An instrument to assess subjective task value beliefs regarding the decision to pursue postgraduate training.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagemeier, Nicholas E; Murawski, Matthew M

2014-02-12

To develop and validate an instrument to assess subjective ratings of the perceived value of various postgraduate training paths followed using expectancy-value as a theoretical framework; and to explore differences in value beliefs across type of postgraduate training pursued and type of pharmacy training completed prior to postgraduate training. A survey instrument was developed to sample 4 theoretical domains of subjective task value: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and perceived cost. Retrospective self-report methodology was employed to examine respondents' (N=1,148) subjective task value beliefs specific to their highest level of postgraduate training completed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques were used to evaluate and validate value belief constructs. Intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost, and financial value constructs resulted from exploratory factor analysis. Cross-validation resulted in a 26-item instrument that demonstrated good model fit. Differences in value beliefs were noted across type of postgraduate training pursued and pharmacy training characteristics. The Postgraduate Training Value Instrument demonstrated evidence of reliability and construct validity. The survey instrument can be used to assess value beliefs regarding multiple postgraduate training options in pharmacy and potentially inform targeted recruiting of individuals to those paths best matching their own value beliefs.

The MDP skull uptake test: A new diagnostic tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ell, P.J.; Jarritt, P.H.; Cullum, I.; Lui, D.

1984-01-01

An original approach to the measurement of bone turnover is presented. With SPECT, the authors have measured in pgr/ml, the uptake of MDP by the skull in man. The Cleon 710 scanner, ring phantoms and bone biopsies were used for ultimate in vivo/in vitro count recovery correlation and calibration. A normal range for 24 patients was found: 8.5 to 19.5 pgr/ml with a mean of 14. For patients with bony metastases (12), the values were: 22.5 to 50, mean of 30. For 5 patients with osteomalacia, the values were 46 to 68, mean of 62: for 12 patients with hyperparathyroidism, the values were 37 to 48.5, mean of 43. In 3 patients with Pagets disease, the values were 58.5 to 75, with a mean of 65. In 76 patients with metastatic disease to bone, the conventional wholebody bone scan was investigated against the following: 24h wholebody retention of MDP (WBR), skull uptake as described and GFR by Cr-51-DTPA. There is a correlation between GFR and WBR - r=0.67. There is a lesser correlation between GFR and skull uptake - r=0.3. There is no correlation between skull uptake and WBR - r=0.1. The comparison of skull uptake data with normal whole body bone scans leads to a significant proportion of cancer patients with positive skull uptake data. Monostotic disease (especially if metabolic in nature) expresses itself by abnormal skull uptake even if the clinical site of abnormality lies outside the skull. This new technique is ideal as a tool to investigate phosphonate concentration in bone. With it, the authors have shown the effect of specific activity of label on skull uptake, which increases as the specific activity of labelled MDP decreases

Getting off on the right foot: subjective value versus economic value in predicting longitudinal job outcomes from job offer negotiations.

Science.gov (United States)

Curhan, Jared R; Elfenbein, Hillary Anger; Kilduff, Gavin J

2009-03-01

Although negotiation experiences can affect a negotiator's ensuing attitudes and behavior, little is known about their long-term consequences. Using a longitudinal survey design, the authors tested the degree to which economic and subjective value achieved in job offer negotiations predicts employees' subsequent job attitudes and intentions concerning turnover. Results indicate that subjective value predicts greater compensation satisfaction and job satisfaction and lower turnover intention measured 1 year later. Surprisingly, the economic outcomes that negotiators achieved had no apparent effects on these factors. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intention of international students

OpenAIRE

Jamaludin, N. L.; Sam, D. L.; Sandal, G. M.; Adam, A. A.

2016-01-01

What are the factors that predict international students? destination-loyalty intention? This is the main question this paper addresses, using an online survey among 396 (short-term, N?=?182) and (long-term, N?=?214) international students at a Norwegian university. Structural equation model-AMOS was conducted to examine relationships among personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intentions. The results showed that: (1) universalism was positively related to subjective ...

Correlation between spirometry values and pulmonary artery pressure in young healthy subjects.

