When good = better than average

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Don A. Moore

2007-10-01

Full Text Available People report themselves to be above average on simple tasks and below average on difficult tasks. This paper proposes an explanation for this effect that is simpler than prior explanations. The new explanation is that people conflate relative with absolute evaluation, especially on subjective measures. The paper then presents a series of four studies that test this conflation explanation. These tests distinguish conflation from other explanations, such as differential weighting and selecting the wrong referent. The results suggest that conflation occurs at the response stage during which people attempt to disambiguate subjective response scales in order to choose an answer. This is because conflation has little effect on objective measures, which would be equally affected if the conflation occurred at encoding.

Subspecialty Exposure in a Psychiatry Clerkship Does Not Improve Student Performance in the Subject Examination

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Retamero, Carolina; Ramchandani, Dilip

2013-01-01

Objective: The authors compared the NBME subject examination scores and subspecialty profiles of 3rd-year medical students who were assigned to psychiatry subspecialties during their clerkship with those who were not. Method: The authors collated and analyzed the shelf examination scores, the clinical grades, and the child psychiatry and emergency…

Examiner Reliability of Fluorosis Scoring: A Comparison of Photographic and Clinical Examination Findings

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Cruz-Orcutt, Noemi; Warren, John J.; Broffitt, Barbara; Levy, Steven M.; Weber-Gasparoni, Karin

2012-01-01

Objective To assess and compare examiner reliability of clinical and photographic fluorosis examinations using the Fluorosis Risk Index (FRI) among children in the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS). Methods The IFS examined 538 children for fluorosis and dental caries at age 13 and obtained intra-oral photographs from nearly all of them. To assess examiner reliability, duplicate clinical examinations were conducted for 40 of the subjects. In addition, 200 of the photographs were scored independently for fluorosis by two examiners in a standardized manner. Fluorosis data were compared between examiners for the clinical exams and separately for the photographic exams, and a comparison was made between clinical and photographic exams. For all 3 comparisons, examiner reliability was assessed using kappa statistics at the tooth level. Results Inter-examiner reliability for the duplicate clinical exams on the sample of 40 subjects as measured by kappa was 0.59, while the repeat exams of the 200 photographs yielded a kappa of 0.64. For the comparison of photographic and clinical exams, inter-examiner reliability, as measured by weighted kappa, was 0.46. FRI scores obtained using the photographs were higher on average than those obtained from the clinical exams. Fluorosis prevalence was higher for photographs (33%) than found for clinical exam (18%). Conclusion Results suggest inter-examiner reliability is greater and fluorosis scores higher when using photographic compared to clinical examinations. PMID:22316120

Results of faecal immunochemical test for colorectal cancer screening, in average risk population, in a cohort of 1389 subjects.

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Miuţescu, Bogdan; Sporea, Ioan; Popescu, Alina; Bota, Simona; Iovănescu, Dana; Burlea, Amelia; Mos, Liana; Miuţescu, Eftimie

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in colorectal cancer screening, detection of precancerous lesions and early colorectal cancer. The study evaluated asymptomatic patients with average risk (no personal or family antecedents of polyps or colorectal cancer), aged between 50 and 74 years. The presence of the occult haemorrhage was tested with the immunochemical faecal test Hem Check 1 (Veda Lab, France). The subjects were not requested to have any dietary or drug restrictions. Colonoscopy was recommended in all subjects that tested positive. In our study, we had a total of 1389 participants who met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 61.2 ± 12.8 years, 565 (40.7%) men and 824 (59.3%) women. FIT was positive in 87 individuals (6.3%). In 57/87 subjects (65.5%) with positive FIT, colonoscopy was performed, while the rest of the subjects refused or delayed the investigation. A number of 5 (8.8%) patients were not able to have a complete colonoscopy, due to neoplastic stenosis. The colonoscopies revealed in 10 cases (0.7%) cancer, in 29 cases (2.1%) advanced adenomas and in 15 cases (1.1%) non advanced adenomas from the total participants in the study. The colonoscopies performed revealed a greater percentage of advanced adenomas in the left colon compared to the right colon, 74.1% vs. 28.6% (p<0.001). In our study, FIT had a positivity rate of 6.3%. The detection rate for advanced neoplasia was 2.8% (0.7% for cancer, 2.1% for advanced adenomas) in our study group. Adherence to colonoscopy for FIT-positive subjects was 65.5%.

Average of delta: a new quality control tool for clinical laboratories.

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Jones, Graham R D

2016-01-01

Average of normals is a tool used to control assay performance using the average of a series of results from patients' samples. Delta checking is a process of identifying errors in individual patient results by reviewing the difference from previous results of the same patient. This paper introduces a novel alternate approach, average of delta, which combines these concepts to use the average of a number of sequential delta values to identify changes in assay performance. Models for average of delta and average of normals were developed in a spreadsheet application. The model assessed the expected scatter of average of delta and average of normals functions and the effect of assay bias for different values of analytical imprecision and within- and between-subject biological variation and the number of samples included in the calculations. The final assessment was the number of patients' samples required to identify an added bias with 90% certainty. The model demonstrated that with larger numbers of delta values, the average of delta function was tighter (lower coefficient of variation). The optimal number of samples for bias detection with average of delta was likely to be between 5 and 20 for most settings and that average of delta outperformed average of normals when the within-subject biological variation was small relative to the between-subject variation. Average of delta provides a possible additional assay quality control tool which theoretical modelling predicts may be more valuable than average of normals for analytes where the group biological variation is wide compared with within-subject variation and where there is a high rate of repeat testing in the laboratory patient population. © The Author(s) 2015.

Examining the Relations between Subjective Social Class, Academics, and Well-Being in First-Generation College Student Veterans

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Colbow, Alexander James

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relations between aspects of subjective social class, academic performance, and subjective wellbeing in first-generation and veteran students. In recent years, both student veterans and first-generation students have become topics of interest for universities, counselors, and researchers, as they are…

Previous Education, Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Nursing Cumulative Grade Point Average as Predictors of Success in Nursing Licensure Examinations

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Isaac Amankwaa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Success in the licensure examination is the only legal prerequisite to practice as a nurse in Ghana. However, a large percentage of nursing students who sit fail this examination for the first time. This study sought to unravel whether prior education, sociodemographic characteristics, and nursing Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA could predict performance in the licensure examinations. Methods. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana on 176 past nursing students. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 22. A logistic regression model was fitted to look at the influence of the explanatory variables on the odds of passing the licensure examinations. All statistical significances were tested at p value of <0.05. Results. Majority, 56.3%, were females and 86.4% were between the ages of 25 and 31 years. Most of the students (88.6% entered the nursing training colleges with a WASSCE qualification and 38% read general science. 73.9% passed the licensure examinations and the mean CGPA of the students was 2.89 SD=0.37. Sociodemographic characteristics and previous education had no influence on performance in the licensure examinations. CGPA had strong positive relationship with performance in licensure examinations (AOR = 15.27; 95% CI = 6.28, 27.11. Conclusion. Students CGPA could be a good predictor of their performance in the licensure examinations. On the other hand, students’ sociodemographic and previous educational characteristics might not be important factors to consider in admitting students into the nursing training programme.

Previous Education, Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Nursing Cumulative Grade Point Average as Predictors of Success in Nursing Licensure Examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Amankwaa, Isaac; Agyemang-Dankwah, Anabella; Boateng, Daniel

2015-01-01

Introduction. Success in the licensure examination is the only legal prerequisite to practice as a nurse in Ghana. However, a large percentage of nursing students who sit fail this examination for the first time. This study sought to unravel whether prior education, sociodemographic characteristics, and nursing Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) could predict performance in the licensure examinations. Methods. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana on 176 past nursing students. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 22. A logistic regression model was fitted to look at the influence of the explanatory variables on the odds of passing the licensure examinations. All statistical significances were tested at p value of <0.05. Results. Majority, 56.3%, were females and 86.4% were between the ages of 25 and 31 years. Most of the students (88.6%) entered the nursing training colleges with a WASSCE qualification and 38% read general science. 73.9% passed the licensure examinations and the mean CGPA of the students was 2.89 (SD = 0.37). Sociodemographic characteristics and previous education had no influence on performance in the licensure examinations. CGPA had strong positive relationship with performance in licensure examinations (AOR = 15.27; 95% CI = 6.28, 27.11). Conclusion. Students CGPA could be a good predictor of their performance in the licensure examinations. On the other hand, students' sociodemographic and previous educational characteristics might not be important factors to consider in admitting students into the nursing training programme.

Comparing a recursive digital filter with the moving-average and sequential probability-ratio detection methods for SNM portal monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fehlau, P.E.

1993-01-01

The author compared a recursive digital filter proposed as a detection method for French special nuclear material monitors with the author's detection methods, which employ a moving-average scaler or a sequential probability-ratio test. Each of these nine test subjects repeatedly carried a test source through a walk-through portal monitor that had the same nuisance-alarm rate with each method. He found that the average detection probability for the test source is also the same for each method. However, the recursive digital filter may have on drawback: its exponentially decreasing response to past radiation intensity prolongs the impact of any interference from radiation sources of radiation-producing machinery. He also examined the influence of each test subject on the monitor's operation by measuring individual attenuation factors for background and source radiation, then ranked the subjects' attenuation factors against their individual probabilities for detecting the test source. The one inconsistent ranking was probably caused by that subject's unusually long stride when passing through the portal

A statistical observation on some subjects in the whole body computed tomographic examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Shozo; Matsumoto, Shigekazu; Murakawa, Yasuhiro; Morimoto, Mitsuo; Nakai, Toshio

1983-01-01

Since the whole body CT (computed tomography) unit (GE, CT/T) was installed in our hospital in April, 1982, a total of 2884 cases have been examined by this whole body scanner for one year from April, 1982 to March, 1983. An analysis of the relationship between the situations of the subjects in and the results of whole body CT examination disclosed some very interesting facts. Up to the present time such a study has scarcely made. That is why we wanted to make this report. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Whole body CT examinations were performed on the patients of advanced age more frequently than on those of young age and performed most frequently on the group in the sixties. 2. The number of CT examinations performed on head and abdomen of the patients was 86.7% of a total of 2884 cases. 3. Enhanced CT examinations were perfomed on 26.1% of 2884 cases and most frequently on the group in the teens. 4. The percentage of the abnormal findings found in 2884 cases was 61.5% and this rate was higher than that shown in the reports made by us in 1980 and 1982, respectively. (author)

Duration of the pubertal peak in skeletal Class I and Class III subjects.

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Kuc-Michalska, Małgorzata; Baccetti, Tiziano

2010-01-01

To estimate and compare the duration of the pubertal growth peak in Class I and Class III subjects. The data examined consisted of pretreatment lateral cephalometric records of 218 skeletal Class I or Class III subjects (93 female and 125 male subjects) of white ancestry. The duration of the pubertal peak was calculated from the average chronological age intervals between stages CS3 and CS4 of the cervical vertebral maturation in Class I vs Class III groups (t-test). In skeletal Class I subjects, the pubertal peak had a mean duration of 11 months, whereas in Class III subjects it lasted 16 months. The average difference (5 months) was statistically significant (P < .001). The growth interval corresponding to the pubertal growth spurt (CS3-CS4) was longer in Class III subjects than in subjects with normal skeletal relationships; the larger increases in mandibular length during the pubertal peak reported in the literature for Class III subjects may be related to the longer duration of the pubertal peak.

Should the average tax rate be marginalized?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Feldman, N. E.; Katuščák, Peter

-, č. 304 (2006), s. 1-65 ISSN 1211-3298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : tax * labor supply * average tax Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp304.pdf

Aperture averaging in strong oceanic turbulence

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Gökçe, Muhsin Caner; Baykal, Yahya

2018-04-01

Receiver aperture averaging technique is employed in underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems to mitigate the effects of oceanic turbulence, thus to improve the system performance. The irradiance flux variance is a measure of the intensity fluctuations on a lens of the receiver aperture. Using the modified Rytov theory which uses the small-scale and large-scale spatial filters, and our previously presented expression that shows the atmospheric structure constant in terms of oceanic turbulence parameters, we evaluate the irradiance flux variance and the aperture averaging factor of a spherical wave in strong oceanic turbulence. Irradiance flux variance variations are examined versus the oceanic turbulence parameters and the receiver aperture diameter are examined in strong oceanic turbulence. Also, the effect of the receiver aperture diameter on the aperture averaging factor is presented in strong oceanic turbulence.

Association between objective and subjective measurements of comfort and discomfort in hand tools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijt-Evers, L.F.M.; Bosch, T.; Huysmans, M.A.; Looze, M.P.de; Vink, P.

2007-01-01

In the current study, the relationship between objective measurements and subjective experienced comfort and discomfort in using handsaws was examined. Twelve carpenters evaluated five different handsaws. Objective measures of contact pressure (average pressure, pressure area and pressure-time (P-t)

Comparison of examination grades using item response theory : a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korobko, O.B.

2007-01-01

In item response theory (IRT), mathematical models are applied to analyze data from tests and questionnaires used to measure abilities, proficiency, personality traits and attitudes. This thesis is concerned with comparison of subjects, students and schools based on average examination grades using

Comparison of parameters characterizing lumbar lordosis in radiograph and photogrammetric examination of adults.

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Drzał-Grabiec, Justyna; Truszczyńska, Aleksandra; Tarnowski, Adam; Płaszewski, Maciej

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test validity of photogrammetry compared with radiography as a method of measuring the Cobb angle and the size of anterior-posterior spine curvatures in adults. The study included 50 volunteers, 23 men and 27 women whose mean age was 52.6 years. The average weight of the subjects was 81.3 kg, average body height was 172.0 cm, and the average body mass index was 27.4. Based on radiologic examination, the length and depth of lumbar lordosis were determined and the size of the Cobb angle of lumbar scoliosis. After the radiologic examination, a photogrammetric test was performed for each subject with the projection moire phenomenon. The Pearson correlation found statistically significant associations concerning the length of lordosis (P lordosis indicated a strong trend (P = .063). This study found that the moire method of photogrammetric measurement produced similar findings to radiographic measurements in determining size of the Cobb angle and the length of lumbar lordosis. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictive value of grade point average (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), internal examinations (Block) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores on Medical Council of Canada qualifying examination part I (MCCQE-1) scores.

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Roy, Banibrata; Ripstein, Ira; Perry, Kyle; Cohen, Barry

2016-01-01

To determine whether the pre-medical Grade Point Average (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Internal examinations (Block) and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores are correlated with and predict the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I (MCCQE-1) scores. Data from 392 admitted students in the graduating classes of 2010-2013 at University of Manitoba (UofM), College of Medicine was considered. Pearson's correlation to assess the strength of the relationship, multiple linear regression to estimate MCCQE-1 score and stepwise linear regression to investigate the amount of variance were employed. Complete data from 367 (94%) students were studied. The MCCQE-1 had a moderate-to-large positive correlation with NBME scores and Block scores but a low correlation with GPA and MCAT scores. The multiple linear regression model gives a good estimate of the MCCQE-1 (R2 =0.604). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that 59.2% of the variation in the MCCQE-1 was accounted for by the NBME, but only 1.9% by the Block exams, and negligible variation came from the GPA and the MCAT. Amongst all the examinations used at UofM, the NBME is most closely correlated with MCCQE-1.

Domain-averaged Fermi-hole Analysis for Solids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Baranov, A.; Ponec, Robert; Kohout, M.

2012-01-01

Roč. 137, č. 21 (2012), s. 214109 ISSN 0021-9606 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/09/0118 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : bonding in solids * domain averaged fermi hole * natural orbitals Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.164, year: 2012

Efficacy of respiratory endoscopy on subjects requiring further detailed examinations after initial asbestos-related disease screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuoka, Kazuya; Uesaka, Ayuko; Kuribayashi, Kozo

2007-01-01

We evaluated the efficacy of respiratory endoscopy on subjects requiring further detailed examinations as a result of initial asbestos-related disease screening. The subjects consisted of 132 participants who underwent asbestos-related disease screening in our hospital between July 2005 and March 2006. According to their history of screening, the participants were classified into the initial screening group and the second screening group. The former consisted of 76 participants without prior screening, while the latter consisted of 56 participants who were referred to our hospital for the detailed examinations as a result of initial screening undergone elsewhere. The participants were examined concerning their history of asbestos exposure, and then underwent chest X-ray followed by chest computed tomography (CT). Respiratory endoscopic examinations were mainly performed in participants with suspected chest malignancies. There were no significant differences in the distribution of age or gender between the two screening groups. In both screening groups, more than 70% of the participants had a history of occupational exposure to asbestos. Radiological abnormalities were observed in 110 (83%) of all participants. Asbestos-related diseases were detected in a total of 90 (68%) cases. The breakdown of the 90 cases by disease was as follows: 60 cases had pleural plaque, 13 pulmonary fibrosis, 5 lung cancer (LC), 4 benign asbestos pleurisy, 4 round atelectasis, 2 diffuse pleural thickening, and 2 malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The disease detection rate of LC and MPM was 3.8% and 1.5%, respectively. Respiratory endoscopic examinations were performed in a total of 15 cases. The breakdown of the 15 cases by examination was as follows: bronchoscopy was performed in 6 cases, thoracoscopy including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in 8, and mediastinoscopy in 4. Two cases with early LC were diagnosed by videothoracoscopic lung biopsy. A diagnosis of MPM was

Examination stress at unified state examination: student destabilization or success factor?

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Svetlana N. Kostromina

2017-01-01

. Stress reactions were already recorded when the students read the instructions, and their number increased in the process of the examination, reaching the maximum by the end of completing the work. The analysis of subjective evaluation of the state by the students themselves reveals that they often evaluate it inadequately. Significant statistical differences were found between the levels of stress at examinations in different subjects. The highest stress level was recorded at the examination in Russian. It was revealed, that the students who chose a free strategy of completing the tasks and followed it, had fewer stress reactions than those who completed the tasks one by one. The differences in the stress levels were registered between students who got different grades: the students who were graded “good”, had the most stress reactions, those who were graded “satisfactory”, had the fewest stress reactions.The results of the study show that the General and Unified State Examinations are highly stressful events: in average, the students were under stress about one third of the time of completing the exam tasks. The given events have a significant impact on school leavers’ psychophysiological state. Additional factors were determined that cause stress reactions at the examination.

Subjectivity

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Jesús Vega Encabo

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I claim that subjectivity is a way of being that is constituted through a set of practices in which the self is subject to the dangers of fictionalizing and plotting her life and self-image. I examine some ways of becoming subject through narratives and through theatrical performance before others. Through these practices, a real and active subjectivity is revealed, capable of self-knowledge and self-transformation. 

A practical guide to averaging functions

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Beliakov, Gleb; Calvo Sánchez, Tomasa

2016-01-01

This book offers an easy-to-use and practice-oriented reference guide to mathematical averages. It presents different ways of aggregating input values given on a numerical scale, and of choosing and/or constructing aggregating functions for specific applications. Building on a previous monograph by Beliakov et al. published by Springer in 2007, it outlines new aggregation methods developed in the interim, with a special focus on the topic of averaging aggregation functions. It examines recent advances in the field, such as aggregation on lattices, penalty-based aggregation and weakly monotone averaging, and extends many of the already existing methods, such as: ordered weighted averaging (OWA), fuzzy integrals and mixture functions. A substantial mathematical background is not called for, as all the relevant mathematical notions are explained here and reported on together with a wealth of graphical illustrations of distinct families of aggregation functions. The authors mainly focus on practical applications ...

Screening applicants for risk of poor academic performance: a novel scoring system using preadmission grade point averages and graduate record examination scores.

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Luce, David

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an effective screening tool for identifying physician assistant (PA) program applicants at highest risk for poor academic performance. Prior to reviewing applications for the class of 2009, a retrospective analysis of preadmission data took place for the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008. A single composite score was calculated for each student who matriculated (number of subjects, N=228) incorporating the total undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), the science GPA (SGPA), and the three component Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores: verbal (GRE-V), quantitative (GRE-Q), analytical (GRE-A). Individual applicant scores for each of the five parameters were ranked in descending quintiles. Each applicant's five quintile scores were then added, yielding a total quintile score ranging from 25, which indicated an excellent performance, to 5, which indicated poorer performance. Thirteen of the 228 students had academic difficulty (dismissal, suspension, or one-quarter on academic warning or probation). Twelve of the 13 students having academic difficulty had a preadmission total quintile score 12 (range, 6-14). In response to this descriptive analysis, when selecting applicants for the class of 2009, the admissions committee used the total quintile score for screening applicants for interviews. Analysis of correlations in preadmission, graduate, and postgraduate performance data for the classes of 2009-2013 will continue and may help identify those applicants at risk for academic difficulty. Establishing a threshold total quintile score of applicant GPA and GRE scores may significantly decrease the number of entering PA students at risk for poor academic performance.

Examining relations between locus of control, loneliness, subjective well-being, and preference for online social interaction.

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Ye, Yinghua; Lin, Lin

2015-02-01

The unprecedented popularity of online communication has raised interests and concerns among the public as well as in scholarly circles. Online communications have pushed people farther away from one another. This study is a further examination of the effects of online communications on well-being, in particular: Locus of control, Loneliness, Subjective well-being, and Preference for online social interaction. Chinese undergraduate students (N = 260; 84 men, 176 women; M age = 20.1 yr., SD = 1.2) were questioned about demographic information and use of social media as well as four previously validated questionnaires related to well-being. Most participants used QQ, a popular social networking program, as the major channel for online social interactions. Locus of control was positively related to Loneliness and Preference for online social interaction, but negatively related to Subjective well-being; Loneliness (positively) and Subjective well-being (negatively) were related to Preference for online social interaction; and Loneliness and Subjective well-being had a full mediating effect between the relationships of Locus of control and Preference for online social interaction. The findings of the study showed that more lonely, unhappy, and externally controlled students were more likely to be engaged in online social interaction. Improving students' locus of control, loneliness, and happiness may help reduce problematic Internet use.

Dental state and subjective chewing ability of institutionalized elderly people.

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Ekelund, R

1989-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dental state of the elderly, to provide a subjective appraisal of their chewing ability and their inability to eat certain foods because of their poor dental state. The subjects were 480 residents of 24 municipal old people's homes in different parts of Finland. Of the subjects, 153 were men and 327 women, and their ages ranged from 65 to 100 years. The methods used were clinical examination and interview. The clinical examination revealed that 68% of the subjects had no natural teeth, and 22% had neither natural nor artificial teeth. The number of teeth in dentate subjects was small (average 7.6), and the condition mostly poor. Only 2% had any serviceable counterparts. 51% of the subjects wore dentures: 57 subjects in the maxilla alone, three in the mandible alone and 186 in both maxilla and mandible. 41% said that because of their teeth they were unable to eat some foods they would have liked to eat, crisp bread being mentioned most often as such a food (85% of those with chewing difficulties). Edentulous subjects and dentate subjects wearing both maxillary and mandibular dentures said more often than those without dentures that they could eat everything; those without any teeth had most often (59%) to avoid some foods. More attention should be given to the dental condition and the masticatory function of the elderly, especially of those living in institutions, to ensure that they are comfortable physically, psychologically, and socially for the rest of their lives.

Memory and subjective workload assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Staveland, L.; Hart, S.; Yeh, Y. Y.

1986-01-01

Recent research suggested subjective introspection of workload is not based upon specific retrieval of information from long term memory, and only reflects the average workload that is imposed upon the human operator by a particular task. These findings are based upon global ratings of workload for the overall task, suggesting that subjective ratings are limited in ability to retrieve specific details of a task from long term memory. To clarify the limits memory imposes on subjective workload assessment, the difficulty of task segments was varied and the workload of specified segments was retrospectively rated. The ratings were retrospectively collected on the manipulations of three levels of segment difficulty. Subjects were assigned to one of two memory groups. In the Before group, subjects knew before performing a block of trials which segment to rate. In the After group, subjects did not know which segment to rate until after performing the block of trials. The subjective ratings, RTs (reaction times) and MTs (movement times) were compared within group, and between group differences. Performance measures and subjective evaluations of workload reflected the experimental manipulations. Subjects were sensitive to different difficulty levels, and recalled the average workload of task components. Cueing did not appear to help recall, and memory group differences possibly reflected variations in the groups of subjects, or an additional memory task.

The Pulsair 3000 tonometer--how many readings need to be taken to ensure accuracy of the average?

Science.gov (United States)

McCaghrey, G E; Matthews, F E

2001-07-01

Manufacturers of non-contact tonometers recommend that a number of readings are taken on each eye, and an average obtained. With the Keeler Pulsair 3000 it is advised to take four readings, and average these. This report analyses readings in 100 subjects, and compares the first reading, and the averages of the first two and first three readings with the "machine standard" of the average of four readings. It is found that, in the subject group investigated, the average of three readings is not different from the average of four in 95% of individuals, with equivalence defined as +/- 1.0 mmHg.

An evolutionary computation approach to examine functional brain plasticity

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Arnab eRoy

2016-04-01

Full Text Available One common research goal in systems neurosciences is to understand how the functional relationship between a pair of regions of interest (ROIs evolves over time. Examining neural connectivity in this way is well-suited for the study of developmental processes, learning, and even in recovery or treatment designs in response to injury. For most fMRI based studies, the strength of the functional relationship between two ROIs is defined as the correlation between the average signal representing each region. The drawback to this approach is that much information is lost due to averaging heterogeneous voxels, and therefore, the functional relationship between a ROI-pair that evolve at a spatial scale much finer than the ROIs remain undetected. To address this shortcoming, we introduce a novel evolutionary computation (EC based voxel-level procedure to examine functional plasticity between an investigator defined ROI-pair by simultaneously using subject-specific BOLD-fMRI data collected from two sessions seperated by finite duration of time. This data-driven procedure detects a sub-region composed of spatially connected voxels from each ROI (a so-called sub-regional-pair such that the pair shows a significant gain/loss of functional relationship strength across the two time points. The procedure is recursive and iteratively finds all statistically significant sub-regional-pairs within the ROIs. Using this approach, we examine functional plasticity between the default mode network (DMN and the executive control network (ECN during recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI; the study includes 14 TBI and 12 healthy control subjects. We demonstrate that the EC based procedure is able to detect functional plasticity where a traditional averaging based approach fails. The subject-specific plasticity estimates obtained using the EC-procedure are highly consistent across multiple runs. Group-level analyses using these plasticity estimates showed an increase in

An Examination of Culturally Relevant Stressors, Coping, Ethnic Identity, and Subjective Well-Being in Urban, Ethnic Minority Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, Elizabeth M.; Vacek, Kimberly; Coyle, Laura D.; Stinson, Jennifer; Mull, Megan; Doud, Katherine; Buchheit, Christine; Gorman, Catherine; Hewitt, Amber; Keene, Chesleigh; Blackmon, Sha'kema; Langrehr, Kimberly J.

2011-01-01

This study explored relations between culturally relevant stressors (i.e., urban hassles, perceived discrimination) and subjective well-being (SWB; i.e., positive/ negative affect, life satisfaction) to examine whether ethnic identity and/or coping strategies would serve as moderators of the relations between stress and SWB for 157 urban, ethnic…

Weighted estimates for the averaging integral operator

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Opic, Bohumír; Rákosník, Jiří

2010-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 3 (2010), s. 253-262 ISSN 0010-0757 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/05/2033; GA ČR GA201/08/0383 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : averaging integral operator * weighted Lebesgue spaces * weights Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.474, year: 2010 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF03191231

Medical examination of A-bomb survivors on Nagasaki A-bomb Casualty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagawa, Masuko

1996-01-01

Medical examination of A-bomb survivors was described and discussed on history, time change of examinee number, action for subjects not examined, change of prevalence, cancer examination, examination for the second generation, and education and enlightenment. Free examination of the survivors was begun in 1953 and the present casualty was made in 1958 on the law for medical care for the survivors. Systematic examination started from 1967 and the examination for the 2nd generation, from 1974. Cancer examination was from 1988. The number of the survivors was the maximum of 82,439 in 1974 and decreased to 61,388 in 1994, when the actual number of examinees, which being rather settled recently, was 32,294 and their average age was 64 y. The examination is done by tour or at the Center. Subjects receive the information of the examination twice by mail. Hematopoietic diseases like anemia, hepatic ones, metabolic and endocrinic ones like diabetes, renal impairment and others (mostly hyperlipidemia) are increasing recently. The number of examinees for cancer is increasing. Lung cancer is examined by the direct roentgenography, gastric cancer by transillumination, and other cancers like myeloma, those in large bowel, uterus and mammary gland, by the respective suitable methods. Health education and enlightenment have been conceivably effective. (H.O.)

The Structure and Contents of the English Written Entry Examination as a Major Subject at the Department of Linguistics

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Светлана Евгеньевна Боброва

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The author of the article has been writing English entry examinations for PFUR for over a decade. In this article she analyses the structure and contents of the English language entry examination for prospective students of Linguistics at the Faculty of Philology. The requirements for the entry written test are set by the State standards of complete secondary education for foreign languages at the level of a major subject. The PFUR entry examination has always been written in accordance with recommendations of the Education and Science Ministry and the Federal Institute of Pedagogical Assessment.

Research & development and growth: A Bayesian model averaging analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Horváth, Roman

2011-01-01

Roč. 28, č. 6 (2011), s. 2669-2673 ISSN 0264-9993. [Society for Non-linear Dynamics and Econometrics Annual Conferencen. Washington DC, 16.03.2011-18.03.2011] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA402/09/0965 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Research and development * Growth * Bayesian model averaging Subject RIV: AH - Economic s Impact factor: 0.701, year: 2011 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/E/horvath-research & development and growth a bayesian model averaging analysis.pdf

Is there an agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists' job descriptions?

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Min-Hyeok; Kwon, Oh-Yun; Kim, Yong-Wook; Kim, Ji-Won; Kim, Tae-Ho; Oh, Tae-Young; Weon, Jong-Hyuk; Lee, Tae-Sik; Oh, Jae-Seop

2016-01-01

To determine the agreement among the items of the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, learning objectives of class subjects, and physical therapists' job descriptions. The main tasks of physical therapists were classified, and university courses related to the main tasks were also classified. Frequency analysis was used to determine the proportions of credits for the classified courses out of the total credits of major subjects, exam items related to the classified courses out of the total number of exam items, and universities that offer courses related to the Korean physical therapist licensing examination among the surveyed universities. The proportions of credits for clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis-related courses out of the total number credits for major subjects at universities were relatively low (2.06% and 2.58%, respectively). Although the main tasks of physical therapists are related to diagnosis and evaluation, the proportion of physiotherapy intervention-related items (35%) was higher than that of examination and evaluation-related items (25%) on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination. The percentages of universities that offer physical therapy diagnosis and clinical decision making-related courses were 58.62% and 68.97%, respectively. Both the proportion of physiotherapy diagnosis and evaluation-related items on the Korean physical therapist licensing examination, and the number of subjects related to clinical decision making and physical therapy diagnosis in the physical therapy curriculum, should be increased to ensure that the examination items and physical therapy curriculum reflect the practical tasks of physical therapists.

An examination of personality, emotional intelligence, coping, gender and subjective well-being with perceived stress (trait and state) in undergraduate students.

OpenAIRE

Osborne, Shona Elizabeth

2009-01-01

This multivariate study aimed to further understand student stress. Associations between personality, emotional intelligence, coping and subjective well-being with perceived stress (trait and state) were examined in 238 undergraduate students, using self-report measures. Gender differences in these variables were also investigated. The results showed that students low in emotional stability, extraversion, emotional intelligence, subjective well-being and those with a tendency to use emotion...

Reproducibility of blood pressure variation in older ambulatory and bedridden subjects.

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Tsuchihashi, Takuya; Kawakami, Yasunobu; Imamura, Tsuyoshi; Abe, Isao

2002-06-01

We investigated the influence of ambulation on the reproducibility of circadian blood pressure variation in older nursing home residents. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed twice in 37 older nursing home residents. Nursing home in Japan. Subjects included 18 ambulatory nursing home residents who had no limitation on physical activity and 19 bedridden residents who did not participate in physical activity. Twenty-four-hour, daytime, and nighttime blood pressure levels and their variability. The 24-hour and daytime variability of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly greater in ambulatory than in bedridden subjects, whereas nighttime variability was similar. Significant correlations in SBP averaged for the whole day, daytime, and nighttime were observed between the two examinations in ambulatory (r =.80-.83) and bedridden (r =.83-.91) subjects, but the variabilities of SBP for the whole day and during the daytime of the first measurement were correlated with those of the second measurement in bedridden (r =.67 and r =.47, respectively) but not in ambulatory (r =.39 and r =.28, respectively) subjects. Significant correlations were found between the nocturnal SBP changes at two occasions in both ambulatory (r =.50) and bedridden (r =.51) subjects, but the dipper versus nondipper profiles, defined as reduction in SBP of greater than 10% versus not, showed low reproducibility in ambulatory subjects; five ambulatory (28%) and one bedridden (5%) subjects showed divergent profiles between the two examinations. The reproducibility of blood pressure variation in nursing home residents is influenced by ambulation.

Transforming the Subject Matter: Examining the Intellectual Roots of Pedagogical Content Knowledge

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Deng, Zongyi

2007-01-01

This article questions the basic assumptions of pedagogical content knowledge by analyzing the ideas of Jerome Bruner, Joseph Schwab, and John Dewey concerning transforming the subject matter. It argues that transforming the subject matter is not only a pedagogical but also a complex curricular task in terms of developing a school subject or a…

Subjective neighborhood assessment and physical inactivity: An examination of neighborhood-level variance.

Science.gov (United States)

Prochaska, John D; Buschmann, Robert N; Jupiter, Daniel; Mutambudzi, Miriam; Peek, M Kristen

2018-06-01

Research suggests a linkage between perceptions of neighborhood quality and the likelihood of engaging in leisure-time physical activity. Often in these studies, intra-neighborhood variance is viewed as something to be controlled for statistically. However, we hypothesized that intra-neighborhood variance in perceptions of neighborhood quality may be contextually relevant. We examined the relationship between intra-neighborhood variance of subjective neighborhood quality and neighborhood-level reported physical inactivity across 48 neighborhoods within a medium-sized city, Texas City, Texas using survey data from 2706 residents collected between 2004 and 2006. Neighborhoods where the aggregated perception of neighborhood quality was poor also had a larger proportion of residents reporting being physically inactive. However, higher degrees of disagreement among residents within neighborhoods about their neighborhood quality was significantly associated with a lower proportion of residents reporting being physically inactive (p=0.001). Our results suggest that intra-neighborhood variability may be contextually relevant in studies seeking to better understand the relationship between neighborhood quality and behaviors sensitive to neighborhood environments, like physical activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Autonomic Reactions during Urodynamic Examination in Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries and Able-Bodied Subjects.

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Yu-Hui Huang

Full Text Available This study compares heart rate variability (HRV and systolic blood pressure (SBP changes of spinal cord injury (SCI patients during urodynamic study (UDS with able-bodied controls.Twenty four complete suprasacral SCI patients (12 tetraplegia and 12 paraplegia and 12 age-matched able-bodied volunteers received BP and HRV evaluation throughout urodynamic examination. We chose seven time points during the examinations: resting, Foley catheter insertion, start of infusion, and infused volume reaching 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 of maximal capacity. At each time point, electrocardiogram with a duration of 5 min was used for power spectral density analysis of HRV.Only control subjects displayed significant elevation of SBP during Foley catheter insertion compared to resting values. Both control and tetraplegic groups experienced significant elevation of SBP at maximal bladder capacity compared to resting values. Tetraplegic values were also significantly greater than the other two groups. Control subjects displayed significant elevation of low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF ratios during Foley catheter insertion and when approaching maximum bladder capacity. These findings were not seen in the paraplegic and tetraplegic groups. However, subgroup analysis of tetraplegic subjects with SBP elevation >50 mmHg demonstrated a similar LF/HF response to the able-bodied controls.Tetraplegic patients experienced BP elevation but did not experience significant changes in HRV during bladder distension. This finding may imply that different neurological pathways contribute to AD reaction and HRV changes during bladder distension. However, profound AD during UDS in tetraplegic patients was associated with corresponding changes in HRV. Whether HRV monitoring would be beneficial in SCI patients presenting with significant AD, it needs further studies to elucidate.

Evidence-Based Communication Practices for Children with Visual Impairments and Additional Disabilities: An Examination of Single-Subject Design Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Amy T.; Grimmett, Eric S.; Summers, Sharon

2008-01-01

This review examines practices for building effective communication strategies for children with visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities, that have been tested by single-subject design methodology. The authors found 30 studies that met the search criteria and grouped intervention strategies to align any evidence of the…

[Comparisons of manual and automatic refractometry with subjective results].

Science.gov (United States)

Wübbolt, I S; von Alven, S; Hülssner, O; Erb, C

2006-11-01

Refractometry is very important in everyday clinical practice. The aim of this study is to compare the precision of three objective methods of refractometry with subjective dioptometry (Phoropter). The objective methods with the smallest deviation to subjective refractometry results are evaluated. The objective methods/instruments used were retinoscopy, Prism Refractometer PR 60 (Rodenstock) and Auto Refractometer RM-A 7000 (Topcon). The results of monocular dioptometry (sphere, cylinder and axis) of each objective method were compared to the results of the subjective method. The examination was carried out on 178 eyes, which were divided into 3 age-related groups: 6 - 12 years (103 eyes), 13 - 18 years (38 eyes) and older than 18 years (37 eyes). All measurements were made in cycloplegia. The smallest standard deviation of the measurement error was found for the Auto Refractometer RM-A 7000. Both the PR 60 and retinoscopy had a clearly higher standard deviation. Furthermore, the RM-A 7000 showed in three and retinoscopy in four of the nine comparisons a significant bias in the measurement error. The Auto Refractometer provides measurements with the smallest deviation compared to the subjective method. Here it has to be taken into account that the measurements for the sphere have an average deviation of + 0.2 dpt. In comparison to retinoscopy the examination of children with the RM-A 7000 is difficult. An advantage of the Auto Refractometer is the fast and easy handling, so that measurements can be performed by medical staff.

Similarity-based distortion of visual short-term memory is due to perceptual averaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubé, Chad; Zhou, Feng; Kahana, Michael J; Sekuler, Robert

2014-03-01

A task-irrelevant stimulus can distort recall from visual short-term memory (VSTM). Specifically, reproduction of a task-relevant memory item is biased in the direction of the irrelevant memory item (Huang & Sekuler, 2010a). The present study addresses the hypothesis that such effects reflect the influence of neural averaging under conditions of uncertainty about the contents of VSTM (Alvarez, 2011; Ball & Sekuler, 1980). We manipulated subjects' attention to relevant and irrelevant study items whose similarity relationships were held constant, while varying how similar the study items were to a subsequent recognition probe. On each trial, subjects were shown one or two Gabor patches, followed by the probe; their task was to indicate whether the probe matched one of the study items. A brief cue told subjects which Gabor, first or second, would serve as that trial's target item. Critically, this cue appeared either before, between, or after the study items. A distributional analysis of the resulting mnemometric functions showed an inflation in probability density in the region spanning the spatial frequency of the average of the two memory items. This effect, due to an elevation in false alarms to probes matching the perceptual average, was diminished when cues were presented before both study items. These results suggest that (a) perceptual averages are computed obligatorily and (b) perceptual averages are relied upon to a greater extent when item representations are weakened. Implications of these results for theories of VSTM are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining the Effects of Perceived Relevance and Work-Related Subjective Well-Being on Individual Performance for Co-Op Students

Science.gov (United States)

Drewery, Dave; Pretti, T. Judene; Barclay, Sage

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between co-op students' perceived relevance of their work term, work-related subjective well-being (SWB), and individual performance at work. Data were collected using a survey of co-op students (n = 1,989) upon completion of a work term. Results of regression analyses testing a…

Model averaging, optimal inference and habit formation

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Thomas H B FitzGerald

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Postulating that the brain performs approximate Bayesian inference generates principled and empirically testable models of neuronal function – the subject of much current interest in neuroscience and related disciplines. Current formulations address inference and learning under some assumed and particular model. In reality, organisms are often faced with an additional challenge – that of determining which model or models of their environment are the best for guiding behaviour. Bayesian model averaging – which says that an agent should weight the predictions of different models according to their evidence – provides a principled way to solve this problem. Importantly, because model evidence is determined by both the accuracy and complexity of the model, optimal inference requires that these be traded off against one another. This means an agent’s behaviour should show an equivalent balance. We hypothesise that Bayesian model averaging plays an important role in cognition, given that it is both optimal and realisable within a plausible neuronal architecture. We outline model averaging and how it might be implemented, and then explore a number of implications for brain and behaviour. In particular, we propose that model averaging can explain a number of apparently suboptimal phenomena within the framework of approximate (bounded Bayesian inference, focussing particularly upon the relationship between goal-directed and habitual behaviour.

Effect of grade point average and enrollment in a dental hygiene National Board review course on student performance on the National Board Examination.

Science.gov (United States)

DeWald, Janice P; Gutmann, Marylou E; Solomon, Eric S

2004-01-01

Passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is a requirement for licensure in all but one state. There are a number of preparation courses for the examination sponsored by corporations and dental hygiene programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if taking a board review course significantly affected student performance on the board examination. Students from the last six dental hygiene classes at Baylor College of Dentistry (n = 168) were divided into two groups depending on whether they took a particular review course. Mean entering college grade point averages (GPA), exiting dental hygiene program GPAs, and National Board scores were compared for the two groups using a t-test for independent samples (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups for entering GPA and National Board scores. Exiting GPAs, however, were slightly higher for those not taking the course compared to those taking the course. In addition, a strong correlation (0.71, Pearson Correlation) was found between exiting GPA and National Board score. Exiting GPA was found to be a strong predictor of National Board performance. These results do not appear to support this program's participation in an external preparation course as a means of increasing students' performance on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination.

Subjective versus objective assessment of breast reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Henseler, Helga; Smith, Joanna; Bowman, Adrian; Khambay, Balvinder S; Ju, Xiangyang; Ayoub, Ashraf; Ray, Arup K

2013-05-01

To date breast assessment has been conducted mainly subjectively. However lately validated objective three-dimensional (3D) imaging was developed. The study aimed to assess breast reconstruction subjectively and objectively and conduct a comparison. In forty-four patients after immediate unilateral breast reconstruction with solely the extended latissimus dorsi flap the breast was captured by validated 3D imaging method and standardized 2D photography. Breast symmetry was subjectively evaluated by six experts who applied the Harris score giving a mark of 1-4 for a poor to excellent result. An error study was conducted by examination of the intra and inter-observer agreement and agreement on controls. By Procrustes analysis an objective asymmetry score was obtained and compared to the subjective assessment. The subjective assessment showed that the inter-observer agreement was good or substantial (p-value: value: fair (p-values: 0.159, 0.134, 0.099) to substantial (p-value: 0.005) intra-observer agreement. The objective assessment revealed that the reconstructed breast showed a significantly smaller volume compared to the opposite side and that the average asymmetry score was 0.052, ranging from 0.019 to 0.136. When comparing the subjective and objective method the relationship between the two scores was highly significant. Subjective breast assessment lacked accuracy and reproducibility. This was the first error study of subjective breast assessment versus an objective validated 3D imaging method based on true 3D parameters. The substantial agreement between established subjective breast assessment and new validated objective method supported the value of the later and we expect its future role to expand. Copyright © 2013 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physiotherapy Student Clinical Examinations: The Influence of Subjective Judgments on Observational Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Helen A.

1996-01-01

A study investigated the role of subjective assessment in the evaluation of physiotherapy students in clinical programs. Clinical teachers, visiting lecturers, and students recorded perceptions of daily events and interactions in journals. Analysis suggests that assessors make subjective judgments about students that influence grades, and…

Evaluation of medical examination of A-bomb survivors in cardiovascular disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, Norihiko; Matsuura, Masaaki; Kurihara, Minoru; Itoh, Chikako; Ishibashi, Shinzou; Sugimoto, Sumio.

1989-01-01

This is an analysis of 1311 death cases from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in A-bomb survivors aged 50-69 (665 men and 646 women), with the purpose of evaluating the significance of medical examination for A-bomb survivors. Control subjects consisted of 1311 A-bomb survivors dying of diseases other than CVD who were matched for sex and date of death. The commonest cause of death was cerebrovascular disease (56%), followed by ischemic heart disease (22%). An average number of participation in medical examination was 11.9 in the CVD group and 12.0 in the control group. The CVD group tended to have received detailed examinations, including serum total cholesterol, beta-lipoprotein, neutral fat, ECG, cardiothoracic radio, and glucose, as opposed to the control group receiving general examinations, such as urinary protein, urinary glucose and blood pressure. The following items showed significantly higher relative risks between the CVD and control groups: blood pressure (3.3), urinary protein (3.1), ECG (2.6), beta-lipoprotein (1.8), cardiothoracic ratio (1.9), serum total cholesterol (1.7), urinary glucose (1.6), and subjective symptoms (1.5). (N.K.)

Faecal short chain fatty acids in healthy subjects participating in a randomised controlled trial examining a soluble highly viscous polysaccharide versus control.

Science.gov (United States)

Reimer, R A; Pelletier, X; Carabin, I G; Lyon, M R; Gahler, R J; Wood, S

2012-08-01

Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced by the bacterial fermentation of dietary fibre and have been linked with intestinal health. The present study examined faecal SCFA concentrations in subjects consuming a novel soluble highly viscous polysaccharide (HVP) or control for 3 weeks. A total of 54 healthy adults participated in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects were randomised to consume HVP or control (skim milk powder). A dose of 5 g day(-1) was consumed in the first week, followed by 10 g day(-1) in the second and third weeks (n = 27 per group). The primary outcome was SCFA concentrations in faecal samples collected at baseline (visit 1, V1), at 1 week (V2) and at 3 week (V3). The reduction in faecal acetate from V1 to V3 in control subjects was not observed in subjects consuming HVP. There were no differences in propionate, butyrate, valerate or caproate concentrations. There was a significant treatment effect (P = 0.03) for total SCFA, with higher concentrations observed in subjects consuming HVP versus control. HVP is a viscous functional fibre that may influence gut microbial fermentation. Further work is warranted to examine the fermentative properties of HVP and possible links with appetite regulation and reduced serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2012 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Beyond bureaucracy and entrepreneurialism:examining the multiple discursive codes informing the work, careers and subjectivities of management graduates

OpenAIRE

Loacker, Bernadette Isabel; Sliwa, Martyna

2016-01-01

This paper examines how discursive codes and demands associated with ‘bureaucratic and entrepreneurial regimes’ of work and career organization shape the work, careers and subjectivities of management graduates. The study is based on an analysis of 30 narratives of management professionals who graduated from an Austrian business school in the early 1970s or 2000s. Its insights suggest that variegated discursive codes manifest in the graduates’ articulated professional practices and subjectivi...

A One-Electron Approximation to Domain Averaged Fermi hole Analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cooper, D.L.; Ponec, Robert

2008-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 9 (2008), s. 1319-1329 ISSN 1463-9076 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA4072403 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : domain-averaged fermi hole * comparisons Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.064, year: 2008

Perceptual learning in Williams syndrome: looking beyond averages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Gervan

Full Text Available Williams Syndrome is a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by an uneven cognitive profile and surprisingly large neurobehavioral differences among individuals. Previous studies have already shown different forms of memory deficiencies and learning difficulties in WS. Here we studied the capacity of WS subjects to improve their performance in a basic visual task. We employed a contour integration paradigm that addresses occipital visual function, and analyzed the initial (i.e. baseline and after-learning performance of WS individuals. Instead of pooling the very inhomogeneous results of WS subjects together, we evaluated individual performance by expressing it in terms of the deviation from the average performance of the group of typically developing subjects of similar age. This approach helped us to reveal information about the possible origins of poor performance of WS subjects in contour integration. Although the majority of WS individuals showed both reduced baseline and reduced learning performance, individual analysis also revealed a dissociation between baseline and learning capacity in several WS subjects. In spite of impaired initial contour integration performance, some WS individuals presented learning capacity comparable to learning in the typically developing population, and vice versa, poor learning was also observed in subjects with high initial performance levels. These data indicate a dissociation between factors determining initial performance and perceptual learning.

The use of an essay examination in evaluating medical students during the surgical clerkship.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Blair J; Rinewalt, Daniel; Daly, Shaun C; Janssen, Imke; Luu, Minh B; Myers, Jonathan A

2016-01-01

Third-year medical students are graded according to subjective performance evaluations and standardized tests written by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Many "poor" standardized test takers believe the heavily weighted NBME does not evaluate their true fund of knowledge and would prefer a more open-ended forum to display their individualized learning experiences. Our study examined the use of an essay examination as part of the surgical clerkship evaluation. We retrospectively examined the final surgical clerkship grades of 781 consecutive medical students enrolled in a large urban academic medical center from 2005 to 2011. We examined final grades with and without the inclusion of the essay examination for all students using a paired t test and then sought any relationship between the essay and NBME using Pearson correlations. Final average with and without the essay examination was 72.2% vs 71.3% (P essay examination increasing average scores by .4, 1.8, and 2.5 for those receiving high pass, pass, and fail, respectively. The essay decreased the average score for those earning an honors by .4. Essay scores were found to overall positively correlate with the NBME (r = .32, P essay examination as part of the third-year surgical core clerkship final did increase the final grade a modest degree, especially for those with lower scores who may identify themselves as "poor" standardized test takers. A more open-ended forum may allow these students an opportunity to overcome this deficiency and reveal their true fund of surgical knowledge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does a Link Exist Between Examination Performance and Lecture Attendance for First Year Engineering Students ?

OpenAIRE

O'Dwyer, Aidan

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to examine if a link exists between lecture attendance and examination performance of Level 7, Year 1, Electrical Engineering students at Dublin Institute of Technology in the Electrical Systems subject. Lecture attendance was monitored and analysed over four academic years (2007-8, 2008-9, 2009-10 and 2010-11). The average lecture attendance for students in the three academic years from 2007-10 was 55%, increasing noticeably in the 2009-10 academic year. A stat...

Feeling old today? Daily health, stressors, and affect explain day-to-day variability in subjective age.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotter-Grühn, Dana; Neupert, Shevaun D; Stephan, Yannick

2015-01-01

Subjective age is an important correlate of health, well-being, and longevity. So far, little is known about short-term variability in subjective age and the circumstances under which individuals feel younger/older in daily life. This study examined whether (a) older adults' felt age fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, (b) daily changes in health, stressors, and affect explain fluctuations in felt age, and (c) the daily associations between felt age and health, stressors, or affect are time-ordered. Using an eight-day daily diary approach, N = 43 adults (60-96 years, M = 74.65, SD = 8.19) filled out daily questionnaires assessing subjective age, health, daily stressors, and affect. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. Subjective age, health, daily stressors, affect. Intra-individual variability in felt age was not explained by time but by short-term variability in other variables. Specifically, on days when participants experienced more than average health problems, stress, or negative affect they felt older than on days with average health, stress, or negative affect. No time-ordered effects were found. Bad health, many stressors, and negative affective experiences constitute circumstances under which older adults feel older than they typically do. Thus, daily measures of subjective age could be markers of health and well-being.

Statistics on exponential averaging of periodograms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peeters, T.T.J.M. [Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN), Petten (Netherlands); Ciftcioglu, Oe. [Istanbul Technical Univ. (Turkey). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

1994-11-01

The algorithm of exponential averaging applied to subsequent periodograms of a stochastic process is used to estimate the power spectral density (PSD). For an independent process, assuming the periodogram estimates to be distributed according to a {chi}{sup 2} distribution with 2 degrees of freedom, the probability density function (PDF) of the PSD estimate is derived. A closed expression is obtained for the moments of the distribution. Surprisingly, the proof of this expression features some new insights into the partitions and Eulers infinite product. For large values of the time constant of the averaging process, examination of the cumulant generating function shows that the PDF approximates the Gaussian distribution. Although restrictions for the statistics are seemingly tight, simulation of a real process indicates a wider applicability of the theory. (orig.).

Statistics on exponential averaging of periodograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peeters, T.T.J.M.; Ciftcioglu, Oe.

