matter (with focus, but not exclusively, on neutralinos). Complementarities between accelerator, direct and indirect searches as well as a comparison between the uncertainties in direct and indirect searches of dark matter, are supposed to be discussed. Among the issues which will be addressed are: -) the crucial questions related to the structure of galaxies (local dark matter density, clumping, anomalous velocity distributions, etc.) ; -) the possibilities offered by the present and future experimental facilities for direct and indirect (photon, neutrino) searches; -) the potential for the discovery of SUSY at LHC and beyond; and -) the parameterization of the SUSY breaking models beyond the minimal versions.

Estimating direct and indirect costs of premenstrual syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Borenstein, Jeff; Chiou, Chiun-Fang; Dean, Bonnie; Wong, John; Wade, Sally

2005-01-01

To quantify the economic impact of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) on the employer. Data were collected from 374 women aged 18-45 with regular menses. Direct costs were quantified using administrative claims of these patients and the Medicare Fee Schedule. Indirect costs were quantified by both self-reported days of work missed and lost productivity at work. Regression analyses were used to develop a model to project PMS-related direct and indirect costs. A total of 29.6% (n = 111) of the participants were diagnosed with PMS. A PMS diagnosis was associated with an average annual increase of $59 in direct costs (P increase in direct medical costs and a large increase in indirect costs.

Benefits of Exercise for the Quality of Life of Drug-Dependent Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Giménez-Meseguer, Jorge; Tortosa-Martínez, Juan; de los Remedios Fernández-Valenciano, María

2015-01-01

This study combined quantitative and qualitative research methods to evaluate quality-of-life changes in drug-dependent patients after participation in a group-based exercise program. Quality of life (SF-36) and physical fitness (six-minute Walk Test, Timed Get Up and Go Test, and Chair Stand Test) were quantitatively determined in a group (n=37) of drug-dependent patients before and after a 12-week group exercise program (n=18) or routine care (n=19). Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted at the end of the program with a subsample of 11 participants from the exercise group. Quantitative results showed improvements in fitness and different aspects of quality of life, such as physical function, mental health, vitality, social function, and general health perception. Qualitative results showed specific physical benefits (decreased injuries and muscle pain, decreased weight, and increased vitality with improvement in activities of daily living), psychological benefits (forgetting about everyday problems, improved mood, decreased stress and anxiety), social benefits, and a reduction in craving. The results of this study provide insight into the importance of exercise for the quality of life and recovery process of drug-dependent patients.

"Social Networkout": Connecting Social Features of Wearable Fitness Trackers with Physical Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yaguang; Dailey, Stephanie L; Kreitzberg, Daniel; Bernhardt, Jay

2017-12-01

Despite widespread understanding of the benefits of physical activity, many adults in the United States do not meet recommended exercise guidelines. Burgeoning technologies, including wearable fitness trackers (e.g., Fitbit, Apple watch), bring new opportunities to influence physical activity by encouraging users to track and share physical activity data and compete against their peers. However, research has not explored the social processes that mediate the relationship between the use of wearable fitness trackers and intention to exercise. In this study, we applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) to explore the effects of two communicative features of wearable fitness devices-social sharing and social competing-on individuals' intention to exercise. Drawing upon surveys from 238 wearable fitness tracker users, we found that the relationship between the two communication features (social sharing and competing) and exercise intention was mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The results suggest that the ways in which exercise data are shared significantly influence the exercise intentions, and these intentions are mediated by individuals' evaluation of exercise, belief about important others' approval of exercise, and perceived control upon exercise.

Indirect methods for reference interval determination - review and recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Graham R D; Haeckel, Rainer; Loh, Tze Ping; Sikaris, Ken; Streichert, Thomas; Katayev, Alex; Barth, Julian H; Ozarda, Yesim

2018-04-19

Reference intervals are a vital part of the information supplied by clinical laboratories to support interpretation of numerical pathology results such as are produced in clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories. The traditional method for establishing reference intervals, known as the direct approach, is based on collecting samples from members of a preselected reference population, making the measurements and then determining the intervals. An alternative approach is to perform analysis of results generated as part of routine pathology testing and using appropriate statistical techniques to determine reference intervals. This is known as the indirect approach. This paper from a working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) aims to summarize current thinking on indirect approaches to reference intervals. The indirect approach has some major potential advantages compared with direct methods. The processes are faster, cheaper and do not involve patient inconvenience, discomfort or the risks associated with generating new patient health information. Indirect methods also use the same preanalytical and analytical techniques used for patient management and can provide very large numbers for assessment. Limitations to the indirect methods include possible effects of diseased subpopulations on the derived interval. The IFCC C-RIDL aims to encourage the use of indirect methods to establish and verify reference intervals, to promote publication of such intervals with clear explanation of the process used and also to support the development of improved statistical techniques for these studies.