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Grossman, Alon; Benderly, Michal; Prokupetz, Alex; Gordon, Barak; Kalter-Leibovici, Ofra

2014-03-01

Pulmonary hypertension is frequently associated with parenchymal lung disease. We evaluated the association between spirometry values and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) in young subjects without lung disease : We studied applicants to the Israeli Air Force, who undergo routine evaluation that includes resting spirometry and echocardiography. Applicants with overt lung disease were excluded. All echocardiographic studies performed in the years 1994 through 2010 (n = 6,598) were screened, and files that included PASP and spirometry values were analyzed for the association between PASP and FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow, and forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC maneuver. Of the 647 air force applicants who underwent echocardiography in which PASP was measurable and had spirometry data, 607 (94%) were male, and their average age was 18.16 ± 0.73 years. Mean PASP was 26.4 ± 5.2 mm Hg (range 10-41 mm Hg). None of the spirometry values significantly correlated with PASP. PASP in young healthy subjects is not significantly associated with spirometry values. Lung mechanics probably do not contribute significantly to PASP in this population.

Neural Mechanisms of the Transformation from Objective Value to Subjective Utility: Converting from Count to Worth

Science.gov (United States)

Kurnianingsih, Yoanna A.; Mullette-Gillman, O'Dhaniel A.

2016-01-01

When deciding, we aim to choose the “best” possible outcome. This is not just selection of the option that is the most numerous or physically largest, as options are translated from objective value (count) to subjective value (worth or utility). We localized the neural instantiation of the value-to-utility transformation to the dorsal anterior midcingulate cortex (daMCC), with independent replication. The daMCC encodes the context-specific information necessary to convert from count to worth. This encoding is not simply a representation of utility or preference, but the interaction of the two. Specifically, the relationship of brain activation to value is dependent on individual preference, with both positive and negative slopes across the population depending on whether each individual's preference results in enhancement or diminishment of the valuation. For a given value, across participants, enhanced daMCC activation corresponds to diminished subjective valuation, deactivation to enhanced subjective valuation, and non-modulated activation with non-modulated subjective valuation. Further, functional connectivity analyses identified brain regions (positive connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus and negative connectivity with the nucleus accumbens) through which contextual information may be integrated into the daMCC and allow for outputs to modulate valuation signals. All analyses were replicated through an independent within-study replication, with initial testing in the gains domain and replication in the intermixed and mirrored losses trials. We also present and discuss an ancillary finding: we were unable to identify parametric value signals for losses through whole-brain analyses, and ROI analyses of the vmPFC presented non-modulation across loss value levels. These results identify the neural locus of the value-to-utility transformation, and provide a specific computational function for the daMCC in the production of subjective valuation through

Evolving Evidence for the Value of Neuroimaging Methods and Biological Markers in Subjects Categorized with Subjective Cognitive Decline.

Science.gov (United States)

Lista, Simone; Molinuevo, Jose L; Cavedo, Enrica; Rami, Lorena; Amouyel, Philippe; Teipel, Stefan J; Garaci, Francesco; Toschi, Nicola; Habert, Marie-Odile; Blennow, Kaj; Zetterberg, Henrik; O'Bryant, Sid E; Johnson, Leigh; Galluzzi, Samantha; Bokde, Arun L W; Broich, Karl; Herholz, Karl; Bakardjian, Hovagim; Dubois, Bruno; Jessen, Frank; Carrillo, Maria C; Aisen, Paul S; Hampel, Harald

2015-09-24

There is evolving evidence that individuals categorized with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are potentially at higher risk for developing objective and progressive cognitive impairment compared to cognitively healthy individuals without apparent subjective complaints. Interestingly, SCD, during advancing preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), may denote very early, subtle cognitive decline that cannot be identified using established standardized tests of cognitive performance. The substantial heterogeneity of existing SCD-related research data has led the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) to accomplish an international consensus on the definition of a conceptual research framework on SCD in preclinical AD. In the area of biological markers, the cerebrospinal fluid signature of AD has been reported to be more prevalent in subjects with SCD compared to healthy controls; moreover, there is a pronounced atrophy, as demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging, and an increased hypometabolism, as revealed by positron emission tomography, in characteristic brain regions affected by AD. In addition, SCD individuals carrying an apolipoprotein ɛ4 allele are more likely to display AD-phenotypic alterations. The urgent requirement to detect and diagnose AD as early as possible has led to the critical examination of the diagnostic power of biological markers, neurophysiology, and neuroimaging methods for AD-related risk and clinical progression in individuals defined with SCD. Observational studies on the predictive value of SCD for developing AD may potentially be of practical value, and an evidence-based, validated, qualified, and fully operationalized concept may inform clinical diagnostic practice and guide earlier designs in future therapy trials.