1994-11-01

The algorithm of exponential averaging applied to subsequent periodograms of a stochastic process is used to estimate the power spectral density (PSD). For an independent process, assuming the periodogram estimates to be distributed according to a χ 2 distribution with 2 degrees of freedom, the probability density function (PDF) of the PSD estimate is derived. A closed expression is obtained for the moments of the distribution. Surprisingly, the proof of this expression features some new insights into the partitions and Eulers infinite product. For large values of the time constant of the averaging process, examination of the cumulant generating function shows that the PDF approximates the Gaussian distribution. Although restrictions for the statistics are seemingly tight, simulation of a real process indicates a wider applicability of the theory. (orig.)

Comparison of treatment outcome using two definitions of rapid cycling in subjects with bipolar II disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Amsterdam, Jay D; Lorenzo-Luaces, Lorenzo; DeRubeis, Robert J

2017-02-01

We examined differences in treatment outcome between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)-defined rapid cycling and average lifetime-defined rapid cycling in subjects with bipolar II disorder. We hypothesized that, compared with the DSM-IV definition, the average lifetime definition of rapid cycling may better identify subjects with a history of more mood lability and a greater likelihood of hypomanic symptom induction during long-term treatment. Subjects ≥18 years old with a bipolar II major depressive episode (n=129) were categorized into DSM-IV- and average lifetime-defined rapid cycling and prospectively treated with either venlafaxine or lithium monotherapy for 12 weeks. Responders (n=59) received continuation monotherapy for six additional months. These exploratory analyses found moderate agreement between the two rapid-cycling definitions (κ=0.56). The lifetime definition captured subjects with more chronic courses of bipolar II depression, whereas the DSM-IV definition captured subjects with more acute symptoms of hypomania. There was no difference between rapid-cycling definitions with respect to the response to acute venlafaxine or lithium monotherapy. However, the lifetime definition was slightly superior to the DSM-IV definition in identifying subjects who went on to experience hypomanic symptoms during continuation therapy. Although sample sizes were limited, the findings suggest that the lifetime definition of rapid cycling may identify individuals with a chronic rapid-cycling course and may also be slightly superior to the DSM-IV definition in identifying individuals with hypomania during relapse-prevention therapy. These findings are preliminary in nature and need replication in larger, prospective, bipolar II studies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modeling methane emission via the infinite moving average process

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jordanova, D.; Dušek, Jiří; Stehlík, M.

2013-01-01

Roč. 122, - (2013), s. 40-49 ISSN 0169-7439 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073; GA ČR(CZ) GAP504/11/1151 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : Environmental chemistry * Pareto tails * t-Hill estimator * Weak consistency * Moving average process * Methane emission model Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.381, year: 2013

State Averages

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — A list of a variety of averages for each state or territory as well as the national average, including each quality measure, staffing, fine amount and number of...

[Correlation of intraocular pressure variation after visual field examination with 24-hour intraocular pressure variations in primary open-angle glaucoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Noro, Takahiko; Nakamoto, Kenji; Sato, Makoto; Yasuda, Noriko; Ito, Yoshinori; Ogawa, Shumpei; Nakano, Tadashi; Tsuneoka, Hiroshi

2014-10-01

We retrospectively examined intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), together with its influencing factors and its association with 24-hour intraocular pressure variations. Subjects were 94 eyes (52 POAG patients) subjected to measurements of 24-hour intraocular pressure and of changes in intraocular pressure after visual field examination using a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer. Subjects were classified into three groups according to the magnitude of variation (large, intermediate and small), and 24-hour intraocular pressure variations were compared among the three groups. Factors influencing intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination and those associated with the large variation group were investigated. Average intraocular pressure variation after visual field examination was -0.28 ± 1.90 (range - 6.0(-) + 5.0) mmHg. No significant influencing factors were identified. The intraocular pressure at 3 a.m. was significantly higher in the large variation group than other two groups (p field examination. Increases in intraocular pressure during the night might be associated with large intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination.

Oppugning the assumptions of spatial averaging of segment and joint orientations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierrynowski, Michael Raymond; Ball, Kevin Arthur

2009-02-09

Movement scientists frequently calculate "arithmetic averages" when examining body segment or joint orientations. Such calculations appear routinely, yet are fundamentally flawed. Three-dimensional orientation data are computed as matrices, yet three-ordered Euler/Cardan/Bryant angle parameters are frequently used for interpretation. These parameters are not geometrically independent; thus, the conventional process of averaging each parameter is incorrect. The process of arithmetic averaging also assumes that the distances between data are linear (Euclidean); however, for the orientation data these distances are geodesically curved (Riemannian). Therefore we question (oppugn) whether use of the conventional averaging approach is an appropriate statistic. Fortunately, exact methods of averaging orientation data have been developed which both circumvent the parameterization issue, and explicitly acknowledge the Euclidean or Riemannian distance measures. The details of these matrix-based averaging methods are presented and their theoretical advantages discussed. The Euclidian and Riemannian approaches offer appealing advantages over the conventional technique. With respect to practical biomechanical relevancy, examinations of simulated data suggest that for sets of orientation data possessing characteristics of low dispersion, an isotropic distribution, and less than 30 degrees second and third angle parameters, discrepancies with the conventional approach are less than 1.1 degrees . However, beyond these limits, arithmetic averaging can have substantive non-linear inaccuracies in all three parameterized angles. The biomechanics community is encouraged to recognize that limitations exist with the use of the conventional method of averaging orientations. Investigations requiring more robust spatial averaging over a broader range of orientations may benefit from the use of matrix-based Euclidean or Riemannian calculations.

Sequenced subjective accents for brain-computer interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Vlek, R. J.; Schaefer, R. S.; Gielen, C. C. A. M.; Farquhar, J. D. R.; Desain, P.

2011-06-01

Subjective accenting is a cognitive process in which identical auditory pulses at an isochronous rate turn into the percept of an accenting pattern. This process can be voluntarily controlled, making it a candidate for communication from human user to machine in a brain-computer interface (BCI) system. In this study we investigated whether subjective accenting is a feasible paradigm for BCI and how its time-structured nature can be exploited for optimal decoding from non-invasive EEG data. Ten subjects perceived and imagined different metric patterns (two-, three- and four-beat) superimposed on a steady metronome. With an offline classification paradigm, we classified imagined accented from non-accented beats on a single trial (0.5 s) level with an average accuracy of 60.4% over all subjects. We show that decoding of imagined accents is also possible with a classifier trained on perception data. Cyclic patterns of accents and non-accents were successfully decoded with a sequence classification algorithm. Classification performances were compared by means of bit rate. Performance in the best scenario translates into an average bit rate of 4.4 bits min-1 over subjects, which makes subjective accenting a promising paradigm for an online auditory BCI.

Trajectory averaging for stochastic approximation MCMC algorithms

KAUST Repository

Liang, Faming

2010-10-01

The subject of stochastic approximation was founded by Robbins and Monro [Ann. Math. Statist. 22 (1951) 400-407]. After five decades of continual development, it has developed into an important area in systems control and optimization, and it has also served as a prototype for the development of adaptive algorithms for on-line estimation and control of stochastic systems. Recently, it has been used in statistics with Markov chain Monte Carlo for solving maximum likelihood estimation problems and for general simulation and optimizations. In this paper, we first show that the trajectory averaging estimator is asymptotically efficient for the stochastic approximation MCMC (SAMCMC) algorithm under mild conditions, and then apply this result to the stochastic approximation Monte Carlo algorithm [Liang, Liu and Carroll J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 102 (2007) 305-320]. The application of the trajectory averaging estimator to other stochastic approximationMCMC algorithms, for example, a stochastic approximation MLE algorithm for missing data problems, is also considered in the paper. © Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2010.

Post-deformation examination of specimens subjected to SCC testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gussev, Maxim N. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Field, Kevin G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Busby, Jeremy T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Leonard, Keith J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-09-01

This report details the results of post-radiation and post-deformation characterizations performed during FY 2015–FY 2016 on a subset of specimens that had previously been irradiated at high displacement per atom (dpa) damage doses. The specimens, made of commercial austenitic stainless steels and alloys, were subjected to stress-corrosion cracking tests (constant extension rate testing and crack growth testing) at the University of Michigan under conditions typical of nuclear power plants. After testing, the specimens were returned to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for further analysis and evaluation.

GI Joe or Average Joe? The impact of average-size and muscular male fashion models on men's and women's body image and advertisement effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Diedrichs, Phillippa C; Lee, Christina

2010-06-01

Increasing body size and shape diversity in media imagery may promote positive body image. While research has largely focused on female models and women's body image, men may also be affected by unrealistic images. We examined the impact of average-size and muscular male fashion models on men's and women's body image and perceived advertisement effectiveness. A sample of 330 men and 289 women viewed one of four advertisement conditions: no models, muscular, average-slim or average-large models. Men and women rated average-size models as equally effective in advertisements as muscular models. For men, exposure to average-size models was associated with more positive body image in comparison to viewing no models, but no difference was found in comparison to muscular models. Similar results were found for women. Internalisation of beauty ideals did not moderate these effects. These findings suggest that average-size male models can promote positive body image and appeal to consumers. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subjective Oral Health in Dutch Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gijsbert H.W. Verrips

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Aim: To determine whether the subjective oral health (SOH of the Dutch adult population was associated with clinical and demographic variables. Methods: A clinical examination was conducted in a sample of 1,018 people from the Dutch city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. SOH was measured using the Dutch translation of the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-NL14. Results: The average score on the OHIP-NL14 was 2.8 ± 5.9 and 51% of the respondents had a score of 0. Dental status was the most important predictor of SOH. Conclusions:  The SOH in the Dutch adult population was much better than in groups of adults in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Nevertheless, there were important variations in SOH related to dental and socio-economic status.

Mediating effect of Facebook addiction on the relationship between subjective vitality and subjective happiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Uysal, Recep; Satici, Seydi Ahmet; Akin, Ahmet

2013-12-01

This study examined the mediating effects of Facebook addiction on the relationship between subjective vitality and subjective happiness. 297 university students (157 women, 140 men; M age = 20.1 yr., SD = 1.3) were administered the Facebook Addiction Scale, the Subjective Vitality Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that Facebook addiction partially mediated the relationship between subjective vitality and subjective happiness.

Beer, Wine, Spirits and Subjective Health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønbæk, Morten; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Mygind, K.

1999-01-01

To examine the association between intake of different types of alcoholic beverages and self reported subjective health.......To examine the association between intake of different types of alcoholic beverages and self reported subjective health....

Negotiating new literacies in science: An examination of at-risk and average-achieving ninth-grade readers' online reading comprehension strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Sevensma, Kara

that students employed a variety of online reading comprehension strategies in complex and dynamic ways. Among the many strategies revealed, the group of self-regulatory strategies (planning, predicting, monitoring, and evaluating) played a significant role, influencing students' use of all other strategies for locating and generating meaning from science websites. Second, the results also suggested that patterns of strategy use could be examined as unique navigational profiles. Rather than remaining fixed, the navigational profiles of each student altered in response to tasks and research methods. Importantly, all at-risk readers revealed more effective navigational profiles on Day 3 when they were forced by design of the task to attend to project goals and employ more self-regulatory strategies. Third, the results revealed that traditional reading comprehension strategies and prior knowledge of the rainforest also influenced online reading comprehension. Specifically, the at-risk readers with the lowest reading comprehension, oral reading fluency, and prior knowledge scores were more likely than the average-achieving readers to encounter issues in online texts that resulted in constructing ineffective traversals, or online reading paths, and spending significant time investing in online reading that was irrelevant to the research project. Ultimately, this study advanced the understanding about online reading comprehension for average-achieving and at-risk readers in science classrooms, contributing to a gap in the research, suggesting implications for practice, and promoting future research questions.

Near-surface structural examination of human tooth enamel subject to in vitro demineralization and remineralization

Science.gov (United States)

Gaines, Carmen Veronica

The early stages of chemical tooth decay are governed by dynamic processes of demineralization and remineralization of dental enamel that initiates along the surface of the tooth. Conventional diagnostic techniques lack the spatial resolution required to analyze near-surface structural changes in enamel at the submicron level. In this study, slabs of highly-polished, decay-free human enamel were subjected to 0.12M EDTA and buffered lactic acid demineralizing agents and MI Paste(TM) and calcifying (0.1 ppm F) remineralizing treatments in vitro. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD), a technique typically used for thin film analysis, provided depth profiles of crystallinity changes in surface enamel with a resolution better than 100 nm. In conjunction with nanoindentation, a technique gaining acceptance as a means of examining the mechanical properties of sound enamel, these results were corroborated with well-established microscopy and Raman techniques to assess the nanohardness, morphologies and chemical nature of treated enamel. Interestingly, the average crystallite size of surface enamel along its c-axis dimension increased by nearly 40% after a 60 min EDTA treatment as detected by GIXD. This result was in direct contrast to the obvious surface degradation observed by microscopic and confocal Raman imaging. A decrease in nanohardness from 4.86 +/- 0.44 GPa to 0.28 +/- 0.10 GPa was observed. Collective results suggest that mineral dissolution characteristics evident on the micron scale may not be fully translated to the nanoscale in assessing the integrity of chemically-modified tooth enamel. While an intuitive decrease in enamel crystallinity was observed with buffered lactic acid-treated samples, demineralization was too slow to adequately quantify the enamel property changes seen. MI Paste(TM) treatment of EDTA-demineralized enamel showed preferential growth along the a-axis direction. Calcifying solution treatments of both demineralized sample types

Discriminant analysis of Social Work’s performance in licensure examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonel R. Alonzo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Many research studies have examined academic factors as predictors of success in licensure examination. The purpose of this descriptive discriminant analysis was to explore possible factors in passing social work licensure examination. Data were examined from academic records of 69 (37 passed and 32 failed Social Work graduates of the University of Mindanao who took Social Work Licensure Examination 2014. This can be used as a basis of Social Work program in planning and administering strategies to improve its national passing rates. Discriminant analysis was employed along five academic factors which are Human Behavior and Social Environment (HBSE, Social Work Programs and Policies (SWPP, Social Work Methods (SWM, Field Practice (FP and Grade Point Average (GPA. The analysis generated three significant predictors accounting for 76.22% of between group variability. The function had a hit ratio of 100%. Structure matrix revealed that three cluster subjects were identified as good factors of passing the social work licensure examination: HBSE, SWPP and SWM had a correlation value of 0.713, 0.768 and 0.840, respectively.

Relationship of Compressed Breast Thickness and Average Glandular Dose According to Focus/Filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, In Ja

2009-01-01

The study examined the relationship between the compressed breast thickness and Average Glandular Dose (AGD) among 1,969 outpatients who went through breast X-ray in a university hospital for 10 months from July 1st, 2007 to April 30th, 2008. Then it analyzed the result acquired from 3,900 cases of Cranio-Caudal (CC) view, especially, when the breasts were compressed (13-15daN). The following is the conclusion driven from the relationship analysis. 1. The subjects aged in 40s and 50s were 2,679 out of 3,900 cases and this figure was 68.69% in all. 2. In terms of distribution depending on focus/filter, 41.0% was Mo/Mo, 34.8% was Mo/Rh, and 24.2% was Rh/Rh. 3. In terms of compressed breast thickness depending on focus/filter, the average thickness was 26.91 mm at Mo/Mo, 38.84 mm at Mo/Rh, and 48.80 mm at Rh/Rh. The average thickness of the entire cases was shown to be 36.27 mm. 4. AGD depending on focus/filter was 1.27 mGy at Mo/Mo, 1.55 mGy at Mo/Rh, and 1.42 mGy at Rh/Rh. The average glandular dose of the entire cases was shown to be 1.43 mGy. 5. The relationship of AGD depending on compressed breast thickness at Mo/Mo was y=0.0318x + 0.470 while it was y=0.0206x + 0.709 at Mo/Rh and y=0.0248x + 0.335 at Mo/Rh. It was highly influenced by the compressed breast thickness, however, more variation was detected at Mo/Mo depending on breast thickness.

Political Subjects: Decision and Subjectivity from a Post-Fundational Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martín Retamozo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The problem of decision and of political subjects was addressed in the field of 20th century political philosophy by authors such as Carl Schmitt, Hannah Arendt, and Jacques Derrida, who related it closely to the concepts of sovereignty, freedom, and contingency. The works of Ernesto Laclau and Slavoj Žižek have currently turnedto the issue of decision in order to address the constitutive spects of the political. In a context dominated by deconstruction, post-Marxism, and post-structuralism,the article inquires into the elation between decision and political subjects in a contemporary setting, examining in depth the difference between subjectivity,subjectivization, and subject.

Discriminant Analysis of Essay, Mathematics/Science Type of Essay, College Scholastic Ability Test, and Grade Point Average as Predictors of Acceptance to a Pre-med Course at a Korean Medical School

OpenAIRE

Geum-Hee Jeong

2008-01-01

A discriminant analysis was conducted to investigate how an essay, a mathematics/science type of essay, a college scholastic ability test, and grade point average affect acceptance to a pre-med course at a Korean medical school. Subjects included 122 and 385 applicants for, respectively, early and regular admission to a medical school in Korea. The early admission examination was conducted in October 2007, and the regular admission examination was conducted in January 2008. The analysis of ea...

Average Likelihood Methods of Classification of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

subject to code matrices that follows the structure given by (113). [⃗ yR y⃗I ] = √ Es 2L [ GR1 −GI1 GI2 GR2 ] [ QR −QI QI QR ] [⃗ bR b⃗I ] + [⃗ nR n⃗I... QR ] [⃗ b+ b⃗− ] + [⃗ n+ n⃗− ] (115) The average likelihood for type 4 CDMA (116) is a special case of type 1 CDMA with twice the code length and...AVERAGE LIKELIHOOD METHODS OF CLASSIFICATION OF CODE DIVISION MULTIPLE ACCESS (CDMA) MAY 2016 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

Examinations in radiology with commented answers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittmaack, F.M.

1980-01-01

This book is meant to be a help in the preparation for the examination in the subject of radiology. Original questions from the examinations of the past years and questions put by the author cover all subjects of the catalogue. All questions are answered, with additional comments in order to ensure the understanding of the subject, thus creating best preconditions for a successful examination. (orig./HP) [de

Estimating average glandular dose by measuring glandular rate in mammograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Sachiko; Azuma, Yoshiharu; Sumimoto, Tetsuhiro; Eiho, Shigeru

2003-01-01

The glandular rate of the breast was objectively measured in order to calculate individual patient exposure dose (average glandular dose) in mammography. By employing image processing techniques and breast-equivalent phantoms with various glandular rate values, a conversion curve for pixel value to glandular rate can be determined by a neural network. Accordingly, the pixel values in clinical mammograms can be converted to the glandular rate value for each pixel. The individual average glandular dose can therefore be calculated using the individual glandular rates on the basis of the dosimetry method employed for quality control in mammography. In the present study, a data set of 100 craniocaudal mammograms from 50 patients was used to evaluate our method. The average glandular rate and average glandular dose of the data set were 41.2% and 1.79 mGy, respectively. The error in calculating the individual glandular rate can be estimated to be less than ±3%. When the calculation error of the glandular rate is taken into consideration, the error in the individual average glandular dose can be estimated to be 13% or less. We feel that our method for determining the glandular rate from mammograms is useful for minimizing subjectivity in the evaluation of patient breast composition. (author)

Averaging models: parameters estimation with the R-Average procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Noventa

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The Functional Measurement approach, proposed within the theoretical framework of Information Integration Theory (Anderson, 1981, 1982, can be a useful multi-attribute analysis tool. Compared to the majority of statistical models, the averaging model can account for interaction effects without adding complexity. The R-Average method (Vidotto & Vicentini, 2007 can be used to estimate the parameters of these models. By the use of multiple information criteria in the model selection procedure, R-Average allows for the identification of the best subset of parameters that account for the data. After a review of the general method, we present an implementation of the procedure in the framework of R-project, followed by some experiments using a Monte Carlo method.

Attitudes, subjective norms, and intention to perform routine oral examination for oropharyngeal candidiasis as perceived by primary health-care providers in Nairobi Province

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koyio, L.N.; Kikwilu, E.N.; Mulder, J.; Frencken, J.E.F.M.

2013-01-01

Objectives: To assess attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions of primary health-care (PHC) providers in performing routine oral examination for oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) during outpatient consultations. Methods: A 47-item Theory of Planned Behaviour-based questionnaire was developed and

Electronic cigarettes: abuse liability, topography and subjective effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Sarah E; Hoffman, Allison C

2014-05-01

To review the available evidence evaluating the abuse liability, topography, subjective effects, craving and withdrawal suppression associated with e-cigarette use in order to identify information gaps and provide recommendations for future research. Literature searches were conducted between October 2012 and January 2014 using five electronic databases. Studies were included in this review if they were peer-reviewed scientific journal articles evaluating clinical laboratory studies, national surveys or content analyses. A total of 15 peer-reviewed articles regarding behavioural use and effects of e-cigarettes published between 2010 and 2014 were included in this review. Abuse liability studies are limited in their generalisability. Topography (consumption behaviour) studies found that, compared with traditional cigarettes, e-cigarette average puff duration was significantly longer, and e-cigarette use required stronger suction. Data on e-cigarette subjective effects (such as anxiety, restlessness, concentration, alertness and satisfaction) and withdrawal suppression are limited and inconsistent. In general, study data should be interpreted with caution, given limitations associated with comparisons of novel and usual products, as well as the possible effects associated with subjects' previous experience/inexperience with e-cigarettes. Currently, very limited information is available on abuse liability, topography and subjective effects of e-cigarettes. Opportunities to examine extended e-cigarette use in a variety of settings with experienced e-cigarette users would help to more fully assess topography as well as behavioural and subjective outcomes. In addition, assessment of 'real-world' use, including amount and timing of use and responses to use, would clarify behavioural profiles and potential adverse health effects.

Influence of music training on academic examination-induced stress in Thai adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Laohawattanakun, Janejira; Chearskul, Supornpim; Dumrongphol, Hattaya; Jutapakdeegul, Nuanchan; Yensukjai, Juntima; Khumphan, Nipaporn; Niltiean, Songwit; Thangnipon, Wipawan

2011-01-10

Several pieces of evidence suggest that academic examinations fulfill the classical requirement of a psychological stressor. Academic examinations represent a stressful challenge to many students, but studies on examination-dependent corticosteroid response, a sensitive physiological indicator of a stress response, are inconsistent. In addition, several studies showed that music can decrease cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels, and other studies have found that music also may enhance a variety of cognitive functions, such as attention, learning, communication and memory. The present study investigated cortisol response in saliva of Thai adolescents taking academic examinations and analyzed the differences of the stress response between musician and control subjects. Also, we observed whether the academic examination-dependent corticosteroid response affected learning and memory in the test subjects, which comprised 30 musician and 30 control students, age ranging from 15 to 17 years. Mathematical examinations were used as the stressor. Pre- and post-academic examination saliva cortisol levels were measured including self-estimated stress levels. Results showed that the pre-academic examination saliva cortisol concentrations of the musician group are significantly lower than those of the control group, whereas there is no difference in the stress inventory scores. Interestingly, among students with grade point average (GPA) of >3.50, pre-academic examination cortisol levels are significantly lower in the musician compared with control group. This study suggests that under academic examination-induced stress condition, music training can reduce saliva cortisol level in Thai adolescents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stochastic Growth Theory of Spatially-Averaged Distributions of Langmuir Fields in Earth's Foreshock

Science.gov (United States)

Boshuizen, Christopher R.; Cairns, Iver H.; Robinson, P. A.

2001-01-01

Langmuir-like waves in the foreshock of Earth are characteristically bursty and irregular, and are the subject of a number of recent studies. Averaged over the foreshock, it is observed that the probability distribution is power-law P(bar)(log E) in the wave field E with the bar denoting this averaging over position, In this paper it is shown that stochastic growth theory (SGT) can explain a power-law spatially-averaged distributions P(bar)(log E), when the observed power-law variations of the mean and standard deviation of log E with position are combined with the log normal statistics predicted by SGT at each location.

Elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus are moderately influenced by glycemic control.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Morán, M; Guerrero-Romero, F

2003-03-01

The aim of this study was to establish whether glycemic control results in decrease of C-reactive protein (CRP) in Type 2 diabetic subjects. Newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic subjects were recruited and followed-up by 6-month intensive medical management. All the participants were carefully interviewed, clinically examined, and laboratory tested to exclude conditions likely to provoke an inflammatory response, which was an exclusion criterium. CRP was measured by automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay (IMx, Abbott Laboratories, USA). Two-hundred and forty-eight patients were included in the analysis of data. At baseline, average CRP levels were of 9.6 +/- 6.2 mg/l. Only 14 (5.7%) patients showed a fasting glucose equal or lower than 6.1 mmo/l (5.6 +/- 0.4 mmo/l); of them, 6 (42.8%) had elevated CRP levels (8.8 +/- 6.7 mg/l). The fasting glucose in the 234 (94.3%) non-controlled subjects was 13.1 +/- 4.8 mmol/l; of them 179 (76.5%) subjects showed elevated CRP levels (10.9 +/- 6.5 mg/I). At the end of the 6-month follow-up, the average fasting glucose and HbA1c in the overall group decreased from 12.5 +/- 5.0 to 9.0 +/- 1.6 mmol/l, p diabetic subjects.

Double- and Triple-Duty Caregiving Men: An Examination of Subjective Stress and Perceived Schedule Control.

Science.gov (United States)

DePasquale, Nicole; Zarit, Steven H; Mogle, Jacqueline; Moen, Phyllis; Hammer, Leslie B; Almeida, David M

2018-04-01

Based on the stress process model of family caregiving, this study examined subjective stress appraisals and perceived schedule control among men employed in the long-term care industry (workplace-only caregivers) who concurrently occupied unpaid family caregiving roles for children (double-duty child caregivers), older adults (double-duty elder caregivers), and both children and older adults (triple-duty caregivers). Survey responses from 123 men working in nursing home facilities in the United States were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Results indicated that workplace-only and double- and triple-duty caregivers' appraised primary stress similarly. However, several differences emerged with respect to secondary role strains, specifically work-family conflict, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions. Schedule control also constituted a stress buffer for double- and triple-duty caregivers, particularly among double-duty elder caregivers. These findings contribute to the scarce literature on double- and triple-duty caregiving men and have practical implications for recruitment and retention strategies in the health care industry.

The relationship between apical root resorption and orthodontic tooth movement in growing subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Tianmin; Baumrind, S

2002-07-01

To investigate the relationship between apical root resorption and orthodontic tooth movement in growing subjects. 58 growing subjects were collected randomly into the study sample and another 40 non-treated cases were used as control. The apical resoption of the upper central incisors was measured on periapical film and the incisor displacement was measured on lateral cephalogram. Using multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between root resoption and the displacement of the upper incisor apex in each of four direction (retraction, advancement, intrusion and extrusion). The statistically significant negative association were found between resorption and both intrusion (P < 0.001) and extrusion (P < 0.05), but no significant association was found between resorption and both retraction and advancement. The regression analysis implied an average of 2.29 mm resorption in the absence of apical displacement. The likelihood that the magnitude of displacement of the incisor root is positively associated with root resoption in the population of treated growing subjects is very small.

Subject (of documents)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hjørland, Birger

2017-01-01

This article presents and discuss the concept “subject” or subject matter (of documents) as it has been examined in library and information science (LIS) for more than 100 years. Different theoretical positions are outlined and it is found that the most important distinction is between document......-oriented views versus request-oriented views. The document-oriented view conceive subject as something inherent in documents, whereas the request-oriented view (or the policy based view) understand subject as an attribution made to documents in order to facilitate certain uses of them. Related concepts...

North Korean refugee doctors' preliminary examination scores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Uk Chae

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose Although there have been studies emphasizing the re-education of North Korean (NK doctors for post-unification of the Korean Peninsula, study on the content and scope of such re-education has yet to be conducted. Researchers intended to set the content and scope of re-education by a comparative analysis for the scores of the preliminary examination, which is comparable to the Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE. Methods The scores of the first and second preliminary exams were analyzed by subject using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The passing status of the group of NK doctors for KMLE in recent 3 years were investigated. The multiple-choice-question (MCQ items of which difficulty indexes of NK doctors were lower than those of South Korean (SK medical students by two times of the standard deviation of the scores of SK medical students were selected to investigate the relevant reasons. Results The average scores of nearly all subjects were improved in the second exam compared with the first exam. The passing rate of the group of NK doctors was 75%. The number of MCQ items of which difficulty indexes of NK doctors were lower than those of SK medical students was 51 (6.38%. NK doctors’ lack of understandings for Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Therapeutics, Prenatal Care, and Managed Care Programs was suggested as the possible reason. Conclusion The education of integrated courses focusing on Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures and Therapeutics, and apprenticeship-style training for clinical practice of core subjects are needed. Special lectures on the Preventive Medicine are likely to be required also.

Vibration Response Imaging: evaluation of rater agreement in healthy subjects and subjects with pneumonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartziokas, Konstantinos; Daenas, Christos; Preau, Sebastien; Zygoulis, Paris; Triantaris, Apostolos; Kerenidi, Theodora; Makris, Demosthenes; Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos I; Daniil, Zoe

2010-01-01

We evaluated pulmonologists variability in the interpretation of Vibration response imaging (VRI) obtained from healthy subjects and patients hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia. The present is a prospective study conducted in a tertiary university hospital. Twenty healthy subjects and twenty three pneumonia cases were included in this study. Six pulmonologists blindly analyzed images of normal subjects and pneumonia cases and evaluated different aspects of VRI images related to the quality of data aquisition, synchronization of the progression of breath sound distribution and agreement between the maximal energy frame (MEF) of VRI (which is the maximal geographical area of lung vibrations produced at maximal inspiration) and chest radiography. For qualitative assessment of VRI images, the raters' evaluations were analyzed by degree of consistency and agreement. The average value for overall identical evaluations of twelve features of the VRI image evaluation, ranged from 87% to 95% per rater (94% to 97% in control cases and from 79% to 93% per rater in pneumonia cases). Inter-rater median (IQR) agreement was 91% (82-96). The level of agreement according to VRI feature evaluated was in most cases over 80%; intra-class correlation (ICC) obtained by using a model of subject/rater for the averaged features was overall 0.86 (0.92 in normal and 0.73 in pneumonia cases). Our findings suggest good agreement in the interpretation of VRI data between different raters. In this respect, VRI might be helpful as a radiation free diagnostic tool for the management of pneumonia

Vibration Response Imaging: evaluation of rater agreement in healthy subjects and subjects with pneumonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makris Demosthenes

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We evaluated pulmonologists variability in the interpretation of Vibration response imaging (VRI obtained from healthy subjects and patients hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia. Methods The present is a prospective study conducted in a tertiary university hospital. Twenty healthy subjects and twenty three pneumonia cases were included in this study. Six pulmonologists blindly analyzed images of normal subjects and pneumonia cases and evaluated different aspects of VRI images related to the quality of data aquisition, synchronization of the progression of breath sound distribution and agreement between the maximal energy frame (MEF of VRI (which is the maximal geographical area of lung vibrations produced at maximal inspiration and chest radiography. For qualitative assessment of VRI images, the raters' evaluations were analyzed by degree of consistency and agreement. Results The average value for overall identical evaluations of twelve features of the VRI image evaluation, ranged from 87% to 95% per rater (94% to 97% in control cases and from 79% to 93% per rater in pneumonia cases. Inter-rater median (IQR agreement was 91% (82-96. The level of agreement according to VRI feature evaluated was in most cases over 80%; intra-class correlation (ICC obtained by using a model of subject/rater for the averaged features was overall 0.86 (0.92 in normal and 0.73 in pneumonia cases. Conclusions Our findings suggest good agreement in the interpretation of VRI data between different raters. In this respect, VRI might be helpful as a radiation free diagnostic tool for the management of pneumonia.

Neutron resonance averaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chrien, R.E.

1986-10-01

The principles of resonance averaging as applied to neutron capture reactions are described. Several illustrations of resonance averaging to problems of nuclear structure and the distribution of radiative strength in nuclei are provided. 30 refs., 12 figs

Computer assisted Objective structured clinical examination versus Objective structured clinical examination in assessment of Dermatology undergraduate students.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhary, Richa; Grover, Chander; Bhattacharya, S N; Sharma, Arun

2017-01-01

The assessment of dermatology undergraduates is being done through computer assisted objective structured clinical examination at our institution for the last 4 years. We attempted to compare objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and computer assisted objective structured clinical examination (CA-OSCE) as assessment tools. To assess the relative effectiveness of CA-OSCE and OSCE as assessment tools for undergraduate dermatology trainees. Students underwent CA-OSCE as well as OSCE-based evaluation of equal weightage as an end of posting assessment. The attendance as well as the marks in both the examination formats were meticulously recorded and statistically analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Intercooled Stata V9.0 was used to assess the reliability and internal consistency of the examinations conducted. Feedback from both students and examiners was also recorded. The mean attendance for the study group was 77% ± 12.0%. The average score on CA- OSCE and OSCE was 47.4% ± 19.8% and 53.5% ± 18%, respectively. These scores showed a mutually positive correlation, with Spearman's coefficient being 0.593. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between attendance scores and assessment score was 0.485 for OSCE and 0.451 for CA-OSCE. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for all the tests ranged from 0.76 to 0.87 indicating high reliability. The comparison was based on a single batch of 139 students. Such an evaluation on more students in larger number of batches over successive years could help throw more light on the subject. Computer assisted objective structured clinical examination was found to be a valid, reliable and effective format for dermatology assessment, being rated as the preferred format by examiners.

Teachers' Self-Reported Pedagogical Practices toward Socially Inhibited, Hyperactive, and Average Children

Science.gov (United States)

Thijs, Jochem T.; Koomen, Helma M. Y.; Van Der Leij, Aryan

2006-01-01

This study examined teachers' self-reported pedagogical practices toward socially inhibited, hyperactive, and average kindergartners. A self-report instrument was developed and examined in three samples of kindergartners and their teachers. Principal components analyses were conducted in four datasets pertaining to 1 child per teacher. Two…

Longitudinal Associations of Subjective Memory with Memory Performance and Depressive Symptoms: Between-Person and Within-Person Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Hülür, Gizem; Hertzog, Christopher; Pearman, Ann; Ram, Nilam; Gerstorf, Denis

2015-01-01

Clinical diagnostic criteria for memory loss in adults typically assume that subjective memory ratings accurately reflect compromised memory functioning. Research has documented small positive between-person associations between subjective memory and memory performance in older adults. Less is known, however, about whether within-person fluctuations in subjective memory covary with within-person variance in memory performance and depressive symptoms. The present study applied multilevel models of change to nine waves of data from 27,395 participants of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; mean age at baseline = 63.78; SD = 10.30; 58% women) to examine whether subjective memory is associated with both between-person differences and within-person variability in memory performance and depressive symptoms and explored the moderating role of known correlates (age, gender, education, and functional limitations). Results revealed that across persons, level of subjective memory indeed covaried with level of memory performance and depressive symptoms, with small-to-moderate between-person standardized effect sizes (0.19 for memory performance and 0.21 for depressive symptoms). Within individuals, occasions when participants scored higher than usual on a test of episodic memory or reported fewer-than-average depressive symptoms generated above-average subjective memory. At the within-person level, subjective memory ratings became more sensitive to within-person alterations in memory performance over time and those suffering from functional limitations were more sensitive to within-person alterations in memory performance and depressive symptoms. We take our results to suggest that within-person changes in subjective memory in part reflect monitoring flux in one’s own memory functioning, but are also influenced by flux in depressive symptoms. PMID:25244464

Longitudinal associations of subjective memory with memory performance and depressive symptoms: between-person and within-person perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Hülür, Gizem; Hertzog, Christopher; Pearman, Ann; Ram, Nilam; Gerstorf, Denis

2014-12-01

Clinical diagnostic criteria for memory loss in adults typically assume that subjective memory ratings accurately reflect compromised memory functioning. Research has documented small positive between-person associations between subjective memory and memory performance in older adults. Less is known, however, about whether within-person fluctuations in subjective memory covary with within-person variance in memory performance and depressive symptoms. The present study applied multilevel models of change to 9 waves of data from 27,395 participants of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; mean age at baseline = 63.78; SD = 10.30; 58% women) to examine whether subjective memory is associated with both between-person differences and within-person variability in memory performance and depressive symptoms and explored the moderating role of known correlates (age, gender, education, and functional limitations). Results revealed that across persons, level of subjective memory indeed covaried with level of memory performance and depressive symptoms, with small-to-moderate between-person standardized effect sizes (0.19 for memory performance and -0.21 for depressive symptoms). Within individuals, occasions when participants scored higher than usual on a test of episodic memory or reported fewer-than-average depressive symptoms generated above-average subjective memory. At the within-person level, subjective memory ratings became more sensitive to within-person alterations in memory performance over time and those suffering from functional limitations were more sensitive to within-person alterations in memory performance and depressive symptoms. We take our results to suggest that within-person changes in subjective memory in part reflect monitoring flux in one's own memory functioning, but are also influenced by flux in depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Characterizing individual painDETECT symptoms by average pain severity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadosky A

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Alesia Sadosky,1 Vijaya Koduru,2 E Jay Bienen,3 Joseph C Cappelleri4 1Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, 2Eliassen Group, New London, CT, 3Outcomes Research Consultant, New York, NY, 4Pfizer Inc, Groton, CT, USA Background: painDETECT is a screening measure for neuropathic pain. The nine-item version consists of seven sensory items (burning, tingling/prickling, light touching, sudden pain attacks/electric shock-type pain, cold/heat, numbness, and slight pressure, a pain course pattern item, and a pain radiation item. The seven-item version consists only of the sensory items. Total scores of both versions discriminate average pain-severity levels (mild, moderate, and severe, but their ability to discriminate individual item severity has not been evaluated.Methods: Data were from a cross-sectional, observational study of six neuropathic pain conditions (N=624. Average pain severity was evaluated using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, with severity levels defined using established cut points for distinguishing mild, moderate, and severe pain. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was followed by ridit analysis to represent the probability that a randomly selected subject from one average pain-severity level had a more favorable outcome on the specific painDETECT item relative to a randomly selected subject from a comparator severity level.Results: A probability >50% for a better outcome (less severe pain was significantly observed for each pain symptom item. The lowest probability was 56.3% (on numbness for mild vs moderate pain and highest probability was 76.4% (on cold/heat for mild vs severe pain. The pain radiation item was significant (P<0.05 and consistent with pain symptoms, as well as with total scores for both painDETECT versions; only the pain course item did not differ.Conclusion: painDETECT differentiates severity such that the ability to discriminate average pain also distinguishes individual pain item severity in an interpretable manner. Pain

Where is my car? Examining wayfinding behavior in a parking lot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Mora

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This article examines wayfinding behavior in an extended parking lot belonging to one of the largest shopping malls in Santiago, Chile. About 500 people were followed while going to the mall and returning from it, and their trajectories were mapped and analyzed. The results indicate that inbound paths were, in average, 10% shorter that outbound paths, and that people stopped three times more frequently when leaving the mall than when accessing it. It is argued that these results are in line with previous research on the subject, which stress the importance of environmental information in shaping people`s behavior.

Health examination for A-bomb survivors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Chikako

1996-01-01

The health examination for A-bomb survivors by national, prefectural and city administrations was described and discussed on its general concept, history, time change of examinee number, improvement of examination, prevalence of individual diseases, significance of cancer examinations, examinees' point of view and future problems. Subjects were the survivors living in Hiroshima city: in 1994, their number was 100,188, whose ages were 63 y in average for males consisting of 39.5% and 67 y for females of 60.5%. The examination was begun in 1957 on the law for medical care for the survivors firstly and then systematically in 1961. From 1965, it was performed 4 times a year, and in 1988, one examination in the four was made for cancer. Authors' Center examined previously 90% but recently 70% of the examinees. The remainder underwent the examination in other medical facilities. Tests are blood analysis, electrocardiography and computed radiography of chest with imaging plate, of which data have been accumulated either in photodisc or in host computer. From 1973 to 1993, the cardiovascular diseases increased from 6.1% to 26.9%, metabolic and endocrinic ones like diabetes, 3.6% to 19.7%, and bowel ones, 0.9% to 12.3%. Correlations of these diseases with A-bomb irradiation are not elucidated and possibly poor. Five classes of cancer examinations are performed but the examinee rate in the survivors is as low as 7.6-21.8% (1993). The cancer of the large intestine is increasing. The overall examinee rates in the survivors were 70.6% in 1965-1967, 69.5% in 1976-1977 and 58.2% in 1990. In conclusion, how to examine the survivors, who are getting older, as many as possible is the future problem. (H.O.)

Discriminant analysis of essay, mathematics/science type of essay, college scholastic ability test, and grade point average as predictors of acceptance to a pre-med course at a Korean medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Geum-Hee

2008-01-01

A discriminant analysis was conducted to investigate how an essay, a mathematics/science type of essay, a college scholastic ability test, and grade point average affect acceptance to a pre-med course at a Korean medical school. Subjects included 122 and 385 applicants for, respectively, early and regular admission to a medical school in Korea. The early admission examination was conducted in October 2007, and the regular admission examination was conducted in January 2008. The analysis of early admission data revealed significant F values for the mathematics/science type of essay (51.64; Pgrade point average (10.66; P=0.0014). The analysis of regular admission data revealed the following F values: 28.81 (Pgrade point average, 27.47 (P<0.0001) for college scholastic ability test, 10.67 (P=0.0012) for the essay, and 216.74 (P<0.0001) for the mathematics/science type of essay. Since the mathematics/science type of essay had a strong effect on acceptance, an emphasis on this requirement and exclusion of other kinds of essays would be effective in subsequent entrance examinations for this premed course.

Stress and Subjective Age: Those With Greater Financial Stress Look Older.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrigoroaei, Stefan; Lee-Attardo, Angela; Lachman, Margie E

2017-12-01

Subjective indicators of age add to our understanding of the aging process beyond the role of chronological age. We examined whether financial stress contributes to subjective age as rated by others and the self. The participants ( N = 228), aged 26-75, were from a Boston area satellite of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) longitudinal study. Participants reported how old they felt and how old they thought they looked, and observers assessed the participants' age based on photographs (other-look age), at two occasions, an average of 10 years apart. Financial stress was measured at Time 1. Controlling for income, general stress, health, and attractiveness, participants who reported higher levels of financial stress were perceived as older than their actual age to a greater extent and showed larger increases in other-look age over time. We consider the results on accelerated aging of appearance with regard to their implications for interpersonal interactions and in relation to health.

Usefulness of panoramic radiograph for the improvement of periodic oral examination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, MinJung; Choi, Bo Ram; Huh, Kyung Hoe; Yi, Won Jin; Heo, Min Suk; Lee, Sam Sun; Choi, Soon Chul [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-03-15

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and utility of panoramic radiograph for the improvement of the periodic oral examinations. Clinical examinations and panoramic examinations were done for the 242 subjects of oral examinations. The results of panoramic radiograph interpretation were compared with the clinical findings. Two questionnaires were created. One was carried out before the panoramic examination and the other done afterwards, to find out the subjects cognition and satisfaction for the clinical and panoramic examinations. Results : 1. Panoramic findings showed a higher detection rate of 31.9% for periodontal diseases, and 23.1% for dental caries than clinical findings. 2. The additional abnormalities detected through panoramic examinations were impacted tooth in 81 subjects (33.6%), maxillary sinus abnormalities in 28 subjects (11.6%), condylar abnormalities in 5 subjects (2.1%), congenital and acquired dental anormalies in 59 subjects (24.5%), and other miscellaneous abnormalities in 34 subjects (14.1%). 3. 164 subjects (67.8%) were satisfied with the current periodic oral examination, and 75 subjects (31.1%) hoped for better accuracy. 4. In the first and second questionnaire, 154 subjects (67.0%) and 163 subjects (70.6%) responded respectively that panoramic examination was necessary, and 193 subjects (83.2%) responded that it actually helped. The panoramic examination was revealed to improve the effectiveness of the periodic oral examination and to increase the satisfaction of the subjects of examination.

Exponentially Weighted Moving Average Chart as a Suitable Tool for Nuchal Translucency Quality Review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hynek, M.; Smetanová, D.; Stejskal, D.; Zvárová, Jana

2014-01-01

Roč. 34, č. 4 (2014), s. 367-376 ISSN 0197-3851 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : nuchal translucency * exponentially weighted moving average model * statistics Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 3.268, year: 2014

Examining coping style and the relationship between stress and subjective well-being in Australia's 'sandwich generation'.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillett, Jade E; Crisp, Dimity A

2017-09-01

The sandwich generation represents adults, often in midlife, who care for both children and ageing parents/relatives. While the stress they experience has received some attention, little research has investigated the subjective well-being (SWB) of this population. This study examined the relationship between perceived stress and SWB and the moderating effect of coping style. Ninety-three participants (80 women), aged 23-63 years, completed an online survey measuring perceived stress, coping strategies, life satisfaction and positive and negative affect. Stress was negatively associated with SWB. While emotion- and problem-focused coping were directly associated with SWB outcomes, the only moderating effect found was for avoidance-focused coping (AFC). Specifically, AFC was associated with higher positive affect for those reporting lower stress. This study highlights the need to recognise the distinct circumstances that exist for the sandwich generation. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed. © 2017 AJA Inc.

Changing mortality and average cohort life expectancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Schoen

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Period life expectancy varies with changes in mortality, and should not be confused with the life expectancy of those alive during that period. Given past and likely future mortality changes, a recent debate has arisen on the usefulness of the period life expectancy as the leading measure of survivorship. An alternative aggregate measure of period mortality which has been seen as less sensitive to period changes, the cross-sectional average length of life (CAL has been proposed as an alternative, but has received only limited empirical or analytical examination. Here, we introduce a new measure, the average cohort life expectancy (ACLE, to provide a precise measure of the average length of life of cohorts alive at a given time. To compare the performance of ACLE with CAL and with period and cohort life expectancy, we first use population models with changing mortality. Then the four aggregate measures of mortality are calculated for England and Wales, Norway, and Switzerland for the years 1880 to 2000. CAL is found to be sensitive to past and present changes in death rates. ACLE requires the most data, but gives the best representation of the survivorship of cohorts present at a given time.

Endogenous Information, Risk Characterization, and the Predictability of Average Stock Returns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pradosh Simlai

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper we provide a new type of risk characterization of the predictability of two widely known abnormal patterns in average stock returns: momentum and reversal. The purpose is to illustrate the relative importance of common risk factors and endogenous information. Our results demonstrates that in the presence of zero-investment factors, spreads in average momentum and reversal returns correspond to spreads in the slopes of the endogenous information. The empirical findings support the view that various classes of firms react differently to volatility risk, and endogenous information harbor important sources of potential risk loadings. Taken together, our results suggest that returns are influenced by random endogenous information flow, which is asymmetric in nature, and can be used as a performance attribution factor. If one fails to incorporate the existing asymmetric endogenous information hidden in the historical behavior, any attempt to explore average stock return predictability will be subject to an unquantified specification bias.

Anxiety Sensitivity and Age: Roles in Understanding Subjective Social Status among Low Income Adult Latinos in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Zvolensky, Michael J; Paulus, Daniel J; Bakhshaie, Jafar; Garza, Monica; Manning, Kara; Lemaire, Chad; Reitzel, Lorraine R; Smith, Lia J; Ochoa-Perez, Melissa

2018-06-01

One social determinant of health construct that is reliably related to health disparities among the Latino population is subjective social status, reflecting subjective ratings of social standing. Yet, little research has explored factors that may undergird variability in subjective social status among this population or in general. Accordingly, the present investigation examined one possible etiological model wherein age moderates the relation between individual differences in anxiety sensitivity (fear of the negative consequences of stress sensations) and subjective social status among a Latino primary care sample. Participants included Spanish-speaking Latino adults (n = 394; 86.5% female; average age = 39.0 years). Results demonstrated an interaction between the anxiety sensitivity and age for subjective social status among the Latino sample. Inspection of the form of the significant interaction indicated that the association between anxiety sensitivity and subjective social status was evident among older, but not younger, persons. The current findings suggest that decreasing anxiety sensitivity, especially among older Latinos, may be one possible viable therapeutic approach to change subjective social status in order to help offset health disparities among this group.

Discrepancies between the school examination en central examination grades of non-Dutch students. Extent and explanations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rekers-Mombarg, L. T. M.; Harms, G. J.; van der Werf, M. P. C.

2009-01-01

From previous research in Dutch secondary education it is known that the central (national) examination grades are at average lower than school examination grades, and that the discrepancy between both grades is larger for students from non-Dutch origin. This study examined the individual

Learning Style Preferences of Gifted, Average- Ability, and Special Needs Students: A Multivariate Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyryt, Michael C.; Sandals, Lauran H.; Begoray, John

1998-01-01

Compared learning-style preferences of intellectually gifted, average-ability, and special-needs students on the Learning Style Inventory. Also examined the general differences among ability level and gender. Analyses indicated that gifted students preferred learning alone, being self-motivated, and using tactile learning approaches, and that…

Cost accounting of radiological examinations. Cost analysis of radiological examinations of intermediate referral hospitals and general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lääperi, A L

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse the cost structure of radiological procedures in the intermediary referral hospitals and general practice and to develop a cost accounting system for radiological examinations that takes into consideration all relevant cost factors and is suitable for management of radiology departments and regional planning of radiological resources. The material comprised 174,560 basic radiological examinations performed in 1991 at 5 intermediate referral hospitals and 13 public health centres in the Pirkanmaa Hospital District in Finland. All radiological departments in the hospitals were managed by a specialist in radiology. The radiology departments at the public health care centres operated on a self-referral basis by general practitioners. The data were extracted from examination lists, inventories and balance sheets; parts of the data were estimated or calculated. The radiological examinations were compiled according to the type of examination and equipment used: conventional, contrast medium, ultrasound, mammography and roentgen examinations with mobile equipment. The majority of the examinations (87%) comprised conventional radiography. For cost analysis the cost items were grouped into 5 cost factors: personnel, equipment, material, real estate and administration costs. The depreciation time used was 10 years for roentgen equipment, 5 years for ultrasound equipment and 5 to 10 years for other capital goods. An annual interest rate of 10% was applied. Standard average values based on a sample at 2 hospitals were used for the examination-specific radiologist time, radiographer time and material costs. Four cost accounting versions with varying allocation of the major cost items were designed. Two-way analysis of variance of the effect of different allocation methods on the costs and cost structure of the examination groups was performed. On the basis of the cost analysis a cost accounting program containing both monetary and

On Averaging Rotations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gramkow, Claus

1999-01-01

In this article two common approaches to averaging rotations are compared to a more advanced approach based on a Riemannian metric. Very offten the barycenter of the quaternions or matrices that represent the rotations are used as an estimate of the mean. These methods neglect that rotations belo...... approximations to the Riemannian metric, and that the subsequent corrections are inherient in the least squares estimation. Keywords: averaging rotations, Riemannian metric, matrix, quaternion......In this article two common approaches to averaging rotations are compared to a more advanced approach based on a Riemannian metric. Very offten the barycenter of the quaternions or matrices that represent the rotations are used as an estimate of the mean. These methods neglect that rotations belong...

Average-energy games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Bouyer

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Two-player quantitative zero-sum games provide a natural framework to synthesize controllers with performance guarantees for reactive systems within an uncontrollable environment. Classical settings include mean-payoff games, where the objective is to optimize the long-run average gain per action, and energy games, where the system has to avoid running out of energy. We study average-energy games, where the goal is to optimize the long-run average of the accumulated energy. We show that this objective arises naturally in several applications, and that it yields interesting connections with previous concepts in the literature. We prove that deciding the winner in such games is in NP inter coNP and at least as hard as solving mean-payoff games, and we establish that memoryless strategies suffice to win. We also consider the case where the system has to minimize the average-energy while maintaining the accumulated energy within predefined bounds at all times: this corresponds to operating with a finite-capacity storage for energy. We give results for one-player and two-player games, and establish complexity bounds and memory requirements.