There is no fitness but fitness, and the lineage is its bearer

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Inclusive fitness has been the cornerstone of social evolution theory for more than a half-century and has matured as a mathematical theory in the past 20 years. Yet surprisingly for a theory so central to an entire field, some of its connections to evolutionary theory more broadly remain contentious or underappreciated. In this paper, we aim to emphasize the connection between inclusive fitness and modern evolutionary theory through the following fact: inclusive fitness is simply classical Darwinian fitness, averaged over social, environmental and demographic states that members of a gene lineage experience. Therefore, inclusive fitness is neither a generalization of classical fitness, nor does it belong exclusively to the individual. Rather, the lineage perspective emphasizes that evolutionary success is determined by the effect of selection on all biological and environmental contexts that a lineage may experience. We argue that this understanding of inclusive fitness based on gene lineages provides the most illuminating and accurate picture and avoids pitfalls in interpretation and empirical applications of inclusive fitness theory. PMID:26729925

There is no fitness but fitness, and the lineage is its bearer.

Science.gov (United States)

Akçay, Erol; Van Cleve, Jeremy

2016-02-05

Inclusive fitness has been the cornerstone of social evolution theory for more than a half-century and has matured as a mathematical theory in the past 20 years. Yet surprisingly for a theory so central to an entire field, some of its connections to evolutionary theory more broadly remain contentious or underappreciated. In this paper, we aim to emphasize the connection between inclusive fitness and modern evolutionary theory through the following fact: inclusive fitness is simply classical Darwinian fitness, averaged over social, environmental and demographic states that members of a gene lineage experience. Therefore, inclusive fitness is neither a generalization of classical fitness, nor does it belong exclusively to the individual. Rather, the lineage perspective emphasizes that evolutionary success is determined by the effect of selection on all biological and environmental contexts that a lineage may experience. We argue that this understanding of inclusive fitness based on gene lineages provides the most illuminating and accurate picture and avoids pitfalls in interpretation and empirical applications of inclusive fitness theory. © 2016 The Author(s).

Measurements of indirect C P Asymmetries in D 0 → K - K + and D 0 → π - π + decays

OpenAIRE

Aaij, R.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Adrover, C.; Affolder, A.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Alvarez Cartelle, P.; Alves, A. A.; Amato, S.; Amerio, S.

2014-01-01

A study of indirect CP violation in D0 mesons through the determination of the parameter AΓ is presented using a data sample of pp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1, collected with the LHCb detector and recorded at the center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. The parameter AΓ is the asymmetry of the effective lifetimes measured in decays of D0 and D̄â€0 mesons to the CP eigenstates K-K+ and π-π+. Fits to the data sample yield AΓ(KK)=(-0.35±0. 62±0.12)×10-3 an...

Circumventing resistance: using values to indirectly change attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Blankenship, Kevin L; Wegener, Duane T; Murray, Renee A

2012-10-01

Most research on persuasion examines messages that directly address the attitude of interest. However, especially when message recipients are inclined to resist change, indirect methods might be more effective. Because values are rarely attacked and defended, value change could serve as a useful indirect route for attitude change. Attitudes toward affirmative action changed more when the value of equality was attacked (indirect change) than when affirmative action was directly attacked using the same message (Experiments 1-2). Changes in confidence in the value were responsible for the indirect change when the value was attacked (controlling for changes in favorability toward the value), whereas direct counterarguments to the message were responsible for the relative lack of change when the attitude was attacked directly (Experiment 2). Attacking the value of equality influenced attitudes toward policies related to the value but left policy attitudes unrelated to the value unchanged (Experiment 3). Finally, a manipulation of value confidence that left attitudes toward the value intact demonstrated similar confidence-based influences on policies related to the value of freedom (Experiment 4). Undermined value confidence also resulted in less confidence in the resulting policy attitudes controlling for the changes in the policy attitudes themselves (Experiments 3 and 4). Therefore, indirect change through value attacks presented a double threat--to both the policy attitudes and the confidence with which those policy attitudes were held (potentially leaving them open to additional influence).