The importance and realization of values in relation to the subjective emotional well-being in the Slovenian and British sample

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Jana Strniša

2007-07-01

Full Text Available In the study we examined the relationship between the importance and realization of values and subjective emotional well being of Slovenian and British subjects. The overall results were in concordance with telic and hedonistic theory of subjective emotional well being within both samples. Also the correlations between subjective emotional well being and fulfilled value orientation were in both samples substantially higher than the correlation between subjective emotional well being and value orientation itself. The finding of profound similarities in the relation between subjective emotional well being and the realization of general value orientation in Slovenian and British sample is interesting and deserves special attention and further research. The fulfillment of hedonic or dionisic values, respectively, was found to be the strongest predictor of subjective emotional well being of Slovenian and British subjects.

Metabolic profile of normal glucose-tolerant subjects with elevated 1-h plasma glucose values

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Thyparambil Aravindakshan Pramodkumar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the metabolic profiles of subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT with and without elevated 1-h postglucose (1HrPG values during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT. Methodology: The study group comprised 996 subjects without known diabetes seen at tertiary diabetes center between 2010 and 2014. NGT was defined as fasting plasma glucose <100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L and 2-h plasma glucose <140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L after an 82.5 g oral glucose (equivalent to 75 g of anhydrous glucose OGTT. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical investigations were done using standardized methods. The prevalence rate of generalized and central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome (MS was determined among the NGT subjects stratified based on their 1HrPG values as <143 mg/dl, ≥143-<155 mg/dl, and ≥155 mg/dl, after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI, waist circumference, alcohol consumption, smoking, and family history of diabetes. Results: The mean age of the 996 NGT subjects was 48 ± 12 years and 53.5% were male. The mean glycated hemoglobin for subjects with 1HrPG <143 mg/dl was 5.5%, for those with 1HrPG ≥143-<155 mg/dl, 5.6% and for those with 1HrPG ≥155 mg/dl, 5.7%. NGT subjects with 1HrPG ≥143-<155 mg/dl and ≥155 mg/dl had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL ratio, triglyceride/HDL ratio, leukocyte count, and gamma glutamyl aminotransferase (P < 0.05 compared to subjects with 1HrPG <143 mg/dl. The odds ratio for MS for subjects with 1HrPG ≥143 mg/dl was 1.84 times higher compared to subjects with 1HrPG <143 mg/dl taken as the reference. Conclusion: NGT subjects with elevated 1HrPG values have a worse metabolic profile than those with normal 1HrPG during an OGTT.

Promoting Physical Activity in Hong Kong Chinese Young People: Factors Influencing Their Subjective Task Values and Expectancy Beliefs in Physical Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Bonnie

2014-01-01

According to Eccles et al.'s (1983) Expectancy Value Model, the two major constructs that influence young people's activity choice are subjective task value and expectancy beliefs (Eccles et al., 1983). Eccles et al. (1983) conceptually distinguished four dimensions of subjective task value: attainment value, intrinsic value, utility value and…

The Implementation Of Character Education Values In Integrated Physical Education Subject In Elementary School

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Suherman Ayi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The issue of this research emphasizes on the implementation of character building values through physical education learning in elementary school. The effort in developing this character building practice is essential to be done in order to tackle moral and character crises, which already occur in both individual and collective levels reflected in educational institution from elementary school to higher education. Hence, to form culture and national character, educational program and process are inseparable from environmental factor including the values of society, culture, and humanity. Physical education subject that is based on 2013 Curriculum has significant difference compared to the previous physical education subject. This is due to the fact that integrated physical education has its own uniqueness in terms of planning, systematic implementation, and instructional medium. This research aims at producing guidance in implementing character values integrated in physical education in elementary school. The method used in this research is research and development (R&D method, which includes preliminary research, model designing, limited trial, and extensive trial, as well as validation and dissemination. The findings of the research show that character values can be implemented in physical education in elementary schools in Sumedang Regency.