The Impact of Reviews and Average Rating on Hotel-Booking-Intention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buus, Line Thomassen; Jensen, Charlotte Thodberg; Jessen, Anne Mette Karnøe

2016-01-01

User-generated information types (ratings and reviews) are highly used when booking hotel rooms on Online Travel Agency (OTA) websites. The impact of user-generated information on decision-making is often investigated through quantitative research, thereby not examining in depth how and why...... website followed by an interview. We processed the data from the interview, and the analysis resulted in a model generalizing the use of reviews and average rating in the deliberation phase of a hotel-booking. The findings are overall consistent with related research. Yet, beyond this, the qualitative...... travelers use this information. This paper therefore presents a qualitative study conducted to achieve a deeper understanding. We investigated the use of reviews and average rating in a hotel-booking-context through a laboratory experiment, which involved a task of examining a hotel on a pre-designed OTA...

Estimating Gestational Age With Sonography: Regression-Derived Formula Versus the Fetal Biometric Average.

Science.gov (United States)

Cawyer, Chase R; Anderson, Sarah B; Szychowski, Jeff M; Neely, Cherry; Owen, John

2018-03-01

To compare the accuracy of a new regression-derived formula developed from the National Fetal Growth Studies data to the common alternative method that uses the average of the gestational ages (GAs) calculated for each fetal biometric measurement (biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length). This retrospective cross-sectional study identified nonanomalous singleton pregnancies that had a crown-rump length plus at least 1 additional sonographic examination with complete fetal biometric measurements. With the use of the crown-rump length to establish the referent estimated date of delivery, each method's (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development regression versus Hadlock average [Radiology 1984; 152:497-501]), error at every examination was computed. Error, defined as the difference between the crown-rump length-derived GA and each method's predicted GA (weeks), was compared in 3 GA intervals: 1 (14 weeks-20 weeks 6 days), 2 (21 weeks-28 weeks 6 days), and 3 (≥29 weeks). In addition, the proportion of each method's examinations that had errors outside prespecified (±) day ranges was computed by using odds ratios. A total of 16,904 sonograms were identified. The overall and prespecified GA range subset mean errors were significantly smaller for the regression compared to the average (P < .01), and the regression had significantly lower odds of observing examinations outside the specified range of error in GA intervals 2 (odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.31) and 3 (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.32) than the average method. In a contemporary unselected population of women dated by a crown-rump length-derived GA, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development regression formula produced fewer estimates outside a prespecified margin of error than the commonly used Hadlock average; the differences were most pronounced for GA estimates at 29 weeks and later. �

Model of averaged turbulent flow around cylindrical column for simulation of the saltation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kharlamova, Irina; Kharlamov, Alexander; Vlasák, Pavel

2014-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 2 (2014), s. 103-110 ISSN 1802-1484 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA103/09/1718 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : sediment transport * flow around cylinder * logarithmic profile * dipole line * averaged turbulent flow Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics

Prediction of LVH from average of R wave amplitude in leads I and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of average of R wave amplitude in leads I and V5 in predicting LVH Methodology: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of adult hypertensive subjects. Participants were assessed for LVH using the ...

Apparatus for radiological examination of a subject through a solid angle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grady, J.K.; Rice, D.B.

1975-01-01

A framework supporting a radiation source, such as an x-ray tube, and a radiation receptor, such as an x-ray film plate holder, comprises four arms pivotally connected to form a regular parallelogram, a parallel pair of the arms extending outside the parallelogram to pivot points for the radiation source and receptor. The parallelogram is mounted on a rotor whose central axis is parallel to the parallel pair of arms. Two links between another one of the arms and the source and receptor respectively, and parallel to the central axis, hold the axis of the source and receptor aligned on a radiation axis which passes through an isocenter on the central axis as the parallelogram is angularly adjusted in planes parallel to the central axis. The angular adjustment of the parallelogram combined with turning of the parallelogram on the rotor permit the source to radiate through a subject at the isocenter, for example the human heart or brain, from throughout a solid angle while maintaining constant radiological distance between the source and subject and a constant axial alignment of the source and receptor. The radiological magnification may also be kept constant, or the receptor may be adjusted along its axis, in which case a counterweight reciprocating along the transverse arm and connected to the receptor by two cables counterbalances the receptor in all solid angle positions. (auth)

Averaging of nonlinearity-managed pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zharnitsky, Vadim; Pelinovsky, Dmitry

2005-01-01

We consider the nonlinear Schroedinger equation with the nonlinearity management which describes Bose-Einstein condensates under Feshbach resonance. By using an averaging theory, we derive the Hamiltonian averaged equation and compare it with other averaging methods developed for this problem. The averaged equation is used for analytical approximations of nonlinearity-managed solitons

Engineering Women’s Attitudes and Goals in Choosing Disciplines with above and Below Average Female Representation

OpenAIRE

Dina Verdín; Allison Godwin; Adam Kirn; Lisa Benson; Geoff Potvin

2018-01-01

Women’s participation in engineering remains well below that of men at all degree levels. However, despite the low enrollment of women in engineering as a whole, some engineering disciplines report above average female enrollment. We used multiple linear regression to examine the attitudes, beliefs, career outcome expectations, and career choice of first-year female engineering students enrolled in below average, average, and above average female representation disciplines in engineering. Our...

A Conceptual Framework for Leisure and Subjective Well-Being

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byunggook

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine a conceptual framework for an individual's subjective perception of leisure that contributes to Subjective Well-Being (SWB). More specifically, this study was an attempt to examine causal relationships among social cognitive variables, subjective perception of leisure, and SWB. A survey was administered to…

Recruiting phobic research subjects: effectiveness and cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaakko, T; Murtomaa, H; Milgrom, P; Getz, T; Ramsay, D S; Coldwell, S E

2001-01-01

Efficiently enrolling subjects is one of the most important and difficult aspects of a clinical trial. This prospective study evaluated strategies used in the recruitment of 144 dental injection phobics for a clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of combining alprazolam with exposure therapy. Three types of recruitment strategies were evaluated: paid advertising, free publicity, and professional referral. Sixty-three percent of subjects were enrolled using paid advertising (the majority of them from bus advertisements [27.0%], posters on the University of Washington campus [20.1%], and newspaper advertisements [13.2%]). Free publicity (eg, television coverage, word of mouth) yielded 18.8% of enrolled subjects and professionaL referrals 14.6% of subjects. The average cost (1996 dollars) of enrolling 1 subject was $79. Bus and poster advertising attracted more initial contacts and yielded the greatest enrollment.

Occlusal consequence of using average condylar guidance settings: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wonsup; Lim, Young-Jun; Kim, Myung-Joo; Kwon, Ho-Beom

2017-04-01

A simplified mounting technique that adopts an average condylar guidance has been advocated. Despite this, the experimental explanation of how average settings differ from individual condylar guidance remains unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to examine potential occlusal error by using average condylar guidance settings during nonworking side movement of the articulator. Three-dimensional positions of the nonworking side maxillary first molar at various condylar and incisal settings were traced using a laser displacement sensor attached to the motorized stages with biaxial freedom of movement. To examine clinically relevant occlusal consequences of condylar guidance setting errors, the vertical occlusal error was defined as the vertical-axis positional difference between the average setting trace and the other condylar guidance setting trace. In addition, the respective contribution of the condylar and incisal guidance to the position of the maxillary first molar area was analyzed by multiple regression analysis using the resultant coordinate data. Alteration from individual to average settings led to a positional difference in the maxillary first molar nonworking side movement. When the individual setting was lower than average, vertical occlusal error occurred, which might cause occlusal interference. The vertical occlusal error ranged from -2964 to 1711 μm. In addition, the occlusal effect of incisal guidance was measured as a partial regression coefficient of 0.882, which exceeded the effect of condylar guidance, 0.431. Potential occlusal error as a result of adopting an average condylar guidance setting was observed. The occlusal effect of incisal guidance doubled the effect of condylar guidance. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of angiotensin II binding to human platelets: Differences in young and old subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siebers, M.J.; Goodfriend, T.L.; Ball, D.; Elliott, M.E.

1990-01-01

We examined the binding of radiolabeled angiotensin II (AII) to human platelets to characterize the apparent increase in AII receptors observed in older subjects. At 22 degrees C, the amount of radioactivity associated with platelets from older subjects increased continuously for more than 2 hours. The same amount of radioactivity was displaced by addition of unlabeled AII at 30 min and 60 min. In the presence of phenylarsine oxide, in the cold, or when labeled antagonist was the ligand, binding came to equilibrium by 30 min. High pressure liquid chromatography demonstrated that 125 I-AII was the major radioactive compound in the supernatant and platelets after incubation, but the platelets also contained radiolabeled AII fragments. Thus, some degradation accompanied interaction of AII and platelets. Phenylarsine oxide did not prevent degradation of bound AII, suggesting that degradation precedes internalization. On average, maximum binding was greater in older subjects whether platelets were incubated with 125 I-AII alone, with 125 I-AII and phenylarsine oxide to prevent internalization, or when the competitive inhibitor 125 I-sar1,ile8-AII was the radioligand. Variability of binding among subjects also increased with age. Thus, platelets bind, degrade, and internalize AII, and the three processes occur to a greater extent in platelets from some, but not all older subjects

Examining subjective wellbeing and health-related quality of life in women with endometriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rush, Georgia; Misajon, RoseAnne

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective wellbeing, health-related quality of life and lived experience of women living with endometriosis. In 2015 five hundred participants between the ages of 18-63 (M = 30.5, SD = 7.46) were recruited through Endometriosis Australia and social media, completing an online questionnaire comprising the Personal Wellbeing Index, the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 and various open-ended questions. Results found that women with endometriosis reported low levels of subjective wellbeing (mean PWI total scores of 51.5 ± 2.03), considerably below the normative range of 70-80 for western populations. The mean Endometriosis Health Profile total score indicated a very low health-related quality of life amongst the women in this sample (78.9, ±13.14). There was also a significant relationship between scores on the Endometriosis Health Profile and Personal Wellbeing Index. The findings from the qualitative data suggest that endometriosis impacts negatively on women's lives in several areas such as; social life, relationships and future plans, this in turn affects women's overall life quality. The study highlights the strong negative impact that endometriosis can have on women's subjective wellbeing and health related quality of life, contributing to productivity issues, relationship difficulties and social dissatisfaction and increasing the risk of psychological comorbidities.

Are average and symmetric faces attractive to infants? Discrimination and looking preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Gillian; Geddes, Keren; Jeffery, Linda; Dziurawiec, Suzanne; Clark, Alison

2002-01-01

Young infants prefer to look at faces that adults find attractive, suggesting a biological basis for some face preferences. However, the basis for infant preferences is not known. Adults find average and symmetric faces attractive. We examined whether 5-8-month-old infants discriminate between different levels of averageness and symmetry in faces, and whether they prefer to look at faces with higher levels of these traits. Each infant saw 24 pairs of female faces. Each pair consisted of two versions of the same face differing either in averageness (12 pairs) or symmetry (12 pairs). Data from the mothers confirmed that adults preferred the more average and more symmetric versions in each pair. The infants were sensitive to differences in both averageness and symmetry, but showed no looking preference for the more average or more symmetric versions. On the contrary, longest looks were significantly longer for the less average versions, and both longest looks and first looks were marginally longer for the less symmetric versions. Mean looking times were also longer for the less average and less symmetric versions, but those differences were not significant. We suggest that the infant looking behaviour may reflect a novelty preference rather than an aesthetic preference.

Inadequate Triglyceride Management Worsens the Durability of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masashi Shimoda

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4 inhibitors are often used all over the world and exert various beneficial effects including glucose-lowering effect in many subjects with type 2 diabetes. It is poorly understood, however, which factors are closely related with the durability of glucose-lowering effect by DPP-4 inhibitor. In this study, we examined retrospectively which factors could mainly influence the durability of DPP-4 inhibitor. We enrolled 212 participants with type 2 diabetes to whom DPP-4 inhibitor was administered for over 1 year without an addition or increase of other hypoglycemic agents. Age and baseline HbA1c level were significantly higher in the effective group than those in the ineffective group. The effective group had a tendency of smaller amounts of weight change, average total cholesterol, and average triglyceride compared with the ineffective group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that average triglyceride and baseline HbA1c were independent predictors associated with the durability of DPP-4 inhibitor. Moreover, an average triglyceride level contributed to the durability of DPP-4 inhibitor in the obese group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 but not in the nonobese group (BMI < 25 kg/m2. These results suggest the importance of strict triglyceride management to maintain the durability of glucose-lowering effect by DPP-4 inhibitor, especially in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Forecasting house prices in the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bork, Lasse; Møller, Stig Vinther

2015-01-01

We examine house price forecastability across the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection, which allow for model change and parameter shifts. By allowing the entire forecasting model to change over time and across locations, the forecasting accuracy improves substantia......We examine house price forecastability across the 50 states using Dynamic Model Averaging and Dynamic Model Selection, which allow for model change and parameter shifts. By allowing the entire forecasting model to change over time and across locations, the forecasting accuracy improves...

Sequential mediating effects of provided and received social support on trait emotional intelligence and subjective happiness: A longitudinal examination in Hong Kong Chinese university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Jiawen; Yeung, Dannii Y; Liu, Elaine S C; Rochelle, Tina L

2018-04-03

Past research has often focused on the effects of emotional intelligence and received social support on subjective well-being yet paid limited attention to the effects of provided social support. This study adopted a longitudinal design to examine the sequential mediating effects of provided and received social support on the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and subjective happiness. A total of 214 Hong Kong Chinese undergraduates were asked to complete two assessments with a 6-month interval in between. The results of the sequential mediation analysis indicated that the trait emotional intelligence measured in Time 1 indirectly influenced the level of subjective happiness in Time 2 through a sequential pathway of social support provided for others in Time 1 and social support received from others in Time 2. These findings highlight the importance of trait emotional intelligence and the reciprocal exchanges of social support in the subjective well-being of university students. © 2018 International Union of Psychological Science.

Online Learning for Students from Diverse Backgrounds: Learning Disability Students, Excellent Students and Average Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miri Shonfeld

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The perceived contribution of science education online course to pre-service students (N=121 from diverse backgrounds - students with learning disabilities (25 LD students, 28 excellent students and 68 average students is presented in this five years research. During the online course students were asked to choose a scientific subject; to map it and to plan teaching activities; to carry out the proposed activities with students in a classroom experience; and to reflect the process. The assumption was that adapting the online course by using information and communication technology following formative assessment will improve students' self-learning ability as well as broaden their science knowledge, their lab performance and teaching skills. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative tools including: pre and post questionnaires and nine (three students from each group depth interviews upon completion of the course. Findings, based on students` perceived evaluation, pinpointed on the advantages of the online course for students of the three groups. LD students’ achievements were not inferior to those of their peers, excellent students and average students. Yet, it carefully reports on a slight but explicitly marginal perceived evaluation of the LD students in comparison to excellent students and average students regarding: forum participation, authentic task and water lab performance. The article discusses the affordance of the online course via additional features that can be grouped into two categories: knowledge construction and flexibility in time, interaction and knowledge. Further research is suggested to extend the current study by examine the effect of other courses and different contents and by considering various evaluation methods of online courses, such as: observation, the think aloud, text and tasks analysis, and reflection.

Clinico-statistical study of preoperative examination for the dental implant using multi-detector row computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiya, Keiko; Mori, Shintaro; Sekiya, Kotaro

2008-01-01

In April 2006, a new affiliated hospital opened at Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, and the latest model was introduced into the department of radiology. CT examinations for preoperative dental implant going on 64 multi-detector row CT, the number of cases has increased. CT examination is useful for preoperative dental implant, and many studies of concerning clinical studies using CT images have been reported. The purpose of this study was to the clinico-statistical studies of preoperative CT examinations for dental implant at our radiology department using 64 multi-detector row CT. The subjects consisted of 5174 regions in 1312 cases of preoperative CT examinations, between April 2006 and December 2007. CT machine used was the Aquilion TM 64 (Toshiba Medical Systems, Japan), and the workstation used was the ZIOSTATION (ZIOSOFT, Japan). All of CT examinations were performed the position of implant placement and disease examined from CT findings. The following results were obtained: The 1312 cases consisted of 426 males and 886 females. Patient age ranged from 16 yrs to 86 yrs old, the average age were 55.5 yrs old. Six hundred and seventy four cases were ordered at another private dental office not our hospital, and 638 cases were ordered at our hospital. The numbers of implant placement were on the average of 3.9, and the rate got higher with age. The lesions which detected by preoperative CT examination were maxillary sinusitis, periodontitis, ectopic calcification, and mucous retention cyst. (author)

The difference between alternative averages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Vaupel

2012-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Demographers have long been interested in how compositional change, e.g., change in age structure, affects population averages. OBJECTIVE We want to deepen understanding of how compositional change affects population averages. RESULTS The difference between two averages of a variable, calculated using alternative weighting functions, equals the covariance between the variable and the ratio of the weighting functions, divided by the average of the ratio. We compare weighted and unweighted averages and also provide examples of use of the relationship in analyses of fertility and mortality. COMMENTS Other uses of covariances in formal demography are worth exploring.

Gender Differences in the Psychosomatic Reactions of Students Subjected to Examination Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmala-Anderson, Joanna; Wallace, Louise M.

2007-01-01

Introduction: The study investigated pre-examination anxiety and emotional control strategies as possible mediators of gender differences in self reported intensity and type of psychosomatic reactions to examination stress. Method: Sample comprised 150 male and 150 female high school senior students and university students who voluntarily…

Examining The Relationships between Attitude Towards Behaviour, Subjective Norms and Entrepreneurial Intention among Engineering Students

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Saraih Ummi Naiemah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships between attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and entrepreneurial intention among engineering students from Public Higher Educational Institution (PHEI in Malaysia. This research is carried out by using the quantitative method (questionnaire. Data are gathered from 345 respondents which consisted of the final year students from one PHEI in Malaysia. Results presented that entrepreneurial intention are positively associated with attitude towards behaviour (β=.62, p<.01 and subjective norm (β=.25, p<.01. Thus, it is confirmed that both factors of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB, namely attitude towards behaviour and subjective norm are significantly related to entrepreneurial intention among the engineering students in this institution. Elevating the degree of attitude towards behaviour and subjective norm are the best strategies to enhance the level of entrepreneurial intention among the engineering students in this institution. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed. In this line, recommendations for the institution management are provided

Population-averaged macaque brain atlas with high-resolution ex vivo DTI integrated into in vivo space.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Lei; Jeon, Tina; Yu, Qiaowen; Ouyang, Minhui; Peng, Qinmu; Mishra, Virendra; Pletikos, Mihovil; Sestan, Nenad; Miller, Michael I; Mori, Susumu; Hsiao, Steven; Liu, Shuwei; Huang, Hao

2017-12-01

Animal models of the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), the most widely used nonhuman primate, have been irreplaceable in neurobiological studies. However, a population-averaged macaque brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) atlas, including comprehensive gray and white matter labeling as well as bony and facial landmarks guiding invasive experimental procedures, is not available. The macaque white matter tract pathways and microstructures have been rarely recorded. Here, we established a population-averaged macaque brain atlas with high-resolution ex vivo DTI integrated into in vivo space incorporating bony and facial landmarks, and delineated microstructures and three-dimensional pathways of major white matter tracts in vivo MRI/DTI and ex vivo (postmortem) DTI of ten rhesus macaque brains were acquired. Single-subject macaque brain DTI template was obtained by transforming the postmortem high-resolution DTI data into in vivo space. Ex vivo DTI of ten macaque brains was then averaged in the in vivo single-subject template space to generate population-averaged macaque brain DTI atlas. The white matter tracts were traced with DTI-based tractography. One hundred and eighteen neural structures including all cortical gyri, white matter tracts and subcortical nuclei, were labeled manually on population-averaged DTI-derived maps. The in vivo microstructural metrics of fractional anisotropy, axial, radial and mean diffusivity of the traced white matter tracts were measured. Population-averaged digital atlas integrated into in vivo space can be used to label the experimental macaque brain automatically. Bony and facial landmarks will be available for guiding invasive procedures. The DTI metric measurements offer unique insights into heterogeneous microstructural profiles of different white matter tracts.

Thermodynamic Integration Methods, Infinite Swapping and the Calculation of Generalized Averages

OpenAIRE

Doll, J. D.; Dupuis, P.; Nyquist, P.

2016-01-01

In the present paper we examine the risk-sensitive and sampling issues associated with the problem of calculating generalized averages. By combining thermodynamic integration and Stationary Phase Monte Carlo techniques, we develop an approach for such problems and explore its utility for a prototypical class of applications.

Operator licensing examiner standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

The Operator Licensing Examiner Standards provide policy and guidance to NRC examiners and establish the procedures and practices for examining and licensing of applicants for NRC operator licenses pursuant to Part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55). They are intended to assist NRC examiners and facility licensees to understand the examination process better and to provide for equitable and consistent administration of examinations to all applicants by NRC examiners. These standards are not a substitute for the operator licensing regulations and are subject to revision or other internal operator examination licensing policy changes

Age, subjective stress, and depression after ischemic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Michael J; Sucharew, Heidi J; Alwell, Kathleen; Moomaw, Charles J; Woo, Daniel; Flaherty, Matthew L; Khatri, Pooja; Ferioli, Simona; Adeoye, Opeolu; Kleindorfer, Dawn O; Kissela, Brett M

2016-02-01

The incidence of stroke among younger adults in the United States is increasing. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms after stroke among different age groups or the extent to which subjective stress at the time of stroke interacts with age to contribute to post-stroke depression. The present study examined whether there exists an age gradient in survivors' level of depressive symptoms and explored the extent to which financial, family, and health-related stress may also impact on depression. Bivariate analyses (N = 322) indicated significant differences in depression and stress by age group, as well as differences in age and stress by 3-month depression status. Linear regression analyses indicated that survivors between the ages of 25-54 and 55-64 years old had, on average, significantly higher depressive symptom scores. Those with financial, family, and health-related stress at the time of stroke, irrespective of age, also had significantly higher scores.

Low Goiter Rate Associated with Small Average Thyroid Volume in Schoolchildren after the Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peihua Wang

Full Text Available After the implementation of the universal salt iodization (USI program in 1996, seven cross-sectional school-based surveys have been conducted to monitor iodine deficiency disorders (IDD among children in eastern China.This study aimed to examine the correlation of total goiter rate (TGR with average thyroid volume (Tvol and urinary iodine concentration (UIC in Jiangsu province after IDD elimination.Probability-proportional-to-size sampling was applied to select 1,200 children aged 8-10 years old in 30 clusters for each survey in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009 and 2011. We measured Tvol using ultrasonography in 8,314 children and measured UIC (4,767 subjects and salt iodine (10,184 samples using methods recommended by the World Health Organization. Tvol was used to calculate TGR based on the reference criteria specified for sex and body surface area (BSA.TGR decreased from 55.2% in 1997 to 1.0% in 2009, and geometric means of Tvol decreased from 3.63 mL to 1.33 mL, along with the UIC increasing from 83 μg/L in 1995 to 407 μg/L in 1999, then decreasing to 243 μg/L in 2005, and then increasing to 345 μg/L in 2011. In the low goiter population (TGR 300 μg/L was associated with a smaller average Tvol in children.After IDD elimination in Jiangsu province in 2001, lower TGR was associated with smaller average Tvol. Average Tvol was more sensitive than TGR in detecting the fluctuation of UIC. A UIC of 300 μg/L may be defined as a critical value for population level iodine status monitoring.

Perceived Social Policy Fairness and Subjective Wellbeing: Evidence from China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Feng; Xiao, Jing Jian

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationship between perceived fairness of social policies and subjective well-being. Two types of policies examined were related to income distribution and social security. Subjective well-being was measured by work and life satisfaction. In addition, subjective well-beings between different income, age, and education…

Bayesian model averaging and weighted average least squares : Equivariance, stability, and numerical issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Luca, G.; Magnus, J.R.

2011-01-01

In this article, we describe the estimation of linear regression models with uncertainty about the choice of the explanatory variables. We introduce the Stata commands bma and wals, which implement, respectively, the exact Bayesian model-averaging estimator and the weighted-average least-squares

L5 pedicle length is increased in subjects with spondylolysis: an anatomic study of 1072 cadavers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajwa, Navkirat S; Toy, Jason O; Ahn, Nicholas U

2012-11-01

In spondylolisthesis, it is believed that as L5 slips on S1, the pedicle may become elongated in response to the instability in an attempt to bridge the defect. Whether patients with spondylolysis, which is largely developmental, also develop elongation of the pedicles is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and quantify the increase in L5 pedicle length in subjects with spondylolysis as compared with normal healthy subjects. Nine hundred fifty-two human cadaveric specimens without spondylolysis and 120 specimens with spondylolysis from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection were examined by a single examiner. Baseline data, including age, sex, and race of specimens, were collected. Digital calipers were used to measure the pedicle lengths at the L5 level. Linear regression analysis was performed to compare the L5 pedicle lengths in healthy patients and patients with spondylolysis. Linear regression showed a significant association of increased L5 pedicle length in subjects with spondylolysis. The average L5 pedicle length in subjects with spondylolysis was greater compared with subjects without spondylolysis. In spondylolytic specimens, pedicles start to elongate after the age of 40 years. The pedicle lengths increase progressively from 5.6 mm at 40 years to 6.7 mm at 80 years with a 1% to 3% increment every decade. The pedicle lengths showed little variation in specimens from healthy subjects. In spondylolytic specimens, there is progressive elongation of L5 pedicle length after the third decade. An increase in L5 pedicle length in all age groups compared with the specimens from healthy subjects suggests that pathologic changes occur in bony anatomy of L5 vertebrae as early as adolescence when the condition develops.

Construction of average adult Japanese voxel phantoms for dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Kaoru; Takahashi, Fumiaki; Satoh, Daiki; Endo, Akira

2011-12-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) adopted the adult reference voxel phantoms based on the physiological and anatomical reference data of Caucasian on October, 2007. The organs and tissues of these phantoms were segmented on the basis of ICRP Publication 103. In future, the dose coefficients for internal dose and dose conversion coefficients for external dose calculated using the adult reference voxel phantoms will be widely used for the radiation protection fields. On the other hand, the body sizes and organ masses of adult Japanese are generally smaller than those of adult Caucasian. In addition, there are some cases that the anatomical characteristics such as body sizes, organ masses and postures of subjects influence the organ doses in dose assessment for medical treatments and radiation accident. Therefore, it was needed to use human phantoms with average anatomical characteristics of Japanese. The authors constructed the averaged adult Japanese male and female voxel phantoms by modifying the previously developed high-resolution adult male (JM) and female (JF) voxel phantoms. It has been modified in the following three aspects: (1) The heights and weights were agreed with the Japanese averages; (2) The masses of organs and tissues were adjusted to the Japanese averages within 10%; (3) The organs and tissues, which were newly added for evaluation of the effective dose in ICRP Publication 103, were modeled. In this study, the organ masses, distances between organs, specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) and dose conversion coefficients of these phantoms were compared with those evaluated using the ICRP adult reference voxel phantoms. This report provides valuable information on the anatomical and dosimetric characteristics of the averaged adult Japanese male and female voxel phantoms developed as reference phantoms of adult Japanese. (author)

On the evils of group averaging: commentary on Nevin's "Resistance to extinction and behavioral momentum".

Science.gov (United States)

Gallistel, C R

2012-05-01

Except under unusually favorable circumstances, one can infer from functions obtained by averaging across the subjects neither the form of the function that describes the behavior of the individual subject nor the central tendencies of descriptive parameter values. We should restore the cumulative record to the place of honor as our means of visualizing behavioral change, and we should base our conclusions on analyses that measure where the change occurs in these response-by-response records of the behavior of individual subjects. When that is done, we may find that the extinction of responding to a continuously reinforced stimulus is faster than the extinction of responding to a partially reinforced stimulus in a within-subject design because the latter is signaled extinction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time-dependence and averaging techniques in atomic photoionization calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheibner, K.F.

1984-01-01

Two distinct problems in the development and application of averaging techniques to photoionization calculations are considered. The first part of the thesis is concerned with the specific problem of near-resonant three-photon ionization in hydrogen, a process for which no cross section exists. Effects of the inclusion of the laser pulse characteristics (both temporal and spatial) on the dynamics of the ionization probability and of the metastable state probability are examined. It is found, for example, that the ionization probability can decrease with increasing field intensity. The temporal profile of the laser pulse is found to affect the dynamics very little, whereas the spatial character of the pulse can affect the results drastically. In the second part of the thesis techniques are developed for calculating averaged cross sections directly without first calculating a detailed cross section. Techniques are developed whereby the detailed cross section never has to be calculated as an intermediate step, but rather, the averaged cross section is calculated directly. A variation of the moment technique and a new method based on the stabilization technique are applied successfully to atomic hydrogen and helium

SUBJECTIVE MEMORY IN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS

OpenAIRE

Sims, Regina C.; Whitfield, Keith E.; Ayotte, Brian J.; Gamaldo, Alyssa A.; Edwards, Christopher L.; Allaire, Jason C.

2011-01-01

The current analysis examined (a) if measures of psychological well-being predict subjective memory, and (b) if subjective memory is consistent with actual memory. Five hundred seventy-nine older African Americans from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging completed measures assessing subjective memory, depressive symptomatology, perceived stress, locus of control, and verbal and working memory. Higher levels of perceived stress and greater externalized locus of control predicted poorer subjecti...

Examining the incremental impact of long-standing health conditions on subjective well-being alongside the EQ-5D.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mengjun; Brazier, John; Relton, Clare; Cooper, Cindy; Smith, Christine; Blackburn, Joanna

2014-04-29

Generic preference-based measures such as the EQ-5D and SF-6D have been criticised for being narrowly focused on a sub-set of dimensions of health. Our study aims to explore whether long-standing health conditions have an incremental impact on subjective well-being alongside the EQ-5D. Using data from the South Yorkshire Cohort study (N = 13,591) collected between 2010 and 2012 on the EQ-5D, long-standing health conditions (self-reported), and subjective well-being measure--life satisfaction using a response scale from 0 (completely dissatisfied) to 10 (completely satisfied), we employed generalised logit regression models. We assessed the impact of EQ-5D and long-standing health conditions together on life satisfaction by examining the size and significance of their estimated odds ratios. The EQ-5D had a significant association with life satisfaction, in which anxiety/depression and then self-care had the largest weights. Some long-standing health conditions were significant in some models, but most did not have an independent impact on life satisfaction. Overall, none of the health conditions had a consistent impact on life satisfaction alongside the EQ-5D. Out study suggests that the impact of long-standing health conditions on life satisfaction is adequately captured by the EQ-5D, although the findings are limited by reliance on self-reported conditions and a single item life satisfaction measure.

Microarray analysis of gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from dioxin-exposed human subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McHale, Cliona M.; Zhang, Luoping; Hubbard, Alan E.; Zhao, Xin; Baccarelli, Andrea; Pesatori, Angela C.; Smith, Martyn T.; Landi, Maria Teresa

2007-01-01

Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is classified as a human carcinogen and exerts toxic effects on the skin (chloracne). Effects on reproductive, immunological, and endocrine systems have also been observed in animal models. TCDD acts through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway influencing largely unknown gene networks. An industrial accident in Seveso, Italy in 1976 exposed thousands of people to substantial quantities of TCDD. Twenty years after the exposure, this study examines global gene expression in the mononuclear cells of 26 Seveso female never smokers, with similar age, alcohol consumption, use of medications, and background plasma levels of 22 dioxin congeners unrelated to the Seveso accident. Plasma dioxin levels were still elevated in the exposed subjects. We performed analyses in two different comparison groups. The first included high-exposed study subjects compared with individuals with background TCDD levels (average plasma levels 99.4 and 6.7 ppt, respectively); the second compared subjects who developed chloracne after the accident, and those who did not develop this disease. Overall, we observed a modest alteration of gene expression based on dioxin levels or on chloracne status. In the comparison between high levels and background levels of TCDD, four histone genes were up-regulated and modified expression of HIST1H3H was confirmed by real-time PCR. In the comparison between chloracne case-control subjects, five hemoglobin genes were up-regulated. Pathway analysis revealed two major networks for each comparison, involving cell proliferation, apoptosis, immunological and hematological disease, and other pathways. Further examination of the role of these genes in dioxin induced-toxicity is warranted

When does meaning making predict subjective well-being? Examining young and older adults in two cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Alea, Nicole; Bluck, Susan

2013-01-01

Two studies in different cultures (Study 1: USA, N=174, Study 2: Trinidad, N=167) examined whether meaning making, (i.e., both searching for meaning, and directing behaviour) is positively related to subjective well-being (SWB) by age (younger, older adults). In both studies, participants self-reported engagement in meaning making, and SWB (e.g., affect, future time perspective, psychological well-being). In Study 1, young Americans (compared to older) more frequently used their past to direct behaviour but doing so was unrelated to SWB. In older Americans, both types of meaning making were positively associated with SWB. In Study 2, Trinidadian younger adults were again more likely than older adults to engage in meaning making. Unlike in the American sample, however, directing behaviour was positively related to SWB for both young and older adults. The studies demonstrate that whether meaning making shows benefits for SWB may depend on type of meaning, age and culture. Note that although meaning making was sometimes unrelated to SWB, no detrimental relations to meaning making were found. The discussion focuses on the role of moderators in understanding when meaning making should lead to benefits versus costs to SWB.

Examination of a pre-exercise, high energy supplement on exercise performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tranchina Christopher P

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a pre-exercise high energy drink on reaction time and anaerobic power in competitive strength/power athletes. In addition, the effect of the pre-exercise drink on subjective feelings of energy, fatigue, alertness and focus was also explored. Methods Twelve male strength/power athletes (21.1 ± 1.3 y; 179.8 ± 7.1 cm; 88.6 ± 12.1 kg; 17.6 ± 3.3% body fat underwent two testing sessions administered in a randomized and double-blind fashion. During each session, subjects reported to the Human Performance Laboratory and were provided with either 120 ml of a high energy drink (SUP, commercially marketed as Redline Extreme® or 120 ml of a placebo (PL that was similar in taste and appearance but contained no active ingredients. Following consumption of the supplement or placebo subjects rested quietly for 10-minutes prior to completing a survey and commencing exercise. The survey consisted of 4 questions asking each subject to describe their feelings of energy, fatigue, alertness and focus for that moment. Following the completion of the questionnaire subjects performed a 2-minute quickness and reaction test on the Makoto testing device (Makoto USA, Centennial CO and a 20-second Wingate Anaerobic Power test. Following a 10-minute rest subjects repeated the testing sequence and after a similar rest period a third and final testing sequence was performed. The Makoto testing device consisted of subjects reacting to both a visual and auditory stimulus and striking one out of 30 potential targets on three towers. Results Significant difference in reaction performance was seen between SUP and PL in both average number of targets struck (55.8 ± 7.4 versus 51.9 ± 7.4, respectively and percent of targets struck (71.9 ± 10.5% versus 66.8 ± 10.9%, respectively. No significant differences between trials were seen in any anaerobic power measure. Subjective feelings of energy (3.5 ± 0

Longitudinal Lung Function Decrease in Subjects with Spontaneous Healed Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Heon; Kwon, Amy M; Yang, Hae-Chung; Lee, Seung Ku; Kim, Young; Choi, Jong Hyun; Kim, Je Hyeong; Shin, Chol

2016-01-01

We compared the longitudinal course of post-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (pFEV1) over a 10-year period in subjects with spontaneous healed pulmonary tuberculosis (SHPTB) with that in normal subjects. We prospectively investigated 339 subjects with SHPTB and 3211 normal subjects. pFEV1 values measured biannually over 10 years were analyzed using mixed effects model. At baseline, there were no differences in gender, smoking amount, and mean height, except mean age (50.0 ± 8.1 VS. 48.1 ± 7.3, P< 0.001) between the SHPTB and normal group. 52% of the 339 participants with SHPTB and 56% of the 3211 normal participants participated till the end of study. According to the final model, the SHPTB group showed significantly larger decrease in the average pFEV1 over the time than the normal group (P< 0.001) adjusted for gender, age, height, smoking pack years, and time effects. Especially, the interaction effect between time and group was statistically significant (P = 0.036). The average lung function in terms of pFEV1 decreases faster in subjects with SHPTB than in normal individuals over time.

Effect of temporal averaging of meteorological data on predictions of groundwater recharge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Batalha Marcia S.

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Accurate estimates of infiltration and groundwater recharge are critical for many hydrologic, agricultural and environmental applications. Anticipated climate change in many regions of the world, especially in tropical areas, is expected to increase the frequency of high-intensity, short-duration precipitation events, which in turn will affect the groundwater recharge rate. Estimates of recharge are often obtained using monthly or even annually averaged meteorological time series data. In this study we employed the HYDRUS-1D software package to assess the sensitivity of groundwater recharge calculations to using meteorological time series of different temporal resolutions (i.e., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly averaged precipitation and potential evaporation rates. Calculations were applied to three sites in Brazil having different climatological conditions: a tropical savanna (the Cerrado, a humid subtropical area (the temperate southern part of Brazil, and a very wet tropical area (Amazonia. To simplify our current analysis, we did not consider any land use effects by ignoring root water uptake. Temporal averaging of meteorological data was found to lead to significant bias in predictions of groundwater recharge, with much greater estimated recharge rates in case of very uneven temporal rainfall distributions during the year involving distinct wet and dry seasons. For example, at the Cerrado site, using daily averaged data produced recharge rates of up to 9 times greater than using yearly averaged data. In all cases, an increase in the time of averaging of meteorological data led to lower estimates of groundwater recharge, especially at sites having coarse-textured soils. Our results show that temporal averaging limits the ability of simulations to predict deep penetration of moisture in response to precipitation, so that water remains in the upper part of the vadose zone subject to upward flow and evaporation.

Averaging in spherically symmetric cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coley, A. A.; Pelavas, N.

2007-01-01

The averaging problem in cosmology is of fundamental importance. When applied to study cosmological evolution, the theory of macroscopic gravity (MG) can be regarded as a long-distance modification of general relativity. In the MG approach to the averaging problem in cosmology, the Einstein field equations on cosmological scales are modified by appropriate gravitational correlation terms. We study the averaging problem within the class of spherically symmetric cosmological models. That is, we shall take the microscopic equations and effect the averaging procedure to determine the precise form of the correlation tensor in this case. In particular, by working in volume-preserving coordinates, we calculate the form of the correlation tensor under some reasonable assumptions on the form for the inhomogeneous gravitational field and matter distribution. We find that the correlation tensor in a Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) background must be of the form of a spatial curvature. Inhomogeneities and spatial averaging, through this spatial curvature correction term, can have a very significant dynamical effect on the dynamics of the Universe and cosmological observations; in particular, we discuss whether spatial averaging might lead to a more conservative explanation of the observed acceleration of the Universe (without the introduction of exotic dark matter fields). We also find that the correlation tensor for a non-FLRW background can be interpreted as the sum of a spatial curvature and an anisotropic fluid. This may lead to interesting effects of averaging on astrophysical scales. We also discuss the results of averaging an inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi solution as well as calculations of linear perturbations (that is, the backreaction) in an FLRW background, which support the main conclusions of the analysis

Translating HbA1c measurements into estimated average glucose values in pregnant women with diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Law, Graham R; Gilthorpe, Mark S; Secher, Anna L

2017-01-01

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study aimed to examine the relationship between average glucose levels, assessed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and HbA1c levels in pregnant women with diabetes to determine whether calculations of standard estimated average glucose (eAG) levels from HbA1c measureme...

Operator licensing examiner standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The Operator Licensing Examiner Standards provide policy and guidance to NRC examiners and establish the procedures and practices for examining licensees and applicants for reactor operator and senior reactor operator licenses at power reactor facilities pursuant to Part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55). The Examiner Standards are intended to assist NRC examiners and facility licensees to better understand the initial and requalification examination processes and to ensure the equitable and consistent administration of examinations to all applicants. These standards are not a substitute for the operator licensing regulations and are subject to revision or other internal operator licensing policy changes

Variation in the annual average radon concentration measured in homes in Mesa County, Colorado

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rood, A.S.; George, J.L.; Langner, G.H. Jr.

1990-04-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the variability in the annual average indoor radon concentration. The TMC has been collecting annual average radon data for the past 5 years in 33 residential structures in Mesa County, Colorado. This report is an interim report that presents the data collected up to the present. Currently, the plans are to continue this study in the future. 62 refs., 3 figs., 12 tabs

Variation in Subjective Aging by Sexual Minority Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Anne; Barbee, Harry

2017-06-01

The past few decades have seen increased scholarly attention to gay and lesbian individuals' aging experiences; however, few studies examine differences in subjective aging by sexual minority status. We identify four perspectives on the association between sexual minority status and subjective aging-double jeopardy, crisis competence, gender interactive, and limited salience perspectives. We examine each perspective's predictions using data from the first wave of Midlife in the United States (1995-1996; MIDUS). Ordinary least square regression models reveal strongest support for the limited salience perspective, suggesting that sexual minority status has weaker effects on subjective aging than do other social factors, such as age, health, and gender. However, some results provide support for the gender interactive perspective, positing that the effect of sexual minority status on subjective aging varies by gender. Our study provides an organizational framework of theoretical perspectives that can guide further examinations of variation in aging experiences by sexual minority status.

How to average logarithmic retrievals?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Funke

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Calculation of mean trace gas contributions from profiles obtained by retrievals of the logarithm of the abundance rather than retrievals of the abundance itself are prone to biases. By means of a system simulator, biases of linear versus logarithmic averaging were evaluated for both maximum likelihood and maximum a priori retrievals, for various signal to noise ratios and atmospheric variabilities. These biases can easily reach ten percent or more. As a rule of thumb we found for maximum likelihood retrievals that linear averaging better represents the true mean value in cases of large local natural variability and high signal to noise ratios, while for small local natural variability logarithmic averaging often is superior. In the case of maximum a posteriori retrievals, the mean is dominated by the a priori information used in the retrievals and the method of averaging is of minor concern. For larger natural variabilities, the appropriateness of the one or the other method of averaging depends on the particular case because the various biasing mechanisms partly compensate in an unpredictable manner. This complication arises mainly because of the fact that in logarithmic retrievals the weight of the prior information depends on abundance of the gas itself. No simple rule was found on which kind of averaging is superior, and instead of suggesting simple recipes we cannot do much more than to create awareness of the traps related with averaging of mixing ratios obtained from logarithmic retrievals.

Modified Exponential Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) Control Chart on Autocorrelation Data

Science.gov (United States)

Herdiani, Erna Tri; Fandrilla, Geysa; Sunusi, Nurtiti

2018-03-01

In general, observations of the statistical process control are assumed to be mutually independence. However, this assumption is often violated in practice. Consequently, statistical process controls were developed for interrelated processes, including Shewhart, Cumulative Sum (CUSUM), and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts in the data that were autocorrelation. One researcher stated that this chart is not suitable if the same control limits are used in the case of independent variables. For this reason, it is necessary to apply the time series model in building the control chart. A classical control chart for independent variables is usually applied to residual processes. This procedure is permitted provided that residuals are independent. In 1978, Shewhart modification for the autoregressive process was introduced by using the distance between the sample mean and the target value compared to the standard deviation of the autocorrelation process. In this paper we will examine the mean of EWMA for autocorrelation process derived from Montgomery and Patel. Performance to be investigated was investigated by examining Average Run Length (ARL) based on the Markov Chain Method.

Operator licensing examiner standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-10-01

The Operator Licensing Examiner Standards provide policy and guidance to NRC examiners and establish the procedures and practices for examining and licensing of applicants for NRC operator licenses pursuant to Part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55). They are intended to assist NRC examiners and facility licensees to understand the examination process better and to provide for equitable and consistent administration of examinations to all applicants by NRC examiners. These standards are not a substitute for the operator licensing regulations and are subject to revision or other internal operator examination licensing policy changes. As appropriate, these standards will be revised periodically to accommodate comments and reflect new information or experience

Objective structured practical examination in biochemistry: An experience in Medical College, Kolkata.

Science.gov (United States)

Kundu, Dipankar; Das, H N; Sen, Gargi; Osta, Manish; Mandal, T; Gautam, Divyendu

2013-01-01

Undergraduate medical examination is undergoing extensive re evaluation with new core educational objectives being defined. Consequently, new exam systems have also been designed to test the objectives. Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) is one of them. To introduce OSPE as a method of assessment of practical skills and learning and to determine student satisfaction regarding the OSPE. Furthermore, to explore the faculty perception of OSPE as a learning and assessment tool. The first M.B.B.S students of 2011 12 batch of Medical College, Kolkata, were the subjects for the study. OSPE was organized and conducted on "Identification of Unknown Abnormal Constituents in Urine." Coefficient of reliability of questions administered was done by calculating Cronbach's alpha. A questionnaire on various components of the OSPE was administered to get the feedback. 16 students failed to achieve an average of 50% or above in the assessment. However, 49 students on an average achieved >75%, 52 students achieved between 65% and 75%, and 29 students scored between 50% and 65%. Cronbach's alpha of the questions administered showed to be having high internal consistency with a score of 0.80. Ninety nine percent of students believed that OSPE helps them to improve and 81% felt that this type of assessment fits in as both learning and evaluation tools. Faculty feedback reflected that such assessment tested objectivity, measured practical skills better, and eliminated examiner bias to a greater extent. OSPE tests different desired components of competence better and eliminated examiner bias. Student feedback reflects that such assessment helps them to improve as it is effective both as teaching and evaluation tools.

A study of the exposure of subjects to RF radiation during MRI examinations. Measurement of the SAR of head parts and the evaluation of the measured values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Masayuki; Koga, Sukehiko; Sugie, Masami; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Anno, Hirofumi; Katada, Kazuhiro.

1996-01-01

Recently, as the fast spin echo technique has become prevailing among all the techniques in this line, there has been an increasing interest in the exposure of subjects to radiofrequency (RF) radiation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. On the other hand, there have been no reports about the safety of the MRI examination in Japan. For this reason, in this study, the authors aimed to evaluate the extent of the exposure of subjects to RF radiation during MRI examinations, and measured the specific absorption rate (SAR) of spherical phantoms, which assumed to be adult heads, by using the procedures set forth in two safety guidelines respectively: the 1988 Guideline of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the 1995 Standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). As a result of the measurement, it was found that the highest value of the SAR was 1.361 W/kg, which stayed far below the upper limits set forth by the respective safety guidelines referred to in the above. However, the measured values of the SAR varied depending on the respective measuring procedures. As both the measuring procedures are equivalent theoretically, the authors consider the variance to be very important. (author)

Reference to the Safety Engineering Undergraduate Courses to Improve the Subjects and Contents of the Certified Safety Engineer Qualification and Examination System of China

OpenAIRE

Haibin Qiu; Shanghong Shi; Tingdi Zhao; Yiwei Qiao; Jiangshi Zhang

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to recommend that the subjects and contents of certified safety engineers use safety engineering undergraduate curriculum system for reference. Human resources play an important role in accident prevention and loss control. Education on safety engineering develops quickly in China. Moreover, the State Administration of Work Safety and the National Human Resources and Social Security Ministry have implemented a certified safety engineer qualification and examination sy...

Reynolds averaged simulation of unsteady separated flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iaccarino, G.; Ooi, A.; Durbin, P.A.; Behnia, M.

2003-01-01

The accuracy of Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models in predicting complex flows with separation is examined. The unsteady flow around square cylinder and over a wall-mounted cube are simulated and compared with experimental data. For the cube case, none of the previously published numerical predictions obtained by steady-state RANS produced a good match with experimental data. However, evidence exists that coherent vortex shedding occurs in this flow. Its presence demands unsteady RANS computation because the flow is not statistically stationary. The present study demonstrates that unsteady RANS does indeed predict periodic shedding, and leads to much better concurrence with available experimental data than has been achieved with steady computation

Microvascular retinopathy in subjects without diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munch, Inger Christine; Kessel, Line; Borch-Johnsen, Knut

2012-01-01

Purpose:  Retinal vascular lesions such as microaneurysms and haemorrhages, while typical of diabetic retinopathy, are also seen in subjects without diabetes where they are associated with elevated cardiovascular mortality. In theory, these lesions could be a consequence of past hyperglycaemia. We...... examined the prevalence and risk factors for retinopathy, including lens fluorescence, a biomarker of cumulative life-time glycaemia in adults without diabetes. Methods:  Cross-sectional population-based study of 711 subjects without diabetes (WHO 1999 criteria) aged 30-60 years, including oral glucose...... tolerance testing, clinical and laboratory examinations, non-invasive ocular lens fluorometry and seven-field fundus photography. Results:  Retinopathy was present in 8.3% (CI(95) 6.3-10.3%) of subjects. Higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = 0.032), increasing body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.014) and wider...

Correlation between the Physical Activity Level and Grade Point Averages of Faculty of Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Imdat, Yarim

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to find the correlation that exists between physical activity level and grade point averages of faculty of education students. The subjects consist of 359 (172 females and 187 males) under graduate students To determine the physical activity levels of the students in this research, International Physical Activity…

Costs of examinations performed in a hospital laboratory in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Germán Lobos; Palma, Carolina Salas

2018-01-01

To determine the total average costs related to laboratory examinations performed in a hospital laboratory in Chile. Retrospective study with data from July 2014 to June 2015. 92 examinations classified in ten groups were selected according to the analysis methodology. The costs were estimated as the sum of direct and indirect laboratory costs and indirect institutional factors. The average values obtained for the costs according to examination group (in USD) were: 1.79 (clinical chemistry), 10.21 (immunoassay techniques), 13.27 (coagulation), 26.06 (high-performance liquid chromatography), 21.2 (immunological), 3.85 (gases and electrolytes), 156.48 (cytogenetic), 1.38 (urine), 4.02 (automated hematological), 4.93 (manual hematological). The value, or service fee, returned to public institutions who perform laboratory services does not adequately reflect the true total average production costs of examinations.

Postirradiation examination results for the Irradiation Effects Test Series IE-ST-2, Rod IE-002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdock, B.A.

1977-12-01

A postirradiation examination was conducted on a zircaloy-clad, UO 2 -fueled, pressurized water reactor (PWR) type rod which had been tested in the Power Burst Facility as part of the Irradiation Effects Test Series of the Thermal Fuels Behavior Program. The fuel rod, previously irradiated to a burnup of 15,800 MWd/t was subjected to a power ramp from 28 to 55 kW/m peak power at an average ramp rate of 4 kW/m/min. Posttest fuel restructuring and relocation, fission product redistribution, and fuel rod cladding deformation were evaluated and analyzed

Subjective memory complaints in preclinical autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, Daniel J; Amariglio, Rebecca; Protas, Hillary; Chen, Kewei; Aguirre-Acevedo, Daniel C; Pulsifer, Brendan; Castrillon, Gabriel; Tirado, Victoria; Munoz, Claudia; Tariot, Pierre; Langbaum, Jessica B; Reiman, Eric M; Lopera, Francisco; Sperling, Reisa A; Quiroz, Yakeel T

2017-10-03

To cross-sectionally study subjective memory complaints (SMC) in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD). We examined self-reported and study partner-based SMC in 52 young, cognitively unimpaired individuals from a Colombian kindred with early-onset ADAD. Twenty-six carried the PSEN-1 E280A mutation, averaging 7 years of age younger than the kindred's expected clinical onset. Twenty-six were age-matched noncarriers. Participants also underwent structural MRI and cognitive testing. Self-reported SMC were greater in carriers than noncarriers ( p = 0.02). Study partner-based SMC did not differ between groups ( p = 0.21), but in carriers increased with age ( r = 0.66, p < 0.001) and decreased with hippocampal volume ( r = -0.35, p = 0.08). Cognitively unimpaired PSEN-1 carriers have elevated SMC. Self-reported SMC may be a relatively early indicator of preclinical AD, while partner- reported SMC increases later in preclinical AD, closer to clinical onset. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

On Averaging Rotations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gramkow, Claus

2001-01-01

In this paper two common approaches to averaging rotations are compared to a more advanced approach based on a Riemannian metric. Very often the barycenter of the quaternions or matrices that represent the rotations are used as an estimate of the mean. These methods neglect that rotations belong ...... approximations to the Riemannian metric, and that the subsequent corrections are inherent in the least squares estimation.......In this paper two common approaches to averaging rotations are compared to a more advanced approach based on a Riemannian metric. Very often the barycenter of the quaternions or matrices that represent the rotations are used as an estimate of the mean. These methods neglect that rotations belong...