The cardiovascular benefits of dark chocolate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerimi, Asimina; Williamson, Gary

2015-08-01

Dark chocolate contains many biologically active components, such as catechins, procyanidins and theobromine from cocoa, together with added sucrose and lipids. All of these can directly or indirectly affect the cardiovascular system by multiple mechanisms. Intervention studies on healthy and metabolically-dysfunctional volunteers have suggested that cocoa improves blood pressure, platelet aggregation and endothelial function. The effect of chocolate is more convoluted since the sucrose and lipid may transiently and negatively impact on endothelial function, partly through insulin signalling and nitric oxide bioavailability. However, few studies have attempted to dissect out the role of the individual components and have not explored their possible interactions. For intervention studies, the situation is complex since suitable placebos are often not available, and some benefits may only be observed in individuals showing mild metabolic dysfunction. For chocolate, the effects of some of the components, such as sugar and epicatechin on FMD, may oppose each other, or alternatively in some cases may act together, such as theobromine and epicatechin. Although clearly cocoa provides some cardiovascular benefits according to many human intervention studies, the exact components, their interactions and molecular mechanisms are still under debate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global indirect aerosol effects: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U. Lohmann

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Aerosols affect the climate system by changing cloud characteristics in many ways. They act as cloud condensation and ice nuclei, they may inhibit freezing and they could have an influence on the hydrological cycle. While the cloud albedo enhancement (Twomey effect of warm clouds received most attention so far and traditionally is the only indirect aerosol forcing considered in transient climate simulations, here we discuss the multitude of effects. Different approaches how the climatic implications of these aerosol effects can be estimated globally as well as improvements that are needed in global climate models in order to better represent indirect aerosol effects are discussed in this paper.

Indirect methods for wake potential integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zagorodnov, I.

2006-05-01

The development of the modern accelerator and free-electron laser projects requires to consider wake fields of very short bunches in arbitrary three dimensional structures. To obtain the wake numerically by direct integration is difficult, since it takes a long time for the scattered fields to catch up to the bunch. On the other hand no general algorithm for indirect wake field integration is available in the literature so far. In this paper we review the know indirect methods to compute wake potentials in rotationally symmetric and cavity-like three dimensional structures. For arbitrary three dimensional geometries we introduce several new techniques and test them numerically. (Orig.)

Management of End-Stage Ankle Arthritis: Cost-Utility Analysis Using Direct and Indirect Costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Nwachukwu, Benedict U; McLawhorn, Alexander S; Simon, Matthew S; Hamid, Kamran S; Demetracopoulos, Constantine A; Deland, Jonathan T; Ellis, Scott J

2015-07-15

replacement is preferred over ankle fusion; total ankle replacement is cost-saving when indirect costs are considered and demonstrates increasing cost-effectiveness in younger patients. As indications for and utilization of total ankle replacement increase, continued research is needed to define appropriate subgroups of patients who would likely derive the greatest clinical benefit from that procedure. Economic and decision analysis Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Fitness Club

CERN Multimedia

Fitness Club

2010-01-01

Nordic Walking Please note that the subscriptions for the general fitness classes from July to December are open: Subscriptions general fitness classes Jul-Dec 2010 Sign-up to the Fitness Club mailing list here Nordic Walking: Sign-up to the Nordic Walking mailing list here Beginners Nordic walking lessons Monday Lunchtimes (rdv 12:20 for 12:30 departure) 13.09/20.09/27.09/04.10 11.10/18.10/08.11/15.11 22.11/29.11/06.12/20.12 Nordic walking lessons Tuesday evenings (rdv 17:50 for 18:00 departure) 07.09/14.09/21.09/28.09 05.10/12.10/19.10/26.10 Intermediate/Advanced Nordic walking outings (follow the nordic walking lessons before signing up for the outings) every Thursday from 16.09 - 16.12, excluding 28.10 and 09.12 Subscriptions and info: fitness.club@cern.ch  

Air Force Fitness Program. Case Studies on the Impact on Aircraft Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

reduced or avoided pain after childbirth if one is muscularly fit. Also, in menopausal women, exercise reduces the effects of osteoporosis. Post ...workforce, show that exercise and increased productivity are directly linked. The first case, covered in the New Zealand Dominion Post , directly...menopausal depression has shown to greatly reduce with participation in a regular exercise program.20 While benefits of regular exercise and healthy

The employment and income benefits of airport operation on the country in transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Huderek-Glapska