The glycaemic index values of foods containing fructose are affected by metabolic differences between subjects.

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Wolever, T M S; Jenkins, A L; Vuksan, V; Campbell, J

2009-09-01

Glycaemic responses are influenced by carbohydrate absorption rate, type of monosaccharide absorbed and the presence of fat; the effect of some of these factors may be modulated by metabolic differences between subjects. We hypothesized that glycaemic index (GI) values are affected by the metabolic differences between subjects for foods containing fructose or fat, but not for starchy foods. The GI values of white bread (WB), fruit leather (FL) and chocolate-chip cookies (CCC) (representing starch, fructose and fat, respectively) were determined in subjects (n=77) recruited to represent all 16 possible combinations of age (40 years), sex (male, female), ethnicity (Caucasian, non-Caucasian) and body mass index (BMI) (25 kg/m2) using glucose as the reference. At screening, fasting insulin, lipids, c-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and waist circumference (WC) were measured. There were no significant main effects of age, sex, BMI or ethnicity on GI, but there were several food x subject-factor interactions. Different factors affected each food's area under the curve (AUC) and GI. The AUC after oral glucose was related to ethnicity, age and triglycerides (r 2=0.27); after WB to ethnicity, age, triglycerides, sex and CRP (r 2=0.43); after CCC to age and weight (r 2=0.18); and after FL to age and CRP (r 2=0.12). GI of WB was related to ethnicity (r 2=0.12) and of FL to AST, insulin and WC (r 2=0.23); but there were no significant correlations for CCC. The GI values of foods containing fructose might be influenced by metabolic differences between -subjects, whereas the GI of starchy foods might be affected by ethnicity. However, the proportion of variation explained by subject factors is small.

TC 99m Diphosphonate whole body relation measurements using a comic beam collimator and a scintillation detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vattimo, A.

1987-01-01

The 24-hour whole-body retention (WBR) of 99m Tc-Diphosphonates is quantitated using a scintillation probe used for thyroid uptake, fitted with a conical collimator by determining the geometric mean from anterior and posterior measurements at three fixed choosen levels from the floor with the patient standing relate with the values measured by urinary excretion of the tracer, which can be deemed an accurate method

Wide beam reconstruction for half-dose or half-time cardiac gated SPECT acquisitions: optimization of resources and reduction in radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcassa, Claudio; Campini, Riccardo; Zoccarato, Orazio; Calza, Paolo

2011-01-01

A new iterative reconstruction algorithm (WBR trademark) has been recently proposed for cardiac single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The WBR trademark technology is designed to reduce noise, improving lesion identification without affecting the image resolution, allowing SPECT studies with reduced count statistic. This allows for either half-time (HT) or half-dose (HD) cardiac SPECT, with image quality and quantitative data comparable to standard-time (ST) or standard-dose (SD) SPECT. Few data exist on the comparison between conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) and this new algorithm in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of FBP and WBR trademark. Phantoms studies were performed to compare spatial resolution and contrast recovery with FBP, ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and WBR trademark. A group of 92 patients, with different cardiac pathology, scheduled for a stress-rest SPECT were studied: 52 patients (group A) were injected with a SD of tracer and underwent both ST and HT SPECT; 40 patients (group B) were injected with a half dose of tracer and underwent ST SPECT and immediately after an additional SPECT at double time/projection (DT), to compensate for the low count statistic. A 2-day 99m Tc-sestamibi protocol was used in all patients. SD/ST and HD/DT SPECT were reconstructed with a conventional FBP; SD/HT and HD/ST SPECT were reconstructed with WBR trademark. The summed stress score (SSS) and summed rest score (SRS) were calculated; the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was automatically derived. In group A (SD), no significant differences were observed between ST FBP SPECT and HT WBR trademark in SSS (11.1 and 11.7, respectively) and SRS (9.4 and 10.3, respectively, NS). LVEF on rest acquisitions was also comparable (50% on ST SPECT and 49% on HT SPECT, NS); LVEF on post-stress studies in HT SPECT (46%) was lower than ST SPECT (50%), although not statistically significant. In