Transferability of hydrological models and ensemble averaging methods between contrasting climatic periods

Science.gov (United States)

Broderick, Ciaran; Matthews, Tom; Wilby, Robert L.; Bastola, Satish; Murphy, Conor

2016-10-01

Understanding hydrological model predictive capabilities under contrasting climate conditions enables more robust decision making. Using Differential Split Sample Testing (DSST), we analyze the performance of six hydrological models for 37 Irish catchments under climate conditions unlike those used for model training. Additionally, we consider four ensemble averaging techniques when examining interperiod transferability. DSST is conducted using 2/3 year noncontinuous blocks of (i) the wettest/driest years on record based on precipitation totals and (ii) years with a more/less pronounced seasonal precipitation regime. Model transferability between contrasting regimes was found to vary depending on the testing scenario, catchment, and evaluation criteria considered. As expected, the ensemble average outperformed most individual ensemble members. However, averaging techniques differed considerably in the number of times they surpassed the best individual model member. Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) and the Granger-Ramanathan Averaging (GRA) method were found to outperform the simple arithmetic mean (SAM) and Akaike Information Criteria Averaging (AICA). Here GRA performed better than the best individual model in 51%-86% of cases (according to the Nash-Sutcliffe criterion). When assessing model predictive skill under climate change conditions we recommend (i) setting up DSST to select the best available analogues of expected annual mean and seasonal climate conditions; (ii) applying multiple performance criteria; (iii) testing transferability using a diverse set of catchments; and (iv) using a multimodel ensemble in conjunction with an appropriate averaging technique. Given the computational efficiency and performance of GRA relative to BMA, the former is recommended as the preferred ensemble averaging technique for climate assessment.

Nondestructive examination development and demonstration plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, J.R.

1991-01-01

Nondestructive examination (NDE) of waste matrices using penetrating radiation is by nature very subjective. Two candidate systems of examination have been identified for use in WRAP 1. This test plan describes a method for a comparative evaluation of different x-ray examination systems and techniques

Increase in average foveal thickness after internal limiting membrane peeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumagai K

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Kazuyuki Kumagai,1 Mariko Furukawa,1 Tetsuyuki Suetsugu,1 Nobuchika Ogino2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Kami-iida Daiichi General Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Nishigaki Eye Clinic, Aichi, Japan Purpose: To report the findings in three cases in which the average foveal thickness was increased after a thin epiretinal membrane (ERM was removed by vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM peeling.Methods: The foveal contour was normal preoperatively in all eyes. All cases underwent successful phacovitrectomy with ILM peeling for a thin ERM. The optical coherence tomography (OCT images were examined before and after the surgery. The changes in the average foveal (1 mm thickness and the foveal areas within 500 µm from the foveal center were measured. The postoperative changes in the inner and outer retinal areas determined from the cross-sectional OCT images were analyzed.Results: The average foveal thickness and the inner and outer foveal areas increased significantly after the surgery in each of the three cases. The percentage increase in the average foveal thickness relative to the baseline thickness was 26% in Case 1, 29% in Case 2, and 31% in Case 3. The percentage increase in the foveal inner retinal area was 71% in Case 1, 113% in Case 2, and 110% in Case 3, and the percentage increase in foveal outer retinal area was 8% in Case 1, 13% in Case 2, and 18% in Case 3.Conclusion: The increase in the average foveal thickness and the inner and outer foveal areas suggests that a centripetal movement of the inner and outer retinal layers toward the foveal center probably occurred due to the ILM peeling. Keywords: internal limiting membrane, optical coherence tomography, average foveal thickness, epiretinal membrane, vitrectomy

Subjective performance evaluations and employee careers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Anders; Lange, Fabian; Kriechell, Ben

Firms commonly use supervisor evaluations to assess the performance of employees who work in complex environments. Doubts persist whether their subjective nature invalidates using these performance measures to learn about careers of individuals and to inform theory in personnel economics. We...... examine personnel data from six large companies and establish how subjective ratings, interpreted as ordinal rankings of employee performances within narrowly defined peer-groups, correlate with objective career outcomes. We find many similarities across firms in how subjective ratings correlate with base...

The Influence of Time Attitudes on Alcohol-Related Attitudes, Behaviors and Subjective Life Expectancy in Early Adolescence: A Longitudinal Examination Using Mover-Stayer Latent Transition Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Kevin Eugene; Morgan, Grant; Worrell, Frank C.; Sumnall, Harry; McKay, Michael Thomas

2018-01-01

The goal of the present study is to examine the stability of time attitudes profiles across a one-year period as well as the association between time attitudes profiles and several variables. These variables include attitudes towards alcohol, context of alcohol use, consumption of a full drink, and subjective life expectancy. We assessed the…

Lagrangian averaging with geodesic mean.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Marcel

2017-11-01

This paper revisits the derivation of the Lagrangian averaged Euler (LAE), or Euler- α equations in the light of an intrinsic definition of the averaged flow map as the geodesic mean on the volume-preserving diffeomorphism group. Under the additional assumption that first-order fluctuations are statistically isotropic and transported by the mean flow as a vector field, averaging of the kinetic energy Lagrangian of an ideal fluid yields the LAE Lagrangian. The derivation presented here assumes a Euclidean spatial domain without boundaries.

Comparison of Ganglion Cell and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Pigment Dispersion Syndrome, Pigmentary Glaucoma, and Healthy Subjects with Spectral-domain OCT.

Science.gov (United States)

Arifoglu, Hasan Basri; Simavli, Huseyin; Midillioglu, Inci; Berk Ergun, Sule; Simsek, Saban

2017-01-01

To evaluate the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) and pigmentary glaucoma (PG) with RTVue spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A total of 102 subjects were enrolled: 29 with PDS, 18 with PG, and 55 normal subjects. Full ophthalmic examination including visual field analysis was performed. SD-OCT was used to analyze GCC superior, GCC inferior, and average RNFL thickness. To compare the discrimination capabilities, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were assessed. Superior GCC, inferior GCC, and RNFL thickness values of patients with PG were statistically signicantly lower than those of patients with PDS (p  0.05). The SD-OCT-derived GCC and RNFL thickness parameters can be useful to discriminate PG from both PDS and normal subjects.

A multicenter study on objective and subjective benefits with a transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid device

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Dan Dupont; Boldsen, Soren Kjaergaard; Jensen, Anne Marie

2017-01-01

Examination of objective as well as subjective outcomes with a new transcutaneous bone-anchored hearing aid device. The study was designed as a prospective multicenter consecutive case-series study involving tertiary referral centers at two Danish University Hospitals. A total of 23 patients were...... implanted. Three were lost to follow-up. Patients had single-sided deafness, conductive or mixed hearing loss. Intervention: Rehabilitative. Aided and unaided sound field hearing was evaluated objectively using (1) pure warble tone thresholds, (2) pure-tone average (PTA4), (3) speech discrimination score...... (SDS) in quiet, and (4) speech reception threshold 50% at 70 dB SPL noise level (SRT50%). Subjective benefit was evaluated by three validated questionnaires: (1) the IOI-HA, (2) the SSQ-12, and (3) a questionnaire evaluating both the frequency and the duration of hearing aid usage. The mean aided PTA4...

Protein and calorie intakes in adult and pediatric subjects with urea cycle disorders participating in clinical trials of glycerol phenylbutyrate☆

Science.gov (United States)

Hook, Debra; Diaz, George A.; Lee, Brendan; Bartley, James; Longo, Nicola; Berquist, William; Le Mons, Cynthia; Rudolph-Angelich, Ingrid; Porter, Marty; Scharschmidt, Bruce F.; Mokhtarani, Masoud

2016-01-01

Background Little prospectively collected data are available comparing the dietary intake of urea cycle disorder (UCD) patients to UCD treatment guidelines or to healthy individuals. Objective To examine the protein and calorie intakes of UCD subjects who participated in clinical trials of glycerol phenylbutyrate (GPB) and compare these data to published UCD dietary guidelines and nutritional surveys. Design Dietary data were recorded for 45 adult and 49 pediatric UCD subjects in metabolic control during participation in clinical trials of GPB. Protein and calorie intakes were compared to UCD treatment guidelines, average nutrient intakes of a healthy US population based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA). Results In adults, mean protein intake was higher than UCD recommendations but lower than RDA and NHANES values, while calorie intake was lower than UCD recommendations, RDA and NHANES. In pediatric subjects, prescribed protein intake was higher than UCD guidelines, similar to RDA, and lower than NHANES data for all age groups, while calorie intake was at the lower end of the recommended UCD range and close to RDA and NHANES data. In pediatric subjects height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) Z-scores were within normal range (− 2 to 2). Conclusions Pediatric patients treated with phenylbutyrate derivatives exhibited normal height and weight. Protein and calorie intakes in adult and pediatric UCD subjects differed from UCD dietary guidelines, suggesting that these guidelines may need to be reconsidered. PMID:27014577

Protein and calorie intakes in adult and pediatric subjects with urea cycle disorders participating in clinical trials of glycerol phenylbutyrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hook, Debra; Diaz, George A; Lee, Brendan; Bartley, James; Longo, Nicola; Berquist, William; Le Mons, Cynthia; Rudolph-Angelich, Ingrid; Porter, Marty; Scharschmidt, Bruce F; Mokhtarani, Masoud

2016-03-01

Little prospectively collected data are available comparing the dietary intake of urea cycle disorder (UCD) patients to UCD treatment guidelines or to healthy individuals. To examine the protein and calorie intakes of UCD subjects who participated in clinical trials of glycerol phenylbutyrate (GPB) and compare these data to published UCD dietary guidelines and nutritional surveys. Dietary data were recorded for 45 adult and 49 pediatric UCD subjects in metabolic control during participation in clinical trials of GPB. Protein and calorie intakes were compared to UCD treatment guidelines, average nutrient intakes of a healthy US population based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA). In adults, mean protein intake was higher than UCD recommendations but lower than RDA and NHANES values, while calorie intake was lower than UCD recommendations, RDA and NHANES. In pediatric subjects, prescribed protein intake was higher than UCD guidelines, similar to RDA, and lower than NHANES data for all age groups, while calorie intake was at the lower end of the recommended UCD range and close to RDA and NHANES data. In pediatric subjects height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) Z-scores were within normal range (- 2 to 2). Pediatric patients treated with phenylbutyrate derivatives exhibited normal height and weight. Protein and calorie intakes in adult and pediatric UCD subjects differed from UCD dietary guidelines, suggesting that these guidelines may need to be reconsidered.

Sample-Path Optimal Stationary Policies in Stable Markov Decision Chains with Average Reward Criterion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cavazos-Cadena, R.; Montes-de-Oca, R.; Sladký, Karel

2015-01-01

Roč. 52, č. 2 (2015), s. 419-440 ISSN 0021-9002 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) 171396 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Dominated Convergence theorem for the expected average criterion * Discrepancy function * Kolmogorov inequality * Innovations * Strong sample-path optimality Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 0.665, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2015/E/sladky-0449029.pdf

Epidemiological HIV infection surveillance among subjects with risk behaviours in the city of Messina (Sicily) from 1992 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Visalli, G; Avventuroso, E; Laganà, P; Spataro, P; Di Pietro, A; Bertuccio, M P; Picerno, I

2017-09-01

Epidemiological studies are a key element in determining the evolution and spread of HIV infection among the world population. Knowledge of the epidemiological dynamics improves strategies for prevention and monitoring. We examined 2,272 subjects who voluntarily underwent HIV testing from January 1992 to December 2015. For each subject, an anonymous form was completed to obtain information on personal data, sexual habits and exposure to risk factors. The number of subjects undergoing the screening test has increased over the years and the average age of the tested subjects has decreased over time. The main motivation for undergoing HIV testing is unprotected sex. Although heterosexual subjects taking the test were more numerous than homosexuals in this study, an increase in the latter over time should be highlighted. Although the number of tests performed has increased over the years, the persistence of unprotected sex shows an inadequate perception of risk. Therefore, it is necessary to implement programmes to increase the general awareness of HIV infection. It is also essential to undertake constant monitoring of behaviour, risk perception and the application of the screening test via surveillance systems in order to implement effective and efficient prevention.

Risk and benefit associated with preventive mammography examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladar, M.; Nikodemova, D.

1998-01-01

The risk of mammographic examination was estimated. It is concluded that a mean glandular dose (MGD) of 1 mGy per exposure can be associated with a risk of 1 radiation-induced carcinoma per less than 100 positive detected by the preventive examination. The variability of actual MGD at various hospitals can be quite large. Although the majority of measurements were made on phantoms it is assumed that the national MGD average will exceed 3 mGy for the average breast size of 55 mm

Subjective Wellbeing Among Adults with Diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmes-Truscott, Elizabeth; Browne, Jessica L; Pouwer, Frans

2016-01-01

duration, body mass index, number of diabetes-related complications, and depression). Furthermore, adults with type 2 diabetes using insulin to manage their condition report the lowest levels of subjective wellbeing, and are also most likely to report dissatisfaction with their current health....... These findings suggest that living with diabetes, and in particular, living with type 2 diabetes and using insulin, strongly challenges the maintenance of subjective wellbeing.......This study examines the subjective wellbeing of Australian adults with diabetes who completed the Diabetes MILES—Australia survey, investigating by diabetes type and treatment, and by comparing with the subjective wellbeing of the general Australian adult population. In addition, the extent...

Average chewing pattern improvements following Disclusion Time reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerstein, Robert B; Radke, John

2017-05-01

Studies involving electrognathographic (EGN) recordings of chewing improvements obtained following occlusal adjustment therapy are rare, as most studies lack 'chewing' within the research. The objectives of this study were to determine if reducing long Disclusion Time to short Disclusion Time with the immediate complete anterior guidance development (ICAGD) coronoplasty in symptomatic subjects altered their average chewing pattern (ACP) and their muscle function. Twenty-nine muscularly symptomatic subjects underwent simultaneous EMG and EGN recordings of right and left gum chewing, before and after the ICAGD coronoplasty. Statistical differences in the mean Disclusion Time, the mean muscle contraction cycle, and the mean ACP resultant from ICAGD underwent the Student's paired t-test (α = 0.05). Disclusion Time reductions from ICAGD were significant (2.11-0.45 s. p = 0.0000). Post-ICAGD muscle changes were significant in the mean area (p = 0.000001), the peak amplitude (p = 0.00005), the time to peak contraction (p chewing position became closer to centric occlusion (p chewing velocities increased (p chewing pattern (ACP) shape, speed, consistency, muscular coordination, and vertical opening improvements can be significantly improved in muscularly dysfunctional TMD patients within one week's time of undergoing the ICAGD enameloplasty. Computer-measured and guided occlusal adjustments quickly and physiologically improved chewing, without requiring the patients to wear pre- or post-treatment appliances.

Bond Formation in Diatomic Transition Metal Hydrides: Insights from the Analysis of Domain-Averaged Fermi Holes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cooper, D.L.; Ponec, Robert

2013-01-01

Roč. 113, č. 2 (2013), s. 102-111 ISSN 0020-7608 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/09/0118 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : transition metal hydrides * bond formation * analysis of domain averaged Fermi holes Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.166, year: 2013

Patient doses from diagnostic radiographic examinations in Syria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharita, M.H.; Khedr, M.; Wannus, K.

2009-05-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate radiation doses received by adult patients undergoing 9 routine common types of x-ray examination in Syria covering (chest PA, lumbar spine PA, lumbar spine LAT, Urography, abdomen, pelvis and hip, head, shoulder and extremities). The study consisted of measurements for 1308 x-ray examination for patients in 26 public hospitals. The average effective dose imparted to each patient per examination was computed from measurement of dose area product for the examination and using the X-dose software, the result of the effective dose except for extremities are gradually (0.125, 1.67, 1.23, 2.7, 1.07, 0.85, 0.05 and 0.025) and the average of the DAP for extremities was 0.095 Gy.cm 2 . (author)

Intracranial CT angiography obtained from a cerebral CT perfusion examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gratama van Andel, H. A. F.; Venema, H. W.; Majoie, C. B.; Den Heeten, G. J.; Grimbergen, C. A.; Streekstra, G. J.

2009-01-01

CT perfusion (CTP) examinations of the brain are performed increasingly for the evaluation of cerebral blood flow in patients with stroke and vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Of the same patient often also a CT angiography (CTA) examination is performed. This study investigates the possibility to obtain CTA images from the CTP examination, thereby possibly obviating the CTA examination. This would save the patient exposure to radiation, contrast, and time. Each CTP frame is a CTA image with a varying amount of contrast enhancement and with high noise. To improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) we combined all 3D images into one 3D image after registration to correct for patient motion between time frames. Image combination consists of weighted averaging in which the weighting factor of each frame is proportional to the arterial contrast. It can be shown that the arterial CNR is maximized in this procedure. An additional advantage of the use of the time series of CTP images is that automatic differentiation between arteries and veins is possible. This feature was used to mask veins in the resulting 3D images to enhance visibility of arteries in maximum intensity projection (MIP) images. With a Philips Brilliance 64 CT scanner (64x0.625 mm) CTP examinations of eight patients were performed on 80 mm of brain using the toggling table technique. The CTP examination consisted of a time series of 15 3D images (2x64x0.625 mm; 80 kV; 150 mAs each) with an interval of 4 s. The authors measured the CNR in images obtained with weighted averaging, images obtained with plain averaging, and images with maximal arterial enhancement. The authors also compared CNR and quality of the images with that of regular CTA examinations and examined the effectiveness of automatic vein masking in MIP images. The CNR of the weighted averaged images is, on the average, 1.73 times the CNR of an image at maximal arterial enhancement in the CTP series, where the use of plain averaging

Spacetime averaging of exotic singularity universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabrowski, Mariusz P.

2011-01-01

Taking a spacetime average as a measure of the strength of singularities we show that big-rips (type I) are stronger than big-bangs. The former have infinite spacetime averages while the latter have them equal to zero. The sudden future singularities (type II) and w-singularities (type V) have finite spacetime averages. The finite scale factor (type III) singularities for some values of the parameters may have an infinite average and in that sense they may be considered stronger than big-bangs.

Assessing the Efficacy of Adjustable Moving Averages Using ASEAN-5 Currencies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacinta Chan Phooi M'ng

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to examine the trends in the exchange rate markets of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia (IDR, Malaysia (MYR, the Philippines (PHP, Singapore (SGD, and Thailand (THB through the application of dynamic moving average trading systems. This research offers evidence of the usefulness of the time-varying volatility technical analysis indicator, Adjustable Moving Average (AMA' in deciphering trends in these ASEAN-5 exchange rate markets. This time-varying volatility factor, referred to as the Efficacy Ratio in this paper, is embedded in AMA'. The Efficacy Ratio adjusts the AMA' to the prevailing market conditions by avoiding whipsaws (losses due, in part, to acting on wrong trading signals, which generally occur when there is no general direction in the market in range trading and by entering early into new trends in trend trading. The efficacy of AMA' is assessed against other popular moving-average rules. Based on the January 2005 to December 2014 dataset, our findings show that the moving averages and AMA' are superior to the passive buy-and-hold strategy. Specifically, AMA' outperforms the other models for the United States Dollar against PHP (USD/PHP and USD/THB currency pairs. The results show that different length moving averages perform better in different periods for the five currencies. This is consistent with our hypothesis that a dynamic adjustable technical indicator is needed to cater for different periods in different markets.

Assessing the Efficacy of Adjustable Moving Averages Using ASEAN-5 Currencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan Phooi M'ng, Jacinta; Zainudin, Rozaimah

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to examine the trends in the exchange rate markets of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia (IDR), Malaysia (MYR), the Philippines (PHP), Singapore (SGD), and Thailand (THB)) through the application of dynamic moving average trading systems. This research offers evidence of the usefulness of the time-varying volatility technical analysis indicator, Adjustable Moving Average (AMA') in deciphering trends in these ASEAN-5 exchange rate markets. This time-varying volatility factor, referred to as the Efficacy Ratio in this paper, is embedded in AMA'. The Efficacy Ratio adjusts the AMA' to the prevailing market conditions by avoiding whipsaws (losses due, in part, to acting on wrong trading signals, which generally occur when there is no general direction in the market) in range trading and by entering early into new trends in trend trading. The efficacy of AMA' is assessed against other popular moving-average rules. Based on the January 2005 to December 2014 dataset, our findings show that the moving averages and AMA' are superior to the passive buy-and-hold strategy. Specifically, AMA' outperforms the other models for the United States Dollar against PHP (USD/PHP) and USD/THB currency pairs. The results show that different length moving averages perform better in different periods for the five currencies. This is consistent with our hypothesis that a dynamic adjustable technical indicator is needed to cater for different periods in different markets.

Analysis of experimental data: The average shape of extreme wave forces on monopile foundations and the NewForce model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schløer, Signe; Bredmose, Henrik; Ghadirian, Amin

2017-01-01

Experiments with a stiff pile subjected to extreme wave forces typical of offshore wind farm storm conditions are considered. The exceedance probability curves of the nondimensional force peaks and crest heights are analysed. The average force time history normalised with their peak values are co...... to the average shapes. For more nonlinear wave shapes, higher order terms has to be considered in order for the NewForce model to be able to predict the expected shapes.......Experiments with a stiff pile subjected to extreme wave forces typical of offshore wind farm storm conditions are considered. The exceedance probability curves of the nondimensional force peaks and crest heights are analysed. The average force time history normalised with their peak values...... are compared across the sea states. It is found that the force shapes show a clear similarity when grouped after the values of the normalised peak force, F/(ρghR2), normalised depth h/(gT2p) and presented in a normalised time scale t/Ta. For the largest force events, slamming can be seen as a distinct ‘hat...

Post-irradiation examinations of inert matrix nitride fuel irradiated in JMTR (01F-51A capsule)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Takashi; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Kikuchi, Hironobu; Honda, Junichi; Hatakeyama, Yuichi; Ono, Katsuto; Matsui, Hiroki; Arai, Yasuo

2007-03-01

A plutonium nitride fuel pin containing inert matrix such as ZrN and TiN was encapsulated in 01F-51A and irradiated in JMTR. Minor actinides are surrogated by plutonium. Average linear powers and burnups were 408W/cm, 30000MWd/t(Zr+Pu) [132000MWd/t-Pu] for (Zr,Pu)N and 355W/cm, 38000MWd/t(Ti+Pu) [153000MWd/t-Pu] for (TiN,PuN). The irradiated capsule was transported to Reactor Fuel Examination Facility and subjected to non-destructive and destructive post irradiation examinations. Any failure was not observed in the irradiated fuel pin. Very low fission gas release rate of about 1.6% was measured. The inner surface of cladding tube did not show any signs of chemical interaction with fuel pellet. (author)

Grade point average and biographical data in personal resumes: Predictors of finding employment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sulastri, A.; Handoko, M.; Janssens, J.M.A.M.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine relationships between graduates' grade point average (GPA), biographical data and success in finding a job in general and a psychology-based job in particular. Two hundred six psychology graduates participated in a two-wave longitudinal study. Biographical data assessed

The average Indian female nose.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Surendra B; Kale, Satish M; Jaiswal, Sumeet; Khare, Nishant; Math, Mahantesh

2011-12-01

This study aimed to delineate the anthropometric measurements of the noses of young women of an Indian population and to compare them with the published ideals and average measurements for white women. This anthropometric survey included a volunteer sample of 100 young Indian women ages 18 to 35 years with Indian parents and no history of previous surgery or trauma to the nose. Standardized frontal, lateral, oblique, and basal photographs of the subjects' noses were taken, and 12 standard anthropometric measurements of the nose were determined. The results were compared with published standards for North American white women. In addition, nine nasal indices were calculated and compared with the standards for North American white women. The nose of Indian women differs significantly from the white nose. All the nasal measurements for the Indian women were found to be significantly different from those for North American white women. Seven of the nine nasal indices also differed significantly. Anthropometric analysis suggests differences between the Indian female nose and the North American white nose. Thus, a single aesthetic ideal is inadequate. Noses of Indian women are smaller and wider, with a less projected and rounded tip than the noses of white women. This study established the nasal anthropometric norms for nasal parameters, which will serve as a guide for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in Indian women.

The effect of two grading systems on the performance of medical students during oral examinations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ba-Ali, Shakoor; Jemec, Gregor B E; Sander, Birgit

2017-01-01

group (p = 0.45). Moreover, the average mark was higher among the international students (mean = 10.3, on the seven-point grading scale) than in the Danish speaking classes (mean = 9.1). CONCLUSION: The seven-point grading scale seems to motivate students to yield a better performance; hence tiered......INTRODUCTION: Either a pass/fail approach or a seven-point grading scale are used to evaluate students at the Danish universities. The aim of this study was to explore any effect of the assessment methods on student performances during oral exams. METHODS: In a prospective study including 1......,037 examinations in three medical subjects, we investigated the difference in the test scores between the spring- and autumn semester. In the spring semester, the students could either pass or fail the subject (pass/fail) while in the following autumn semester, the students were assessed by tiered grading (seven...

New Insights from Domain-averaged Fermi holes and Bond Order Analysis into the Bonding Conundrum in C2.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cooper, D.L.; Ponec, Robert; Kohout, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 114, 7-8 (2016), s. 1270-1284 ISSN 0026-8976 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : peculiarity of C2 bonding * domain-averaged Fermi holes (DAFH) * cioslowski bond orders Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.870, year: 2016

Individual Subjective Initiative Merge Model Based on Cellular Automaton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yin-Jie Xu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The merge control models proposed for work zones are classified into two types (Hard Control Merge (HCM model and Soft Control Merge (SCM model according to their own control intensity and are compared with a new model, called Individual Subjective Initiative Merge (ISIM model, which is based on the linear lane-changing probability strategy in the merging area. The attention of this paper is paid to the positive impact of the individual subjective initiative for the whole traffic system. Three models (ISIM, HCM, and SCM are established and compared with each other by two order parameters, that is, system output and average vehicle travel time. Finally, numerical results show that both ISIM and SCM perform better than HCM. Compared with SCM, the output of ISIM is 20 vehicles per hour higher under the symmetric input condition and is more stable under the asymmetric input condition. Meanwhile, the average travel time of ISIM is 2000 time steps less under the oversaturated input condition.

Estimating the average treatment effect on survival based on observational data and using partly conditional modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Qi; Schaubel, Douglas E

2017-03-01

Treatments are frequently evaluated in terms of their effect on patient survival. In settings where randomization of treatment is not feasible, observational data are employed, necessitating correction for covariate imbalances. Treatments are usually compared using a hazard ratio. Most existing methods which quantify the treatment effect through the survival function are applicable to treatments assigned at time 0. In the data structure of our interest, subjects typically begin follow-up untreated; time-until-treatment, and the pretreatment death hazard are both heavily influenced by longitudinal covariates; and subjects may experience periods of treatment ineligibility. We propose semiparametric methods for estimating the average difference in restricted mean survival time attributable to a time-dependent treatment, the average effect of treatment among the treated, under current treatment assignment patterns. The pre- and posttreatment models are partly conditional, in that they use the covariate history up to the time of treatment. The pre-treatment model is estimated through recently developed landmark analysis methods. For each treated patient, fitted pre- and posttreatment survival curves are projected out, then averaged in a manner which accounts for the censoring of treatment times. Asymptotic properties are derived and evaluated through simulation. The proposed methods are applied to liver transplant data in order to estimate the effect of liver transplantation on survival among transplant recipients under current practice patterns. © 2016, The International Biometric Society.

Politics of modern muslim subjectivities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jung, Dietrich; Petersen, Marie Juul; Sparre, Sara Lei

Examining modern Muslim identity constructions, the authors introduce a novel analytical framework to Islamic Studies, drawing on theories of successive modernities, sociology of religion, and poststructuralist approaches to modern subjectivity, as well as the results of extensive fieldwork...

[Dietary habits, attitudes toward weight control, and subjective symptoms of fatigue in young women in Japan].

Science.gov (United States)

Osako, Mai; Takayama, Tomoko; Kira, Shohei

2005-05-01

This paper describes dietary habits and attitudes toward body weight control of college women in Japan and examines their relationships with subjective symptoms of fatigue. We also discuss strategies to promote better diets among young adults. Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 286 young women aged 18 to 25 years; 275 of these were analyzed. The study found that more than half of the women were concerned about nutritional balance and calories. Yet thirty percent ate "a single-item meal (i.e., bread, rice bowl, noodles) two or more times a day," while roughly one half skipped breakfast "sometimes" or "always." A majority ate vegetables "almost never" and consumed instant foods, confectionery, or sugary drinks "almost daily." Subjective symptoms of fatigue were significantly correlated with a higher frequency of irregular meal-taking, single-item meals, between-meal snacking, missed breakfasts, non-vegetable diets, non-fruit diets, and instant foods and confectionery. About sixty percent of the women in the study considered their bodies to be "slightly fat or overweight" while 79.5% indicated a desire to "lose weight". On average, the participants' ideal BMI was 18.7 (+/- 1.2) while the ideal body weight was 47.2 (+/- 4.1) kg, approximately 4 kg under actual average body weight. Subjective symptoms of fatigue were stronger among women who considered themselves "slightly fat or overweight". Likewise, symptoms were stronger to the extent that a participant's ideal BMI was below her actual BMI. Many women in this study desired to lose weight although they were not overweight by objective measures. The study suggests that subjective symptoms of fatigue are not the result of individual dietary habits, but rather of a lifestyle that reach to series of dietary habits connected to subjective symptoms of fatigue. The study also confirms the importance both of encouraging young women not just to eat well but to lead lifestyles in which they do not skip meals and

Original article Functioning of memory and attention processes in children with intelligence below average

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aneta Rita Borkowska

2014-05-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND The aim of the research was to assess memorization and recall of logically connected and unconnected material, coded graphically and linguistically, and the ability to focus attention, in a group of children with intelligence below average, compared to children with average intelligence. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The study group included 27 children with intelligence below average. The control group consisted of 29 individuals. All of them were examined using the authors’ experimental trials and the TUS test (Attention and Perceptiveness Test. RESULTS Children with intelligence below average memorized significantly less information contained in the logical material, demonstrated lower ability to memorize the visual material, memorized significantly fewer words in the verbal material learning task, achieved lower results in such indicators of the visual attention process pace as the number of omissions and mistakes, and had a lower pace of perceptual work, compared to children with average intelligence. CONCLUSIONS The results confirm that children with intelligence below average have difficulties with memorizing new material, both logically connected and unconnected. The significantly lower capacity of direct memory is independent of modality. The results of the study on the memory process confirm the hypothesis about lower abilities of children with intelligence below average, in terms of concentration, work pace, efficiency and perception.

Correlation between average tissue depth data and quantitative accuracy of forensic craniofacial reconstructions measured by geometric surface comparison method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Won-Joon; Wilkinson, Caroline M; Hwang, Hyeon-Shik; Lee, Sang-Mi

2015-05-01

Accuracy is the most important factor supporting the reliability of forensic facial reconstruction (FFR) comparing to the corresponding actual face. A number of methods have been employed to evaluate objective accuracy of FFR. Recently, it has been attempted that the degree of resemblance between computer-generated FFR and actual face is measured by geometric surface comparison method. In this study, three FFRs were produced employing live adult Korean subjects and three-dimensional computerized modeling software. The deviations of the facial surfaces between the FFR and the head scan CT of the corresponding subject were analyzed in reverse modeling software. The results were compared with those from a previous study which applied the same methodology as this study except average facial soft tissue depth dataset. Three FFRs of this study that applied updated dataset demonstrated lesser deviation errors between the facial surfaces of the FFR and corresponding subject than those from the previous study. The results proposed that appropriate average tissue depth data are important to increase quantitative accuracy of FFR. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

On averaging the Kubo-Hall conductivity of magnetic Bloch bands leading to Chern numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riess, J.

1997-01-01

The authors re-examine the topological approach to the integer quantum Hall effect in its original form where an average of the Kubo-Hall conductivity of a magnetic Bloch band has been considered. For the precise definition of this average it is crucial to make a sharp distinction between the discrete Bloch wave numbers k 1 , k 2 and the two continuous integration parameters α 1 , α 2 . The average over the parameter domain 0 ≤ α j 1 , k 2 . They show how this can be transformed into a single integral over the continuous magnetic Brillouin zone 0 ≤ α j j , j = 1, 2, n j = number of unit cells in j-direction, keeping k 1 , k 2 fixed. This average prescription for the Hall conductivity of a magnetic Bloch band is exactly the same as the one used for a many-body system in the presence of disorder

Gardner's syndrome: a ten year follow up survey of 12 subjects in a family

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Kaimin; Si Liya; Wu Zhiqiang; Lu Xuan; Meng Liancheng

1998-01-01

Purpose: To study the development of Gardner's syndrome by following up 12 subjects in a family for ten years. Methods: 12 subjects with Gardner's syndrome of 4 generations in a family were studied. Six were male and six female. The age of the patients was from 9 to 74 years, with average of 38 years. The examinations consisted of air-barium double contrast radiography of colon, fiber-optic colonoscopy, plain X-ray and body photography. Results: Triology was present in 8 cases (66.7%) and the double signs in 4 cases (33.3%). 4 patients (33.3%) died of malignant degeneration of colonic polyp in 10 years, all occurring in rectum and sigmoid colon, the oldest one was 74 years and the youngest 35 years. Conclusion: The incidence of malignant degeneration of colonic polyp is very high in patients with Gardner's syndrome and may occur in patients older than 30 years, with the peak incidence in the sixth decade. Preventive resection of colonic polyp is still the best treatment

Distribution of average, marginal, and participation tax rates among Czech taxpayers: results from a TAXBEN model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dušek, Libor; Kalíšková, Klára; Münich, Daniel

2013-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 6 (2013), s. 474-504 ISSN 0015-1920 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TD010033 Institutional support: RVO:67985998 Keywords : TAXBEN models * average tax rates * marginal tax rates Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.358, year: 2013 http://journal.fsv.cuni.cz/storage/1287_dusek.pdf

Distribution of average, marginal, and participation tax rates among Czech taxpayers: results from a TAXBEN model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Dušek, Libor; Kalíšková, Klára; Münich, Daniel

2013-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 6 (2013), s. 474-504 ISSN 0015-1920 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) SVV 267801/2013 Institutional support: PRVOUK-P23 Keywords : TAXBEN models * average tax rates * marginal tax rates Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.358, year: 2013 http://journal.fsv.cuni.cz/storage/1287_dusek.pdf

Estimation of the Relative Contribution of Postprandial Glucose Exposure to Average Total Glucose Exposure in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Ahrén

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We hypothesized that the relative contribution of fasting plasma glucose (FPG versus postprandial plasma glucose (PPG to glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c could be calculated using an algorithm developed by the A1c-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG study group to make HbA1c values more clinically relevant to patients. The algorithm estimates average glucose (eAG exposure, which can be used to calculate apparent PPG (aPPG by subtracting FPG. The hypothesis was tested in a large dataset (comprising 17 studies from the vildagliptin clinical trial programme. We found that 24 weeks of treatment with vildagliptin monotherapy (n=2523 reduced the relative contribution of aPPG to eAG from 8.12% to 2.95% (by 64%, p<0.001. In contrast, when vildagliptin was added to metformin (n=2752, the relative contribution of aPPG to eAG insignificantly increased from 1.59% to 2.56%. In conclusion, glucose peaks, which are often prominent in patients with type 2 diabetes, provide a small contribution to the total glucose exposure assessed by HbA1c, and the ADAG algorithm is not robust enough to assess this small relative contribution in patients receiving combination therapy.

PSA, subjective probability and decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarotti, C.A.

1989-01-01

PSA is the natural way to making decisions in face of uncertainty relative to potentially dangerous plants; subjective probability, subjective utility and Bayes statistics are the ideal tools for carrying out a PSA. This paper reports that in order to support this statement the various stages of the PSA procedure are examined in detail and step by step the superiority of Bayes techniques with respect to sampling theory machinery is proven

Unpredictable visual changes cause temporal memory averaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohyama, Junji; Watanabe, Katsumi

2007-09-01

Various factors influence the perceived timing of visual events. Yet, little is known about the ways in which transient visual stimuli affect the estimation of the timing of other visual events. In the present study, we examined how a sudden color change of an object would influence the remembered timing of another transient event. In each trial, subjects saw a green or red disk travel in circular motion. A visual flash (white frame) occurred at random times during the motion sequence. The color of the disk changed either at random times (unpredictable condition), at a fixed time relative to the motion sequence (predictable condition), or it did not change (no-change condition). The subjects' temporal memory of the visual flash in the predictable condition was as veridical as that in the no-change condition. In the unpredictable condition, however, the flash was reported to occur closer to the timing of the color change than actual timing. Thus, an unpredictable visual change distorts the temporal memory of another visual event such that the remembered moment of the event is closer to the timing of the unpredictable visual change.

Prediction Models for Licensure Examination Performance using Data Mining Classifiers for Online Test and Decision Support System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivy M. Tarun

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study focuse d on two main points: the generation of licensure examination performan ce prediction models; and the development of a Decision Support System. In this study, data mining classifiers were used to generate the models using WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis. These models were integrated into the Decision Support System as default models to support decision making as far as appropriate interventions during review sessions are concerned. The system developed mainly involves the repeated generation of MR models for performance prediction and also provides a Mock Boar d Exam for the reviewees to take. From the models generated, it is established that the General Weighted Average of the reviewees in their General Education subjects, the result of the Mock Board Exam and the instance when the reviewee is conducting a sel f - review are good predictors of the licensure examination performance. Further , it is concluded that the General Weighted Average of the reviewees in their Major or Content courses is the best predictor of licensure examination performance. Based from the evaluation results of the system , the system satisfied its implied functions and is efficient, usable, reliable and portable. Hence, it can already be used not as a substitute to the face - to - face review sessions but to enhance the reviewees’ licensure exa mination review and allow initial identification of those who are likely to have difficulty in passing the licensure examination, therefore providing sufficient time and opportunities for appropriate interventions.

Parents' Reactions to Finding Out That Their Children Have Average or above Average IQ Scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Dirks, Jean; And Others

1983-01-01

Parents of 41 children who had been given an individually-administered intelligence test were contacted 19 months after testing. Parents of average IQ children were less accurate in their memory of test results. Children with above average IQ experienced extremely low frequencies of sibling rivalry, conceit or pressure. (Author/HLM)

The Objective and Subjective Caregiving Burden and Caregiving Behaviours of Parents of Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhind, Charlotte; Salerno, Laura; Hibbs, Rebecca; Micali, Nadia; Schmidt, Ulrike; Gowers, Simon; Macdonald, Pamela; Goddard, Elizabeth; Todd, Gillian; Tchanturia, Kate; Lo Coco, Gianluca; Treasure, Janet

2016-07-01

The study aimed to examine caregiving burden and levels of distress, accommodating behaviours, expressed emotion (EE) and carers' skills, in parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. A semi-structured interview assessed the objective burden (time spent across caregiving tasks) in parents (n = 196) of adolescents (n = 144) receiving outpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. Subjective burden (carers' distress), accommodating behaviours, EE and carers' skills were measured by self-report. Mothers, on average, spent 2.5 h/day of care, mainly providing food and emotional support, compared with 1 h/day by fathers. The level of distress and accommodating behaviour was significantly lower in fathers than in mothers. Accommodating behaviours mediated the relationship between objective burden and subjective burden in mothers, whereas EE and carers' skills did not mediate this relationship for either parent. The objective burden for most mothers is high. In order to reduce subjective burden, it may be helpful to target accommodating behaviours. ISRCTN83003225 - Expert Carers Helping Others (ECHO). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Evaluations of average level spacings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liou, H.I.

1980-01-01

The average level spacing for highly excited nuclei is a key parameter in cross section formulas based on statistical nuclear models, and also plays an important role in determining many physics quantities. Various methods to evaluate average level spacings are reviewed. Because of the finite experimental resolution, to detect a complete sequence of levels without mixing other parities is extremely difficult, if not totally impossible. Most methods derive the average level spacings by applying a fit, with different degrees of generality, to the truncated Porter-Thomas distribution for reduced neutron widths. A method that tests both distributions of level widths and positions is discussed extensivey with an example of 168 Er data. 19 figures, 2 tables

Giftedness and Subjective Well-Being: A Study with Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Wirthwein, Linda; Rost, Detlef H.

2011-01-01

Studies on the well-being of gifted adults are rare, and the available studies are often limited by methodological shortcomings. In a longitudinal project 101 intellectually gifted adults (mean IQ = 136) were compared to 91 adults of average intelligence (mean IQ = 103). Subjective well-being was operationalized by positive and negative…

Evaluating Photographs as a Replacement for the In-Person Physical Examination of the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment in Elderly Hospital Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Michelle; Thomas, Jolene; Suen, Jenni; Ong, De Sheng; Sharma, Yogesh

2018-05-01

Undernourished patients discharged from the hospital require follow-up; however, attendance at return visits is low. Teleconsultations may allow remote follow-up of undernourished patients; however, no valid method to remotely perform physical examination, a critical component of assessing nutritional status, exists. This study aims to compare agreement between photographs taken by trained dietitians and in-person physical examinations conducted by trained dietitians to rate the overall physical examination section of the scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Nested cross-sectional study. Adults aged ≥60 years, admitted to the general medicine unit at Flinders Medical Centre between March 2015 and March 2016, were eligible. All components of the PG-SGA and photographs of muscle and fat sites were collected from 192 participants either in the hospital or at their place of residence after discharge. Validity of photograph-based physical examination was determined by collecting photographic and PG-SGA data from each participant at one encounter by trained dietitians. A dietitian blinded to data collection later assessed de-identified photographs on a computer. Percentage agreement, weighted kappa agreement, sensitivity, and specificity between the photographs and in-person physical examinations were calculated. All data collected were included in the analysis. Overall, the photograph-based physical examination rating achieved a percentage agreement of 75.8% against the in-person assessment, with a weighted kappa agreement of 0.526 (95% CI: 0.416, 0.637; Pexamination by trained dietitians achieved a nearly acceptable percentage agreement, moderate weighted kappa, and fair sensitivity-specificity pair. Methodological refinement before field testing with other personnel may improve the agreement and accuracy of photograph-based physical examination. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Averaged RMHD equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichiguchi, Katsuji

1998-01-01

A new reduced set of resistive MHD equations is derived by averaging the full MHD equations on specified flux coordinates, which is consistent with 3D equilibria. It is confirmed that the total energy is conserved and the linearized equations for ideal modes are self-adjoint. (author)

Reproducing multi-model ensemble average with Ensemble-averaged Reconstructed Forcings (ERF) in regional climate modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Erfanian, A.; Fomenko, L.; Wang, G.

2016-12-01

Multi-model ensemble (MME) average is considered the most reliable for simulating both present-day and future climates. It has been a primary reference for making conclusions in major coordinated studies i.e. IPCC Assessment Reports and CORDEX. The biases of individual models cancel out each other in MME average, enabling the ensemble mean to outperform individual members in simulating the mean climate. This enhancement however comes with tremendous computational cost, which is especially inhibiting for regional climate modeling as model uncertainties can originate from both RCMs and the driving GCMs. Here we propose the Ensemble-based Reconstructed Forcings (ERF) approach to regional climate modeling that achieves a similar level of bias reduction at a fraction of cost compared with the conventional MME approach. The new method constructs a single set of initial and boundary conditions (IBCs) by averaging the IBCs of multiple GCMs, and drives the RCM with this ensemble average of IBCs to conduct a single run. Using a regional climate model (RegCM4.3.4-CLM4.5), we tested the method over West Africa for multiple combination of (up to six) GCMs. Our results indicate that the performance of the ERF method is comparable to that of the MME average in simulating the mean climate. The bias reduction seen in ERF simulations is achieved by using more realistic IBCs in solving the system of equations underlying the RCM physics and dynamics. This endows the new method with a theoretical advantage in addition to reducing computational cost. The ERF output is an unaltered solution of the RCM as opposed to a climate state that might not be physically plausible due to the averaging of multiple solutions with the conventional MME approach. The ERF approach should be considered for use in major international efforts such as CORDEX. Key words: Multi-model ensemble, ensemble analysis, ERF, regional climate modeling

Averaging for solitons with nonlinearity management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelinovsky, D.E.; Kevrekidis, P.G.; Frantzeskakis, D.J.

2003-01-01

We develop an averaging method for solitons of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation with a periodically varying nonlinearity coefficient, which is used to effectively describe solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates, in the context of the recently proposed technique of Feshbach resonance management. Using the derived local averaged equation, we study matter-wave bright and dark solitons and demonstrate a very good agreement between solutions of the averaged and full equations

Subjective Life Horizon and Portfolio Choice

OpenAIRE

Spaenjers , Christophe; Spira, Sven Michael

2013-01-01

Using data from a U.S. household survey, we examine the empirical relation between subjective life horizon (i.e., the self-reported expectation of remaining life span) and portfolio choice. We find that equity portfolio shares are higher for investors with longer horizons, ceteris paribus, in line with theoretical predictions. This result is robust to controlling for optimism and health status, accounting for the endogeneity of equity market participation, or instrumenting subjective life hor...

A Single Session of Autogenic Training Increases Acute Subjective and Physiological Sexual Arousal in Sexually Functional Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Amelia; Meston, Cindy

2017-10-03

Heart rate variability (HRV) has recently been associated with female sexual function (Stanton, Lorenz, Pulverman, & Meston, 2015). Below-average HRV was identified as a possible risk factor for sexual arousal dysfunction and overall sexual dysfunction in women. Based on this newly established relationship between HRV and female sexual function, the present study examined the effect of autogenic training to increase HRV on acute physiological and subjective sexual arousal in women. Specifically, vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA), an index of genital sexual arousal, and subjective sexual arousal were assessed in 33 sexually functional women, aged 18 to 27, before and after a short session of autogenic training. Autogenic training, a relaxation technique that restores the balance between the activity of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system, has been shown to significantly increase HRV (Miu, Heilman, & Miclea, 2009). After autogenic training, significant increases in both VPA (p <.05) and subjective sexual arousal (p <.005) were observed. Moreover, change in HRV from pre- to postmanipulation significantly moderated changes in subjective sexual arousal (p <.05) when it was measured continuously during the presentation of the erotic stimulus. This cost-effective, easy-to-administer behavioral intervention may have important implications for increasing sexual arousal in women.

Cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with psoriasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter; Thyssen, Jacob P; Zachariae, Claus

2013-01-01

Background Epidemiological data have established an association between cardiovascular disease and psoriasis. Only one general population study has so far compared prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors among subjects with psoriasis and control subjects. We aimed to determine the prevalence...... of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with and without psoriasis in the general population. Methods During 2006-2008, a cross-sectional study was performed in the general population in Copenhagen, Denmark. A total of 3471 subjects participated in a general health examination that included assessment of current...... between subjects with and without psoriasis with regard to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Our results contrast with the hitherto-reported increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in subjects with psoriasis in the general US population. However, our results agree with those of other...

Subjective social status, social network and health disparities: empirical evidence from Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Charonis, Antonios; Kyriopoulos, Ilias-Ioannis; Spanakis, Manos; Zavras, Dimitris; Athanasakis, Kostas; Pavi, Elpida; Kyriopoulos, John

2017-02-27

Several studies suggest that socioeconomic status affects (SES) affects self-rated health (SRH), both in Greece and internationally. However, prior research mainly uses objective measures of SES, instead of subjective evaluations of individuals' social status. Based on this, this paper aims to examine (a) the impact of the economic dowturn on SRH in Greece and (b) the relationship between subjective social status (SSS), social network and SRH. The descriptive analysis is based on four cross-sectional surveys conducted by the National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece (2002, 2006, 2011, 2015), while the data for the empirical investigation were derived from the 2015 survey (Health + Welfare Survey GR). The empirical strategy is based on an ordinal logistic regression model, aiming to examine how several variables affect SRH. Size of social network and SSS are among the independent variables employed for the empirical analysis RESULTS: According to our findings, average SRH has deteriorated, and the percentage of the population that reports very good/good SRH has also decreased. Moreover, our empirical analysis suggests that age, existence of a chronic disease, size of social network and SSS affect SRH in Greece. Our findings are consistent with the existing literature and confirm a social gradient in health. According to our analysis, health disparities can be largely attributed to socioeconomic inequalities. The adverse economic climate has impact on socioeconomic differences which in turn affect health disparities. Based on these, policy initiatives are necessasy in order to mitigate the negative impact on health and the disparities caused by economic dowturn and the occuring socioeconomic inequalities.

Subjective age and personality development: a 10-year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Yannick; Sutin, Angelina R; Terracciano, Antonio

2015-04-01

Personality theory and research typically focus on chronological age as a key indicator of personality development. This study examines whether the subjective experience of age is an alternative marker of the biomedical and psychosocial factors that contribute to individual differences in personality development. The present study uses data from the Midlife in the United States longitudinal survey (N = 3,617) to examine how subjective age is associated with stability and change in personality and the dynamic associations between subjective age and personality traits over a 10-year period. Regression analyses indicated that a younger subjective age at baseline was associated with increases in Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness; correlated changes were also found. The rank-order stability of Extraversion and Openness and overall profile consistency were higher among those with a younger subjective age at baseline and were also associated with the rate of subjective aging over time. The present study reveals that beyond chronological age, the age an individual feels is related to changes in characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving over time. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Concerning 1991 basic plan for atomic energy development and application (subjected to examination)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The prime minister developed a draft 1991 Basic Plan for Atomic Energy Development and Application and sent it to the Nuclear Safety Commission for examination. The Commission started the examination at its 14th meeting. The report outlines results of the examination. A Basic Plan is developed each year to promote efforts at atomic energy development and application systematically and efficiently. In particular, it identifies specific activities required to realize the basic policies shown in the Long Term Program for Atomic Energy Development and Application. In the present report, activities required for improving the safety measures in general are described first, with special emphasis placed on the improvement in nuclear safety regulations and promotion of nuclear safety research. Activities required for promoting nuclear power generation are then outlined. It also insists that the nuclear fuel cycle should be established by promoting measures for uranium resources, uranium enrichment, spent fuel enrichment, and radioactive waste disposal. Other required efforts include the development of improved power reactors, implementation of major projects, and development of basic technology. (N.K.)

Favored subjects and psychosocial needs in music therapy in terminally ill cancer patients: a content analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Preissler, Pia; Kordovan, Sarah; Ullrich, Anneke; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Oechsle, Karin

2016-05-12

Research has shown positive effects of music therapy on the physical and mental well-being of terminally ill patients. This study aimed to identify favored subjects and psychosocial needs of terminally ill cancer patients during music therapy and associated factors. Forty-one Patients receiving specialized inpatient palliative care prospectively performed a music therapy intervention consisting of at least two sessions (total number of sessions: 166; per patient average: 4, range, 2-10). Applied music therapy methods and content were not pre-determined. Therapeutic subjects and psychosocial needs addressed in music therapy sessions were identified from prospective semi-structured "field notes" using qualitative content analysis. Patient- and treatment-related characteristics as well as factors related to music and music therapy were assessed by questionnaire or retrieved from medical records. Seven main categories of subjects were identified: "condition, treatment, further care", "coping with palliative situation", "emotions and feelings", "music and music therapy", "biography", "social environment", and "death, dying, and spiritual topics". Patients addressed an average of 4.7 different subjects (range, 1-7). Some subjects were associated with gender (p = .022) and prior impact of music in patients' life (p = .012). The number of subjects per session was lower when receptive music therapy methods were used (p = .040). Psychosocial needs were categorized into nine main dimensions: "relaxing and finding comfort", "communication and dialogue", "coping and activation of internal resources", "activity and vitality", "finding expression", "sense of self and reflection", "finding emotional response", "defocusing and diversion", and "structure and hold". Patients expressed an average of 4.9 psychosocial needs (range, 1-8). Needs were associated with age, parallel art therapy (p = .010), role of music in patient's life (p = .021), and the applied music

Radiology as part of an objective structured clinical examination on clinical skills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berk, I.A.H. van den; Ridder, J.M.M. van de; Schaik, J.P.J. van

2011-01-01

Introduction: An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessess clinical competence in a standardised and context related manner. Compared with written tests, OSCE's are more susceptible to reliability errors because of the use of multiple cases and multiple examiners. In the pre-clinical phase of the medical curriculum of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, an OSCE is organised as a medical consult. We evaluated the radiology station. Method: Four questions were formulated: ·What is the internal consistency of the items of the radiology station? ·How do the scores on the radiology station compare with the scores on the test excluding radiology? ·How do different cases differ in scores? ·What are the differences in score between the examiners? We analysed the OSCE results of second year medical students in 2004. Results: Two hundred and sixty-five students were examined in the OSCE in 2004. Ninty-three Students were examined in the radiology station. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the radiology station was 0.92. The average score for the radiology station was 3.8 (0.87). The average score for the test without radiology was 3.9 (0.32). The range of the average scores for the six different cases was 0.5 (3.6-4.1). The range of the average scores for the five examiners was 1.0 (3.3-4.3). Conclusion: The internal consistency of the items in the radiology station is good. The average score for the radiology station is similar to that of the other stations. The range of the scores between the different cases was relatively small. The range of the scores between the different examiners was clearly larger.