Wide beam reconstruction for half-dose or half-time cardiac gated SPECT acquisitions: optimization of resources and reduction in radiation exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marcassa, Claudio [S. Maugeri Fnd, IRCCS, Scientific Institute of Veruno, Cardiology Department (Italy); Campini, Riccardo; Zoccarato, Orazio; Calza, Paolo [S. Maugeri Fnd, IRCCS, Scientific Institute of Veruno, Nuclear Medicine Department (Italy)

2011-03-15

A new iterative reconstruction algorithm (WBR trademark) has been recently proposed for cardiac single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The WBR trademark technology is designed to reduce noise, improving lesion identification without affecting the image resolution, allowing SPECT studies with reduced count statistic. This allows for either half-time (HT) or half-dose (HD) cardiac SPECT, with image quality and quantitative data comparable to standard-time (ST) or standard-dose (SD) SPECT. Few data exist on the comparison between conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) and this new algorithm in a clinical setting. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of FBP and WBR trademark. Phantoms studies were performed to compare spatial resolution and contrast recovery with FBP, ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and WBR trademark. A group of 92 patients, with different cardiac pathology, scheduled for a stress-rest SPECT were studied: 52 patients (group A) were injected with a SD of tracer and underwent both ST and HT SPECT; 40 patients (group B) were injected with a half dose of tracer and underwent ST SPECT and immediately after an additional SPECT at double time/projection (DT), to compensate for the low count statistic. A 2-day {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi protocol was used in all patients. SD/ST and HD/DT SPECT were reconstructed with a conventional FBP; SD/HT and HD/ST SPECT were reconstructed with WBR trademark. The summed stress score (SSS) and summed rest score (SRS) were calculated; the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was automatically derived. In group A (SD), no significant differences were observed between ST FBP SPECT and HT WBR trademark in SSS (11.1 and 11.7, respectively) and SRS (9.4 and 10.3, respectively, NS). LVEF on rest acquisitions was also comparable (50% on ST SPECT and 49% on HT SPECT, NS); LVEF on post-stress studies in HT SPECT (46%) was lower than ST SPECT (50%), although not statistically significant

The dynamics of interaction of reflexive subjects operating with the two-valued versus many-valued logic.

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Sawa, Koji; Igamberdiev, Abir U

2017-12-01

In this paper we aim to approach a model of interacting subjects with the opposite types of reflexion that belong to the Western (W) and Eastern (E) reflexive modes according to Vladimir Lefebvre (1992). The model represents an expansion of the previously developed model of the Double Homunculus (Sawa and Igamberdiev, 2016) that describes reflexive agents as holding "the image of the self in the image of the self". A dialogue model between the two homunculus agents estimating their own reflexion in the opposite ways (generating the two-valued versus many-valued logic and loosely approximated as belonging to the W and E Lefebvre's types) is evolved. At the same time, the argument also unveils the relationship between a difference equation which is the key notion of the model and an emergence of logic. This can be a powerful tool for describing intercommunication of reflexive agents in the social environment as well as interactions between the entire social systems of different types. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A well-balanced diet combined or not with exercise induces fat mass loss without any decrease of bone mass despite bone micro-architecture alterations in obese rat.

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Gerbaix, Maude; Metz, Lore; Mac-Way, Fabrice; Lavet, Cédric; Guillet, Christelle; Walrand, Stéphane; Masgrau, Aurélie; Vico, Laurence; Courteix, Daniel