40 CFR 600.510-12 - Calculation of average fuel economy and average carbon-related exhaust emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... and average carbon-related exhaust emissions. 600.510-12 Section 600.510-12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) ENERGY POLICY FUEL ECONOMY AND CARBON-RELATED EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF... Transportation. (iv) [Reserved] (2) Average carbon-related exhaust emissions will be calculated to the nearest...

Subjective and objective outcomes in randomized clinical trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moustgaard, Helene; Bello, Segun; Miller, Franklin G

2014-01-01

explicitly defined the terms. CONCLUSION: The terms "subjective" and "objective" are ambiguous when used to describe outcomes in randomized clinical trials. We suggest that the terms should be defined explicitly when used in connection with the assessment of risk of bias in a clinical trial......OBJECTIVES: The degree of bias in randomized clinical trials varies depending on whether the outcome is subjective or objective. Assessment of the risk of bias in a clinical trial will therefore often involve categorization of the type of outcome. Our primary aim was to examine how the concepts...... "subjective outcome" and "objective outcome" are defined in methodological publications and clinical trial reports. To put this examination into perspective, we also provide an overview of how outcomes are classified more broadly. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A systematic review of methodological publications...

Improved averaging for non-null interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Fleig, Jon F.; Murphy, Paul E.

2013-09-01

Arithmetic averaging of interferometric phase measurements is a well-established method for reducing the effects of time varying disturbances, such as air turbulence and vibration. Calculating a map of the standard deviation for each pixel in the average map can provide a useful estimate of its variability. However, phase maps of complex and/or high density fringe fields frequently contain defects that severely impair the effectiveness of simple phase averaging and bias the variability estimate. These defects include large or small-area phase unwrapping artifacts, large alignment components, and voids that change in number, location, or size. Inclusion of a single phase map with a large area defect into the average is usually sufficient to spoil the entire result. Small-area phase unwrapping and void defects may not render the average map metrologically useless, but they pessimistically bias the variance estimate for the overwhelming majority of the data. We present an algorithm that obtains phase average and variance estimates that are robust against both large and small-area phase defects. It identifies and rejects phase maps containing large area voids or unwrapping artifacts. It also identifies and prunes the unreliable areas of otherwise useful phase maps, and removes the effect of alignment drift from the variance estimate. The algorithm has several run-time adjustable parameters to adjust the rejection criteria for bad data. However, a single nominal setting has been effective over a wide range of conditions. This enhanced averaging algorithm can be efficiently integrated with the phase map acquisition process to minimize the number of phase samples required to approach the practical noise floor of the metrology environment.

Personality dimensions and subjective well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chico Librán, Eliseo

2006-05-01

This work examines the association between personality dimensions (extraversion and neuroticism) and subjective well-being. Subjective well-being is associated both with extraversion and neuroticism, and currently, neuroticism is generally considered the more important. A total of 368 students from the University of Rovira i Virgili completed the Extraversion and Neuroticism subscales of the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck, Eysenck, and Barrett, 1985), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin, 1985), and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Watson, Clark, and Tellegen, 1988). Regression analyses revealed the personality variable of neuroticism as one of the most important correlates of subjective well-being. Regression analyses also showed that 44% of the variance of subjective well-being was accounted for by neuroticism, whereas extraversion only explained 8% of the variance.

The Influence of Atoms-in Molecules Methods on Shared Electron Distribution Indices and Domain Averaged Fermi Holes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bultinck, P.; Cooper, D.L.; Ponec, Robert

2010-01-01

Roč. 114, č. 33 (2010), s. 8754-8763 ISSN 1089-5639 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/09/0118 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : shared electron distribution index * domain averaged fermi holes * atoms in molecules Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.732, year: 2010

Significance of changes of serum osteocalcin levels in healthy subjects and patients with metabolic bone diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Liren; Dai Yaozong; Liang Minwen

2002-01-01

Objective: To study the significance of serum osteocalcin changes in healthy subjects and pathological conditions. Methods: The levels of S-BGP were measured with RIA in 270 normal subjects of different age groups (every 10 yrs as an age group), 60 patients with carebrovascular disease (CVD) and 85 patients with metabolic bone disease. Results: (1) The mean value of S-BGP in umbilical blood was 19.3 +- 16.8 μg/L (n = 89), in 3 day sold newborn infant was 7.4 +- 2.3 μg/L (n = 22), in healthy subjects (from 11 to 60 yrs, average age 39 yrs) was 5.2 +- 1.35 μg/L (n = 100), 5.3 +- 1.4 μg/L (n = 47) in males and 5.1 +- 1.34 μg/L (n = 53) in females. In old healthy subjects the mean value was 3.9 +- 1.48 μg/L (n = 30). The level of S-BGP was negatively correlated with the age significantly (r = -0.383, P < 0.001). (2) The mean levels of S-BGP in 85 patients with metabolic bone disease were: 21.7 +- 20.46 μg/L in patients with hyperthyroidism (n = 55, age from 21 to 60 yrs, average 37 yrs), being significantly higher than in healthy subjects (P < 0.01); 2.6 +- 0.99 μg/L in patients with NIDDM (n 30, from 60 to 79 yrs, average age 69 yrs), being significantly higher than in the old healthy subjects (P < 0.01). (3) In 60 patients with CVD (from 60 to 80 yrs, average age 66 yrs) the mean valve was 2.2 +- 1.1 μg/L in cerebral infarction (n = 30) and 2.5 +- 1.2 μg/L in cerebral hemorrhage (n = 30), both significantly higher than in old healthy subjects (P < 0.01). Conclusion: RIA of S-BGP is an important means for detecting changes of bone metabolism in normal and pathological condition

The relationship between limit of Dysphagia and average volume per swallow in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Belo, Luciana Rodrigues; Gomes, Nathália Angelina Costa; Coriolano, Maria das Graças Wanderley de Sales; de Souza, Elizabete Santos; Moura, Danielle Albuquerque Alves; Asano, Amdore Guescel; Lins, Otávio Gomes

2014-08-01

The goal of this study was to obtain the limit of dysphagia and the average volume per swallow in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD) but without swallowing complaints and in normal subjects, and to investigate the relationship between them. We hypothesize there is a direct relationship between these two measurements. The study included 10 patients with idiopathic PD and 10 age-matched normal controls. Surface electromyography was recorded over the suprahyoid muscle group. The limit of dysphagia was obtained by offering increasing volumes of water until piecemeal deglutition occurred. The average volume per swallow was calculated by dividing the time taken by the number of swallows used to drink 100 ml of water. The PD group showed a significantly lower dysphagia limit and lower average volume per swallow. There was a significantly moderate direct correlation and association between the two measurements. About half of the PD patients had an abnormally low dysphagia limit and average volume per swallow, although none had spontaneously related swallowing problems. Both measurements may be used as a quick objective screening test for the early identification of swallowing alterations that may lead to dysphagia in PD patients, but the determination of the average volume per swallow is much quicker and simpler.

A Link between Subjective Perceptions of Memory and Physical Function: Implications for Subjective Cognitive Decline.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosentino, Stephanie; Devanand, Davangere; Gurland, Barry

2018-01-01

Subjective impairment in memory is a frequently defining feature of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a state hypothesized to precede objectively apparent cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to hold promise as a non-invasive, inexpensive, preclinical indicator of AD. However, a full model of the factors that contribute to subjective memory (SM), and therefore to SCD, has yet to be articulated. While SM impairment is widely known to be associated with negative affect, the extent to which SM functioning may also reflect other factors, particularly subjective beliefs or perceptions about one's health, is not known. To examine the extent to which SM is associated with subjective perceptions of health more broadly, the current study investigated the link between SM and subjective physical functioning (independent of depressive affect, and objective cognitive and physical function) in an ethnically diverse sample of 471 older adults enrolled in the population-based Northern Manhattan Aging Project. 199 (42%) participants endorsed no difficulty on a 5-point SM index while 272 (58%) endorsed some degree of difficulty. As hypothesized, SM correlated with both depression and subjective physical function, but not with age, education, global cognition, or objective physical function. When objective and subjective physical function were entered in two separate, adjusted linear regressions predicting SM, only subjective physical function and depressive affect independently predicted SM. Subjective perceptions of memory appear to reflect individuals' broader health perceptions in part. Articulating the various correlates of SM will improve identification of SCD specific to preclinical AD.

Tracheobronchial calcification in adult health study subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuya, Tatsuro; Mihara, Futoshi; Kudo, Sho; Russell, W.J.; Delongchamp, R.R.; Vaeth, M.; Hosoda, Yutaka.

1988-04-01

Tracheobronchial calcification is reportedly more frequent in women than in men. Ten cases of extensive tracehobronchial calcification were identified on chest radiographs of 1,152 consecutively examined Adult Health Study subjects, for a prevalence of 0.87 %. An additional 51 subjects having this coded diagnosis were identified among 11,758 members of this fixed population sample. Sixty of the 61 subjects were women. The manifestations and extent of this type of calcification and its correlations with clinical and histopathologic features, which have not been previously reported, are described here. (author)

A time-averaged cosmic ray propagation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimas, A.J.

1975-01-01

An argument is presented, which casts doubt on our ability to choose an appropriate magnetic field ensemble for computing the average behavior of cosmic ray particles. An alternate procedure, using time-averages rather than ensemble-averages, is presented. (orig.) [de

Report on the results of the seventh medical examination of atomic bomb survivors in the South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishioka, Shinichi; Ohta, Nobuhiro; Taguchi, Atsushi; Okada, Fumio; Hara, Tokihiro; Ueno, Kouki.

1997-01-01

The medical examination was carried out in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru on 80, 4, 7, 11 and 3 survivors, respectively, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 15, 1996. They (43 males and 62 females) were 66.5 years old in average. The examination involved physical measurements, blood and urine analyses, electrocardiography, health questionnaire and consultation with blood pressure measurement. Results were as follows: Anamnesis; hypertension (51.4%), heart diseases (23.8%), cancer (21.0%), diabetes (19.0%), hemorrhoids (19.0%), stroke (18.1%), stomach ulcer (12.4%) and others: Present major disease; hypertension (23.8%), diabetes (6.7%), heart diseases (6.7%), cancer (6.7%) and others. Loss of vigor (63.8%), complete exhaustion or fatigue (63.8%), heat intolerance (60.0%), numbness or tingling (43.8%), failure of memory (42.9%) and many others were recognized as subjective symptoms. Blood pressure measurement gave hypertensive findings in 31.4%. Normal ECG was found in 67.7%. Cases judged to be necessary for further examinations or for treatment were in 46.7%. This examination was concluded to be continued. (K.H.)

Report on the results of the seventh medical examination of atomic bomb survivors in the South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishioka, Shinichi [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Ohta, Nobuhiro; Taguchi, Atsushi; Okada, Fumio; Hara, Tokihiro; Ueno, Kouki

1997-06-01

The medical examination was carried out in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru on 80, 4, 7, 11 and 3 survivors, respectively, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 15, 1996. They (43 males and 62 females) were 66.5 years old in average. The examination involved physical measurements, blood and urine analyses, electrocardiography, health questionnaire and consultation with blood pressure measurement. Results were as follows: Anamnesis; hypertension (51.4%), heart diseases (23.8%), cancer (21.0%), diabetes (19.0%), hemorrhoids (19.0%), stroke (18.1%), stomach ulcer (12.4%) and others: Present major disease; hypertension (23.8%), diabetes (6.7%), heart diseases (6.7%), cancer (6.7%) and others. Loss of vigor (63.8%), complete exhaustion or fatigue (63.8%), heat intolerance (60.0%), numbness or tingling (43.8%), failure of memory (42.9%) and many others were recognized as subjective symptoms. Blood pressure measurement gave hypertensive findings in 31.4%. Normal ECG was found in 67.7%. Cases judged to be necessary for further examinations or for treatment were in 46.7%. This examination was concluded to be continued. (K.H.)

The evaluation of the neck torsion test in subjective examinations of patients with vertigo and/or hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Niewiadomski, Piotr; Zielińska-Bliźniewskaw, Hanna; Miloński, Jarosław; Pietkiewicz, Piotr; Olszewski, Jurek

2015-01-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate the diagnostic value of the neck torsion test in VNG, Doppler ultrasonography and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in patients with vertigo and/or hearing loss due to intracranial vascular malformations. The study covered 47 patients, 30 female and 17 male (mean age, 55.5 years; range, 19-74 years) with vertigo and/or hearing disorders and the asymmetry of vertebral arteries. Each patient underwent a subjective examination, an otolaryngological examination, otoneurological diagnostics, VNG with gaze tracking in the straight ahead position and in the 600 left and right neck torsion, the neck torsion test, audiological diagnostics including I-, III- and V-wave latency of the brainstem evoked potentials in the straight ahead position and the right ear stimulation in the 600 right neck torsion and the left ear stimulation in the neck torsion to the left, Doppler ultrasonography with measuring the diameter of vertebral arteries and the velocity of the blood flow in these vessels with the use of the neck torsion test. In own study, in VNG, the positive neck torsion test was observed in 76.5% of the study patients, while square waves in both directions were found in 46.5% and in one direction in 10.6%. Cervical nystagmus was noticed in 19.1% of these patients. In the auditory evoked potentials test, the differences in I-, III- and V-wave latency time were not statistically significant, either at rest or in the neck torsion. In the Doppler ultrasound examination, the asymmetry of vertebral arteries were present (below 25%) in 7 women (14.9%) and 4 men (8.5%), whereas large asymmetries (above 25%) were observed in 23 women (48.9%) and 13 (27.7%) men (range, 25% - 215%) and was statistically insignificant. The resting blood flow velocity in vertebral arteries of large asymmetries, both in systole and diastole heart phases, was significantly higher in the artery with larger asymmetry. The neck torsion test can be diagnostically useful

Improving consensus structure by eliminating averaging artifacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KC Dukka B

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Common structural biology methods (i.e., NMR and molecular dynamics often produce ensembles of molecular structures. Consequently, averaging of 3D coordinates of molecular structures (proteins and RNA is a frequent approach to obtain a consensus structure that is representative of the ensemble. However, when the structures are averaged, artifacts can result in unrealistic local geometries, including unphysical bond lengths and angles. Results Herein, we describe a method to derive representative structures while limiting the number of artifacts. Our approach is based on a Monte Carlo simulation technique that drives a starting structure (an extended or a 'close-by' structure towards the 'averaged structure' using a harmonic pseudo energy function. To assess the performance of the algorithm, we applied our approach to Cα models of 1364 proteins generated by the TASSER structure prediction algorithm. The average RMSD of the refined model from the native structure for the set becomes worse by a mere 0.08 Å compared to the average RMSD of the averaged structures from the native structure (3.28 Å for refined structures and 3.36 A for the averaged structures. However, the percentage of atoms involved in clashes is greatly reduced (from 63% to 1%; in fact, the majority of the refined proteins had zero clashes. Moreover, a small number (38 of refined structures resulted in lower RMSD to the native protein versus the averaged structure. Finally, compared to PULCHRA 1, our approach produces representative structure of similar RMSD quality, but with much fewer clashes. Conclusion The benchmarking results demonstrate that our approach for removing averaging artifacts can be very beneficial for the structural biology community. Furthermore, the same approach can be applied to almost any problem where averaging of 3D coordinates is performed. Namely, structure averaging is also commonly performed in RNA secondary prediction 2, which

Assessment of alveolar bone height and width using 64-MDCT examination for dental implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekiya, Kotaro; Kaneda, Takashi; Sekiya, Keiko; Mori, Shintaro; Sakayanagi, Masashi

2011-01-01

There have been many reports showing the usefulness of CT examinations for preoperative dental implant treatment, and some reports on clinical statistics using CT examinations. However, there have been few reports on alveolar bone height and width of over 1,000 Japanese cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate alveolar bone height and width of 4,123 sites in 1,056 Japanese cases using preoperative CT examinations. The subjects consisted of 4,123 regions in 1,056 cases (370 males and 686 females, mean age 56.1 years old, range 15-87) of preoperative CT examinations conducted from January 2008 to March 2009. The CT examinations were performed using the Aquilion TM 64 (Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation) as the multi detector row CT (MDCT) unit, and ZIOSTATION (ZIOSOFT) as the workstation. The CT images were displayed on the workstation, and the alveolar bone height and width were measured to one decimal place (rounded off to two decimal places). The average alveolar bone height was 14.8 mm (SD±3.8) in the upper anterior area, 11.2 mm (SD±5.5) in the upper premolar area, 6.8 mm (SD±5.4) in the upper molar area, 19.5 mm (SD±5.4) in the lower anterior area, 14.2 mm (SD±3.9) in the lower premolar area, and 13.4 mm (SD±3.4) in the lower molar area. The average alveolar bone width was 4.3 mm (SD±1.9) in the anterior area, 5.7 mm (SD±2.3) in the upper premolar area, 7.9 mm (SD±3.1) in the upper molar area, 4.8 mm (SD±2.1) in the lower anterior area, 5.9 mm (SD±2.2) in the lower premolar area, and 6.9 mm (SD±2.5) in the lower molar area. Our results using preoperative CT examinations indicated that many of the Japanese cases had insufficient alveolar bone height and width for dental implants. (author)

Nodal O(h4)-superconvergence in 3D by averaging piecewise linear, bilinear, and trilinear FE approximations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hannukainen, A.; Korotov, S.; Křížek, Michal

2010-01-01

Roč. 28, č. 1 (2010), s. 1-10 ISSN 0254-9409 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100190803 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : higher order error estimates * tetrahedral and prismatic elements * superconvergence * averaging operators Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.760, year: 2010 http://www.jstor.org/stable/43693564

A living wage for research subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Trisha B

2011-01-01

Offering cash payments to research subjects is a common recruiting method, but this practice continues to be controversial because of its potential to compromise the protection of human subjects. Federal regulations and guidelines currently allow researchers to pay subjects for participation, but they say very little about how much researchers can pay their subjects. This paper argues that the federal regulations and guidelines should implement a standard payment formula. It argues for a wage payment model, and critically examines three candidates for a base wage: the nonfarm production wage, the FLSA minimum wage, and a living wage. After showing that the nonfarm production wage is too high to satisfy ethical criteria, and the minimum wage is too low, this paper concludes that the wage payment model with a base wage equivalent to a living wage is the best candidate for a standard payment formula in human subjects research. © 2011 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

The Relationship between Interparental Conflict and Self-Reported Grade Point Average among College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, S. Jane; Krueger, Lacy E.; Limberg, Dodie

2017-01-01

Interparental conflict has been shown to have a negative effect on the academic success of children and adolescents. This study examined the relationship between college students' (N = 143) perceived levels of interparental conflict, their living arrangement, and their current self-reported grade point average. Participants who experienced more…

Average use of Alcohol and Binge Drinking in Pregnancy: Neuropsychological Effects at Age 5

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kilburn, Tina R.

Objectives The objective of this PhD. was to examine the relation between low weekly average maternal alcohol consumption and ‘Binge drinking' (defined as intake of 5 or more drinks per occasion) during pregnancy and information processing time (IPT) in children aged five years. Since a method...... that provided detailed information on maternal alcohol drinking patterns before and during pregnancy and other lifestyle factors. These women were categorized in groups of prenatally average alcohol intake and binge drinking, timing and number of episodes. At the age of five years the children of these women...... and number of episodes) and between simple reaction time (SRT) and alcohol intake or binge drinking (timing and number of episodes) during pregnancy. Conclusion This was one of the first studies investigating IPT and prenatally average alcohol intake and binge drinking in early pregnancy. Daily prenatal...

Magnetic resonance imaging of ligaments and membranes in the craniocervical junction in whiplash-associated injury and in healthy control subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dullerud, Reidar; Gjertsen, Oeivind; Server, Andres

2010-01-01

Background: The pathogenesis and imaging findings in whiplash-associated injury (WAD) are poorly understood and remain debatable. Purpose: To assess the ligaments and membranes in the craniocervical junction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with WAD and to compare them with healthy control subjects. Material and Methods: Twenty-eight patients with WAD were selected at random from a total number of 180 examined with MRI using 2-mm proton density (PD)-weighted images in three orthogonal planes at 1.5T. The patients were compared with 27 healthy control subjects without neck trauma. Results: High signal intensity of the alar and transverse ligaments was quite common and was reported at an average of about 50% both among patients and control subjects. The incidence of abnormalities of the tectorial and posterior atlanto-occipital membranes was low in both groups. No statistically significant difference between control subjects and patients with WAD was revealed for any of the structures assessed. Additional fat-suppressed images seemed to reduce the number of reported anomalies. Conclusion: Due to lack of significant differences between patients with WAD and healthy control subjects, it is not recommended that MRI with the current technique and classification system be used in the routine workup of patients with WAD

Magnetic resonance imaging of ligaments and membranes in the craniocervical junction in whiplash-associated injury and in healthy control subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dullerud, Reidar; Gjertsen, Oeivind; Server, Andres (Dept. of Neuroradiology, Ullevaal Univ. Hospital, Oslo (Norway)), e-mail: redu@lds.no

2010-03-15

Background: The pathogenesis and imaging findings in whiplash-associated injury (WAD) are poorly understood and remain debatable. Purpose: To assess the ligaments and membranes in the craniocervical junction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with WAD and to compare them with healthy control subjects. Material and Methods: Twenty-eight patients with WAD were selected at random from a total number of 180 examined with MRI using 2-mm proton density (PD)-weighted images in three orthogonal planes at 1.5T. The patients were compared with 27 healthy control subjects without neck trauma. Results: High signal intensity of the alar and transverse ligaments was quite common and was reported at an average of about 50% both among patients and control subjects. The incidence of abnormalities of the tectorial and posterior atlanto-occipital membranes was low in both groups. No statistically significant difference between control subjects and patients with WAD was revealed for any of the structures assessed. Additional fat-suppressed images seemed to reduce the number of reported anomalies. Conclusion: Due to lack of significant differences between patients with WAD and healthy control subjects, it is not recommended that MRI with the current technique and classification system be used in the routine workup of patients with WAD

Five-Year Follow-Up and Outcomes of Noninvasive Ventilation in Subjects With Neuromuscular Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Mi Ri; Choi, Won Ah; Kim, Dong Hyun; Lee, Jang Woo; Kim, Eun Young; Kang, Seong-Woong

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the 5-year outcomes of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) application in different neuromuscular disease (NMD) groups. We categorized 180 subjects who had initiated NIV between March 2001 and August 2009 into 4 groups and followed them for > 5 y. The NIV maintenance rate and average duration, applying time, and forced vital capacity (FVC) were investigated at the time NIV was initiated and 5 y after NIV initiation in each group. In subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)-congenital myopathy, the 5-year subjects who continued to use NIV over time were 22.5%, 89.4%, and 91.3%, respectively, and the average NIV maintenance durations were 21.53 ± 19.26 months, 55.22 ± 11.47 months, and 57.48 ± 8.34 months, respectively ( P NIV was tolerated long-term without significant increases in daily application time for most subjects with NMD. However, in individuals with ALS, development of severe bulbar symptoms can risk maintaining NIV. Copyright © 2018 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Dilated examination of patients referred with minor lid complaints--is it necessary?

Science.gov (United States)

Tomlins, P J; Benskin, S; Tahhan, M; Tyagi, A K

2007-07-01

To evaluate whether dilated fundus examination is necessary on patients presenting to clinic with lid complaints and normal vision. Patients with lid complaints were recruited from general and emergency clinics. Patients with visual symptoms or previous ophthalmic history were excluded. Subjects were examined by a junior ophthalmologist with slit-lamp biomicroscopy and Goldmann tonometry. Dilated posterior segment examination was performed with a Volk lens and the peripheral retina was examined with a three-mirror contact lens. A total of 100 patients (200 eyes) were recruited, 63 females and 37 males with an average age of 45 years (SD of 19 years). The majority of lid abnormalities were chalazia (66) and papilloma (21). Posterior segment findings were early cataracts in five cases (eight eyes), macular drusen in three cases (five eyes), peripheral retinal lattice degeneration in two cases (three eyes), retinal pigment epithelial changes in one case (two eyes), a choroidal naevus in one eye, choroidal atrophy in one eye, and one case with asymmetric disc cupping. Six patients were seen by senior ophthalmologists and all were discharged after the first visit. In our sample of 100 patients presenting with lid complaints and normal visual acuity, dilated examination revealed no sight-threatening conditions that required further treatment or regular follow-up. Therefore, a single episode of screening for nonspecified retinal disease in a group with no particular risk factors is an inefficient screening method.

27 CFR 46.271 - Entry, examination and testimony.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... are open. Appropriate TTB officers may audit and examine all articles, inventory records, books.... Appropriate TTB officers, in performing official duties, may enter any premises to examine articles subject to...

Radiology as part of an objective structured clinical examination on clinical skills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berk, I.A.H. van den, E-mail: i.a.h.van_den_berk@lumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands); Ridder, J.M.M. van de, E-mail: J.M.M.vandeRidder@umcutrecht.nl [School of Medical Sciences, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht (Netherlands); Schaik, J.P.J. van, E-mail: J.P.J.vanSchaik@umcutrecht.nl [Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100 E01-132, 3584 CX Utrecht (Netherlands)

2011-06-15

Introduction: An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessess clinical competence in a standardised and context related manner. Compared with written tests, OSCE's are more susceptible to reliability errors because of the use of multiple cases and multiple examiners. In the pre-clinical phase of the medical curriculum of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, an OSCE is organised as a medical consult. We evaluated the radiology station. Method: Four questions were formulated: {center_dot}What is the internal consistency of the items of the radiology station? {center_dot}How do the scores on the radiology station compare with the scores on the test excluding radiology? {center_dot}How do different cases differ in scores? {center_dot}What are the differences in score between the examiners? We analysed the OSCE results of second year medical students in 2004. Results: Two hundred and sixty-five students were examined in the OSCE in 2004. Ninty-three Students were examined in the radiology station. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the radiology station was 0.92. The average score for the radiology station was 3.8 (0.87). The average score for the test without radiology was 3.9 (0.32). The range of the average scores for the six different cases was 0.5 (3.6-4.1). The range of the average scores for the five examiners was 1.0 (3.3-4.3). Conclusion: The internal consistency of the items in the radiology station is good. The average score for the radiology station is similar to that of the other stations. The range of the scores between the different cases was relatively small. The range of the scores between the different examiners was clearly larger.

40 CFR 76.11 - Emissions averaging.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Emissions averaging. 76.11 Section 76.11 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) ACID RAIN NITROGEN OXIDES EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM § 76.11 Emissions averaging. (a) General...

Average spectral efficiency analysis of FSO links over turbulence channel with adaptive transmissions and aperture averaging

Science.gov (United States)

Aarthi, G.; Ramachandra Reddy, G.

2018-03-01

In our paper, the impact of adaptive transmission schemes: (i) optimal rate adaptation (ORA) and (ii) channel inversion with fixed rate (CIFR) on the average spectral efficiency (ASE) are explored for free-space optical (FSO) communications with On-Off Keying (OOK), Polarization shift keying (POLSK), and Coherent optical wireless communication (Coherent OWC) systems under different turbulence regimes. Further to enhance the ASE we have incorporated aperture averaging effects along with the above adaptive schemes. The results indicate that ORA adaptation scheme has the advantage of improving the ASE performance compared with CIFR under moderate and strong turbulence regime. The coherent OWC system with ORA excels the other modulation schemes and could achieve ASE performance of 49.8 bits/s/Hz at the average transmitted optical power of 6 dBm under strong turbulence. By adding aperture averaging effect we could achieve an ASE of 50.5 bits/s/Hz under the same conditions. This makes ORA with Coherent OWC modulation as a favorable candidate for improving the ASE of the FSO communication system.

Validity analysis on merged and averaged data using within and between analysis: focus on effect of qualitative social capital on self-rated health.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sang Soo; Shin, Young-Jeon

2016-01-01

With an increasing number of studies highlighting regional social capital (SC) as a determinant of health, many studies are using multi-level analysis with merged and averaged scores of community residents' survey responses calculated from community SC data. Sufficient examination is required to validate if the merged and averaged data can represent the community. Therefore, this study analyzes the validity of the selected indicators and their applicability in multi-level analysis. Within and between analysis (WABA) was performed after creating community variables using merged and averaged data of community residents' responses from the 2013 Community Health Survey in Korea, using subjective self-rated health assessment as a dependent variable. Further analysis was performed following the model suggested by WABA result. Both E-test results (1) and WABA results (2) revealed that single-level analysis needs to be performed using qualitative SC variable with cluster mean centering. Through single-level multivariate regression analysis, qualitative SC with cluster mean centering showed positive effect on self-rated health (0.054, panalysis using SC variables without cluster mean centering or multi-level analysis. As modification in qualitative SC was larger within the community than between communities, we validate that relational analysis of individual self-rated health can be performed within the group, using cluster mean centering. Other tests besides the WABA can be performed in the future to confirm the validity of using community variables and their applicability in multi-level analysis.

7 CFR 51.2561 - Average moisture content.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Average moisture content. 51.2561 Section 51.2561... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pistachio Nuts § 51.2561 Average moisture content. (a) Determining average moisture content of the lot is not a requirement of the grades, except when...

Comparative functional scintigraphic and angiographic examination in pancreas diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendizov, A.; Brilski, V.; Bozhiyanov, A.; Romanova, A.; Mardzhanov, I.; Glavincheva, I.; Meditsinska Akademiya, Sofia

1979-01-01

Pancreas scintigraphy with 75 seleno-methionine, pancreocimine-secretine test and selective abdominal angiography was carried out in patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreas carcinoma and subjects without any pancreas diseases. Scintigraphic changes in pancreas was found in 95,6 per cent of the patients with chronic pancreatitis (136 patients), in 92 per cent of them with pancreas carcinoma (25 patients) and in 53,4 per cent from the subjects without pancreas diseases (30 examined). Pathological changes in pancreatic secretion was found in 93,4 per cent of the patients with chronic pancreatitis (105 patients), in 93,8 per cent of the subjects with pancreas carcinoma (32 patients) and only in 3,9 per cent from the examined without pancreatic diseases. The angiographic examination is informative mainly in case of tumours and cysts of the pancreas. The diagnostic potentialities of the separate methods for pancreas examination were critically assessed. The basic diagnostic problems in pancreas diseases are solved to a great extent with the combined examination with scintigraphy pancreocimine test and angiography (76 patients). (author)

Validity of subjective smoking status in orthopedic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bender D

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Daniel Bender,* Patrick Haubruck,* Sonja Boxriker, Sebastian Korff, Gerhard Schmidmaier, Arash Moghaddam Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Center for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: In this level 1 diagnostic study, we analyzed the validity of subjective smoking status and, as secondary research question, the smoking cessation adherence in orthopedic patients during a routine hospital stay of nonunion patients by measuring serum cotinine.  Methods: We included patients undergoing revision surgery due to nonunion of long bones. Patients were interviewed about their smoking status. Blood samples were taken from all the patients prior to surgery and for an additional 6 weeks following surgery. Serum levels of cotinine were measured, and coherence between subjective smoking status and objective cotinine analysis was evaluated.  Results: Between March 2012 and August 2014, we enrolled 136 patients. Six of the 26 “previous smokers” (23% and four of the 65 “nonsmokers” (6% had serum cotinine above cutoff levels. In self-labeled smokers, serum cotinine levels averaged at 2,367.4±14,885.9 ng/mL (with a median of 100 ng/mL, whereas in previous smokers the levels averaged at 4,270±19,619.4 ng/mL (with a median of 0 ng/mL and in the nonsmokers group the levels averaged at 12±53.9 ng/mL (with a median of 0.03 ng/mL. Overall, the subjective smoking status matched serum cotinine testing in 88% of the cases. Sensitivity was 79.6% and specificity was 93.1%. Ninety-one percent of the patients with preoperative positive serum values were still positive at follow-up.  Conclusion: In this study, we could show that subjective smoking status in orthopedic patients is predominantly reliable as validated by objective cotinine measurements; however, patients who declare themselves as “previous smokers” are at elevated risk

Different event-related patterns of gamma-band power in brain waves of fast- and slow-reacting subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokeit, H; Makeig, S

1994-01-01

Fast- and slow-reacting subjects exhibit different patterns of gamma-band electroencephalogram (EEG) activity when responding as quickly as possible to auditory stimuli. This result appears to confirm long-standing speculations of Wundt that fast- and slow-reacting subjects produce speeded reactions in different ways and demonstrates that analysis of event-related changes in the amplitude of EEG activity recorded from the human scalp can reveal information about event-related brain processes unavailable using event-related potential measures. Time-varying spectral power in a selected (35- to 43-Hz) gamma frequency band was averaged across trials in two experimental conditions: passive listening and speeded reacting to binaural clicks, forming 40-Hz event-related spectral responses. Factor analysis of between-subject event-related spectral response differences split subjects into two near-equal groups composed of faster- and slower-reacting subjects. In faster-reacting subjects, 40-Hz power peaked near 200 ms and 400 ms poststimulus in the react condition, whereas in slower-reacting subjects, 40-Hz power just before stimulus delivery was larger in the react condition. These group differences were preserved in separate averages of relatively long and short reaction-time epochs for each group. gamma-band (20-60 Hz)-filtered event-related potential response averages did not differ between the two groups or conditions. Because of this and because gamma-band power in the auditory event-related potential is small compared with the EEG, the observed event-related spectral response features must represent gamma-band EEG activity reliably induced by, but not phase-locked to, experimental stimuli or events. PMID:8022783

Report on the results of the third medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamitsuna, Akimitsu; Kuramoto, Kiyoshi; Noguchi, Kyoichi; Inoue, Nobuhisa; Yokoyama, Yutaka; Oishi, Akinori.

1989-01-01

The third medical examination was performed among A-bomb survivors residing in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru during the period October 17- November 4, 1988. One hundred and eighty-five A-bomb survivors were comfirmed to reside in the five countries. One hundred and eighteen A-bomb survivors (64%) participated in the examination, consisting of 50 men and 68 women. Seventy seven (35 men and 42 women) and 41 (15 men and 26 women) A-bomb survivors came from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. An average age of participants was 56.1±9.7 years for men and 58.4±9.6 years for women. The acquisition rate of atomic bomb survivor's health handbook was 28.8%. A questionnaire survey for subjective symptoms revealed a high frequency of fatigue, decreased physical fitness, numbness, and dizziness. Fifty-four A-bomb survivors (47%) were needed to receive detailed examinations. Predominant diseases were hypertension, obesity, and urinary tract disease. (N.K.)

Report on the results of the third medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamitsuna, Akimitsu (Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine); Kuramoto, Kiyoshi; Noguchi, Kyoichi; Inoue, Nobuhisa; Yokoyama, Yutaka; Oishi, Akinori

1989-08-01

The third medical examination was performed among A-bomb survivors residing in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru during the period October 17- November 4, 1988. One hundred and eighty-five A-bomb survivors were comfirmed to reside in the five countries. One hundred and eighteen A-bomb survivors (64%) participated in the examination, consisting of 50 men and 68 women. Seventy seven (35 men and 42 women) and 41 (15 men and 26 women) A-bomb survivors came from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. An average age of participants was 56.1{plus minus}9.7 years for men and 58.4{plus minus}9.6 years for women. The acquisition rate of atomic bomb survivor's health handbook was 28.8%. A questionnaire survey for subjective symptoms revealed a high frequency of fatigue, decreased physical fitness, numbness, and dizziness. Fifty-four A-bomb survivors (47%) were needed to receive detailed examinations. Predominant diseases were hypertension, obesity, and urinary tract disease. (N.K.).

Brazilian adaptation of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viviane Amaral Carvalho

Full Text Available Abstract The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R is a highly sensitive and specific tool for the detection of mild dementia. It is particularly useful in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia. While the first version of the test battery has been adapted in many countries, its revised version has not, probably because it was published very recently. Objective: To translate and adapt the ACE-R for use in the Brazilian population. Methods: Two independent translations were made from English into Portuguese, followed by two independent back-translations. Few adaptations in accordance to the Brazilian culture and language were made and a first version of the instrument produced. This former version of the ACE-R was administered to 21 cognitively healthy subjects aged 60 years or more, with different educational levels. Results: The mean age of the studied sample of healthy elderly was 75.4 years (ranging from 60 to 89 years. Small additional modifications were necessary after the evaluation of the first ten subjects in order to improve comprehension of the test. The final Portuguese version of the ACE-R was produced and was found to be well understood by the remaining 11 subjects, taking an average of 15 minutes to be administered. Conclusions: The Brazilian version of the ACE-R proved to be a promising cognitive instrument for testing both in research and clinical settings. With this regard, additional studies are currently being carried out in our unit in order to investigate the diagnostic properties of the ACE-R in our milieu.

Brazilian adaptation of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R).

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Viviane Amaral; Caramelli, Paulo

2007-01-01

The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is a highly sensitive and specific tool for the detection of mild dementia. It is particularly useful in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia. While the first version of the test battery has been adapted in many countries, its revised version has not, probably because it was published very recently. To translate and adapt the ACE-R for use in the Brazilian population. Two independent translations were made from English into Portuguese, followed by two independent back-translations. Few adaptations in accordance to the Brazilian culture and language were made and a first version of the instrument produced. This former version of the ACE-R was administered to 21 cognitively healthy subjects aged 60 years or more, with different educational levels. The mean age of the studied sample of healthy elderly was 75.4 years (ranging from 60 to 89 years). Small additional modifications were necessary after the evaluation of the first ten subjects in order to improve comprehension of the test. The final Portuguese version of the ACE-R was produced and was found to be well understood by the remaining 11 subjects, taking an average of 15 minutes to be administered. The Brazilian version of the ACE-R proved to be a promising cognitive instrument for testing both in research and clinical settings. With this regard, additional studies are currently being carried out in our unit in order to investigate the diagnostic properties of the ACE-R in our milieu.

International migration desires related to subjective well-being

OpenAIRE

Cai, Ruohong; Esipova, Neli; Oppenheimer, Michael; Feng, Shuaizhang

2014-01-01

Previous research on the determinants of international migration has largely focused on objective factors, such as income. We instead use subjective well-being (SWB) to explain international migration desires, an expressed willingness to migrate. We find that individuals with higher SWB have lower international migration desires. At the individual level, the SWB-migration relationship appears to be more robust than the income-migration relationship. At the country level, national average SWB ...

Determining average path length and average trapping time on generalized dual dendrimer

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ling; Guan, Jihong

2015-03-01

Dendrimer has wide number of important applications in various fields. In some cases during transport or diffusion process, it transforms into its dual structure named Husimi cactus. In this paper, we study the structure properties and trapping problem on a family of generalized dual dendrimer with arbitrary coordination numbers. We first calculate exactly the average path length (APL) of the networks. The APL increases logarithmically with the network size, indicating that the networks exhibit a small-world effect. Then we determine the average trapping time (ATT) of the trapping process in two cases, i.e., the trap placed on a central node and the trap is uniformly distributed in all the nodes of the network. In both case, we obtain explicit solutions of ATT and show how they vary with the networks size. Besides, we also discuss the influence of the coordination number on trapping efficiency.

Quantification of radiation absorbed dose and DNA damages in subjects undergoing computer tomography imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanagaraj, Karthik; Basheerudeen, Safa Abdul Syed; Tamizh Selvan, G.; Venkatachalam, Perumal; Jose, M.T.; Ozhimuthu, Annalakshmi; Panneer Selvam, S.; Pattan, Sudha

2014-01-01

X-rays are extensively used in medical field for imaging, diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy. Irrespective of the application, the procedures deliver a significant amount of dose to the subject, while undergoing the procedure, which vary from imaging (low dose in the order mGy) and therapy (high doses in the order of several Gy). Of the various imaging modalities, the computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to diagnose many health alignments, in all age groups. Though the personals involved in performing the procedures are monitored for the levels of exposure, it is uncommon to monitor the patient after the examination, as the benefits outweigh the risk. However an enhanced concern on the risk associated due to the exposure of low dose X-radiation in CT has been reported. Therefore, we aim to quantify the absorbed dose to the eye, thyroid and forehead using thermo luminescence dosimeter of Lithium Manganese Borate doped with Terbium (LMB:Tb) in subjects undergoing CT examination (n= 27), as a methodology to investigate the effects of low dose ionizing radiation. Further, the DNA damages was measured using chromosomal aberration (CA) and micronucleus (MN) assay, from the blood samples obtained from the study subjects before and after the procedures. The overall measured organ dose ranged between 1.92 and 520.14 mGy for eye, 0.84 and 210.33 mGy for forehead and 1.79-185 mGy for thyroid, with an average of 128.86 1 137.16, 78.25 1 69.02 and 48.86 1 63.60 respectively. The DNA damages measured using CA and MN assay, showed an extreme statistically significant (p<0.0001) increase in CA and significant increase (p<0.001) in MN frequency in post exposure when compared to that of unexposed control. The significance of the estimated dose and the DNA damages will be discussed. (author)

Impact of fish consumption by subjects with prediabetes on the metabolic risk factors: using data in the 2015 (6th) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyoung-Yun; Park, Jeong Seop

2018-06-01

The effects of fish consumption by subjects with prediabetes on the metabolic risk factors were examined based on the data from the 6 th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2015. A total of 1,520 subjects who agreed to participate in a blood test and dietary intake survey were divided into a prediabetes group and normal blood glucose group, and the level of the subjects' fish consumption was divided into ≤ 17.0 g/day, 18.0-93.0 g/day, and ≥ 94 g/day. The correlation between the level of fish intake and the metabolic risk factors was evaluated by multinomial logistic regression analysis. A significant difference in the gender distribution was observed in the prediabetes group, which is a group with a high risk of non-communicable diseases, according to the fish intake, and there were significant differences in the total energy intake, protein intake, n-3 fatty acids intake, and the intakes of sodium and micro-nutrients according to the intake group ( P < 0.05). In addition, the blood total cholesterol (TC) decreased 0.422 fold in model 1 (unadjusted) [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.211-0.845] and 0.422 fold in model 2 (adjusted for sex) (95% CI: 0.210-0.846) in those with a fish intake of 18.0-93.0 g/day ( P < 0.05) compared to those with a fish intake of ≤ 17.0 g/day. The blood TC decreased 0.555 fold (95% CI: 0.311-0.989) in model 1 and 0.549 fold (95% CI: 0.302-0.997) in model 2 in those with a fish intake of ≥ 94 g/day compared to those with a fish intake of ≤ 17.0 g/day ( P < 0.05). Subjects with prediabetes or the metabolic risk factors can maintain their blood low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood TC concentrations at the optimal level by consuming fish (18.0-93.0 g/day).

Computation of the bounce-average code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutler, T.A.; Pearlstein, L.D.; Rensink, M.E.

1977-01-01

The bounce-average computer code simulates the two-dimensional velocity transport of ions in a mirror machine. The code evaluates and bounce-averages the collision operator and sources along the field line. A self-consistent equilibrium magnetic field is also computed using the long-thin approximation. Optionally included are terms that maintain μ, J invariance as the magnetic field changes in time. The assumptions and analysis that form the foundation of the bounce-average code are described. When references can be cited, the required results are merely stated and explained briefly. A listing of the code is appended

Estimation of muscle fatigue by ratio of mean frequency to average rectified value from surface electromyography.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Jeffry Bonar; Yoshioka, Mototaka; Ozawa, Jun

2016-08-01

A new method to estimate muscle fatigue quantitatively from surface electromyography (EMG) is proposed. The ratio of mean frequency (MNF) to average rectified value (ARV) is used as the index of muscle fatigue, and muscle fatigue is detected when MNF/ARV falls below a pre-determined or pre-calculated baseline. MNF/ARV gives larger distinction between fatigued muscle and non-fatigued muscle. Experiment results show the effectiveness of our method in estimating muscle fatigue more correctly compared to conventional methods. An early evaluation based on the initial value of MNF/ARV and the subjective time when the subjects start feeling the fatigue also indicates the possibility of calculating baseline from the initial value of MNF/ARV.

Subject: Construct or Acting Being? The Status of the Subject and the Problem of Solipsism in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Włodzimierz HEFLIK

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In his Tractatus and Notebooks 1914-1916, Wittgenstein develops some themes concerning the nature of the subject, transcendentalism, solipsism and mysticism. Though Wittgenstein rejects a naive, psychological understanding of the subject, he preserves the idea of the metaphysical subject, so-called “philosophical I”. The present investigations exhibit two ways of grasping the subject: (1 subject as a boundary (of the world; (2 subject (I as the world. The author of the paper aims to analyze different methods of conceiving the subject, both logical and transcendental. Then he discusses the naturalistic or reductionist consequences of solipsism which were derived by Wittgenstein. Moreover, he refers to the concept of ‘subject of will’ introduced in the Tractatus. Finally, the author puts a question whether the metaphysical subject is a boundary of the world identified with the subject of will. While trying to answer this question one can point to the essential difficulties of Wittgenstein’s standpoint. These difficulties become especially evident if we examine Wittgenstein’s statements concerning mysticism. The category of subject seems to gain a new dimension when reconsidered in this context. In the conclusion, the author offers an interpretation inspired by Schopenhauer’s conception of the double aspect of the subject that is to overstep these difficulties.

Average is Over

Science.gov (United States)

Eliazar, Iddo

2018-02-01

The popular perception of statistical distributions is depicted by the iconic bell curve which comprises of a massive bulk of 'middle-class' values, and two thin tails - one of small left-wing values, and one of large right-wing values. The shape of the bell curve is unimodal, and its peak represents both the mode and the mean. Thomas Friedman, the famous New York Times columnist, recently asserted that we have entered a human era in which "Average is Over" . In this paper we present mathematical models for the phenomenon that Friedman highlighted. While the models are derived via different modeling approaches, they share a common foundation. Inherent tipping points cause the models to phase-shift from a 'normal' bell-shape statistical behavior to an 'anomalous' statistical behavior: the unimodal shape changes to an unbounded monotone shape, the mode vanishes, and the mean diverges. Hence: (i) there is an explosion of small values; (ii) large values become super-large; (iii) 'middle-class' values are wiped out, leaving an infinite rift between the small and the super large values; and (iv) "Average is Over" indeed.

Evaluation of thyroid function in female subjects living in the high natural background radiation area of Karunagappally, Kerala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreekumar, A.; Nair, Raghu Ram K.; Jayalakshmi, P.; Sebastian, P.; Akiba, S.

2010-01-01

Radiation exposure has been reported to cause non cancer thyroid abnormalities like diffuse goiter and thyroid nodules. The present study was undertaken to see if there are any morphological and functional changes taking place in the thyroid due to chronic low level radiation exposure. 257 female subjects living in the four high background radiation panchayats of Chavara, Neendakara, Alappad and Panmana were selected for the study after getting informed consent. 5 ml of blood was drawn from these subjects for assessing thyroid function. The subjects were all staying in the same area since their birth and had not moved out for more than one year at a stretch. The average age of the subjects was 40.5y with a range of 17-66y. The cumulative dose had a mean of 226.3 mGy and a range of 20.6-937.8 mGy. 95 subjects from the low background area of Oachira and Thevalakkara were selected as controls in the age group of 18-63y with a mean age of 47.1y. The mean cumulative dose of this group was 35.9 mGy with a minimum of 5.3 mGy and a maximum of 106.8 mGy. 5 ml blood was collected from these subjects for thyroid function studies. All the subjects underwent ultrasound examination of the thyroid using a 10 MHz frequency linear probe. The following parameters were studied to assess thyroid function: Free T4, TSH, Antithyroglobulin antibody (ATG), Parathyroid hormone. Ultrasound images showed the following common features: Normal - 171, Suggestive of Thyroiditis - 106, Multinodular Goitre - 63, Diffuse Goitre - 5, Solitary Nodule - 31. 73 subjects had elevated TSH and 190 subjects had raised ATG. A significant numbers of subjects had features of thyroiditis. A comparative evaluation with control subjects will be done to assess its significance with reference to cumulative dose

Sensitivity of subject-specific models to Hill muscle-tendon model parameters in simulations of gait.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbone, V; van der Krogt, M M; Koopman, H F J M; Verdonschot, N

2016-06-14

Subject-specific musculoskeletal (MS) models of the lower extremity are essential for applications such as predicting the effects of orthopedic surgery. We performed an extensive sensitivity analysis to assess the effects of potential errors in Hill muscle-tendon (MT) model parameters for each of the 56 MT parts contained in a state-of-the-art MS model. We used two metrics, namely a Local Sensitivity Index (LSI) and an Overall Sensitivity Index (OSI), to distinguish the effect of the perturbation on the predicted force produced by the perturbed MT parts and by all the remaining MT parts, respectively, during a simulated gait cycle. Results indicated that sensitivity of the model depended on the specific role of each MT part during gait, and not merely on its size and length. Tendon slack length was the most sensitive parameter, followed by maximal isometric muscle force and optimal muscle fiber length, while nominal pennation angle showed very low sensitivity. The highest sensitivity values were found for the MT parts that act as prime movers of gait (Soleus: average OSI=5.27%, Rectus Femoris: average OSI=4.47%, Gastrocnemius: average OSI=3.77%, Vastus Lateralis: average OSI=1.36%, Biceps Femoris Caput Longum: average OSI=1.06%) and hip stabilizers (Gluteus Medius: average OSI=3.10%, Obturator Internus: average OSI=1.96%, Gluteus Minimus: average OSI=1.40%, Piriformis: average OSI=0.98%), followed by the Peroneal muscles (average OSI=2.20%) and Tibialis Anterior (average OSI=1.78%) some of which were not included in previous sensitivity studies. Finally, the proposed priority list provides quantitative information to indicate which MT parts and which MT parameters should be estimated most accurately to create detailed and reliable subject-specific MS models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnic Identity and Subjective Well-Being of Bully Participants

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, Elizabeth M.; Kordesh, Kathy; Polanin, Megan; Adams, Kristen; Aydin, Fatma; Knoll, Mike; Oh, Jennifer; Wade, James; Roche, Meghan; Hughes, Kelly; Eisenberg, Corry; Camacho, Daniel; Jeremie-Brink, Gihane

2015-01-01

Relationships among bully victimization, bully perpetration, ethnic identity, and subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect) were examined in a group of urban, ethnically diverse early adolescents. Indices of subjective well-being correlated with participants' scores on bully victimization and…

Subjective method of refractometry and depth of focus

OpenAIRE

Sergienko, Nikolai M.; Gromova, Anastasia; Sergienko, Nikolai

2012-01-01

Purpose: To study the impact of the depth of focus on subjective refraction and distribution of myopic and hyperopic refractions. Methods: A total of 450 eyes of 305 subjects in the age range of 23–34 years were recruited for the study. A distribution of refractions was examined using a traditional method of the subjective refractometry on the basis of point-like posterior focus notion. Correction of the results was made on the assumption that the emmetropic eye retains high visual acuity ...

Comparing the self-assessed and examiner-assessed driving skills of Japanese driving school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Nakai

2012-03-01

A sample of Japanese driving test candidates (n=2021 completed a self-assessment using a 5-point scale applied to 19 items. The candidates completed the assessment shortly after passing their practical driving test conducted at a driving school. Their performance was also assessed by an examiner who used the same scale. The comparison between self-assessment and examiner-assessment revealed that around 40% of Japanese driving school students made a realistic assessment of their skills. With regard to the gender differences, although males displayed higher levels of overconfidence than females did, the differences were not as large as earlier studies with questionnaires had suggested. Furthermore, the effect of age on the accuracy of novice drivers' skill assessment was found to be relatively small. Our findings, which are based on a comparison of subjective assessments of driving skills between examiners and novices, instead of a questionable method which relies on a comparison with a hypothetical average driver, suggest that the majority of candidates in fact do not overrate their own skills. These results were discussed from the viewpoint of the driver education system and compared to other European research using the same framework.