2013-04-01

The association of a well-balanced diet with exercise is a key strategy to treat obesity. However, weight loss is linked to an accelerated bone loss. Furthermore, exercise is known to induce beneficial effects on bone. We investigated the impact of a well-balanced isoenergetic reducing diet (WBR) and exercise on bone tissue in obese rats. Sixty male rats had previously been fed with a high fat/high sucrose diet (HF/HS) for 4months to induce obesity. Then, 4 regimens were initiated for 2months: HF/HS diet plus exercise (treadmill: 50min/day, 5days/week), WBR diet plus exercise, HF/HS diet plus inactivity and WBR diet plus inactivity. Body composition and total BMD were assessed using DXA and visceral fat mass was weighed. Tibia densitometry was assessed by Piximus. Bone histomorphometry was performed on the proximal metaphysis of tibia and on L2 vertebrae (L2). Trabecular micro-architectural parameters were measured on tibia and L2 by 3D microtomography. Plasma concentration of osteocalcin and CTX were measured. Both WBR diet and exercise had decreased global weight, global fat and visceral fat mass (pdiet alone failed to alter total and tibia bone mass and BMD. However, Tb.Th, bone volume density and degree of anisotropy of tibia were decreased by the WBR diet (pdiet had involved a significant lower MS/BS and BFR/BS in L2 (pdiet inducing weight and fat mass losses did not affected bone mass and BMD of obese rats despite alterations of their bone micro-architecture. The moderate intensity exercise performed had improved the tibia BMD of obese rats without any trabecular and cortical adaptation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative assessment of metabolic bone disease in rat models by dual tracer method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ihara, Fumishige; Seto, Hikaru

1989-05-01

The usefulness of radionuclide techniques for early differential diagnosis of metabolic bone disease has been controversial. We tried to develop a new method to distinguish alterations in bone metabolism prior to radiologic changes, measuring 24-hr whole-body retention (WBR) and femoral uptake of two radiopharmaceuticals (/sup 47/Ca-chloride, /sup 99m/Tc-MDT). Control normal (C), osteoporosis (P), osteomalacia (M) and steroid-induced osteoporosis (S) were produced in 60 eight-week old Wistar male rats by means of dietary manipulation and steroid administration. Fine detail radiographs of the femurs and bone specimens were obtained over six weeks at two week intervals. Good correlation between WBR and femoral uptake of /sup 47/Ca was noted (r=0.86, p<0.01). WBR ratios of /sup 47/Ca were significantly higher in the M and S groups and were lower in the P group when compared to the C group throughout the study. WBR ratios of /sup 99m/Tc-MDP were significantly higher in the M group and were lower in the S group from the 2nd week. Fine detail radiographs analyzed by microdensitometry revealed significant osteopenia in the S, M and P groups from the 4th week. The dual tracer method was found to distinguish alterations in bone metabolism in the groups examined prior to detectable radiologic changes. (author).

Subjective education in analytic training: drawing on values from the art academy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Mary

2008-11-01

Kernberg and others have observed that psychoanalytic education has tended to promote the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and clinical technique within an atmosphere of indoctrination rather than of exploration. As a corrective, he proposed four models that correspond to values in psychoanalytic education: the art academy, the technical trade school, the religious seminary and the university. He commended models of the university and art academy to our collective attention because of their combined effectiveness in providing for the objective and subjective education of candidates: the university model for its capacity to provide a critical sense of a wide range of theories in an atmosphere tolerating debate and difference, and the art academy model for its capacity to facilitate the expression of individual creativity. In this paper, I will explore the art academy model for correspondences between artistic and analytic trainings that can enhance the development of the creative subjectivity of psychoanalytic candidates. I will draw additional correspondences between analytic and artistic learning that can enhance psychoanalytic education.

Interactive effects of carbon footprint information and its accessibility on value and subjective qualities of food products.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Atsushi; Wada, Yuji; Kamada, Akiko; Masuda, Tomohiro; Okamoto, Masako; Goto, Sho-ichi; Tsuzuki, Daisuke; Cai, Dongsheng; Oka, Takashi; Dan, Ippeita

2010-10-01

We aimed to explore the interactive effects of the accessibility of information and the degree of carbon footprint score on consumers' value judgments of food products. Participants (n=151, undergraduate students in Japan) rated their maximum willingness to pay (WTP) for four food products varying in information accessibility (active-search or read-only conditions) and in carbon footprint values (low, middle, high, or non-display) provided. We also assessed further effects of information accessibly and carbon footprint value on other product attributes utilizing the subjective estimation of taste, quality, healthiness, and environmental friendliness. Results of the experiment demonstrated an interactive effect of information accessibility and the degree of carbon emission on consumer valuation of carbon footprint-labeled food. The carbon footprint value had a stronger impact on participants' WTP in the active-search condition than in the read-only condition. Similar to WTP, the results of the subjective ratings for product qualities also exhibited an interactive effect of the two factors on the rating of environmental friendliness for products. These results imply that the perceived environmental friendliness inferable from a carbon footprint label contributes to creating value for a food product.