Averaging and sampling for magnetic-observatory hourly data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. Love

2010-11-01

Full Text Available A time and frequency-domain analysis is made of the effects of averaging and sampling methods used for constructing magnetic-observatory hourly data values. Using 1-min data as a proxy for continuous, geomagnetic variation, we construct synthetic hourly values of two standard types: instantaneous "spot" measurements and simple 1-h "boxcar" averages. We compare these average-sample types with others: 2-h average, Gaussian, and "brick-wall" low-frequency-pass. Hourly spot measurements provide a statistically unbiased representation of the amplitude range of geomagnetic-field variation, but as a representation of continuous field variation over time, they are significantly affected by aliasing, especially at high latitudes. The 1-h, 2-h, and Gaussian average-samples are affected by a combination of amplitude distortion and aliasing. Brick-wall values are not affected by either amplitude distortion or aliasing, but constructing them is, in an operational setting, relatively more difficult than it is for other average-sample types. It is noteworthy that 1-h average-samples, the present standard for observatory hourly data, have properties similar to Gaussian average-samples that have been optimized for a minimum residual sum of amplitude distortion and aliasing. For 1-h average-samples from medium and low-latitude observatories, the average of the combination of amplitude distortion and aliasing is less than the 5.0 nT accuracy standard established by Intermagnet for modern 1-min data. For medium and low-latitude observatories, average differences between monthly means constructed from 1-min data and monthly means constructed from any of the hourly average-sample types considered here are less than the 1.0 nT resolution of standard databases. We recommend that observatories and World Data Centers continue the standard practice of reporting simple 1-h-average hourly values.

Objective Academic Achievement and Subjective Personal Well-Being

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Betty

2012-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between objective academic achievement (OAA) and subjective well-being (SWB). Using a sample of 515 adolescents from ten different high schools across a small country, semi-structured interviews, academic records and observations provided relevant data for the study. OAA was measured from examination results…

The average size of ordered binary subgraphs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, J.; Hartel, Pieter H.

To analyse the demands made on the garbage collector in a graph reduction system, the change in size of an average graph is studied when an arbitrary edge is removed. In ordered binary trees the average number of deleted nodes as a result of cutting a single edge is equal to the average size of a

Effect of helium pressure on the response of unirradiated UO2 subjected to thermal transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenske, G.R.; Chapello, P.M.; Emerson, J.E.; Poeppel, R.B.

1983-01-01

The effect of helium pressure on the transient response of unirradiated depleted UO 2 subjected to simulated hypothetical loss-of-flow accidents in a gas-cooled fast reactor was examined by use of the direct electrical heating technique. Transient tests were performed at pressures ranging from 7 to 10 X 10 5 Pa(7 to 10 atm) to 7 to 8 MPa (70 to 80 atm) on radially restrained and unrestrained fuel segments. The average heating rates ranged from about17 to 240 J/g x s. The results indicate that while the mechanical integrity of the fuel segment was independent of the test pressure, the rapid ejection of molten fuel from pellet interfaces of unrestrained fuel, observed at the lower pressures, was delayed or suppressed at the higher pressures

Instantaneous equations for multiphase flow in porous media without length-scale restrictions using a non-local averaging volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinosa-Paredes, Gilberto

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to propose a framework to obtain a new formulation for multiphase flow conservation equations without length-scale restrictions, based on the non-local form of the averaged volume conservation equations. The simplification of the local averaging volume of the conservation equations to obtain practical equations is subject to the following length-scale restrictions: d << l << L, where d is the characteristic length of the dispersed phases, l is the characteristic length of the averaging volume, and L is the characteristic length of the physical system. If the foregoing inequality does not hold, or if the scale of the problem of interest is of the order of l, the averaging technique and therefore, the macroscopic theories of multiphase flow should be modified in order to include appropriate considerations and terms in the corresponding equations. In these cases the local form of the averaged volume conservation equations are not appropriate to describe the multiphase system. As an example of the conservation equations without length-scale restrictions, the natural circulation boiling water reactor was consider to study the non-local effects on the thermal-hydraulic core performance during steady-state and transient behaviors, and the results were compared with the classic local averaging volume conservation equations.

Psychophysical sensory examination in individuals with a history of methylmercury exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaoka, Shigeru; Fujino, Tadashi; Sekikawa, Tomoko; Miyaoka, Tetsu

2004-01-01

Paresthesias are the first symptom that people report following toxic doses of methylmercury. The authors conducted a psychophysical study of tactile sensation to evaluate the somatosensory abilities of subjects living in a methylmercury-polluted area around Minamata City, Japan. The authors examined control subjects and methylmercury-exposed subjects with and without numbness. A history of methylmercury exposure was taken and a neurological examination performed. Aluminum-oxide abrasive papers were used as stimuli in a psychophysical sensory examination of fine-surface-texture discrimination. Difference thresholds from 3 μm were calculated by the two-alternative, forced-choice technique. Difference thresholds in control subjects were also calculated for comparison. The difference threshold was 6.3 μm in exposed subjects with sensory symptoms, 4.9 μm in exposed subjects without sensory symptoms, and 2.7 μm in control subjects. Acuity of fine-surface-texture discrimination was disturbed not only in subjects with clinical complaints of hand numbness, but also in subjects without hand numbness who lived in the district where methylmercury exposure occurred. Sensory testing using a psychophysical test of fine-surface-texture discrimination in this population suggests that the number of individuals affected by methylmercury exposure in the polluted area was greater than previously reported

Subject search study. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todeschini, C.

1995-01-01

The study gathered information on how users search the database of the International Nuclear Information System (INIS), using indicators such as Subject categories, Controlled terms, Subject headings, Free-text words, combinations of the above. Users participated from the Australian, French, Russian and Spanish INIS Centres, that have different national languages. Participants, both intermediaries and end users, replied to a questionnaire and executed search queries. The INIS Secretariat at the IAEA also participated. A protocol of all search strategies used in actual searches in the database was kept. The thought process for Russian and Spanish users is predominantly non-English and also the actual initial search formulation is predominantly non-English among Russian and Spanish users while it tends to be more in English among French users. A total of 1002 searches were executed by the five INIS centres including the IAEA. The search protocols indicate the following search behaviour: 1) free text words represent about 40% of search points on an average query; 2) descriptors used as search keys have the widest range as percentage of search points, from a low of 25% to a high of 48%; 3) search keys consisting of free text that coincides with a descriptor account for about 15% of search points; 4) Subject Categories are not used in many searches; 5) free text words are present as search points in about 80% of all searches; 6) controlled terms (descriptors) are used very extensively and appear in about 90% of all searches; 7) Subject Headings were used in only a few percent of searches. From the results of the study one can conclude that there is a greater reluctance on the part of non-native English speakers in initiating their searches by using free text word searches. Also: Subject Categories are little used in searching the database; both free text terms and controlled terms are the predominant types of search keys used, whereby the controlled terms are used more

A Counterexample on Sample-Path Optimality in Stable Markov Decision Chains with the Average Reward Criterion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Cavazos-Cadena, R.; Montes-de-Oca, R.; Sladký, Karel

2014-01-01

Roč. 163, č. 2 (2014), s. 674-684 ISSN 0022-3239 Grant - others:PSF Organization(US) 012/300/02; CONACYT (México) and ASCR (Czech Republic)(MX) 171396 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Strong sample-path optimality * Lyapunov function condition * Stationary policy * Expected average reward criterion Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 1.509, year: 2014 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/E/sladky-0432661.pdf

Tactile Myography: An Off-Line Assessment of Able-Bodied Subjects and One Upper-Limb Amputee

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Castellini

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Human-machine interfaces to control prosthetic devices still suffer from scarce dexterity and low reliability; for this reason, the community of assistive robotics is exploring novel solutions to the problem of myocontrol. In this work, we present experimental results pointing in the direction that one such method, namely Tactile Myography (TMG, can improve the situation. In particular, we use a shape-conformable high-resolution tactile bracelet wrapped around the forearm/residual limb to discriminate several wrist and finger activations performed by able-bodied subjects and a trans-radial amputee. Several combinations of features/classifiers were tested to discriminate among the activations. The balanced accuracy obtained by the best classifier/feature combination was on average 89.15% (able-bodied subjects and 88.72% (amputated subject; when considering wrist activations only, the results were on average 98.44% for the able-bodied subjects and 98.72% for the amputee. The results obtained from the amputee were comparable to those obtained by the able-bodied subjects. This suggests that TMG is a viable technique for myoprosthetic control, either as a replacement of or as a companion to traditional surface electromyography.

The sensitivity and specificity of subjective memory complaints and the subjective memory rating scale, deterioration cognitive observee, mini-mental state examination, six-item screener and clock drawing test in dementia screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramlall, S; Chipps, J; Bhigjee, A I; Pillay, B J

2013-01-01

The effectiveness of dementia screening depends on the availability of suitable screening tools with good sensitivity and specificity to confidently distinguish normal age-related cognitive decline from dementia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the discriminant validity of 7 screening measures for dementia. A sample of 140 participants aged ≥60 years living in a residential facility for the aged were assessed clinically and assigned caseness for dementia using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, text revised diagnostic criteria. Sensitivity and specificity of a selection of the following screening measures were tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for individual and combined tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Six-Item Screener (SIS), Subjective Memory Complaint, Subjective Memory Complaint Clinical (SMCC), Subjective Memory Rating Scale (SMRS), Deterioration Cognitive Observee (DECO) and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Using ROC analyses, the SMCC, MMSE and CDT were found to be 'moderately accurate' in screening for dementia with an area under the curve (AUC) >0.70. The AUCs for the SIS (0.526), SMRS (0.661) and DECO (0.687) classified these measures as being 'less accurate'. At recommended cutoff scores, the SMCC had a sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 45.7%; the MMSE had a sensitivity of 63.6% and a specificity of 76.0%, and the CDT had a sensitivity of 44.4% and a specificity of 88.9%. Combining the SMCC and MMSE did not improve their predictive power except for a modest increase when using the sequential rule. The SMCC is composed of valid screening questions that have high sensitivity, are simple to administer and ideal for administration at the community or primary health care level as a first level of 'rule-out' screening. The MMSE can be included at a second stage of screening at the general hospital level and the CDT in specialist clinical settings. Sequential use of the

Cybercrime Victimization and Subjective Well-Being: An Examination of the Buffering Effect Hypothesis Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaakinen, Markus; Keipi, Teo; Räsänen, Pekka; Oksanen, Atte

2018-02-01

The wealth of beneficial tools for online interaction, consumption, and access to others also bring new risks for harmful experiences online. This study examines the association between cybercrime victimization and subjective well-being (SWB) and, based on the buffering effect hypothesis, tests the assumption of the protective function of social belonging in cybercrime victimization. Cross-national data from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland (N = 3,557; Internet users aged 15-30 years; 49.85 percent female) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and main and moderation effect models. Results show that cybercrime victimization has a negative association with SWB after adjusting for a number of confounding factors. This association concerns both general cybercrime victimization and subcategories such as victimization to offensive cybercrime and cyberfraud. In line with the buffering effect hypothesis, social belonging to offline groups was shown to moderate the negative association between SWB and cybercrime victimization. The same effect was not found in the social belonging to online groups. Overall, the study indicates that, analogously to crime victimization in the offline context, cybercrime is a harmful experience whose negative effects mainly concern those users who have weak social ties offline to aid in coping with such stressors.

Delineation of facial archetypes by 3d averaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaweesh, Ashraf I; Thomas, C David L; Bankier, Agnes; Clement, John G

2004-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of creating archetypal 3D faces through computerized 3D facial averaging. A 3D surface scanner Fiore and its software were used to acquire the 3D scans of the faces while 3D Rugle3 and locally-developed software generated the holistic facial averages. 3D facial averages were created from two ethnic groups; European and Japanese and from children with three previous genetic disorders; Williams syndrome, achondroplasia and Sotos syndrome as well as the normal control group. The method included averaging the corresponding depth (z) coordinates of the 3D facial scans. Compared with other face averaging techniques there was not any warping or filling in the spaces by interpolation; however, this facial average lacked colour information. The results showed that as few as 14 faces were sufficient to create an archetypal facial average. In turn this would make it practical to use face averaging as an identification tool in cases where it would be difficult to recruit a larger number of participants. In generating the average, correcting for size differences among faces was shown to adjust the average outlines of the facial features. It is assumed that 3D facial averaging would help in the identification of the ethnic status of persons whose identity may not be known with certainty. In clinical medicine, it would have a great potential for the diagnosis of syndromes with distinctive facial features. The system would also assist in the education of clinicians in the recognition and identification of such syndromes.

To quantum averages through asymptotic expansion of classical averages on infinite-dimensional space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khrennikov, Andrei

2007-01-01

We study asymptotic expansions of Gaussian integrals of analytic functionals on infinite-dimensional spaces (Hilbert and nuclear Frechet). We obtain an asymptotic equality coupling the Gaussian integral and the trace of the composition of scaling of the covariation operator of a Gaussian measure and the second (Frechet) derivative of a functional. In this way we couple classical average (given by an infinite-dimensional Gaussian integral) and quantum average (given by the von Neumann trace formula). We can interpret this mathematical construction as a procedure of 'dequantization' of quantum mechanics. We represent quantum mechanics as an asymptotic projection of classical statistical mechanics with infinite-dimensional phase space. This space can be represented as the space of classical fields, so quantum mechanics is represented as a projection of 'prequantum classical statistical field theory'

Averaging Robertson-Walker cosmologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Iain A.; Robbers, Georg; Behrend, Juliane

2009-01-01

The cosmological backreaction arises when one directly averages the Einstein equations to recover an effective Robertson-Walker cosmology, rather than assuming a background a priori. While usually discussed in the context of dark energy, strictly speaking any cosmological model should be recovered from such a procedure. We apply the scalar spatial averaging formalism for the first time to linear Robertson-Walker universes containing matter, radiation and dark energy. The formalism employed is general and incorporates systems of multiple fluids with ease, allowing us to consider quantitatively the universe from deep radiation domination up to the present day in a natural, unified manner. Employing modified Boltzmann codes we evaluate numerically the discrepancies between the assumed and the averaged behaviour arising from the quadratic terms, finding the largest deviations for an Einstein-de Sitter universe, increasing rapidly with Hubble rate to a 0.01% effect for h = 0.701. For the ΛCDM concordance model, the backreaction is of the order of Ω eff 0 ≈ 4 × 10 −6 , with those for dark energy models being within a factor of two or three. The impacts at recombination are of the order of 10 −8 and those in deep radiation domination asymptote to a constant value. While the effective equations of state of the backreactions in Einstein-de Sitter, concordance and quintessence models are generally dust-like, a backreaction with an equation of state w eff < −1/3 can be found for strongly phantom models

Bounding Averages Rigorously Using Semidefinite Programming: Mean Moments of the Lorenz System

Science.gov (United States)

Goluskin, David

2018-04-01

We describe methods for proving bounds on infinite-time averages in differential dynamical systems. The methods rely on the construction of nonnegative polynomials with certain properties, similarly to the way nonlinear stability can be proved using Lyapunov functions. Nonnegativity is enforced by requiring the polynomials to be sums of squares, a condition which is then formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP) that can be solved computationally. Although such computations are subject to numerical error, we demonstrate two ways to obtain rigorous results: using interval arithmetic to control the error of an approximate SDP solution, and finding exact analytical solutions to relatively small SDPs. Previous formulations are extended to allow for bounds depending analytically on parametric variables. These methods are illustrated using the Lorenz equations, a system with three state variables ( x, y, z) and three parameters (β ,σ ,r). Bounds are reported for infinite-time averages of all eighteen moments x^ly^mz^n up to quartic degree that are symmetric under (x,y)\\mapsto (-x,-y). These bounds apply to all solutions regardless of stability, including chaotic trajectories, periodic orbits, and equilibrium points. The analytical approach yields two novel bounds that are sharp: the mean of z^3 can be no larger than its value of (r-1)^3 at the nonzero equilibria, and the mean of xy^3 must be nonnegative. The interval arithmetic approach is applied at the standard chaotic parameters to bound eleven average moments that all appear to be maximized on the shortest periodic orbit. Our best upper bound on each such average exceeds its value on the maximizing orbit by less than 1%. Many bounds reported here are much tighter than would be possible without computer assistance.

Compulsive buying. Demography, phenomenology, and comorbidity in 46 subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlosser, S; Black, D W; Repertinger, S; Freet, D

1994-05-01

Compulsive buying has been generally ignored in the psychiatric literature, although it is apparently frequent, underrecognized, and can lead to severe financial and legal consequences for its sufferers. The current investigation was designed to assess the overall life-style and problems of subjects identified as compulsive shoppers. Forty-six compulsive buyers were assessed for comorbid psychiatric disorders with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, and a semistructured interview to assess buying behavior. The typical shopper was a 31-year-old female who had developed compulsive buying at age 18 years. Subjects spent their money on clothing, shoes, and records/compact discs. The average debt load accrued was $5,422 out of an average yearly income of $23,443. More than two-thirds met lifetime criteria for a major (Axis I) mental disorder, most commonly anxiety, substance abuse, and mood disorders. Nearly 60% were found to meet criteria for a DSM-III-R personality disorder, most commonly the obsessive-compulsive, borderline, and avoidant types. The authors conclude that compulsive buying is a definable clinical syndrome which can cause its sufferers significant distress and is associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity.

Audiologic and subjective evaluation of Baha® Attract device.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Carbonell, Tomàs; Pla-Gil, Ignacio; Redondo-Martínez, Jaume; Morant-Ventura, Antonio; García-Callejo, Francisco Javier; Marco-Algarra, Jaime

We included 9 patients implanted with Baha ® Attract. All our patients were evaluated by free field tonal audiometry, free field verbal audiometry and free field verbal audiometry with background noise, all the tests were performed with and without the device. To evaluate the subjective component of the implantation, we used the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB). The auditive assessment with the device showed average auditive thresholds of 35.8dB with improvements of 25.8dB over the previous situation. Speech reception thresholds were 37dB with Baha ® Attract, showing improvements of 23dB. Maximum discrimination thresholds showed an average gain of 60dB with the device. Baha ® Attract achieves auditive improvements in patients for whom it is correctly indicated, with a consequent positive subjective evaluation. This study shows the attenuation effect in transcutaneous transmission, that prevents the device achieving greater improvements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

Subject Retrieval from Full-Text Databases in the Humanities

Science.gov (United States)

East, John W.

2007-01-01

This paper examines the problems involved in subject retrieval from full-text databases of secondary materials in the humanities. Ten such databases were studied and their search functionality evaluated, focusing on factors such as Boolean operators, document surrogates, limiting by subject area, proximity operators, phrase searching, wildcards,…

Froude number fractions to increase walking pattern dynamic similarities: application to plantar pressure study in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Moretto, P; Bisiaux, M; Lafortune, M A

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if using similar walking velocities obtained from fractions of the Froude number (N(Fr)) and leg length can lead to kinematic and kinetic similarities and lower variability. Fifteen male subjects walked on a treadmill at 0.83 (VS(1)) and 1.16ms(-1) (VS(2)) and then at two similar velocities (V(Sim27) and V(Sim37)) determined from two fractions of the N(Fr) (0.27 and 0.37) so that the average group velocity remained unchanged in both conditions (VS(1)=V (Sim27)andVS(2)=V (Sim37)). N(Fr) can theoretically be used to determine walking velocities proportional to leg lengths and to establish dynamic similarities between subjects. This study represents the first attempt at using this approach to examine plantar pressure. The ankle and knee joint angles were studied in the sagittal plane and the plantar pressure distribution was assessed with an in-shoe measurement device. The similarity ratios were computed from anthropometric parameters and plantar pressure peaks. Dynamically similar conditions caused a 25% reduction in leg joint angles variation and a 10% significant decrease in dimensionless pressure peak variability on average of five footprint locations. It also lead to heel and under-midfoot pressure peaks proportional to body mass and to an increase in the number of under-forefoot plantar pressure peaks proportional to body mass and/or leg length. The use of walking velocities derived from N(Fr) allows kinematic and plantar pressure similarities between subjects to be observed and leads to a lower inter-subject variability. In-shoe pressure measurements have proven to be valuable for the understanding of lower extremity function. Set walking velocities used for clinical assessment mask the effects of body size and individual gait mechanics. The anthropometric scaling of walking velocities (fraction of N(Fr)) should improve identification of unique walking strategies and pathological foot functions.

Measuring the differences in work ratios between pediatric and adult ophthalmologic examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Joo; Chang, Jee Ho; Kim, Seung Hoon; Park, Song Hee; Kim, Sunghoon

2017-06-01

To assess the differences in work needed for pediatric and adult ophthalmologic examinations. Seven ophthalmology residents conducted slit-lamp and refraction examinations on children 3-7 years of age and adults 20-69 years of age. The examiners reported the magnitude estimate (ME) of their work in relation to two references (cross-reference ME): average adult examination and average pediatric examination. The examination time was also measured. For the slit-lamp examination, 50 children and 58 adults were recruited. The ME was 1.45 (95% CI, 1.30-1.62) times higher for the pediatric examinations than for the adult examinations when the reference was an average adult case. With respect to time, the pediatric examinations took 1.22 (95% CI, 1.06-1.41) times longer than the adult examinations. For the refraction examinations, 58 children and 96 adults were recruited. The ME was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.21-1.52) times higher for the pediatric examinations. The pediatric examination took 1.32 (95% CI, 1.16-1.50) times longer than the adult examination. The cross-reference ME ratios measuring the pediatric over adult examinations against both the pediatric and adult reference cases were equivalent in both the slit-lamp and the refraction examinations; however, the ME and time ratios of the pediatric over the adult examinations were not equivalent for the slit-lamp or for the refraction examinations. The cross-reference ME showed that pediatric ophthalmologic examinations require more work than the adult examination with validity and reliability. The time estimate was insufficient as a single indicator for work estimation. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Average glandular dose in patients submitted to mammographic examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, M.S.; Silva, T.A. da; Oliveira, M. de; Joana, G.S.; Oliveira, A.L.K.

2008-01-01

Doses in mammography should be maintained as low as possible without reducing the high image quality needed to the early detection of the breast cancer. As the breast is composed of tissues with very soft composition and densities, it increases the difficulty to detect small changes in the normal anatomical structures that may be associated with breast cancer. To achieve the standards of resolution and contrast for mammography, the quality and intensity of the X-ray beam, the breast positioning and compression, the film screen system, and the film processing must be in optimal operational conditions. This study intended to evaluate the mean glandular dose of patients undergoing routine exams in one mammography unit. Patient image analyses were done by a radiologist doctor who took into account 10 evaluation criteria for each CC and MLO incidences. For estimating each patient glandular dose the radiographic technique parameters (kV and mAs) and the thickness of the compressed breast were recorded. European image quality criteria were adopted by the radiologist doctor to accept the image for diagnostic purpose. For breast densities of 50% adipose and 50% glandular tissues the incident air-kerma was measured and the glandular dose calculated considering the x-ray output during the exam. In the study of 50 patients the mean glandular dose varied from 0.90 to 3.27 mGy with a mean value of 1.98 mGy for CC incidences. For MLO incidences the mean glandular doses ranged from 0.97 to 3.98 mGy and a mean value of 2.60 mGy. (author)

[Modification of expiratory peak flow (EPF) in 14 asthmatic subjects from Benin by short duration exercise training].

Science.gov (United States)

Lawani, M M; Hounkpatin, S; Akplogan, B

2006-01-01

Asthma is a world wide public health problem. It is the most commom chronic disease of school age children. Its severity is in constant increase. The frequency of the hospitalizations for asthma increased in practically all countries. Physical exercises and sport are used more and more as therapeutic means, in northern deveopped countries of where it was very early understood that it is necessary to integrate the asthmatic subjects into a program of specific physical training. This study undertaken in south saharian african country considers also assiduity in a physical training program as the factor of increase in the expiratory peak flow, of reinforcement of some principal muscles necessary to the improvement, and of the respiratory function of the asthmatic subject. Physical exercise is used as a non pharmacological therapy of asthma. This transversal study was carried out on fourteen asthmatic subjects of colleges in Porto-Novo's town, aged 15 years old to 25 years, of the two sexes. The results showed that: the Expiratory Peak Flow of Point (EPF) of the subjects at the beginning of the program is lower than the minimal average value of the group whatever the sex; the subjects average EPF increased from approximately 35% compared to the average at the beginning of the program; the subjects from family with asthmatic line, are much more inclined with respiratory embarrassments post-exercises than those who did not come from it; the respiratory embarrassments post-exercises noticed in the first weeks, grew blurred before the end of the program. This study suggests physical exercise adapted to the asthmatic subjects for the improvement of their health.

Self-similarity of higher-order moving averages

Science.gov (United States)

Arianos, Sergio; Carbone, Anna; Türk, Christian

2011-10-01

In this work, higher-order moving average polynomials are defined by straightforward generalization of the standard moving average. The self-similarity of the polynomials is analyzed for fractional Brownian series and quantified in terms of the Hurst exponent H by using the detrending moving average method. We prove that the exponent H of the fractional Brownian series and of the detrending moving average variance asymptotically agree for the first-order polynomial. Such asymptotic values are compared with the results obtained by the simulations. The higher-order polynomials correspond to trend estimates at shorter time scales as the degree of the polynomial increases. Importantly, the increase of polynomial degree does not require to change the moving average window. Thus trends at different time scales can be obtained on data sets with the same size. These polynomials could be interesting for those applications relying on trend estimates over different time horizons (financial markets) or on filtering at different frequencies (image analysis).

Determinants of College Grade Point Averages

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Bailey, Paul Dean

2012-01-01

Chapter 2: The Role of Class Difficulty in College Grade Point Averages. Grade Point Averages (GPAs) are widely used as a measure of college students' ability. Low GPAs can remove a students from eligibility for scholarships, and even continued enrollment at a university. However, GPAs are determined not only by student ability but also by the…

Motion or activity: their role in intra- and inter-subject variation in fMRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Torben E; Nørgaard, Minna D; Rostrup, Egill

2005-01-01

MRI to pre-surgical planning because of a higher requirement for intra-subject precision. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of residual movement artefacts on intra-subject and inter-subject variability in the observed fMRI activation. Ten subjects were examined using three different...... word-generation tasks. Two of the subjects were examined 10 times on 10 different days using the same paradigms. We systematically investigated one approach of correcting for residual movement effects: the inclusion of regressors describing movement-related effects in the design matrix of a General...

Subjective adult identity and casual sexual behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Heidi Ann

2015-12-01

A majority of Americans have a casual sexual experience before transitioning to adulthood. Little research has yet to examine how identity influences causal sexual behavior. The current study fills this gap in the literature by examining if subjective adult identity predicts casual sexual behavior net of life course transitions in a national sample of Americans. To answer this research question, the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health is utilized. Structural equation modeling results show the older and more adult-like individuals feel the less likely they are to report a recent casual sexual partner. Once life course factors are included in the model, subjective identity is no longer associated with casual sex. Practitioners who work with adult populations need to consider how life course transitions influence casual sexual behavior.

The ugliness-in-averageness effect: Tempering the warm glow of familiarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Evan W; Huber, David E; Pecher, Diane; Zeelenberg, Rene; Halberstadt, Jamin; Winkielman, Piotr

2017-06-01

Mere exposure (i.e., stimulus repetition) and blending (i.e., stimulus averaging) are classic ways to increase social preferences, including facial attractiveness. In both effects, increases in preference involve enhanced familiarity. Prominent memory theories assume that familiarity depends on a match between the target and similar items in memory. These theories predict that when individual items are weakly learned, their blends (morphs) should be relatively familiar, and thus liked-a beauty-in-averageness effect ( BiA ). However, when individual items are strongly learned, they are also more distinguishable. This "differentiation" hypothesis predicts that with strongly encoded items, familiarity (and thus, preference) for the blend will be relatively lower than individual items-an ugliness-in-averageness effect ( UiA ). We tested this novel theoretical prediction in 5 experiments. Experiment 1 showed that with weak learning, facial morphs were more attractive than contributing individuals (BiA effect). Experiments 2A and 2B demonstrated that when participants first strongly learned a subset of individual faces (either in a face-name memory task or perceptual-tracking task), morphs of trained individuals were less attractive than the trained individuals (UiA effect). Experiment 3 showed that changes in familiarity for the trained morph (rather than interstimulus conflict) drove the UiA effect. Using a within-subjects design, Experiment 4 mapped out the transition from BiA to UiA solely as a function of memory training. Finally, computational modeling using a well-known memory framework (REM) illustrated the familiarity transition observed in Experiment 4. Overall, these results highlight how memory processes illuminate classic and modern social preference phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal growth changes in subjects with deepbite.

Science.gov (United States)

Baccetti, Tiziano; Franchi, Lorenzo; McNamara, James A

2011-08-01

This study was a cephalometric evaluation of the growth changes in untreated subjects with deepbite at 4 time points during their developmental ages (from the early mixed dentition to the permanent dentition, and from the prepubertal phase to young adulthood). A sample of 29 subjects with deepbite (overbite >4.5 mm) was followed longitudinally from about 9 through about 18 years of age. Dentofacial changes at 4 times, defined by the cervical vertebral maturation method, were analyzed on lateral cephalograms. Nonparametric statistical analysis was used for comparisons. Overbite improved on average by 1.3 mm between the first and last measurements; it worsened significantly during the prepubertal period, but it improved significantly at the pubertal growth spurt. From the prepubertal ages through young adulthood, overbite improved in 83% of the subjects and self-corrected in 62% of the subjects. Improvements in overbite were related to the initial amount of maxillary incisor proclination. The significant improvement in overbite during the adolescent growth spurt depended on the amount of vertical growth of the mandibular ramus and the eruption of the mandibular molars. Subjects with deepbite showed worsened occlusal conditions during the prepubertal and mixed dentition phases, but had significant improvements thereafter. Improvements in overbite cannot be predicted on the basis of skeletal vertical relationships. These results provide useful indications for appropriate orthodontic treatment timing for an increased overbite. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rotational averaging of multiphoton absorption cross sections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friese, Daniel H., E-mail: daniel.h.friese@uit.no; Beerepoot, Maarten T. P.; Ruud, Kenneth [Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, University of Tromsø — The Arctic University of Norway, N-9037 Tromsø (Norway)

2014-11-28

Rotational averaging of tensors is a crucial step in the calculation of molecular properties in isotropic media. We present a scheme for the rotational averaging of multiphoton absorption cross sections. We extend existing literature on rotational averaging to even-rank tensors of arbitrary order and derive equations that require only the number of photons as input. In particular, we derive the first explicit expressions for the rotational average of five-, six-, and seven-photon absorption cross sections. This work is one of the required steps in making the calculation of these higher-order absorption properties possible. The results can be applied to any even-rank tensor provided linearly polarized light is used.

Longitudinal Patterns of Employment and Postsecondary Education for Adults with Autism and Average-Range IQ

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Julie Lounds; Henninger, Natalie A.; Mailick, Marsha R.

2015-01-01

This study examined correlates of participation in postsecondary education and employment over 12?years for 73 adults with autism spectrum disorders and average-range IQ whose families were part of a larger, longitudinal study. Correlates included demographic (sex, maternal education, paternal education), behavioral (activities of daily living,…

Quantifying functional connectivity in multi-subject fMRI data using component models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard; Churchill, Nathan William; Mørup, Morten

2017-01-01

of functional connectivity, evaluated on both simulated and experimental resting-state fMRI data. It was demonstrated that highly flexible subject-specific component subspaces, as well as very constrained average models, are poor predictors of whole-brain functional connectivity, whereas the best...

Triple jump examination evaluation of faculty examiners by dental student examinees.

Science.gov (United States)

Navazesh, Mahvash; Rich, Sandra K; Keim, Robert G

2014-05-01

The triple jump examination (TJE) is an oral examination that poses challenges for objective assessment. Student satisfaction levels with faculty assessment can provide information on quality of teaching and students' perceptions of the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to determine scale and interrater reliability of an instrument used by approximately 576 first-year dental students at one U.S. dental school for assessment of their faculty evaluators following midterm and final TJEs over a three-year period. One hundred and one faculty members served as administrators of the TJE with a range of one to 187 times (mean=44.10, median=29, mode=11). The grand mean for six items on a six-point Likert scale was 5.39 with a pooled standard deviation of 1.01. Results indicate positive agreement toward performance of examiners with strong interrater reliability (Average Measures ICC=0.936, Single Measures ICC=0.708) (F5,23475 = 51.564, pperform acceptable assessment from the students' perspective. Overall, these students expressed a high level of satisfaction with TJE faculty performance.

Ergodic averages via dominating processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Jesper; Mengersen, Kerrie

2006-01-01

We show how the mean of a monotone function (defined on a state space equipped with a partial ordering) can be estimated, using ergodic averages calculated from upper and lower dominating processes of a stationary irreducible Markov chain. In particular, we do not need to simulate the stationary...... Markov chain and we eliminate the problem of whether an appropriate burn-in is determined or not. Moreover, when a central limit theorem applies, we show how confidence intervals for the mean can be estimated by bounding the asymptotic variance of the ergodic average based on the equilibrium chain....

Differential Scavenging Among Pig, Rabbit, and Human Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Steadman, Dawnie Wolfe; Dautartas, Angela; Kenyhercz, Michael W; Jantz, Lee M; Mundorff, Amy; Vidoli, Giovanna M

2018-04-12

Different animal species have been used as proxies for human remains in decomposition studies for decades, although few studies have sought to validate their use in research aimed at estimating the postmortem interval. This study examines 45 pig, rabbit, and human subjects placed in three seasonal trials at the Anthropology Research Facility. In an earlier paper, we found that overall decomposition trends did vary between species that could be due to differential insect and scavenger behavior. This study specifically examines if scavenger behavior differs by carrion species. Daily photographs, game camera photographs, written observations, and Total Body Score (TBS) documented scavenging and decomposition changes. Results show that raccoons were the most commonly observed vertebrate scavenger, that scavenging was most extensive in winter, and that certain human subjects were preferred over other humans and all non-human subjects. Finally, scavenging activity greatly reduces the accuracy of postmortem interval estimates based on TBS. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Subjective performance evaluations and employee careers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Anders; Lange, Fabian; Kriechel, Ben

such data are for evaluating theories in personnel economics and whether findings from such data generalize to the labor force at large. In this paper, we examine personnel data from six large companies and establish how subjective ratings, interpreted as ordinal rankings of employees within narrowly...

Brazilian adaptation of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R)

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Viviane Amaral; Caramelli, Paulo

2007-01-01

The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is a highly sensitive and specific tool for the detection of mild dementia. It is particularly useful in differentiating Alzheimer’s disease from frontotemporal dementia. While the first version of the test battery has been adapted in many countries, its revised version has not, probably because it was published very recently. Objective To translate and adapt the ACE-R for use in the Brazilian population. Methods Two independent translations were made from English into Portuguese, followed by two independent back-translations. Few adaptations in accordance to the Brazilian culture and language were made and a first version of the instrument produced. This former version of the ACE-R was administered to 21 cognitively healthy subjects aged 60 years or more, with different educational levels. Results The mean age of the studied sample of healthy elderly was 75.4 years (ranging from 60 to 89 years). Small additional modifications were necessary after the evaluation of the first ten subjects in order to improve comprehension of the test. The final Portuguese version of the ACE-R was produced and was found to be well understood by the remaining 11 subjects, taking an average of 15 minutes to be administered. Conclusions The Brazilian version of the ACE-R proved to be a promising cognitive instrument for testing both in research and clinical settings. With this regard, additional studies are currently being carried out in our unit in order to investigate the diagnostic properties of the ACE-R in our milieu. PMID:29213390

Expectation, information processing, and subjective duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Simchy-Gross, Rhimmon; Margulis, Elizabeth Hellmuth

2018-01-01

In research on psychological time, it is important to examine the subjective duration of entire stimulus sequences, such as those produced by music (Teki, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 10, 2016). Yet research on the temporal oddball illusion (according to which oddball stimuli seem longer than standard stimuli of the same duration) has examined only the subjective duration of single events contained within sequences, not the subjective duration of sequences themselves. Does the finding that oddballs seem longer than standards translate to entire sequences, such that entire sequences that contain oddballs seem longer than those that do not? Is this potential translation influenced by the mode of information processing-whether people are engaged in direct or indirect temporal processing? Two experiments aimed to answer both questions using different manipulations of information processing. In both experiments, musical sequences either did or did not contain oddballs (auditory sliding tones). To manipulate information processing, we varied the task (Experiment 1), the sequence event structure (Experiments 1 and 2), and the sequence familiarity (Experiment 2) independently within subjects. Overall, in both experiments, the sequences that contained oddballs seemed shorter than those that did not when people were engaged in direct temporal processing, but longer when people were engaged in indirect temporal processing. These findings support the dual-process contingency model of time estimation (Zakay, Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 54, 656-664, 1993). Theoretical implications for attention-based and memory-based models of time estimation, the pacemaker accumulator and coding efficiency hypotheses of time perception, and dynamic attending theory are discussed.

Executive function impairment in community elderly subjects with questionable dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Linda C W; Lui, Victor W C; Chiu, Helen F K; Chan, Sandra S M; Tam, Cindy W C

2005-01-01

The neurocognitive profile of community-dwelling Chinese subjects with 'questionable' dementia was studied. One hundred and fifty-four ambulatory Chinese subjects were recruited from local social centers for the elderly. Each subject was examined using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE), the Chinese version of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), the Category Verbal Fluency Test (CVFT), digit and visual span tests, and the Cambridge Neurological Inventory. The neurocognitive profile of nondemented subjects (CDR 0) was compared with that of subjects with 'questionable' dementia (CDR 0.5). Subjects with 'questionable' dementia were older, and had lower educational levels and global cognitive assessment scores than the controls (CMMSE and ADAS-Cog; t tests, p < 0.001). In addition, they also had significantly lower scores in delayed recall, reverse span, verbal fluency tests and worse performance in complex motor tasks related to executive function (Mann-Whitney tests, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that ADAS-Cog, CVFT, and reverse visual span were significant predictors for the CDR of 'questionable' dementia. Aside from memory impairment, executive function deficits were also present in subjects with 'questionable' dementia. To identify groups cognitively at risk for dementia, concomitant assessments of memory and executive function are suggested.

Multisite longitudinal reliability of tract-based spatial statistics in diffusion tensor imaging of healthy elderly subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Jovicich, Jorge; Marizzoni, Moira; Bosch, Beatriz; Bartrés-Faz, David; Arnold, Jennifer; Benninghoff, Jens; Wiltfang, Jens; Roccatagliata, Luca; Picco, Agnese; Nobili, Flavio; Blin, Oliver; Bombois, Stephanie; Lopes, Renaud; Bordet, Régis; Chanoine, Valérie; Ranjeva, Jean-Philippe; Didic, Mira; Gros-Dagnac, Hélène; Payoux, Pierre; Zoccatelli, Giada; Alessandrini, Franco; Beltramello, Alberto; Bargalló, Núria; Ferretti, Antonio; Caulo, Massimo; Aiello, Marco; Ragucci, Monica; Soricelli, Andrea; Salvadori, Nicola; Tarducci, Roberto; Floridi, Piero; Tsolaki, Magda; Constantinidis, Manos; Drevelegas, Antonios; Rossini, Paolo Maria; Marra, Camillo; Otto, Josephin; Reiss-Zimmermann, Martin; Hoffmann, Karl-Titus; Galluzzi, Samantha; Frisoni, Giovanni B

2014-11-01

Large-scale longitudinal neuroimaging studies with diffusion imaging techniques are necessary to test and validate models of white matter neurophysiological processes that change in time, both in healthy and diseased brains. The predictive power of such longitudinal models will always be limited by the reproducibility of repeated measures acquired during different sessions. At present, there is limited quantitative knowledge about the across-session reproducibility of standard diffusion metrics in 3T multi-centric studies on subjects in stable conditions, in particular when using tract based spatial statistics and with elderly people. In this study we implemented a multi-site brain diffusion protocol in 10 clinical 3T MRI sites distributed across 4 countries in Europe (Italy, Germany, France and Greece) using vendor provided sequences from Siemens (Allegra, Trio Tim, Verio, Skyra, Biograph mMR), Philips (Achieva) and GE (HDxt) scanners. We acquired DTI data (2 × 2 × 2 mm(3), b = 700 s/mm(2), 5 b0 and 30 diffusion weighted volumes) of a group of healthy stable elderly subjects (5 subjects per site) in two separate sessions at least a week apart. For each subject and session four scalar diffusion metrics were considered: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial (AD) diffusivity. The diffusion metrics from multiple subjects and sessions at each site were aligned to their common white matter skeleton using tract-based spatial statistics. The reproducibility at each MRI site was examined by looking at group averages of absolute changes relative to the mean (%) on various parameters: i) reproducibility of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the b0 images in centrum semiovale, ii) full brain test-retest differences of the diffusion metric maps on the white matter skeleton, iii) reproducibility of the diffusion metrics on atlas-based white matter ROIs on the white matter skeleton. Despite the differences of MRI scanner

A Mixed-Methods Study Investigating the Relationship between Media Multitasking Orientation and Grade Point Average

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The intent of this study was to examine the relationship between media multitasking orientation and grade point average. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach to investigate the research questions. In the quantitative section of the study, the primary method of statistical analyses was multiple regression. The independent variables for the…

Academic Self-Efficacy, Faculty-Student Interactions, and Student Characteristics as Predictors of Grade Point Average

Science.gov (United States)

Gosnell, Joan C.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to explore student characteristics, academic self-efficacy, and faculty-student interactions as predictors of grade point average for upper-division (college level third and fourth year) education students at a public 4-year degree-granting community college. The study examined the effects of student characteristics…

Multiphase averaging of periodic soliton equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forest, M.G.

1979-01-01

The multiphase averaging of periodic soliton equations is considered. Particular attention is given to the periodic sine-Gordon and Korteweg-deVries (KdV) equations. The periodic sine-Gordon equation and its associated inverse spectral theory are analyzed, including a discussion of the spectral representations of exact, N-phase sine-Gordon solutions. The emphasis is on physical characteristics of the periodic waves, with a motivation from the well-known whole-line solitons. A canonical Hamiltonian approach for the modulational theory of N-phase waves is prescribed. A concrete illustration of this averaging method is provided with the periodic sine-Gordon equation; explicit averaging results are given only for the N = 1 case, laying a foundation for a more thorough treatment of the general N-phase problem. For the KdV equation, very general results are given for multiphase averaging of the N-phase waves. The single-phase results of Whitham are extended to general N phases, and more importantly, an invariant representation in terms of Abelian differentials on a Riemann surface is provided. Several consequences of this invariant representation are deduced, including strong evidence for the Hamiltonian structure of N-phase modulational equations

Understanding the Gap between Cognitive Abilities and Daily Living Skills in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Average Intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Amie W.; Bishop, Somer L.

2015-01-01

Daily living skills standard scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2nd edition were examined in 417 adolescents from the Simons Simplex Collection. All participants had at least average intelligence and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions were used to examine the prevalence and…

Examining Inequities in Teacher Pension Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Shuls, James V.

2017-01-01

From funding to teacher quality, inequities exist between school districts. This paper adds to the literature on inequities by examining the impact of pension plan formulas on pension benefits. Using data from the salary schedules of 464 Missouri school districts, this paper analyzes how various final average salary calculations would impact the…

A stereotaxic, population-averaged T1w ovine brain atlas including cerebral morphology and tissue volumes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björn eNitzsche

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Standard stereotaxic reference systems play a key role in human brain studies. Stereotaxic coordinate systems have also been developed for experimental animals including non-human primates, dogs and rodents. However, they are lacking for other species being relevant in experimental neuroscience including sheep. Here, we present a spatial, unbiased ovine brain template with tissue probability maps (TPM that offer a detailed stereotaxic reference frame for anatomical features and localization of brain areas, thereby enabling inter-individual and cross-study comparability. Three-dimensional data sets from healthy adult Merino sheep (Ovis orientalis aries, 12 ewes and 26 neutered rams were acquired on a 1.5T Philips MRI using a T1w sequence. Data were averaged by linear and non-linear registration algorithms. Moreover, animals were subjected to detailed brain volume analysis including examinations with respect to body weight, age and sex. The created T1w brain template provides an appropriate population-averaged ovine brain anatomy in a spatial standard coordinate system. Additionally, TPM for gray (GM and white (WM matter as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF classification enabled automatic prior-based tissue segmentation using statistical parametric mapping (SPM. Overall, a positive correlation of GM volume and body weight explained about 15% of the variance of GM while a positive correlation between WM and age was found. Absolute tissue volume differences were not detected, indeed ewes showed significantly more GM per bodyweight as compared to neutered rams. The created framework including spatial brain template and TPM represent a useful tool for unbiased automatic image preprocessing and morphological characterization in sheep. Therefore, the reported results may serve as a starting point for further experimental and/or translational research aiming at in vivo analysis in this species.

Tendon surveillance requirements - average tendon force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulton, J.F.

1982-01-01

Proposed Rev. 3 to USNRC Reg. Guide 1.35 discusses the need for comparing, for individual tendons, the measured and predicted lift-off forces. Such a comparison is intended to detect any abnormal tendon force loss which might occur. Recognizing that there are uncertainties in the prediction of tendon losses, proposed Guide 1.35.1 has allowed specific tolerances on the fundamental losses. Thus, the lift-off force acceptance criteria for individual tendons appearing in Reg. Guide 1.35, Proposed Rev. 3, is stated relative to a lower bound predicted tendon force, which is obtained using the 'plus' tolerances on the fundamental losses. There is an additional acceptance criterion for the lift-off forces which is not specifically addressed in these two Reg. Guides; however, it is included in a proposed Subsection IWX to ASME Code Section XI. This criterion is based on the overriding requirement that the magnitude of prestress in the containment structure be sufficeint to meet the minimum prestress design requirements. This design requirement can be expressed as an average tendon force for each group of vertical hoop, or dome tendons. For the purpose of comparing the actual tendon forces with the required average tendon force, the lift-off forces measured for a sample of tendons within each group can be averaged to construct the average force for the entire group. However, the individual lift-off forces must be 'corrected' (normalized) prior to obtaining the sample average. This paper derives the correction factor to be used for this purpose. (orig./RW)

Analysis based on the passrate of the 2013 ICO examinations taken by worldwide examiners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Liu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available AIM: To find out the weaknesses of the cultivation of the Chinese ophthalmology physicians and the gap between Chinese and the international ophthalmology physicians, so that provide the advice on the future cultivation of the Chinese ophthalmology physicians. METHODS: The passrate of the 2013 ICO examinations taken by worldwide examiners by common statistical methods was analyzed. RESULTS:The results indicated that the test scores of Chinese candidates' were lower than that of the international average level, there was a obvious gap existed between Chinese and other countries' ophthalmology physicians. It showed that Chinese candidates were not quite adaptable to this examination, basic science and clinical level needed to be improved. CONCLUSION: It may shows that the effects on the mid-anaphase of our country's ophthalmology residency training are not so good, which area we should pay more attentions.

Average Bandwidth Allocation Model of WFQ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomáš Balogh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We present a new iterative method for the calculation of average bandwidth assignment to traffic flows using a WFQ scheduler in IP based NGN networks. The bandwidth assignment calculation is based on the link speed, assigned weights, arrival rate, and average packet length or input rate of the traffic flows. We prove the model outcome with examples and simulation results using NS2 simulator.

Subjective Poverty and Its Relation to Objective Poverty Concepts in Hungary

Science.gov (United States)

Nandori, Eszter Siposne

2011-01-01

The paper analyzes subjective poverty in Hungary and compares it to the objective poverty concepts. Subjective poverty is defined by examining who people consider to be poor. Based on the Easterlin paradox, the initial hypothesis states that subjective and absolute poverty concepts are highly correlated. Taking into account that Hungary is a…

Postsurgical outcome in pediatric patients with epilepsy: a comparison of patients with intellectual disabilities, subaverage intelligence, and average-range intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleissner, Ulrike; Clusmann, Hans; Sassen, Robert; Elger, Christian E; Helmstaedter, Christoph

2006-02-01

Intellectual disabilities are often associated with bilateral or diffuse morphologic brain damage. The chances of becoming seizure free after focal surgery are therefore considered to be worse in patients with intellectual disabilities. The risk of postoperative cognitive deficits could increase because diffuse brain damage lowers the patient's ability to compensate for surgically induced deficits. Several studies in adult patients have indicated that IQ alone is not a good predictor of postoperative cognitive and seizure outcome. Our study evaluated this subject in children and adolescents. Pediatric patients with intellectual disabilities (IQ intelligence (IQ between 71 and 85), or average-range intelligence (IQ > 85) were matched according to several clinical and etiologic criteria to determine the influence of IQ (N = 66). No dependency of seizure outcome, postoperative cognitive development, and behavioral outcome on the IQ level was found. All groups slightly improved in attention while memory functions tended to decrease and executive functions were stable. School placement remained unchanged for the majority of patients. Between 67 and 78% were seizure free 1 year after surgery (Engel outcome class I). IQ alone is not a good predictor of postoperative outcome in pediatric patients with epilepsy. As with patients of average-range intelligence, the decision to operate on patients with a low level of intelligence should depend on the results of the presurgical diagnostics. If the results of the neuropsychological examination indicate diffuse functional impairment, this should not hinder further steps, if all other findings are consistent.

Short-Term Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Subjective and Actigraphy-Assessed Sleep Parameters in Severely Depressed Inpatients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Hoogerhoud

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Sleep disturbances are a key feature of major depression. Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT may improve polysomnography-assessed sleep characteristics, but its short-term effects on actigraphy-assessed and subjective sleep characteristics are unknown. We therefore aimed to assess the effects of ECT on subjective and objective sleep parameters in a proof-of-principle study. Methods. We assessed subjective and objective sleep parameters in 12 severely depressed patients up to 5 consecutive days during their ECT course, corresponding to a total of 43 nights (including 19 ECT sessions. The 12 patients were 83% female and on average 62 (standard deviation (SD 14 years old and had an average MADRS score of 40 at baseline (SD 21. Results. Subjective and objective sleep parameters were not directly affected by ECT. The subjective sleep efficiency parameter was similar on the day after ECT and other days. ECT did not affect the number of errors in the Sustained Attention to Response Task. Patients subjectively underestimated their total sleep time by 1.4 hours (P<0.001 compared to actigraphy-assessed sleep duration. Conclusion. ECT did not affect subjective and actigraphy-assessed sleep in the short term. Depressed patients profoundly underestimated their sleep duration.

Regional averaging and scaling in relativistic cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchert, Thomas; Carfora, Mauro

2002-01-01

Averaged inhomogeneous cosmologies lie at the forefront of interest, since cosmological parameters such as the rate of expansion or the mass density are to be considered as volume-averaged quantities and only these can be compared with observations. For this reason the relevant parameters are intrinsically scale-dependent and one wishes to control this dependence without restricting the cosmological model by unphysical assumptions. In the latter respect we contrast our way to approach the averaging problem in relativistic cosmology with shortcomings of averaged Newtonian models. Explicitly, we investigate the scale-dependence of Eulerian volume averages of scalar functions on Riemannian three-manifolds. We propose a complementary view of a Lagrangian smoothing of (tensorial) variables as opposed to their Eulerian averaging on spatial domains. This programme is realized with the help of a global Ricci deformation flow for the metric. We explain rigorously the origin of the Ricci flow which, on heuristic grounds, has already been suggested as a possible candidate for smoothing the initial dataset for cosmological spacetimes. The smoothing of geometry implies a renormalization of averaged spatial variables. We discuss the results in terms of effective cosmological parameters that would be assigned to the smoothed cosmological spacetime. In particular, we find that on the smoothed spatial domain B-bar evaluated cosmological parameters obey Ω-bar B-bar m + Ω-bar B-bar R + Ω-bar B-bar A + Ω-bar B-bar Q 1, where Ω-bar B-bar m , Ω-bar B-bar R and Ω-bar B-bar A correspond to the standard Friedmannian parameters, while Ω-bar B-bar Q is a remnant of cosmic variance of expansion and shear fluctuations on the averaging domain. All these parameters are 'dressed' after smoothing out the geometrical fluctuations, and we give the relations of the 'dressed' to the 'bare' parameters. While the former provide the framework of interpreting observations with a 'Friedmannian bias

Operator licensing examiner standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

The Operator Licensing Examiner Standards provide policy and guidance to NRC examiners and establish the procedures and practices for examining licensees and applicants for reactor operator and senior reactor operator licenses at power reactor facilities pursuant to Part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55). The Examiner Standards are intended to assist NRC examiners and facility licensees to better understand the initial and requalification examination processes and to ensure the equitable and consistent administration of examinations to all applicants. These standards are not a substitute for the operator licensing regulations and are subject to revision or other internal operator licensing policy changes. Revision 7 was published in January 1993 and became effective in August 1993. Supplement 1 is being issued primarily to implement administrative changes to the requalification examination program resulting from the amendment to 10 CFR 55 that eliminated the requirement for every licensed operator to pass an NRC-conducted requalification examination as a condition for license renewal. The supplement does not substantially alter either the initial or requalification examination processes and will become effective 30 days after its publication is noticed in the Federal Register. The corporate notification letters issued after the effective date will provide facility licensees with at least 90 days notice that the examinations will be administered in accordance with the revised procedures

Subjective knowledge of AIDS and use of HIV testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, K A

1993-10-01

Increasing knowledge is an important goal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention strategies, although increased knowledge may not be associated with increased preventive behaviors. This study examines the association of (1) objective and subjective acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge, and (2) both objective and subjective AIDS knowledge with HIV testing use. Data are from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey. Objective and subjective knowledge were only moderately correlated. In regression analyses, higher subjective knowledge was significantly associated with higher testing use, but objective knowledge was not. The results are relevant to other preventive behaviors for which knowledge is an important factor.

Comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging-measured adipose tissue depots in HIV-infected and control subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Scherzer, Rebecca; Shen, Wei; Bacchetti, Peter; Kotler, Donald; Lewis, Cora E; Shlipak, Michael G; Punyanitya, Mark; Heymsfield, Steven B; Grunfeld, Carl

2008-10-01

Studies in persons without HIV infection have compared adipose tissue measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but no such study has been conducted in HIV-infected (HIV+) subjects, who have a high prevalence of regional fat loss. We compared DXA- with MRI-measured trunk, leg, arm, and total fat in HIV+ and control subjects. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 877 HIV+ subjects and 260 control subjects in FRAM (Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection), stratified by sex and HIV status. Univariate associations of DXA with MRI were strongest for total and trunk fat (r > or = 0.92) and slightly weaker for leg (r > or = 0.87) and arm (r > or = 0.71) fat. The average estimated limb fat was substantially greater for DXA than for MRI for HIV+ and control men and women (all P < 0.0001). Less of a difference was observed in trunk fat measured by DXA and MRI, but the difference was still statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Bland-Altman plots showed increasing differences and variability. Greater average limb fat in control and HIV+ subjects (both P < 0.0001) was associated with greater differences between DXA and MRI measurements. Because the control subjects had more limb fat than did the HIV+ subjects, greater amounts of fat were measured by DXA than by MRI when control subjects were compared with HIV+ subjects. More HIV+ subjects had leg fat in the bottom decile of the control subjects by DXA than by MRI (P < 0.0001). Although DXA- and MRI-measured adipose tissue depots correlate strongly in HIV+ and control subjects, differences increase as average fat increases, particularly for limb fat. DXA may estimate a higher prevalence of peripheral lipoatrophy than does MRI in HIV+ subjects.

Correlation between Grade Point Averages and Student Evaluation of Teaching Scores: Taking a Closer Look

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Tyler J.; Hilton, John, III.; Plummer, Kenneth; Barret, Devynne

2014-01-01

One of the most contentious potential sources of bias is whether instructors who give higher grades receive higher ratings from students. We examined the grade point averages (GPAs) and student ratings across 2073 general education religion courses at a large private university. A moderate correlation was found between GPAs and student evaluations…

Report on the results of the second medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamitsuna, Akimitsu; Monzen, Tetsuo; Oguma, Nobuo; Sakuma, Saburo; Takata, Yoshiki; Nakashima, Yoshiaki; Sakata, Morimitsu.

1987-01-01

In October 9 - 31, 1986, the second medical examination for A-bomb survivors was undertaken in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. Among 173 recognized A-bomb survivors in the five countries, 126 (73 %) participated in the examination, consisting of 61 men and 65 women. Seventy-eight A-bomb survivors came from Hiroshima and 48 from Nagasaki. The average age was 55.6 +- 9.7 years for men and 56.5 +- 9.8 years for women. The acquisition rate of ''Survivor's Health Handbook'' was 34 %. Gastric cancer was observed in two survivors and cervical cancer in one survivor. Major subjective symptoms were: fatigue, sensation of paralysis, heat intolerance, decreased physical strength, and itching. None of the abnormal findings were observed in 33 %. The incidence of hypertension, obesity, cardiac disease, and liver disease was high. The incidence of hypercholesteremia and diabetes mellitus was lower than that in the USA. (Namekawa, K.)

The Average Network Flow Problem: Shortest Path and Minimum Cost Flow Formulations, Algorithms, Heuristics, and Complexity

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-13

46, 1989. [75] S. Melkote and M.S. Daskin . An integrated model of facility location and transportation network design. Transportation Research Part A ... a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT/DS/ENS/12-09 THE AVERAGE NETWORK FLOW PROBLEM...focused thinking (VFT) are used sparingly, as is the case across the entirety of the supply chain literature. We provide a VFT tutorial for supply chain

Gonad doses in biliary tract examinations (cholecystography)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radtke, I [Staedtisches Klinikum Berlin-Buch (German Democratic Republic). Roentgendiagnostisches Zentrum; Angerstein, W [Forschungsinstitut fuer Tuberkulose und Lungenkrankheiten, Berlin (German Democratic Republic); Koenig, W; Menzel, B [Staatliches Amt fuer Atomsicherheit und Strahlenschutz, Berlin (German Democratic Republic)

1979-02-01

622 single measurements of gonad doses were performed during cholecystography in patients of either sex (intravaginally in women). In oral cholecystography on an average 13 mR were revealed for men and 149 mR for women, resp. According to a minimum, medium, or maximum extent of examination, in intravenous cholecystography the data for men were 11, 17, and 24 mR, while the corresponding data for women were 93, 185, and 278 mR. Based on about 400,000 cholegraphic examinations per year in the GDR the contribution to the total gonad dose caused by radiological examinations is 6-8%.

Gonad doses in biliary tract examinations (cholecystography)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radtke, I.; Koenig, W.; Menzel, B.

1979-01-01

622 single measurements of gonad doses were performed during cholecystography in patients of either sex (intravaginally in women). In oral cholecystography on an average 13 mR were revealed for men and 149 mR for women, resp. According to a minimum, medium, or maximum extent of examination, in intravenous cholecystography the data for men were 11, 17, and 24 mR, while the corresponding data for women were 93, 185, and 278 mR. Based on about 400,000 cholegraphic examinations per year in the GDR the contribution to the total gonad dose caused by radiological examinations is 6-8%. (author)

Intrinsic, Identified, and Controlled Types of Motivation for School Subjects in Young Elementary School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, Frederic; Chanal, Julien; Ratelle, Catherine F.; Marsh, Herbert W.; Larose, Simon; Boivin, Michel

2010-01-01

Background: There are two approaches to the differential examination of school motivation. The first is to examine motivation towards specific school subjects (between school subject differentiation). The second is to examine school motivation as a multidimensional concept that varies in terms of not only intensity but also quality (within school…

Success in Implementation of a Resident In-Service Examination Review Series

Science.gov (United States)

Forcucci, Jessica A.; Hyer, J. Madison; Bruner, Evelyn T.; Lewin, David N.; Batalis, Nicholas I.

2017-01-01

Abstract Objectives: Primary pathology board certification has been correlated with senior resident in-service examination (RISE) performance. We describe our success with an annual, month-long review series. Methods: Aggregate program RISE performance data were gathered for 3 years prior to and 3 years following initiation of the review series. In addition, mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge scores for residents participating in each RISE examination were obtained to control for incoming knowledge and test-taking ability. Linear models were used to evaluate differences in average RISE performance prior to and following the initiation of the review series in addition to controlling for relevant covariates. Results: Significant improvement was noted in the grand total, anatomic pathology section average, clinical pathology section average, and transfusion medicine section. Although not statistically significant, improvement was noted on the cytopathology and clinical chemistry sections. There was no significant difference in scores in hematopathology, molecular pathology, and the special topics section average. In addition, improvement in primary pathology board certification rates was also noted. Conclusions: Institution of a month-long RISE review series demonstrated improved overall performance within our training program. The success could easily be replicated in any training program without significant disruption to an annual didactic series. PMID:28340222

Average and local structure of α-CuI by configurational averaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohn, Chris E; Stoelen, Svein

2007-01-01

Configurational Boltzmann averaging together with density functional theory are used to study in detail the average and local structure of the superionic α-CuI. We find that the coppers are spread out with peaks in the atom-density at the tetrahedral sites of the fcc sublattice of iodines. We calculate Cu-Cu, Cu-I and I-I pair radial distribution functions, the distribution of coordination numbers and the distribution of Cu-I-Cu, I-Cu-I and Cu-Cu-Cu bond-angles. The partial pair distribution functions are in good agreement with experimental neutron diffraction-reverse Monte Carlo, extended x-ray absorption fine structure and ab initio molecular dynamics results. In particular, our results confirm the presence of a prominent peak at around 2.7 A in the Cu-Cu pair distribution function as well as a broader, less intense peak at roughly 4.3 A. We find highly flexible bonds and a range of coordination numbers for both iodines and coppers. This structural flexibility is of key importance in order to understand the exceptional conductivity of coppers in α-CuI; the iodines can easily respond to changes in the local environment as the coppers diffuse, and a myriad of different diffusion-pathways is expected due to the large variation in the local motifs

Subject-based feature extraction by using fisher WPD-CSP in brain-computer interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Banghua; Li, Huarong; Wang, Qian; Zhang, Yunyuan

2016-06-01

Feature extraction of electroencephalogram (EEG) plays a vital role in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In recent years, common spatial pattern (CSP) has been proven to be an effective feature extraction method. However, the traditional CSP has disadvantages of requiring a lot of input channels and the lack of frequency information. In order to remedy the defects of CSP, wavelet packet decomposition (WPD) and CSP are combined to extract effective features. But WPD-CSP method considers less about extracting specific features that are fitted for the specific subject. So a subject-based feature extraction method using fisher WPD-CSP is proposed in this paper. The idea of proposed method is to adapt fisher WPD-CSP to each subject separately. It mainly includes the following six steps: (1) original EEG signals from all channels are decomposed into a series of sub-bands using WPD; (2) average power values of obtained sub-bands are computed; (3) the specified sub-bands with larger values of fisher distance according to average power are selected for that particular subject; (4) each selected sub-band is reconstructed to be regarded as a new EEG channel; (5) all new EEG channels are used as input of the CSP and a six-dimensional feature vector is obtained by the CSP. The subject-based feature extraction model is so formed; (6) the probabilistic neural network (PNN) is used as the classifier and the classification accuracy is obtained. Data from six subjects are processed by the subject-based fisher WPD-CSP, the non-subject-based fisher WPD-CSP and WPD-CSP, respectively. Compared with non-subject-based fisher WPD-CSP and WPD-CSP, the results show that the proposed method yields better performance (sensitivity: 88.7±0.9%, and specificity: 91±1%) and the classification accuracy from subject-based fisher WPD-CSP is increased by 6-12% and 14%, respectively. The proposed subject-based fisher WPD-CSP method can not only remedy disadvantages of CSP by WPD but also discriminate

Experimental demonstration of squeezed-state quantum averaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, Mikael Østergaard; Madsen, Lars Skovgaard; Sabuncu, Metin

2010-01-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a universal quantum averaging process implementing the harmonic mean of quadrature variances. The averaged variances are prepared probabilistically by means of linear optical interference and measurement-induced conditioning. We verify that the implemented...

40 CFR 305.8 - Examination of documents filed.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Examination of documents filed. 305.8 Section 305.8 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SUPERFUND, EMERGENCY... Examination of documents filed. (a) Inspection of Documents. Subject to the provisions of law restricting...

Response of optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters subjected to X-rays in diagnostic energy range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musa, Y; Hashim, S; Karim, M K A; Ang, W C; Salehhon, N; Bakar, K A

2017-01-01

The use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) for dosimetry applications has recently increased considerably due to availability of commercial OSL dosimeters (nanoDots) for clinical use. The OSL dosimeter has a great potential to be used in clinical dosimetry because of its prevailing advantages in both handling and application. However, utilising nanoDot OSLDs for dose measurement in diagnostic radiology can only be guaranteed when the performance and characteristics of the dosimeters are apposite. In the present work, we examined the response of commercially available nanoDot OSLD (Al 2 O 3 :C) subjected to X-rays in general radiography. The nanoDots response with respect to reproducibility, dose linearity and signal depletion were analysed using microStar reader (Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL). Irradiations were performed free-in-air using 70, 80 and 120 kV tube voltages and tube currents ranging from 10 – 100 mAs. The results showed that the nanoDots exhibit good linearity and reproducibility when subjected to diagnostic X-rays, with coefficient of variations (CV) ranging between 2.3% to 3.5% representing a good reproducibility. The results also indicated average of 1% signal reduction per readout. Hence, the nanoDots showed a promising potential for dose measurement in general X-ray procedure. (paper)

Stochastic Averaging and Stochastic Extremum Seeking

CERN Document Server

Liu, Shu-Jun

2012-01-01

Stochastic Averaging and Stochastic Extremum Seeking develops methods of mathematical analysis inspired by the interest in reverse engineering  and analysis of bacterial  convergence by chemotaxis and to apply similar stochastic optimization techniques in other environments. The first half of the text presents significant advances in stochastic averaging theory, necessitated by the fact that existing theorems are restricted to systems with linear growth, globally exponentially stable average models, vanishing stochastic perturbations, and prevent analysis over infinite time horizon. The second half of the text introduces stochastic extremum seeking algorithms for model-free optimization of systems in real time using stochastic perturbations for estimation of their gradients. Both gradient- and Newton-based algorithms are presented, offering the user the choice between the simplicity of implementation (gradient) and the ability to achieve a known, arbitrary convergence rate (Newton). The design of algorithms...

X-ray examinations pose little risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Servomaa, A.; Komppa, T.

1997-01-01

X-ray examinations account for about 15 per cent of Finns' radiation exposure and for roughly one out of a hundred deaths from cancer. The risk is small when compared to other risks in life and to the health benefits obtained from the examinations. About 4.1 million x-ray examinations were conducted in Finland in 1995, i.e. an average of 0.8 examinations per inhabitant. The mean effective dose was about 0.67 mSv per examination and about 0.54 mSv per inhabitant. Natural background radiation causes an annual radiation dose of approximately 3 mSv per person. Examinations of bones and soft tissues accounted for the highest number of x-ray images, roughly 2.1 million, of which half were examinations of the extremities. Some 1.3 million x-ray images were taken of the pulmonary organs, most of them being examinations of the lungs. Computed tomography and examinations of the gastrointestinal tract accounted for about 130,000 images each. To assess the radiation risk involved in x-ray examinations, we need knowledge or an estimate of the radiation doses of organs sensitive to radiation. Efficient calculation methods are available for this purpose. (orig.)

20 CFR 404.220 - Average-monthly-wage method.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Average-monthly-wage method. 404.220 Section... INSURANCE (1950- ) Computing Primary Insurance Amounts Average-Monthly-Wage Method of Computing Primary Insurance Amounts § 404.220 Average-monthly-wage method. (a) Who is eligible for this method. You must...

Raven’s test performance of sub-Saharan Africans: average performance, psychometric properties, and the Flynn Effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wicherts, J.M.; Dolan, C.V.; Carlson, J.S.; van der Maas, H.L.J.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a systematic review of published data on the performance of sub-Saharan Africans on Raven's Progressive Matrices. The specific goals were to estimate the average level of performance, to study the Flynn Effect in African samples, and to examine the psychometric meaning of Raven's

The predictive validity of grade point average scores in a partial lottery medical school admission system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; Reinders, Jan J.; Agsteribbe, Jessica; van Rossum, Herman J. M.; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

2006-01-01

PURPOSE To ascertain whether the grade point average (GPA) of school-leaving examinations is related to study success, career development and scientific performance. The problem of restriction of range was expected to be partially reduced due to the use of a national lottery system weighted in

The Subject, Feminist Theory and Latin American Texts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Castro-Klaren

1996-01-01

Full Text Available From a feminist perspective, this essay reviews and analyzes the interaction between metropolitan feminist theories and their interphase with the academic criticism of texts written by Latin American women. Discussion focuses on the question of the subject, which the author believes to be paramount in feminist theory, in as much as the construction of gender and the historical subordination of women devolve on the play of difference and identity. This paper examines how the problematic assumption by feminist theorists in the North American academy of Freudian and Lacanian theories of the subject pose unresolved problems and unanticipated complications to subsequent deployment of this subject theory as modes of interpretation of texts written by women in Latin America or even to the emancipatory goals on feminists in the academy. This is a case where "traveling theory" must be examined and evaluated very carefully. The second part of the paper concentrates on the feminist challenges that have been already made to both Freudian and Lacanian theories of the feminine. It highlights the work of Jane Flax, Nacy Chodorov, Gayatri Spivak and Judith Butler in suggesting a way out of theories that rely on the primacy of the male subject formation and therefore occlude and preclude the investigation of the modes of women's agency.

Raven's Test Performance of Sub-Saharan Africans: Average Performance, Psychometric Properties, and the Flynn Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Wicherts, Jelte M.; Dolan, Conor V.; Carlson, Jerry S.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a systematic review of published data on the performance of sub-Saharan Africans on Raven's Progressive Matrices. The specific goals were to estimate the average level of performance, to study the Flynn Effect in African samples, and to examine the psychometric meaning of Raven's test scores as measures of general intelligence.…

Accurate measurement of imaging photoplethysmographic signals based camera using weighted average

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Zongguang; Kong, Lingqin; Zhao, Yuejin; Sun, Huijuan; Dong, Liquan; Hui, Mei; Liu, Ming; Liu, Xiaohua; Liu, Lingling; Li, Xiaohui; Li, Rongji

2018-01-01

Imaging Photoplethysmography (IPPG) is an emerging technique for the extraction of vital signs of human being using video recordings. IPPG technology with its advantages like non-contact measurement, low cost and easy operation has become one research hot spot in the field of biomedicine. However, the noise disturbance caused by non-microarterial area cannot be removed because of the uneven distribution of micro-arterial, different signal strength of each region, which results in a low signal noise ratio of IPPG signals and low accuracy of heart rate. In this paper, we propose a method of improving the signal noise ratio of camera-based IPPG signals of each sub-region of the face using a weighted average. Firstly, we obtain the region of interest (ROI) of a subject's face based camera. Secondly, each region of interest is tracked and feature-based matched in each frame of the video. Each tracked region of face is divided into 60x60 pixel block. Thirdly, the weights of PPG signal of each sub-region are calculated, based on the signal-to-noise ratio of each sub-region. Finally, we combine the IPPG signal from all the tracked ROI using weighted average. Compared with the existing approaches, the result shows that the proposed method takes modest but significant effects on improvement of signal noise ratio of camera-based PPG estimated and accuracy of heart rate measurement.

Bedside examination for vestibular screening in occupational medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Zamysłowska-Szmytke

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of bedside examination for screening of vestibular and balance system for occupational medicine purposes. Study group comprised 165 patients referred to Audiology and Phoniatric Clinic due to vestibular and/or balance problems. Caloric canal paresis of 19% was the cut off value to divide patients into 43 caloric-positive vestibular subjects and 122 caloric-negative patients. The latter group comprised 79 subjects revealing abnormalities of videonystagmographic (VNG oculomotor tests (central group and 43 subjects with normal VNG. Material and Methods: Vestibular and balance symptoms were collected. Five tests were included to bedside examination: Romberg and Unterberger tests, Head Impulse Test (HIT, Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA and gaze nystagmus assessment. Results: Vestibular and balance symptoms were reported by 82% of vestibular, 73% of central and 40% of VNG-normal patients. Thirteen out of 18 VNG-normal but symptomatic subjects (73% had abnormal tests in clinical assessment. The sensitivity of bedside test set for vestibular pathology was 88% as compared to caloric test and 68% for central pathology as compared to VNG oculomotor tests. Conclusions: The combination of 5 bedside tests reveal satisfactory sensitivity to detect vestibular abnormalities. Bedside examination abnormalities are highly correlated with vestibular/balance symptoms, regardless the normal results of VNG. Thus, this method should be recommended for occupational medicine purposes.

Some implications of batch average burnup calculations on predicted spent fuel compositions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexander, C.W.; Croff, A.G.

1984-01-01

The accuracy of using batch-averaged burnups to determine spent fuel characteristics (such as isotopic composition, activity, etc.) was examined for a typical pressurized-water reactor (PWR) fuel discharge batch by comparing characteristics computed by (a) performing a single depletion calculation using the average burnup of the spent fuel and (b) performing separate depletion calculations based on the relative amounts of spent fuel in each of twelve burnup ranges and summing the results. The computations were done using ORIGEN 2. Procedure (b) showed a significant shift toward a greater quantity of the heavier transuranics, which derive from multiple neutron captures, and a corresponding decrease in the amounts of lower transuranics. Those characteristics which derive primarily from fission products, such as total radioactivity and total thermal power, are essentially identical for the two procedures. Those characteristics that derive primarily from the heavier transuranics, such as spontaneous fission neutrons, are underestimated by procedure (a)

Acceptance of background noise, working memory capacity, and auditory evoked potentials in subjects with normal hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Brännström, K Jonas; Zunic, Edita; Borovac, Aida; Ibertsson, Tina

2012-01-01

The acceptable noise level (ANL) test is a method for quantifying the amount of background noise that subjects accept when listening to speech. Large variations in ANL have been seen between normal-hearing subjects and between studies of normal-hearing subjects, but few explanatory variables have been identified. To explore a possible relationship between a Swedish version of the ANL test, working memory capacity (WMC), and auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). ANL, WMC, and AEP were tested in a counterbalanced order across subjects. Twenty-one normal-hearing subjects participated in the study (14 females and 7 males; aged 20-39 yr with an average of 25.7 yr). Reported data consists of age, pure-tone average (PTA), most comfortable level (MCL), background noise level (BNL), ANL (i.e., MCL - BNL), AEP latencies, AEP amplitudes, and WMC. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated between the collected variables to investigate associations. A principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was conducted on the collected variables to explore underlying factors and estimate interactions between the tested variables. Subjects were also pooled into two groups depending on their results on the WMC test, one group with a score lower than the average and one with a score higher than the average. Comparisons between these two groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. A negative association was found between ANL and WMC but not between AEP and ANL or WMC. Furthermore, ANL is derived from MCL and BNL, and a significant positive association was found between BNL and WMC. However, no significant associations were seen between AEP latencies and amplitudes and the demographic variables, MCL, and BNL. The PCA identified two underlying factors: One that contained MCL, BNL, ANL, and WMC and another that contained latency for wave Na and amplitudes for waves V and Na-Pa. Using the variables in the first factor

Sonoelastography of Plantar Fascia: Reproducibility and Pattern Description in Healthy Subjects and Symptomatic Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Ríos-Díaz, José; Martínez-Payá, Jacinto J; del Baño-Aledo, María Elena; de Groot-Ferrando, Ana; Botía-Castillo, Paloma; Fernández-Rodríguez, David

2015-10-01

The purpose of the work reported here was to describe the sonoelastographic appearance of the plantar fascia of healthy volunteers and patients with fasciitis. Twenty-three healthy subjects and 21 patients with plantar fasciitis were examined using B-mode and real-time sonoelastography (RTSR) scanning. B-Mode examination included fascia thickness and echotexture. Echogenicity and echovariation of the color histogram were analyzed. Fasciae were classified into type 1, blue (more elastic); type 2, blue/green (intermediate); or type 3, green (less elastic). RTSE revealed 72.7% of fasciae as type 2, with no significant association with fasciitis (χ(2) = 3.6, df = 2, p = 0.17). Quantitative analysis of the color histogram revealed a significantly greater intensity of green (mean = 77.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 71.9-83.6) and blue (mean = 74.2, 95% CI = 69.7-78.8) in healthy subjects. Echovariation of the color red was 33.4% higher in the fasciitis group than in the healthy group (95% CI = 16.7-50.1). Sonoelastography with quantitative analysis of echovariation can be a useful tool for evaluation of plantar fascia pathology. Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Report on the results of the fourth medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Kenji; Kuramoto, Kiyoshi; Mukai, Hideaki; Suga, Kentaro; Yamamoto, Yoshio; Kunihara, Michitoshi; Ishida, Shigeki.

1991-01-01

From October 21 through November 5, 1990, health examination was performed in atomic bomb survivors living in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay. A total of 194 persons were recognized as having been exposed to A-bombing. Among them, 122 atomic-bomb survivors (62.9%) participated in the present health examination, consisting of 55 men and 67 women. An average age was 61.5±9.0 years for men and 59.6±8.6 years for women. The acquisition rate of health handbook for atomic bomb survivors was 35.2%. Past history for cancer resection was seen in 4 atomic bomb survivors. The presenting subjective symptoms were fatigue, heat intolerance, decreased physical fitness, and unintentional weight loss. Laboratory findings included: a decreased value of hemoglobin (5 atomic-bomb survivors), hypertension (26), noticeable ECG findings (5), abnormal values of GOT (28) and GPT (14), hypercholesteremia (43), hyperuricemia (19), and fasting hyperglycemia (8). Overall evaluation showed that 48 atomic bomb survivors need to receive detailed medical examination for hypertension, heart disease, liver disease, and hyperlipemia. (N.K.)

Report on the results of the fourth medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawa, Kenji (Hiroshima Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine); Kuramoto, Kiyoshi; Mukai, Hideaki; Suga, Kentaro; Yamamoto, Yoshio; Kunihara, Michitoshi; Ishida, Shigeki

1991-08-01

From October 21 through November 5, 1990, health examination was performed in atomic bomb survivors living in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay. A total of 194 persons were recognized as having been exposed to A-bombing. Among them, 122 atomic-bomb survivors (62.9%) participated in the present health examination, consisting of 55 men and 67 women. An average age was 61.5{+-}9.0 years for men and 59.6{+-}8.6 years for women. The acquisition rate of health handbook for atomic bomb survivors was 35.2%. Past history for cancer resection was seen in 4 atomic bomb survivors. The presenting subjective symptoms were fatigue, heat intolerance, decreased physical fitness, and unintentional weight loss. Laboratory findings included: a decreased value of hemoglobin (5 atomic-bomb survivors), hypertension (26), noticeable ECG findings (5), abnormal values of GOT (28) and GPT (14), hypercholesteremia (43), hyperuricemia (19), and fasting hyperglycemia (8). Overall evaluation showed that 48 atomic bomb survivors need to receive detailed medical examination for hypertension, heart disease, liver disease, and hyperlipemia. (N.K.).

Average glandular dose in digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olgar, T. [Ankara Univ. (Turkey). Dept. of Engineering Physics; Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig AoeR (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie; Kahn, T.; Gosch, D. [Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig AoeR (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie

2012-10-15

Purpose: To determine the average glandular dose (AGD) in digital full-field mammography (2 D imaging mode) and in breast tomosynthesis (3 D imaging mode). Materials and Methods: Using the method described by Boone, the AGD was calculated from the exposure parameters of 2247 conventional 2 D mammograms and 984 mammograms in 3 D imaging mode of 641 patients examined with the digital mammographic system Hologic Selenia Dimensions. The breast glandular tissue content was estimated by the Hologic R2 Quantra automated volumetric breast density measurement tool for each patient from right craniocaudal (RCC) and left craniocaudal (LCC) images in 2 D imaging mode. Results: The mean compressed breast thickness (CBT) was 52.7 mm for craniocaudal (CC) and 56.0 mm for mediolateral oblique (MLO) views. The mean percentage of breast glandular tissue content was 18.0 % and 17.4 % for RCC and LCC projections, respectively. The mean AGD values in 2 D imaging mode per exposure for the standard breast were 1.57 mGy and 1.66 mGy, while the mean AGD values after correction for real breast composition were 1.82 mGy and 1.94 mGy for CC and MLO views, respectively. The mean AGD values in 3 D imaging mode per exposure for the standard breast were 2.19 mGy and 2.29 mGy, while the mean AGD values after correction for the real breast composition were 2.53 mGy and 2.63 mGy for CC and MLO views, respectively. No significant relationship was found between the AGD and CBT in 2 D imaging mode and a good correlation coefficient of 0.98 in 3 D imaging mode. Conclusion: In this study the mean calculated AGD per exposure in 3 D imaging mode was on average 34 % higher than for 2 D imaging mode for patients examined with the same CBT.

Average glandular dose in digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olgar, T.; Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig AoeR; Kahn, T.; Gosch, D.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To determine the average glandular dose (AGD) in digital full-field mammography (2 D imaging mode) and in breast tomosynthesis (3 D imaging mode). Materials and Methods: Using the method described by Boone, the AGD was calculated from the exposure parameters of 2247 conventional 2 D mammograms and 984 mammograms in 3 D imaging mode of 641 patients examined with the digital mammographic system Hologic Selenia Dimensions. The breast glandular tissue content was estimated by the Hologic R2 Quantra automated volumetric breast density measurement tool for each patient from right craniocaudal (RCC) and left craniocaudal (LCC) images in 2 D imaging mode. Results: The mean compressed breast thickness (CBT) was 52.7 mm for craniocaudal (CC) and 56.0 mm for mediolateral oblique (MLO) views. The mean percentage of breast glandular tissue content was 18.0 % and 17.4 % for RCC and LCC projections, respectively. The mean AGD values in 2 D imaging mode per exposure for the standard breast were 1.57 mGy and 1.66 mGy, while the mean AGD values after correction for real breast composition were 1.82 mGy and 1.94 mGy for CC and MLO views, respectively. The mean AGD values in 3 D imaging mode per exposure for the standard breast were 2.19 mGy and 2.29 mGy, while the mean AGD values after correction for the real breast composition were 2.53 mGy and 2.63 mGy for CC and MLO views, respectively. No significant relationship was found between the AGD and CBT in 2 D imaging mode and a good correlation coefficient of 0.98 in 3 D imaging mode. Conclusion: In this study the mean calculated AGD per exposure in 3 D imaging mode was on average 34 % higher than for 2 D imaging mode for patients examined with the same CBT.

Career Coping and Subjective Well-Being among University Employees

Science.gov (United States)

Odirile, Bonkamile E.; Mpofu, Elias; Montsi, Mercy R.

2009-01-01

We examined coping strategies by higher education employees to handle work stress as differentiated by personnel variables. We further examined levels of subjective well-being (SWB) in the same employees. Sixty-three higher education employees participated (males = 30; females = 33; mean age = 41.3 years). The participants completed the Coping…

Light-cone averaging in cosmology: formalism and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasperini, M.; Marozzi, G.; Veneziano, G.; Nugier, F.

2011-01-01

We present a general gauge invariant formalism for defining cosmological averages that are relevant for observations based on light-like signals. Such averages involve either null hypersurfaces corresponding to a family of past light-cones or compact surfaces given by their intersection with timelike hypersurfaces. Generalized Buchert-Ehlers commutation rules for derivatives of these light-cone averages are given. After introducing some adapted ''geodesic light-cone'' coordinates, we give explicit expressions for averaging the redshift to luminosity-distance relation and the so-called ''redshift drift'' in a generic inhomogeneous Universe

Pursuing the Emancipatory Purport of Subjectivity from Frankfurt to Paris

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H. Mesbahian

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is devoted to investigating the philosophical place of Subjectivity in the contemporary thought. My justification for engaging in further study on this much-discussed concept is that three significant questions concerning subjectivity have remained insufficiently examined: What is the problem of philosophical foundation of modernity from Cartesian Cogito to the Kantian autonomous will and to the Hegelian subjectivity? Is there any possibility to overcome the proposed problem from an internal point of view and from the perspective of Jürgen Habermas? Whether the radical criticism of the Enlightenment idea of an autonomous subject by thinkers like Foucault and Derrida leads to loss of freedom or to the robust notion of freedom being deeply improved? This paper, accordingly, will examine the three above mentioned questions regarding subjectivity across three sections. I have argued, in the first section that the Enlightenment’s her¬itage is contradictory. On the one hand, the notion of subjectivity has generated a kind of emancipation. On the other hand, the subjectivity has enthroned a conception of reason and of method that can be interpreted as a new form of domination. In the second section, I have argued that Habermas’s answer to the philosophical dilemma of subjectivity is to accept the criticism of subject-centered reason but to find a basis for reason in communicative action. Habermas’s conception of subjectivity has been criticized by the help of some contemporary thinkers, in the third section of this paper, and it has been argued that based on his notions of modernity and subjectivity the marginalized populations of the World- namely the Other- can no longer expect intellectual and ethical support for their plight from Frankfurt and should immigrate to Paris in order to purse the emancipatory aspect of subjectivity.

Bounds on Average Time Complexity of Decision Trees

KAUST Repository

Chikalov, Igor

2011-01-01

In this chapter, bounds on the average depth and the average weighted depth of decision trees are considered. Similar problems are studied in search theory [1], coding theory [77], design and analysis of algorithms (e.g., sorting) [38]. For any diagnostic problem, the minimum average depth of decision tree is bounded from below by the entropy of probability distribution (with a multiplier 1/log2 k for a problem over a k-valued information system). Among diagnostic problems, the problems with a complete set of attributes have the lowest minimum average depth of decision trees (e.g, the problem of building optimal prefix code [1] and a blood test study in assumption that exactly one patient is ill [23]). For such problems, the minimum average depth of decision tree exceeds the lower bound by at most one. The minimum average depth reaches the maximum on the problems in which each attribute is "indispensable" [44] (e.g., a diagnostic problem with n attributes and kn pairwise different rows in the decision table and the problem of implementing the modulo 2 summation function). These problems have the minimum average depth of decision tree equal to the number of attributes in the problem description. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.

Lateral dispersion coefficients as functions of averaging time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheih, C.M.

1980-01-01

Plume dispersion coefficients are discussed in terms of single-particle and relative diffusion, and are investigated as functions of averaging time. To demonstrate the effects of averaging time on the relative importance of various dispersion processes, and observed lateral wind velocity spectrum is used to compute the lateral dispersion coefficients of total, single-particle and relative diffusion for various averaging times and plume travel times. The results indicate that for a 1 h averaging time the dispersion coefficient of a plume can be approximated by single-particle diffusion alone for travel times <250 s and by relative diffusion for longer travel times. Furthermore, it is shown that the power-law formula suggested by Turner for relating pollutant concentrations for other averaging times to the corresponding 15 min average is applicable to the present example only when the averaging time is less than 200 s and the tral time smaller than about 300 s. Since the turbulence spectrum used in the analysis is an observed one, it is hoped that the results could represent many conditions encountered in the atmosphere. However, as the results depend on the form of turbulence spectrum, the calculations are not for deriving a set of specific criteria but for demonstrating the need in discriminating various processes in studies of plume dispersion

Determination of the diagnostic x-ray tube practical peak voltage (PPV) from average or average peak voltage measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hourdakis, C J, E-mail: khour@gaec.gr [Ionizing Radiation Calibration Laboratory-Greek Atomic Energy Commission, PO Box 60092, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Attiki (Greece)

2011-04-07

The practical peak voltage (PPV) has been adopted as the reference measuring quantity for the x-ray tube voltage. However, the majority of commercial kV-meter models measure the average peak, U-bar{sub P}, the average, U-bar, the effective, U{sub eff} or the maximum peak, U{sub P} tube voltage. This work proposed a method for determination of the PPV from measurements with a kV-meter that measures the average U-bar or the average peak, U-bar{sub p} voltage. The kV-meter reading can be converted to the PPV by applying appropriate calibration coefficients and conversion factors. The average peak k{sub PPV,kVp} and the average k{sub PPV,Uav} conversion factors were calculated from virtual voltage waveforms for conventional diagnostic radiology (50-150 kV) and mammography (22-35 kV) tube voltages and for voltage ripples from 0% to 100%. Regression equation and coefficients provide the appropriate conversion factors at any given tube voltage and ripple. The influence of voltage waveform irregularities, like 'spikes' and pulse amplitude variations, on the conversion factors was investigated and discussed. The proposed method and the conversion factors were tested using six commercial kV-meters at several x-ray units. The deviations between the reference and the calculated - according to the proposed method - PPV values were less than 2%. Practical aspects on the voltage ripple measurement were addressed and discussed. The proposed method provides a rigorous base to determine the PPV with kV-meters from U-bar{sub p} and U-bar measurement. Users can benefit, since all kV-meters, irrespective of their measuring quantity, can be used to determine the PPV, complying with the IEC standard requirements.

Averaging operations on matrices

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-07-03

Jul 3, 2014 ... Role of Positive Definite Matrices. • Diffusion Tensor Imaging: 3 × 3 pd matrices model water flow at each voxel of brain scan. • Elasticity: 6 × 6 pd matrices model stress tensors. • Machine Learning: n × n pd matrices occur as kernel matrices. Tanvi Jain. Averaging operations on matrices ...

20 CFR 404.221 - Computing your average monthly wage.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Computing your average monthly wage. 404.221... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Computing Primary Insurance Amounts Average-Monthly-Wage Method of Computing Primary Insurance Amounts § 404.221 Computing your average monthly wage. (a) General. Under the average...

Exploiting scale dependence in cosmological averaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattsson, Teppo; Ronkainen, Maria

2008-01-01

We study the role of scale dependence in the Buchert averaging method, using the flat Lemaitre–Tolman–Bondi model as a testing ground. Within this model, a single averaging scale gives predictions that are too coarse, but by replacing it with the distance of the objects R(z) for each redshift z, we find an O(1%) precision at z<2 in the averaged luminosity and angular diameter distances compared to their exact expressions. At low redshifts, we show the improvement for generic inhomogeneity profiles, and our numerical computations further verify it up to redshifts z∼2. At higher redshifts, the method breaks down due to its inability to capture the time evolution of the inhomogeneities. We also demonstrate that the running smoothing scale R(z) can mimic acceleration, suggesting that it could be at least as important as the backreaction in explaining dark energy as an inhomogeneity induced illusion

Non-Power Reactor Operator Licensing Examiner Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

The Non-Power Reactor Operator Licensing Examiner Standards provide policy and guidance to NRC examiners and establish the procedures and practices for examining and licensing of applicants for NRC operator licenses pursuant to Part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 55). They are intended to assist NRC examiners and facility licensees to understand the examination process better and to provide for equitable and consistent administration of examinations to all applicants by NRC examiners. These standards are not a substitute for the operator licensing regulations and are subject to revision or other internal operator examination licensing policy changes. As appropriate, this standard will be revised periodically to accommodate comments and reflect new information or experience

Sensibility and Subjectivity: Levinas’ Traumatic Subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashmika Pandya

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The importance of Levinas’ notions of sensibility and subjectivity are evident in the revision of phenomenological method by current phenomenologists such as Jean-Luc Marion and Michel Henry. The criticisms of key tenants of classical phenomenology, intentionality and reduction, are of a particular note. However, there are problems with Levinas’ characterization of subjectivity as essentially sensible. In “Totality and Infinity” and “Otherwise than Being”, Levinas criticizes and recasts a traditional notion of subjectivity, particularly the notion of the subject as the first and foremost rational subject. The subject in Levinas’ works is characterized more by its sensibility and affectedness than by its capacity to reason or affect its world. Levinas ties rationality to economy and suggests an alternative notion of reason that leads to his analysis of the ethical relation as the face-to-face encounter. The ‘origin’ of the social relation is located not in our capacity to know but rather in a sensibility that is diametrically opposed to the reason understood as economy. I argue that the opposition in Levinas’ thought between reason and sensibility is problematic and essentially leads to a self-conflicted subject. In fact, it would seem that violence characterizes the subject’s self-relation and, thus, is also inscribed at the base of the social relation. Rather than overcoming a problematic tendency to dualistic thought in philosophy Levinas merely reverses traditional hierarchies of reason/emotion, subject/object and self/other. 

Subjective study of preferred listening conditions in Italian Catholic churches

Science.gov (United States)

Martellotta, Francesco

2008-10-01

The paper describes the results of research aimed at investigating the preferred subjective listening conditions inside churches. The effect of different musical motifs (spanning Gregorian chants to symphonic music) was investigated and regression analysis was performed in order to point out the relationship between subjective ratings and acoustical parameters. In order to present realistic listening conditions to the subjects a small subset of nine churches was selected among a larger set of acoustic data collected in several Italian churches during a widespread on-site survey. The subset represented different architectural styles and shapes, and was characterized by average listening conditions. For each church a single source-receiver combination with fixed relative positions was chosen. Measured binaural impulse responses were cross-talk cancelled and then convolved with five anechoic motifs. Paired comparisons were finally performed, asking a trained panel of subjects their preference. Factor analysis pointed out a substantially common underlying pattern characterizing subjective responses. The results show that preferred listening conditions vary as a function of the musical motif, depending on early decay time for choral music and on a combination of initial time delay and lateral energy for instrumental music.

Correlation between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (Moca-INA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in Elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Rambe, Aldy Safruddin; Fitri, Fasihah Irfani

2017-12-15

As the rapid growth of the elderly population and the increased prevalence of Alezheimer's Disease and related disorders, there is an increasing need for effective cognitive screening. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) is the most frequently used screening test of cognitive impairment because of its convenience. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (MoCA-INA) has been validated and recently been used as a cognitive screening tool. The aim of this study was to compare the MMSE and MoCA-INA scores and to determine the correlation between the MMSE and MoCA-INA scores in elderly. This was a cross-sectional study including 83 elderly subjects from November 2016 until June 2017. We performed MMSE and MoCA-INA for assessment of cognitive function and the time between each test was at least 30 minutes. The study included 83 subjects which were consisted of 46 (55.4%) males and 37 (44.6%) females. The mean age was 69.19 ± 4.23 ranging from 65 to 79 years old. The average MMSE scores was 24.96 ± 3.38 (range 14 to 30). The average MoCA-INA scores was 21.06 ± 4.56 (range 5 to 30). The Pearson correlation coefficient between the scores was 0.71 (p<0.005). There were no significant differences of both scores based on history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and previous stroke, but there was a significant difference in MMSE scores based on level of education. The MoCA-INA score showed a good correlation with the MMSE score. Both tests showed comparable results but MoCA-INA showed lower average with wider range of scores.

Averaging in SU(2) open quantum random walk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ampadu Clement

2014-01-01

We study the average position and the symmetry of the distribution in the SU(2) open quantum random walk (OQRW). We show that the average position in the central limit theorem (CLT) is non-uniform compared with the average position in the non-CLT. The symmetry of distribution is shown to be even in the CLT

Averaging in SU(2) open quantum random walk

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, Ampadu

2014-03-01

We study the average position and the symmetry of the distribution in the SU(2) open quantum random walk (OQRW). We show that the average position in the central limit theorem (CLT) is non-uniform compared with the average position in the non-CLT. The symmetry of distribution is shown to be even in the CLT.

(Re)examining the Relationship Between Children's Subjective Wellbeing and Their Perceptions of Participation Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd, Katrina; Emerson, Lesley

2017-01-01

In recent years wellbeing has been linked increasingly with children's rights, often characterised as central to their realisation. Indeed it has been suggested that the two concepts are so intertwined that their pairing has become something of a mantra in the literature on childhood. This paper seeks to explore the nature of the relationship between wellbeing and participation rights, using a recently developed 'rights-based' measure of children's participation in school and community, the Children's Participation Rights Questionnaire (CPRQ), and an established measure of subjective wellbeing - KIDSCREEN-10. The data for the study came from the Kids' Life and Times (KLT) which is an annual online survey of Primary 7 children carried out in Northern Ireland. In 2013 approximately 3800 children (51 % girls; 49 % boys) from 212 schools participated in KLT. The findings showed a statistically significant positive correlation between children's overall scores on the KIDSCREEN-10 subjective wellbeing measure and their perceptions that their participation rights are respected in school and community settings. Further, the results indicated that it is the social relations/autonomy questions on KIDSCREEN-10 which are most strongly related to children's perceptions that their participation rights are respected. Exploration of the findings by gender showed that there were no significant differences in overall wellbeing; however girls had higher scores than boys on the social relations/autonomy domain of KIDSCREEN-10. Girls were also more positive than boys about their participation in school and community. In light of the findings from this study, it is suggested that what lies at the heart of the relationship between child wellbeing and children's participation rights is the social/relational aspects of both participation and wellbeing.

Intrinsic, identified, and controlled types of motivation for school subjects in young elementary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, Frédéric; Chanal, Julien; Ratelle, Catherine F; Marsh, Herbert W; Larose, Simon; Boivin, Michel

2010-12-01

There are two approaches to the differential examination of school motivation. The first is to examine motivation towards specific school subjects (between school subject differentiation). The second is to examine school motivation as a multidimensional concept that varies in terms of not only intensity but also quality (within school subject differentiation). These two differential approaches have led to important discoveries and provided a better understanding of student motivational dynamics. However, little research has combined these two approaches. This study examines young elementary students' motivations across school subjects (writing, reading, and maths) from the stance of self-determination theory. First, we tested whether children self-report different levels of intrinsic, identified, and controlled motivation towards specific school subjects. Second, we verified whether children self-report differentiated types of motivation across school subjects. Participants were 425 French-Canadian children (225 girls, 200 boys) from three elementary schools. Children were in Grades 1 (N=121), 2 (N=126), and 3 (N=178). Results show that, for a given school subject, young elementary students self-report different levels of intrinsic, identified, and controlled motivation. Results also indicate that children self-report different levels of motivation types across school subjects. Our findings also show that most differentiation effects increase across grades. Some gender effects were also observed. These results highlight the importance of distinguishing among types of school motivation towards specific school subjects in the early elementary years.

Determining average yarding distance.

Science.gov (United States)

Roger H. Twito; Charles N. Mann

1979-01-01

Emphasis on environmental and esthetic quality in timber harvesting has brought about increased use of complex boundaries of cutting units and a consequent need for a rapid and accurate method of determining the average yarding distance and area of these units. These values, needed for evaluation of road and landing locations in planning timber harvests, are easily and...

Average Revisited in Context

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Jane; Chick, Helen

2012-01-01

This paper analyses the responses of 247 middle school students to items requiring the concept of average in three different contexts: a city's weather reported in maximum daily temperature, the number of children in a family, and the price of houses. The mixed but overall disappointing performance on the six items in the three contexts indicates…

Inter-examiner reproducibility of tests for lumbar motor control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elkjaer Arne

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many studies show a relation between reduced lumbar motor control (LMC and low back pain (LBP. However, test circumstances vary and during test performance, subjects may change position. In other words, the reliability - i.e. reproducibility and validity - of tests for LMC should be based on quantitative data. This has not been considered before. The aim was to analyse the reproducibility of five different quantitative tests for LMC commonly used in daily clinical practice. Methods The five tests for LMC were: repositioning (RPS, sitting forward lean (SFL, sitting knee extension (SKE, and bent knee fall out (BKFO, all measured in cm, and leg lowering (LL, measured in mm Hg. A total of 40 subjects (14 males, 26 females 25 with and 15 without LBP, with a mean age of 46.5 years (SD 14.8, were examined independently and in random order by two examiners on the same day. LBP subjects were recruited from three physiotherapy clinics with a connection to the clinic's gym or back-school. Non-LBP subjects were recruited from the clinic's staff acquaintances, and from patients without LBP. Results The means and standard deviations for each of the tests were 0.36 (0.27 cm for RPS, 1.01 (0.62 cm for SFL, 0.40 (0.29 cm for SKE, 1.07 (0.52 cm for BKFO, and 32.9 (7.1 mm Hg for LL. All five tests for LMC had reproducibility with the following ICCs: 0.90 for RPS, 0.96 for SFL, 0.96 for SKE, 0.94 for BKFO, and 0.98 for LL. Bland and Altman plots showed that most of the differences between examiners A and B were less than 0.20 cm. Conclusion These five tests for LMC displayed excellent reproducibility. However, the diagnostic accuracy of these tests needs to be addressed in larger cohorts of subjects, establishing values for the normal population. Also cut-points between subjects with and without LBP must be determined, taking into account age, level of activity, degree of impairment and participation in sports. Whether reproducibility of these

Serotoninergic manipulation, meal-induced satiety and eating pattern: effect of fluoxetine in obese female subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, C L; Wales, J K; Hill, A J; Blundell, J E

1995-07-01

Twelve nondepressed healthy female obese subjects (BMI > 30 kg/m2) took part in a study which conformed to a double-blind randomized crossover design. Each subject acted as her own control across 2 weeks of treatment with either 60 mg of the 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine or matching placebo. On days 7 and 14 of both treatment phases subjects were provided with fixed energy lunch meals high in either CHO or fat. The effect of these meals on satiety during the fluoxetine and placebo phases was assessed by a battery of procedures. Subjects felt less hungry after consuming the high CHO meal than after consuming the high-fat meal. They also felt less hungry when taking fluoxetine than when taking the placebo. Analysis of energy intake from the test meal revealed a main effect of prior lunch meal type (high CHO or high fat) and a main effect of drug treatment. Subjects consumed an average of 574 kcal following the high CHO meal compared to 689 kcal following the high-fat meal. Subjects also consumed an average of 532 kcal when taking fluoxetine compared to 730 kcal when taking the placebo. Fluoxetine did not exert any significant effects on macronutrient selection. Mean daily energy intake, calculated from food diary records, was 1881 kcal when subjects were taking the placebo compared to 1460 kcal when taking fluoxetine (a reduction of 22.4%). Fluoxetine treatment produced a significant weight loss of 1.97 kg over the two weeks of treatment compared to a weight loss of only 0.04 kg on placebo.

Engineering Women’s Attitudes and Goals in Choosing Disciplines with above and Below Average Female Representation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dina Verdín

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Women’s participation in engineering remains well below that of men at all degree levels. However, despite the low enrollment of women in engineering as a whole, some engineering disciplines report above average female enrollment. We used multiple linear regression to examine the attitudes, beliefs, career outcome expectations, and career choice of first-year female engineering students enrolled in below average, average, and above average female representation disciplines in engineering. Our work begins to understand how the socially constructed masculine cultural norms of engineering may attract women differentially into specific engineering disciplines. This study used future time perspective, psychological personality traits, grit, various measures of STEM identities, and items related to career outcome expectations as theoretical frameworks. The results of this study indicate that women who are interested in engineering disciplines with different representations of women (i.e., more or less male-dominated have significantly different attitudes and beliefs, career goals, and career plans. This study provides information about the perceptions that women may have and attitudes that they bring with them into particular engineering pathways.

Preliminary study of diffusion tensor MR on the cervical spinal cord in normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Kuihong; Ma Lin; Guo Xinggao; Liang Li

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate a simplified and practical strategy for MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the cervical spinal cord and acquire the normal values of DTI parameters in normal subjects, and to offer the basis for the research of the cervical spinal cord disorders. Methods: DTI examinations were performed in 36 consecutive healthy subjects by using SE-EPI sequence on the cervical spinal cord. The values of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), λ 1 , λ 2 , and λ 3 were measured in regions of interest positioned in the normal cervical cords. Results: All 36 subjects completed the examinations. The cervical spinal cords were clearly demonstrated on the postprocessing images, and there were no obvious artifacts on the diffusion tensor images. The average value of ADC was (914.44±82.61) x 10 -6 mm 2 /s and FA was (593.84±52.22) x 10 -3 . The diffusivity components parallel (λ 1 ) and orthogonal (λ 2 and λ 3 ) to the longitudinal axes of the spinal cord were (1585.10±130.07) x 10 -6 mm 2 /s, (559.84±66.49) x 10 -6 mm 2 /s, and (613.28±128.71) x 10 -6 mm 2 /s, respectively. The value of λ 1 was significantly higher than that of λ 2 and λ 3 (P 2 and λ 3 (P>0.05). The value of 2λ 1 /(λ 2 +λ 3 ) was 2.74± 0.32. Conclusion: The normal cervical spinal cord can be well demonstrated in vivo by using DTI with SE-EPI sequence, and various parameters acquired on DTI are stable. The water diffusivity in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the spinal cord is found to be higher than that in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the spinal cord, thus suggesting the cylindrical anisotropic characteristics in the cervical spinal cord. (authors)

Subjective wellbeing among adults with diabetes : Results from Diabetes MILES—Australia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holmes-truscott, Elizabeth; Browne, Jessica L.; Pouwer, F.; Speight, Jane; Cummins, Robert A.

2016-01-01

This study examines the subjective wellbeing of Australian adults with diabetes who completed the Diabetes MILES—Australia survey, investigating by diabetes type and treatment, and by comparing with the subjective wellbeing of the general Australian adult population. In addition, the extent to which

A Theory-Driven Approach to Subject Design in Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zundans-Fraser, Lucia; Auhl, Greg

2016-01-01

The intent of this study was to examine how a theoretically-designed subject in an undergraduate teacher education course impacted on the learning and confidence of pre-service teachers in catering for the needs of students with diverse needs. The subject design utilised theoretical principles of self-organisation that were incorporated with the…

Self-disorder and subjective dimensions of suicidality in schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skodlar, Borut; Parnas, Josef

2010-01-01

We studied 25 schizophrenia patients using the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience phenomenological interview framework. In a previous study, this sample was qualitatively interviewed concerning subjective reasons for suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that 2 main identified reasons for suic...... on suicidality in schizophrenia: it appears to be partly motivated by a disordered sense of self. These findings, if replicated, may have considerable therapeutic and preventive implications.......We studied 25 schizophrenia patients using the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience phenomenological interview framework. In a previous study, this sample was qualitatively interviewed concerning subjective reasons for suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that 2 main identified reasons...... for suicidality, that is, sense of solitude and inferiority feelings, would be associated with disturbances measured by the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience scale, that is, disorders of self-awareness and self-presence. The hypothesis was empirically supported. The results shed some additional light...

Self-disorder and subjective dimensions of suicidality in schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skodlar, Borut; Parnas, Josef

2009-01-01

We studied 25 schizophrenia patients using the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience phenomenological interview framework. In a previous study, this sample was qualitatively interviewed concerning subjective reasons for suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that 2 main identified reasons for suic...... on suicidality in schizophrenia: it appears to be partly motivated by a disordered sense of self. These findings, if replicated, may have considerable therapeutic and preventive implications.......We studied 25 schizophrenia patients using the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience phenomenological interview framework. In a previous study, this sample was qualitatively interviewed concerning subjective reasons for suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that 2 main identified reasons...... for suicidality, that is, sense of solitude and inferiority feelings, would be associated with disturbances measured by the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience scale, that is, disorders of self-awareness and self-presence. The hypothesis was empirically supported. The results shed some additional light...

Subjective Fatigue in Children with Hearing Loss Assessed Using Self- and Parent-Proxy Report

Science.gov (United States)

Hornsby, Benjamin W. Y.; Gustafson, Samantha J.; Lancaster, Hope; Cho, Sun-Joo; Camarata, Stephen; Bess, Fred H.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The primary purposes of this study were to examine the effects of hearing loss and respondent type (self- vs. parent-proxy report) on subjective fatigue in children. We also examined associations between child-specific factors and fatigue ratings. Method: Subjective fatigue was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory…

Success in Implementation of a Resident In-Service Examination Review Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Forcucci, Jessica A; Hyer, J Madison; Bruner, Evelyn T; Lewin, David N; Batalis, Nicholas I

2017-04-01

Primary pathology board certification has been correlated with senior resident in-service examination (RISE) performance. We describe our success with an annual, month-long review series. Aggregate program RISE performance data were gathered for 3 years prior to and 3 years following initiation of the review series. In addition, mean United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge scores for residents participating in each RISE examination were obtained to control for incoming knowledge and test-taking ability. Linear models were used to evaluate differences in average RISE performance prior to and following the initiation of the review series in addition to controlling for relevant covariates. Significant improvement was noted in the grand total, anatomic pathology section average, clinical pathology section average, and transfusion medicine section. Although not statistically significant, improvement was noted on the cytopathology and clinical chemistry sections. There was no significant difference in scores in hematopathology, molecular pathology, and the special topics section average. In addition, improvement in primary pathology board certification rates was also noted. Institution of a month-long RISE review series demonstrated improved overall performance within our training program. The success could easily be replicated in any training program without significant disruption to an annual didactic series. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Experimental Quasi-Microwave Whole-Body Averaged SAR Estimation Method Using Cylindrical-External Field Scanning

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, Yoshifumi; Hikage, Takashi; Nojima, Toshio

The aim of this study is to develop a new whole-body averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) estimation method based on the external-cylindrical field scanning technique. This technique is adopted with the goal of simplifying the dosimetry estimation of human phantoms that have different postures or sizes. An experimental scaled model system is constructed. In order to examine the validity of the proposed method for realistic human models, we discuss the pros and cons of measurements and numerical analyses based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. We consider the anatomical European human phantoms and plane-wave in the 2GHz mobile phone frequency band. The measured whole-body averaged SAR results obtained by the proposed method are compared with the results of the FDTD analyses.

47 CFR 80.759 - Average terrain elevation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Average terrain elevation. 80.759 Section 80.759 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.759 Average terrain elevation. (a)(1) Draw radials...

Effect of body composition, aerobic performance and physical activity on exercise-induced oxidative stress in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Więcek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Wiecha, Szczepan; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata; Szygula, Zbigniew

2017-01-01

Oxidative stress could be the result of an increase in ATP resynthesis during exercise. The aim of the study was to compare prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) disturbances induced by exercise at maximal intensity in young men with differing body compositions. Thirty-nine subjects were selected from 1549 volunteers aged 18-30, based on lean body mass (LBM) and body fat percentage (%BF), and then assigned into one of the following groups: control group (CON), including subjects with average LBM (59.0-64.3 kg) and average %BF (14.0-18.5%); high body fat (HBF) group, including subjects with high %BF (>21.5%) and average LBM; and high lean body mass (HLBM) group, including subjects with high LBM (>66.3 kg) and average %BF. Participants' physical activity was determined. A running test with a gradually increased load was used. Before and 3 minutes after exercise, total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined in the plasma, and the Oxidative Stress Index (OSI = TOS/TAC) was calculated. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was comparable in the HBF and HLBM groups (53.12±1.51 mL/kg and 50.25±1.27 mL/kg, respectively) and significantly lower compared to the CON group (58.23±1.62 mL/kg). The CON, HBF and HLBM groups showed similar significant (P0.05). There was significant negative correlation between OSI, measured before and after exercise, and participants' physical activity. There was no correlation between OSI and VO2max, BM, LBM, %BF and BMI. Exercise at maximal intensity causes a similar increase in TOS and in TAC in subjects with increased %BF and elevated content of LBM and regardless of body composition, the ratios of TOS/TAC concentrations before and after maximal-intensity exercise, have lower values in people with higher physical activity levels and are not dependent on aerobic performance (VO2max).

Examining the independent protective effect of subjective well-being on severe psychological distress among Canadian adults with a history of child maltreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Baiden, Philip; Tarshis, Sarah; Antwi-Boasiako, Kofi; den Dunnen, Wendy

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the independent protective effect of subjective well-being on severe psychological distress among adult Canadians with a history of child maltreatment. Data for this study were obtained from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH). A sample of 8126 respondents aged 20-69 years old who experienced at least one child maltreatment event was analyzed using binary logistic regression with severe psychological distress as the outcome variable. Of the 8126 respondents with a history of child maltreatment, 3.9% experienced severe psychological distress within the past month. Results from the multivariate logistic regression revealed that emotional and psychological well-being each had a significant effect on severe psychological distress. For each unit increase in emotional well-being, the odds of a respondent having severe psychological distress were predicted to decrease by a factor of 28% and for each unit increase in psychological well-being, the odds of a respondent having severe psychological distress were predicted to decrease by a factor of 10%, net the effect of demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. Other factors associated with psychological distress included: younger age, poor self-perceived physical health, and chronic condition. Having post-secondary education, having a higher income, and being non-White predicted lower odds of severe psychological distress. Although, child maltreatment is associated with stressful life events later in adulthood, subjective well-being could serve as a protective factor against severe psychological distress among adults who experienced maltreatment when they were children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a Topical Anti-inflammatory/Antifungal Combination Cream in Mild-to-moderate Facial Seborrheic Dermatitis: An Intra-subject Controlled Trial Examining Treated vs. Untreated Skin Utilizing Clinical Features and Erythema-directed Digital Photography.

Science.gov (United States)

Dall'Oglio, Federica; Tedeschi, Aurora; Guardabasso, Vincenzo; Micali, Giuseppe

2015-09-01

To evaluate if nonprescription topical agents may provide positive outcomes in the management of mild-to-moderate facial seborrheic dermatitis by reducing inflammation and scale production through clinical evaluation and erythema-directed digital photography. Open-label, prospective, not-blinded, intra-patient, controlled, clinical trial (target area). Twenty adult subjects affected by mild-to-moderate facial seborrheic dermatitis were enrolled and instructed to apply the study cream two times daily, initially on a selected target area only for seven days. If the subject developed visible improvement, it was advised to extend the application to all facial affected area for 21 additional days. Efficacy was evaluated by measuring the grade of erythema (by clinical examination and by erythema-directed digital photography), desquamation (by clinical examination), and pruritus (by subject-completed visual analog scale). Additionally, at the end of the protocol, a Physician Global Assessment was carried out. Eighteen subjects completed the study, whereas two subjects were lost to follow-up for nonadherence and personal reasons, respectively. Day 7 data from target areas showed a significant reduction in erythema. At the end of study, a significant improvement was recorded for erythema, desquamation, and pruritus compared to baseline. Physician Global Assessment showed improvement in 89 percent of patients, with a complete response in 56 percent of cases. These preliminary results indicate that the study cream may be a viable nonprescription therapeutic option for patients affected by facial seborrheic dermatitis able to determine early and significant improvement. This study also emphasizes the advantages of using an erythema-directed digital photography system for assisting in a simple, more accurate erythema severity grading and therapeutic monitoring in patients affected by seborrheic dermatitis.

Retinal nerve fiber layer measurements by scanning laser polarimetry with enhanced corneal compensation in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Harsha L; Venkatesh, Chirravuri R; Vidyasagar, Kelli; Yadav, Ravi K; Addepalli, Uday K; Jude, Aarthi; Senthil, Sirisha; Garudadri, Chandra S

2014-12-01

To evaluate the (i) effects of biological (age and axial length) and instrument-related [typical scan score (TSS) and corneal birefringence] parameters on the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements and (ii) repeatability of RNFL measurements with the enhanced corneal compensation (ECC) protocol of scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) in healthy subjects. In a cross-sectional study, 140 eyes of 73 healthy subjects underwent RNFL imaging with the ECC protocol of SLP. Linear mixed modeling methods were used to evaluate the effects of age, axial length, TSS, and corneal birefringence on RNFL measurements. One randomly selected eye of 48 subjects from the cohort underwent 3 serial scans during the same session to determine the repeatability. Age significantly influenced all RNFL measurements. RNFL measurements decreased by 1 µm for every decade increase in age. TSS affected the overall average RNFL measurement (β=-0.62, P=0.003), whereas residual anterior segment retardance affected the superior quadrant measurement (β=1.14, P=0.01). Axial length and corneal birefringence measurements did not influence RNFL measurements. Repeatability, as assessed by the coefficient of variation, ranged between 1.7% for the overall average RNFL measurement and 11.4% for th nerve fiber indicator. Age significantly affected all RNFL measurements with the ECC protocol of SLP, whereas TSS and residual anterior segment retardance affected the overall average and the superior average RNFL measurements, respectively. Axial length and corneal birefringence measurements did not influence any RNFL measurements. RNFL measurements had good intrasession repeatability. These results are important while evaluating the change in structural measurements over time in glaucoma patients.

Taking OSCE examiner training on the road: reaching the masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Katharine; Smallwood, David; Collins, Margo; Sutherland, Ruth; Dodds, Agnes

To ensure the rigour of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) in assessing medical students, medical school educators must educate examiners with a view to standardising examiner assessment behaviour. Delivering OSCE examiner training is a necessary yet challenging part of the OSCE process. A novel approach to implementing training for current and potential OSCE examiners was trialled by delivering large-group education sessions at major teaching hospitals. The 'OSCE Roadshow' comprised a short training session delivered in the context of teaching hospital 'Grand Rounds' to current and potential OSCE examiners. The training was developed to educate clinicians about OSCE processes, clarify the examiners' role and required behaviours, and to review marking guides and mark allocation in an effort to standardise OSCE processes and encourage consistency in examiner marking behaviour. A short exercise allowed participants to practise marking a mock OSCE to investigate examiner marking behaviour after the training. OSCE Roadshows at four metropolitan and one rural teaching hospital were well received and well attended by 171 clinicians across six sessions. Unexpectedly, medical students also attended in large numbers ( n= 220). After training, participants' average scores for the mock OSCE clustered closely around the ideal score of 28 (out of 40), and the average scores did not differ according to the levels of clinical experience. The OSCE Roadshow demonstrated the potential of brief familiarisation training in reaching large numbers of current and potential OSCE examiners in a time and cost-effective manner to promote standardisation of OSCE processes.

Report on the results of the second medical examination of atomic bomb survivors resident in the South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamitsuna, Akimitsu; Monzen, Tetsuo; Oguma, Nobuo; Sakuma, Saburo; Takata, Yoshiki; Nakashima, Yoshiaki; Sakata, Morimitsu.

1987-06-01

In October 9 - 31, 1986, the second medical examination for A-bomb survivors was undertaken in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. Among 173 recognized A-bomb survivors in the five countries, 126 (73 %) participated in the examination, consisting of 61 men and 65 women. Seventy-eight A-bomb survivors came from Hiroshima and 48 from Nagasaki. The average age was 55.6 +- 9.7 years for men and 56.5 +- 9.8 years for women. The acquisition rate of ''Survivor's Health Handbook'' was 34 %. Gastric cancer was observed in two survivors and cervical cancer in one survivor. Major subjective symptoms were: fatigue, sensation of paralysis, heat intolerance, decreased physical strength, and itching. None of the abnormal findings were observed in 33 %. The incidence of hypertension, obesity, cardiac disease, and liver disease was high. The incidence of hypercholesteremia and diabetes mellitus was lower than that in the USA. (Namekawa, K.).

Adult Playfulness, Humor Styles, and Subjective Happiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Xiao D; Leung, Chun-Lok; Hiranandani, Neelam A

2016-12-01

Playfulness has been referred to as a disposition that involves reframing a situation to amuse others and to make the situation more stimulating and enjoyable. It may serve to shift one's perspective when dealing with environmental threats. Despite all the benefits of playfulness towards psychological well-being, it remains a largely understudied subject in psychology, particularly in Chinese societies. Hence, this study examined the association between adult playfulness, humor styles, and subjective happiness among a sample of 166 university students in Hong Kong and 159 students in Guangzhou, who completed a self-administered questionnaire, including the Short Measure for Adult Playfulness, the Chinese Humor Styles Questionnaire, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Results showed that adult playfulness was positively correlated with affiliative humor, self-enhancing humor, and subjective happiness in both Hong Kong and Guangzhou samples. By its implication, highly playful Chinese students preferred using affiliative and self-enhancing humor to amuse themselves and others. © The Author(s) 2016.

Bedside examination for vestibular screening in occupational medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamysłowska-Szmytke, Ewa; Szostek-Rogula, Sylwia; Śliwińska-Kowalska, Mariola

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of bedside examination for screening of vestibular and balance system for occupational medicine purposes. Study group comprised 165 patients referred to Audiology and Phoniatric Clinic due to vestibular and/or balance problems. Caloric canal paresis of 19% was the cut off value to divide patients into 43 caloric-positive vestibular subjects and 122 caloric-negative patients. The latter group comprised 79 subjects revealing abnormalities of videonystagmographic (VNG) oculomotor tests (central group) and 43 subjects with normal VNG. Vestibular and balance symptoms were collected. Five tests were included to bedside examination: Romberg and Unterberger tests, Head Impulse Test (HIT), Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) and gaze nystagmus assessment. Vestibular and balance symptoms were reported by 82% of vestibular, 73% of central and 40% of VNG-normal patients. Thirteen out of 18 VNG-normal but symptomatic subjects (73%) had abnormal tests in clinical assessment. The sensitivity of bedside test set for vestibular pathology was 88% as compared to caloric test and 68% for central pathology as compared to VNG oculomotor tests. The combination of 5 bedside tests reveal satisfactory sensitivity to detect vestibular abnormalities. Bedside examination abnormalities are highly correlated with vestibular/balance symptoms, regardless the normal results of VNG. Thus, this method should be recommended for occupational medicine purposes. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Symptom Severity and Quality of Life Among Long-term Colorectal Cancer Survivors Compared With Matched Control Subjects: A Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Tae L; Charles, Susan T; Gunaratne, Mekhala; Baxter, Nancy N; Cotterchio, Michelle; Cohen, Zane; Gallinger, Steven

2018-03-01

Data are lacking regarding physical functioning, psychological well-being, and quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors >10 years postdiagnosis. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported physical functioning, quality of life, and psychological well-being in long-term colorectal cancer survivors compared with age- and sex-matched unaffected control subjects. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey. The colorectal cancer survivors and unaffected control subjects were recruited from the Ontario Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry. A population-based sample of colorectal cancer survivors (N = 296) and their age- and sex-matched unaffected control subjects (N = 255) were included. Survivors were, on average, 15 years postdiagnosis. Quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scale, bowel dysfunction with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center scale, urinary dysfunction with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form, fatigue with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale, and depression with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. In linear mixed-model analyses adjusting for income, education, race, and comorbid medical conditions, survivors reported good emotional, functional, physical, and overall quality of life, comparable to control subjects. Fatigue and urinary functioning did not differ significantly between survivors and control subjects. Survivors reported significantly higher social quality of life and lower depression compared with unaffected control subjects. The only area where survivors reported significantly worse deficits was in bowel dysfunction, but the magnitude of differences was relatively small. Generalizability is limited by moderately low participation rates. Findings are likely biased toward healthy participants. No baseline assessment was available to examine change in outcomes over time. Long

HIGH AVERAGE POWER OPTICAL FEL AMPLIFIERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Historically, the first demonstration of the optical FEL was in an amplifier configuration at Stanford University [l]. There were other notable instances of amplifying a seed laser, such as the LLNL PALADIN amplifier [2] and the BNL ATF High-Gain Harmonic Generation FEL [3]. However, for the most part FELs are operated as oscillators or self amplified spontaneous emission devices. Yet, in wavelength regimes where a conventional laser seed can be used, the FEL can be used as an amplifier. One promising application is for very high average power generation, for instance FEL's with average power of 100 kW or more. The high electron beam power, high brightness and high efficiency that can be achieved with photoinjectors and superconducting Energy Recovery Linacs (ERL) combine well with the high-gain FEL amplifier to produce unprecedented average power FELs. This combination has a number of advantages. In particular, we show that for a given FEL power, an FEL amplifier can introduce lower energy spread in the beam as compared to a traditional oscillator. This properly gives the ERL based FEL amplifier a great wall-plug to optical power efficiency advantage. The optics for an amplifier is simple and compact. In addition to the general features of the high average power FEL amplifier, we will look at a 100 kW class FEL amplifier is being designed to operate on the 0.5 ampere Energy Recovery Linac which is under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Collider-Accelerator Department

Subjective Fatigue in Children with Hearing Loss: Some Preliminary Findings

Science.gov (United States)

Hornsby, Benjamin W. Y.; Werfel, Krystal; Camarata, Stephen; Bess, Fred H.

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors examined the effect of hearing loss on subjective reports of fatigue in school-age children using a standardized measure. Methods: As part of a larger ongoing study, the authors obtained subjective ratings of fatigue using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (Varni,…

Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices and School Climate amongst High, Average and Low Performance Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Siti Noor

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study attempted to determine whether the dimensions of TQM practices are predictors of school climate. It aimed to identify the level of TQM practices and school climate in three different categories of schools, namely high, average and low performance schools. The study also sought to examine which dimensions of TQM practices…

Reference Clinical Database for Fixation Stability Metrics in Normal Subjects Measured with the MAIA Microperimeter.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Marco U; Saker, Saker; Wilde, Craig; Pellizzari, Carlo; Pallikaris, Aristophanes; Notaroberto, Neil; Rubinstein, Martin; Rui, Chiara; Limoli, Paolo; Smolek, Michael K; Amoaku, Winfried M

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to establish a normal reference database for fixation stability measured with the bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) in the Macular Integrity Assessment (MAIA) microperimeter. Subjects were 358 healthy volunteers who had the MAIA examination. Fixation stability was assessed using two BCEA fixation indices (63% and 95% proportional values) and the percentage of fixation points within 1° and 2° from the fovea (P1 and P2). Statistical analysis was performed with linear regression and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. Average areas of 0.80 deg 2 (min = 0.03, max = 3.90, SD = 0.68) for the index BCEA@63% and 2.40 deg 2 (min = 0.20, max = 11.70, SD = 2.04) for the index BCEA@95% were found. The average values of P1 and P2 were 95% (min = 76, max = 100, SD = 5.31) and 99% (min = 91, max = 100, SD = 1.42), respectively. The Pearson's product moment test showed an almost perfect correlation index, r = 0.999, between BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%. Index P1 showed a very strong correlation with BCEA@63%, r = -0.924, as well as with BCEA@95%, r = -0.925. Index P2 demonstrated a slightly lower correlation with both BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%, r = -0.874 and -0.875, respectively. The single parameter of the BCEA@95% may be taken as accurately reporting fixation stability and serves as a reference database of normal subjects with a cutoff area of 2.40 ± 2.04 deg 2 in MAIA microperimeter. Fixation stability can be measured with different indices. This study originates reference fixation values for the MAIA using a single fixation index.

Grassmann Averages for Scalable Robust PCA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauberg, Søren; Feragen, Aasa; Black, Michael J.

2014-01-01

As the collection of large datasets becomes increasingly automated, the occurrence of outliers will increase—“big data” implies “big outliers”. While principal component analysis (PCA) is often used to reduce the size of data, and scalable solutions exist, it is well-known that outliers can...... to vectors (subspaces) or elements of vectors; we focus on the latter and use a trimmed average. The resulting Trimmed Grassmann Average (TGA) is particularly appropriate for computer vision because it is robust to pixel outliers. The algorithm has low computational complexity and minimal memory requirements...

Radiation exposure to the gonads in x-ray examinations of the stomach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radtke, I [Staedtisches Klinikum Berlin-Buch (German Democratic Republic). Roentgendiagnostisches Zentrum; Angerstein, W [Forschungsinstitut fuer Tuberkulose und Lungenkrankheiten, Berlin (German Democratic Republic); Koenig, W; Menzel, B [Staatliches Amt fuer Atomsicherheit und Strahlenschutz, Berlin (German Democratic Republic)

1978-12-01

The measurement of the gonad dose in 95 examinations of the stomach according to the recommendations of the Society of Medical Radiology of the GDR is reported. An average of 62 mR was found in 37 intravaginal measurements. For 58 men the average dose was 6.9 mR. Moreover, the measuring results of 23 authors are tabulated. According to these gonad doses are between 10 and 830 mrads for women and between 1.2 and 230 mrads for men. Finally, data are given on the frequency of examinations of the stomach.

Radiation exposure to the gonads in x-ray examinations of the stomach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radtke, I.; Koenig, W.; Menzel, B.

1978-01-01

The measurement of the gonad dose in 95 examinations of the stomach according to the recommendations of the Society of Medical Radiology of the GDR is reported. An average of 62 mR was found in 37 intravaginal measurements. For 58 men the average dose was 6.9 mR. Moreover, the measuring results of 23 authors are tabulated. According to these gonad doses are between 10 and 830 mrads for women and between 1.2 and 230 mrads for men. Finally, data are given on the frequency of examinations of the stomach. (author)

Scale-invariant Green-Kubo relation for time-averaged diffusivity

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Philipp; Barkai, Eli; Kantz, Holger

2017-12-01

In recent years it was shown both theoretically and experimentally that in certain systems exhibiting anomalous diffusion the time- and ensemble-averaged mean-squared displacement are remarkably different. The ensemble-averaged diffusivity is obtained from a scaling Green-Kubo relation, which connects the scale-invariant nonstationary velocity correlation function with the transport coefficient. Here we obtain the relation between time-averaged diffusivity, usually recorded in single-particle tracking experiments, and the underlying scale-invariant velocity correlation function. The time-averaged mean-squared displacement is given by 〈δ2¯〉 ˜2 DνtβΔν -β , where t is the total measurement time and Δ is the lag time. Here ν is the anomalous diffusion exponent obtained from ensemble-averaged measurements 〈x2〉 ˜tν , while β ≥-1 marks the growth or decline of the kinetic energy 〈v2〉 ˜tβ . Thus, we establish a connection between exponents that can be read off the asymptotic properties of the velocity correlation function and similarly for the transport constant Dν. We demonstrate our results with nonstationary scale-invariant stochastic and deterministic models, thereby highlighting that systems with equivalent behavior in the ensemble average can differ strongly in their time average. If the averaged kinetic energy is finite, β =0 , the time scaling of 〈δ2¯〉 and 〈x2〉 are identical; however, the time-averaged transport coefficient Dν is not identical to the corresponding ensemble-averaged diffusion constant.

Subjective wellbeing and income: Empirical patterns in the rural developing world

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes-García, Victoria; Babigumira, Ronnie; Pyhälä, Aili; Wunder, Sven; Zorondo-Rodríguez, Francisco; Angelsen, Arild

2016-01-01

A commonality in the economics of happiness literature is that absolute income matters more for the subjective wellbeing of people at low income levels. In this article, we use a large sample of people in rural areas of developing countries with relatively low income levels to test whether subjective wellbeing an increasing function of absolute income in our sample, and to analyze the existence of adaptation and social comparison effects on subjective wellbeing. Our sample includes 6973 rural households in 23 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The average total income per adult equivalent in our sample was US$1555, whereas levels of subjective wellbeing resembled levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We find that, despite low levels of absolute income, levels of subjective wellbeing of our respondents resemble levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We also find remarkable similarities in many of the determinants of subjective wellbeing previously tested. Our data show that absolute income covariates with subjective wellbeing, but -as for richer samples- the magnitude of the association is lower once we control for adaptation and social comparison. Finally, our results suggest that social comparison has a stronger effect than adaptation in explaining the subjective wellbeing of our sample. Our findings highlight the importance of adaptation and social comparison even at low levels of absolute income. PMID:27642259

Rf system modeling for the high average power FEL at CEBAF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merminga, L.; Fugitt, J.; Neil, G.; Simrock, S.

1995-01-01

High beam loading and energy recovery compounded by use of superconducting cavities, which requires tight control of microphonic noise, place stringent constraints on the linac rf system design of the proposed high average power FEL at CEBAF. Longitudinal dynamics imposes off-crest operation, which in turn implies a large tuning angle to minimize power requirements. Amplitude and phase stability requirements are consistent with demonstrated performance at CEBAF. A numerical model of the CEBAF rf control system is presented and the response of the system is examined under large parameter variations, microphonic noise, and beam current fluctuations. Studies of the transient behavior lead to a plausible startup and recovery scenario

Choosing the best index for the average score intraclass correlation coefficient.

Science.gov (United States)

Shieh, Gwowen

2016-09-01

The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)(2) index from a one-way random effects model is widely used to describe the reliability of mean ratings in behavioral, educational, and psychological research. Despite its apparent utility, the essential property of ICC(2) as a point estimator of the average score intraclass correlation coefficient is seldom mentioned. This article considers several potential measures and compares their performance with ICC(2). Analytical derivations and numerical examinations are presented to assess the bias and mean square error of the alternative estimators. The results suggest that more advantageous indices can be recommended over ICC(2) for their theoretical implication and computational ease.

40 CFR 80.205 - How is the annual refinery or importer average and corporate pool average sulfur level determined?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... volume of gasoline produced or imported in batch i. Si=The sulfur content of batch i determined under § 80.330. n=The number of batches of gasoline produced or imported during the averaging period. i=Individual batch of gasoline produced or imported during the averaging period. (b) All annual refinery or...

The interrelation between mindfulness and subjective well-being

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zelikson D.I.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article considers the phenomenon of mindfulness and its relationship to subjective well-being. The main objective of the study was the empirical confirmation of the relationship between mindfulness and components of hedonic model of subjective well-being. To this end, we held a correlation study with the participation of 94 men and 137 women (average age totaled 27.35 years. The participants filled out a questionnaire “Scale of life satisfaction” by E. Dinera, questionnaire" Mindfulness and awareness” as well as a modified version of the questionnaire "Scale differential emotions". A positive relationship of mindfulness and positive emotions, life satisfaction and the ratio of positive and negative emotions. We detected the negative relationship of negative emotions and mindfulness with life satisfaction. The obtained results are in good agreement with earlier studies and suggest that there exists an interaction between emotional and cognitive processes.

Achievement Goal Orientations and Subjective Well-Being: A Person-Centred Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tuominen-Soini, Heta; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Niemivirta, Markku

2008-01-01

This study examined whether students with different achievement goal orientation profiles differ in terms of subjective well-being (i.e., self-esteem, depressive symptoms, school-related burnout, and educational goal appraisals). Six groups of students with unique motivational profiles were identified. Observed differences in subjective well-being…

[Subjective Gait Stability in the Elderly].

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, Theresa; Lampe, Jasmin; Michalk, Katrin; Röder, Lotte; Munsch, Karoline; Marquardt, Jonas

2017-07-10

It can be assumed that the feeling of gait stability or gait instability in the elderly may be independent of a possible fear of falling or a history of falling when walking. Up to now, there has been a lack of spatiotemporal gait parameters for older people who subjectively feel secure when walking. The aim of the study is to analyse the distribution of various gait parameters for older people who subjectively feel secure when walking. In a cross-sectional study, the gait parameters stride time, step time, stride length, step length, double support, single support, and walking speed were measured using a Vicon three-dimensional motion capture system (Plug-In Gait Lower-Body Marker Set) in 31 healthy people aged 65 years and older (mean age 72 ± 3.54 years) who subjectively feel secure when walking. There was a homogeneous distribution in the gait parameters examined, with no abnormalities. The mean values have a low variance with narrow confidence intervals. This study provides evidence that people who subjectively feel secure when walking demonstrate similarly objective gait parameters..

Averaged differential expression for the discovery of biomarkers in the blood of patients with prostate cancer.

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V Uma Bai

Full Text Available The identification of a blood-based diagnostic marker is a goal in many areas of medicine, including the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. We describe the use of averaged differential display as an efficient mechanism for biomarker discovery in whole blood RNA. The process of averaging reduces the problem of clinical heterogeneity while simultaneously minimizing sample handling.RNA was isolated from the blood of prostate cancer patients and healthy controls. Samples were pooled and subjected to the averaged differential display process. Transcripts present at different levels between patients and controls were purified and sequenced for identification. Transcript levels in the blood of prostate cancer patients and controls were verified by quantitative RT-PCR. Means were compared using a t-test and a receiver-operating curve was generated. The Ring finger protein 19A (RNF19A transcript was identified as having higher levels in prostate cancer patients compared to healthy men through the averaged differential display process. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed a more than 2-fold higher level of RNF19A mRNA levels in the blood of patients with prostate cancer than in healthy controls (p = 0.0066. The accuracy of distinguishing cancer patients from healthy men using RNF19A mRNA levels in blood as determined by the area under the receiving operator curve was 0.727.Averaged differential display offers a simplified approach for the comprehensive screening of body fluids, such as blood, to identify biomarkers in patients with prostate cancer. Furthermore, this proof-of-concept study warrants further analysis of RNF19A as a clinically relevant biomarker for prostate cancer detection.

Subjective memory impairment and well-being in community-dwelling older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuniga, Krystle E; Mackenzie, Michael J; Kramer, Arthur; McAuley, Edward

2016-01-01

The relationship between subjective memory impairment (SMI), future cognitive decline, and negative health status provides an opportunity for interventions to reduce memory complaints in high-risk groups. This study aimed to examine the relationship between SMI and indicators of well-being in older adults enrolled in an exercise trial. Additionally, the study examined whether two different modes of exercise training, aerobic walking and non-aerobic flexibility, toning, and balance, differentially influenced subjective memory across the trial. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 179, mean age = 66.4 years) were randomly assigned to a walking or flexibility, toning, and balance group for 12 months. Subjective memory, happiness, perceived stress, and symptom reporting were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. A main effect of subjective memory indicated that individuals with the fewest memory complaints had lower perceived stress (P happiness levels (P memory complaints in high-risk groups. © 2015 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2015 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Subjective sleep quality in sarcoidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosse-Henck, Andrea; Wirtz, Hubert; Hinz, Andreas

2015-05-01

Poor sleep is common among patients with medical disorders. Sleep disturbances can be a cause of fatigue and poor quality of life for patients suffering from sarcoidosis. Studies on subjective sleep quality or prevalence of insomnia have not been reported so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the subjectively reported sleep quality and its relation to psychological and physical factors in sarcoidosis patients. 1197 patients from Germany diagnosed with sarcoidosis were examined using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). 802 patients (67%) had PSQI global scores >5, indicating subjectively poor quality of sleep. The mean PSQI score was 7.79 ± 4.00. Women reported a significantly inferior individual quality of sleep than men. The subjective quality of sleep was lowered significantly with increasing dyspnea for men and women. 294 patients (25%) had PSQI global scores >10 usually found in patients with clinically relevant insomnia. In this group 86% had high values for fatigue, 69% for anxiety, and 59% for depression. The prevalence of known sleep apnea was 8.7% and 15.7% for restless legs. Poor subjective sleep quality in sarcoidosis patients is about twice as common as in the general population and is associated with fatigue, anxiety, depression and dyspnea. Questions about sleep complaints should therefore be included in the management of sarcoidosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Impact of Road Condition Complexity on Driving Workload Based on Subjective Measurement using NASA TLX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugiono Sugiono

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Prior researchers indicate that mental load is one of the most important contributors to a traffic accident. The aim of the paper is to investigate the impact and the correlation of road condition and driving experience on driver’s mental workload. The driving test consists of 3 road complicity situation (urban road, highway, rural road with 26 drivers with average 21 years old in different experience level (average 4.08 years’ experience. NASA TLX questioner is used as subjective driver’s mental load measurement with three dimensions relate to the demands imposed on the subject (Mental, Physical and Temporal Demands and three to the interaction of a subject with the task (Effort, Frustration, and Performance. There are 3 cameras placed on the left side, right side and front car to identify the road condition. According to experiment, it was found that drivers felt that frustration level, business, and mental-demand factors dominate the impact on high-level workload (96.15%. Highway road conditions provide an average overall workload score of 62 (OWS which was better compared to city road (OWS = 69 and rural road (OWS = 66. Based on street complexity, it is necessary to improve road conditions that resemble highway road by reducing potential hazard.

Evaluation of a Novel Wireless Transmission System for Trauma Ultrasound Examinations From Moving Ambulances.

Science.gov (United States)

Morchel, Herman; Ogedegbe, Chinwe; Chaplin, William; Cheney, Brianna; Zakharchenko, Svetlana; Misch, David; Schwartz, Matthew; Feldman, Joseph; Kaul, Sanjeev

2018-03-01

To determine if physicians trained in ultrasound interpretation perceive a difference in image quality and usefulness between Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography ultrasound examinations performed at bedside in a hospital vs. by emergency medical technicians minimally trained in medical ultrasound on a moving ambulance and transmitted to the hospital via a novel wireless system. In particular, we sought to demonstrate that useful images could be obtained from patients in less than optimal imaging conditions; that is, while they were in transport. Emergency medical technicians performed the examinations during transport of blunt trauma patients. Upon patient arrival at the hospital, a bedside Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography examination was performed by a physician. Both examinations were recorded and later reviewed by physicians trained in ultrasound interpretation. Data were collected on 20 blunt trauma patients over a period of 13 mo. Twenty ultrasound-trained physicians blindly compared transmitted vs. bedside images using 11 Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction scales. Four paired samples t-tests were conducted to assess mean differences between ratings for ambulatory and base images. Although there is a slight tendency for the average rating across all subjects and raters to be slightly higher in the base than in the ambulatory condition, none of these differences are statistically significant. These results suggest that the quality of the ambulatory images was viewed as essentially as good as the quality of the base images.

Area-averaged surface fluxes and their time-space variability over the FIFE experimental domain

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, E. A.; Hsu, A. Y.; Crosson, W. L.; Field, R. T.; Fritschen, L. J.; Gurney, R. J.; Kanemasu, E. T.; Kustas, W. P.; Nie, D.; Shuttleworth, W. J.

1992-01-01

The underlying mean and variance properties of surface net radiation, sensible-latent heat fluxes and soil heat flux are studied over the densely instrumented grassland region encompassing FIFE. Flux variability is discussed together with the problem of scaling up to area-averaged fluxes. Results are compared and contrasted for cloudy and clear situations and examined for the influence of surface-induced biophysical controls (burn and grazing treatments) and topographic controls (aspect ratios and slope factors).

Gastric emptying time in normal subjects using /sup 51/Cr and a gamma camera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claure, H [Hospital del Salvador, Santiago de Chile; Calderon, C; Braunschweig, T; Diaz, G

1974-12-01

Gastric emptying time of a meal consisting of 2 eggs, 50 g of white bread, and 300 ml of milk, was measured in 10 normal subjects, 5 males and 5 females, with an average age of 34.7 years. 200 uCi of Cr-51 were added to the meal and external counting was performed using a ..gamma.. camera. The rate of gastric emptying was estimated by the decrease in radiation counts over the gastric area. In 68.6 percent of the subjects the mean gastric emptying time was 60 min. The average curve showed a complex exponential slope with 2 distinct phases: a fast one between 0 and 35 min and a slow one between 40 and 60 min. These results suggest that a normal gastric emptying time consists of 2 different rate phases when a meal of mixed consistency (liquid and solid) is ingested.

Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged/Large Eddy Simulation of a Cavity Flameholder; Assessment of Modeling Sensitivities

Science.gov (United States)

Baurle, R. A.

2015-01-01

Steady-state and scale-resolving simulations have been performed for flow in and around a model scramjet combustor flameholder. The cases simulated corresponded to those used to examine this flowfield experimentally using particle image velocimetry. A variety of turbulence models were used for the steady-state Reynolds-averaged simulations which included both linear and non-linear eddy viscosity models. The scale-resolving simulations used a hybrid Reynolds-averaged / large eddy simulation strategy that is designed to be a large eddy simulation everywhere except in the inner portion (log layer and below) of the boundary layer. Hence, this formulation can be regarded as a wall-modeled large eddy simulation. This effort was undertaken to formally assess the performance of the hybrid Reynolds-averaged / large eddy simulation modeling approach in a flowfield of interest to the scramjet research community. The numerical errors were quantified for both the steady-state and scale-resolving simulations prior to making any claims of predictive accuracy relative to the measurements. The steady-state Reynolds-averaged results showed a high degree of variability when comparing the predictions obtained from each turbulence model, with the non-linear eddy viscosity model (an explicit algebraic stress model) providing the most accurate prediction of the measured values. The hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large eddy simulation results were carefully scrutinized to ensure that even the coarsest grid had an acceptable level of resolution for large eddy simulation, and that the time-averaged statistics were acceptably accurate. The autocorrelation and its Fourier transform were the primary tools used for this assessment. The statistics extracted from the hybrid simulation strategy proved to be more accurate than the Reynolds-averaged results obtained using the linear eddy viscosity models. However, there was no predictive improvement noted over the results obtained from the explicit

Subjective well-being and time use of brazilian PhD professors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maiana Farias Oliveira Nunes

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The university professor suffers high pressure to achieve productivity and performs under work conditions that are not always satisfactory. This study seeks to analyze the subjective well-being, the time-use strategies, and the satisfaction with their use of time of PhD-holding professors with and without productivity grants from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq. A total of 83 professors participated in the study (48 with productivity grants, with an average age of 50 years. A total of 89% of participants were from public institutions. The majority of the participants exhibited high levels of negative affect and low-average levels of satisfaction with their use of time. There was no difference in the subjective well-being or in the satisfaction with the use of time when comparing professors who had received a CNPq grant with professors who had not received a CNPq grant. The most important reason for dissatisfaction with the use of time was an excess of work, whereas peer recognition was the primary achievement obtained with the work. How work demands and conditions influence the well-being of the professors is discussed in this study.

Instrumental analysis for mercury in thumbnails of human subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanabrocki, E L; Kanabrocki, J A; Greco, J [Veterans Administration Hospital, Hines, Ill. (USA)

1977-07-01

Mercury levels in thumbnails were determined by instrumental analysis using thermal neutron activation technique. Samples were obtained from 14 subjects employed in the hospital dental service (a), 19 in the clinical laboratories (b), and from 16 hospitalized patients who were not employed in laboratory occupations (c). The average mercury levels in ppM for the respective groups were: (a) dentists, 2.7; technicians, 3.9; assistants, 6.6; (b) male technicians, 0.4; female technicians, 1.9; (c) patients, 0.3.

Inter-Subject Variability of Axonal Injury in Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Ware, Jeffrey B; Hart, Tessa; Whyte, John; Rabinowitz, Amanda; Detre, John A; Kim, Junghoon

2017-07-15

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of cognitive morbidity worldwide for which reliable biomarkers are needed. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a promising biomarker of traumatic axonal injury (TAI); however, existing studies have been limited by a primary reliance on group-level analytic methods not well suited to account for inter-subject variability. In this study, 42 adults with TBI of at least moderate severity were examined 3 months following injury and compared with 35 healthy controls. DTI data were used for both traditional group-level comparison and subject-specific analysis using the distribution-corrected Z-score (DisCo-Z) approach. Inter-subject variation in TAI was assessed in a threshold-invariant manner using a threshold-weighted overlap map derived from subject-specific analysis. Receiver operator curve analysis was used to examine the ability of subject-specific DTI analysis to identify TBI subjects with significantly impaired processing speed in comparison with region of interest-based fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements and clinical characteristics. Traditional group-wise analysis demonstrated widespread reductions of white matter FA within the TBI group (voxel-wise p traumatic deficits in processing speed. Significant group-level effects do not necessarily represent consistent effects at the individual level. Better accounting for inter-subject variability in neurobiological manifestations of TBI may substantially improve the ability to detect and classify patterns of injury.

Correlation of United States Medical Licensing Examination and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Jose A; Greer, Sharon

2009-12-01

The Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (ITE) is administered during residency training in the United States as a self-assessment and program assessment tool. Performance on this exam correlates with outcome on the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying examination. Internal Medicine Program Directors use the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to make decisions in recruitment of potential applicants. This study was done to determine a correlation of USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3 results with ITE scores in each level of Internal Medicine training. A retrospective review of all residents graduating from an Internal Medicine program from 1999 to 2006 was done. Subjects included had data for all USMLE Steps and ITE during all years of training. Thirty-one subjects were included in the study. Correlations of USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3 were done with ITE scores (percent correct) in each year of training. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was determined for each pairing and a t test to determine statistical significance of the correlation was done. Statistical significance was defined as P value ITE percent correct in PGY I, II and III were 0.46, 0.55 and 0.51 respectively. Corresponding r values for USMLE Step 2 and ITE percent correct were 0.79, 0.70 and 0.72; for USMLE Step 3 these values were 0.51, 0.37 and 0.51 respectively for each training year. USMLE scores are correlated with ITE scores. This correlation was strongest for USMLE Step 2.

Cultural Capital, Family Background and Education: Choosing University Subjects in China

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Xiaoming

2017-01-01

This article employs Bourdieu's conceptual tools to unpack family influences on students' subject and university choices in China. This empirical study employed mixed research approaches, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, to examine students' choices of subjects and universities in a sample of secondary school students from the age…

Averaging processes in granular flows driven by gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Giulia; Armanini, Aronne

2016-04-01

One of the more promising theoretical frames to analyse the two-phase granular flows is offered by the similarity of their rheology with the kinetic theory of gases [1]. Granular flows can be considered a macroscopic equivalent of the molecular case: the collisions among molecules are compared to the collisions among grains at a macroscopic scale [2,3]. However there are important statistical differences in dealing with the two applications. In the two-phase fluid mechanics, there are two main types of average: the phasic average and the mass weighed average [4]. The kinetic theories assume that the size of atoms is so small, that the number of molecules in a control volume is infinite. With this assumption, the concentration (number of particles n) doesn't change during the averaging process and the two definitions of average coincide. This hypothesis is no more true in granular flows: contrary to gases, the dimension of a single particle becomes comparable to that of the control volume. For this reason, in a single realization the number of grain is constant and the two averages coincide; on the contrary, for more than one realization, n is no more constant and the two types of average lead to different results. Therefore, the ensamble average used in the standard kinetic theory (which usually is the phasic average) is suitable for the single realization, but not for several realization, as already pointed out in [5,6]. In the literature, three main length scales have been identified [7]: the smallest is the particles size, the intermediate consists in the local averaging (in order to describe some instability phenomena or secondary circulation) and the largest arises from phenomena such as large eddies in turbulence. Our aim is to solve the intermediate scale, by applying the mass weighted average, when dealing with more than one realizations. This statistical approach leads to additional diffusive terms in the continuity equation: starting from experimental

Average-case analysis of numerical problems

CERN Document Server

2000-01-01

The average-case analysis of numerical problems is the counterpart of the more traditional worst-case approach. The analysis of average error and cost leads to new insight on numerical problems as well as to new algorithms. The book provides a survey of results that were mainly obtained during the last 10 years and also contains new results. The problems under consideration include approximation/optimal recovery and numerical integration of univariate and multivariate functions as well as zero-finding and global optimization. Background material, e.g. on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and random fields, is provided.

The Utility of Single Subject Design Research

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Kyle D.

2016-01-01

Single subject design (SSD) research is a quantitative approach used to investigate basic and applied research questions. It has been used for decades to examine issues of social importance such as those related to general and special education strategies, therapeutic approaches in mental health, community health practices, safety, and business…

Concurrent Validity Between a Shared Curriculum, the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination, and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Sisson, Stephen D; Bertram, Amanda; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2015-03-01

A core objective of residency education is to facilitate learning, and programs need more curricula and assessment tools with demonstrated validity evidence. We sought to demonstrate concurrent validity between performance on a widely shared, ambulatory curriculum (the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Curriculum), the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE), and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (ABIM-CE). A cohort study of 443 postgraduate year (PGY)-3 residents at 22 academic and community hospital internal medicine residency programs using the curriculum through the Johns Hopkins Internet Learning Center (ILC). Total and percentile rank scores on ILC didactic modules were compared with total and percentile rank scores on the IM-ITE and total scores on the ABIM-CE. The average score on didactic modules was 80.1%; the percentile rank was 53.8. The average IM-ITE score was 64.1% with a percentile rank of 54.8. The average score on the ABIM-CE was 464. Scores on the didactic modules, IM-ITE, and ABIM-CE correlated with each other (P ITE total and percentile rank scores (P ITE percentile rank. Performance on a widely shared ambulatory curriculum is associated with performance on the IM-ITE and the ABIM-CE.

Examination of Capital Murder Jurors' Deliberations: Methods and Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Keith; Coleman, Susan; Byrd, Gary R.

2014-01-01

The study of capital juries remains a subject of critical interest for the public and for legislative and judicial policy makers as well as legal scholars and social scientists. Cowan, Thompson, and Ellsworth established one of the standard methodologies for examination of this topic in their 1984 seminal study by observing the subjects' debate…

Subjective well-being among family caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities: the role of affiliate stigma and psychosocial moderating variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Shirli; Shulman, Cory

2013-11-01

Studies have shown that stigmatization is linked to lower quality of life; however, only scant research has examined the association between family caregivers' internalization of stigma (affiliate stigma) and their subjective quality of life (subjective well-being, SWB). Furthermore, studies have rarely examined this association via comparison between caregivers of individuals with different developmental disabilities in addition to examining the influence of psychosocial protective factors. These were the aims of the current study. Family caregivers (N=176) of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disabilities (ID), and physical disabilities (PD) completed a self-report structured questionnaire including scales measuring SWB, affiliate stigma, burden, positive meaning in caregiving, social support and self-esteem. Results showed that SWB of family caregivers was below the average normative level and especially low for caregivers of individuals with ASD. The strongest predictors of SWB were caregivers' self-esteem, social support, positive meaning in caregiving, and affiliate stigma. Furthermore, an interaction was found between affiliate stigma and diagnosis, showing that among caregivers of individuals with ASD, greater levels of stigma were associated with lower ratings of SWB, whereas such an association was not found among caregivers of individuals with ID or PD. Findings from this study point to the importance of supporting caregivers across the life-span in order to decrease stigma, improve social support and self-esteem and improve SWB. Further, findings point to the need to respond differentially to the various developmental disabilities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-model selection inference and model averaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georges Nguefack-Tsague

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Although model selection is routinely used in practice nowadays, little is known about its precise effects on any subsequent inference that is carried out. The same goes for the effects induced by the closely related technique of model averaging. This paper is concerned with the use of the same data first to select a model and then to carry out inference, in particular point estimation and point prediction. The properties of the resulting estimator, called a post-model-selection estimator (PMSE, are hard to derive. Using selection criteria such as hypothesis testing, AIC, BIC, HQ and Cp, we illustrate that, in terms of risk function, no single PMSE dominates the others. The same conclusion holds more generally for any penalised likelihood information criterion. We also compare various model averaging schemes and show that no single one dominates the others in terms of risk function. Since PMSEs can be regarded as a special case of model averaging, with 0-1 random-weights, we propose a connection between the two theories, in the frequentist approach, by taking account of the selection procedure when performing model averaging. We illustrate the point by simulating a simple linear regression model.

Examining impulse-variability in overarm throwing.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbin, M A; Stodden, David; Boros, Rhonda; Shannon, David

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine variability in overarm throwing velocity and spatial output error at various percentages of maximum to test the prediction of an inverted-U function as predicted by impulse-variability theory and a speed-accuracy trade-off as predicted by Fitts' Law Thirty subjects (16 skilled, 14 unskilled) were instructed to throw a tennis ball at seven percentages of their maximum velocity (40-100%) in random order (9 trials per condition) at a target 30 feet away. Throwing velocity was measured with a radar gun and interpreted as an index of overall systemic power output. Within-subject throwing velocity variability was examined using within-subjects repeated-measures ANOVAs (7 repeated conditions) with built-in polynomial contrasts. Spatial error was analyzed using mixed model regression. Results indicated a quadratic fit with variability in throwing velocity increasing from 40% up to 60%, where it peaked, and then decreasing at each subsequent interval to maximum (p < .001, η2 = .555). There was no linear relationship between speed and accuracy. Overall, these data support the notion of an inverted-U function in overarm throwing velocity variability as both skilled and unskilled subjects approach maximum effort. However, these data do not support the notion of a speed-accuracy trade-off. The consistent demonstration of an inverted-U function associated with systemic power output variability indicates an enhanced capability to regulate aspects of force production and relative timing between segments as individuals approach maximum effort, even in a complex ballistic skill.

Average L-shell fluorescence, Auger, and electron yields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, M.O.

1980-01-01

The dependence of the average L-shell fluorescence and Auger yields on the initial vacancy distribution is shown to be small. By contrast, the average electron yield pertaining to both Auger and Coster-Kronig transitions is shown to display a strong dependence. Numerical examples are given on the basis of Krause's evaluation of subshell radiative and radiationless yields. Average yields are calculated for widely differing vacancy distributions and are intercompared graphically for 40 3 subshell yields in most cases of inner-shell ionization