HOMA-IR Values are Associated With Glycemic Control in Japanese Subjects Without Diabetes or Obesity: The KOBE Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirata, Takumi; Higashiyama, Aya; Kubota, Yoshimi; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Sugiyama, Daisuke; Kadota, Aya; Nishida, Yoko; Imano, Hironori; Nishikawa, Tomofumi; Miyamatsu, Naomi; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro; Okamura, Tomonori

2015-01-01

Several studies have reported that insulin resistance was a major risk factor for the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus in individuals without diabetes or obesity. We aimed to clarify the association between insulin resistance and glycemic control in Japanese subjects without diabetes or obesity. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study including 1083 healthy subjects (323 men and 760 women) in an urban area. We performed multivariate regression analyses to estimate the association between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values and markers of glycemic control, including glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, after adjustment for potential confounders. Compared with the lowest tertile of HOMA-IR values, the highest tertile was significantly associated with HbA1c and FPG levels after adjustment for potential confounders, both in men (HbA1c: β = 1.83, P = 0.001; FPG: β = 0.49, P HOMA-IR values was inversely associated with 1,5-AG levels compared with the lowest tertile (β = -18.42, P = 0.009) only in men. HOMA-IR values were associated with markers of glycemic control in Japanese subjects without diabetes or obesity. Insulin resistance may influence glycemic control even in a lean, non-diabetic Asian population.

Vestibulo-ocular reflex gain values in the suppression head impulse test of healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey-Martinez, Jorge; Thomas-Arrizabalaga, Izaskun; Espinosa-Sanchez, Juan Manuel; Batuecas-Caletrio, Angel; Trinidad-Ruiz, Gabriel; Matiño-Soler, Eusebi; Perez-Fernandez, Nicolas

2018-02-15

To assess whether there are differences in vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain for suppression head impulse (SHIMP) and head impulse (HIMP) video head impulse test paradigms, and if so, what are their causes. Prospective multicenter observational double-blind nonrandomized clinical study was performed by collecting 80 healthy subjects from four reference hospitals. SHIMP data was postprocessed to eliminate impulses in which early SHIMP saccades were detected. Differences between HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values were statistically evaluated. Head impulse maximum velocity, gender, age, direction of impulse, and hospital center were considered as possible influential factors. A small significant statistical difference between HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values was found on repeated measures analysis of variance (-0.05 ± 0.006, P gain values and did not find influence between gain values differences and maximum head impulse velocity. Both HIMP and SHIMP VOR gain values were significant lower (-0.09, P gain values not adequately explained by known gain modification factors. The persistence of this slight but significant difference indicates that there are more factors causing lower SHIMP VOR gain values. This difference must to be considered in further studies as well as in the clinical SHIMP testing protocols. We hypothesized that VOR phasic response inhibition could be the underlying cause of this difference. IIb. Laryngoscope, 2018. © 2018 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Pastoralists in a changing environment: The competition for grazing land in and around the W Biosphere Reserve, Benin Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamou, Charles; Ripoll-Bosch, Raimon; de Boer, Imke J M; Oosting, Simon J

2018-04-01

Pastoralists face increasing competition for land with crop farmers and nature in and around the W Biosphere Reserve (WBR) in Benin. Our aim was to describe and analyse land use changes in order to understand their drivers, and to describe and analyse the viewpoints of relevant stakeholders in order to understand the competition for land. To this end, remote sensing data, regional statistics, and survey data were collected. We found that crop land expansion around the WBR was the direct driver of decrease of the grazing land area. Population growth and rising demand for food crops, and government support to the cotton sector were indirect drivers of grazing land reduction. Furthermore, competing claims on land among users arose from the complex interaction of crop expansion, presence of WBR and the way it is governed, the lack of support to pastoralists, and the increasing shift of pastoralists' lifestyle into one of settled crop farmers. Pastoralism is under threat and its survival depends on the successful implementation of policies to support pastoralists and protect grazing lands.

Effects of growth and aging on the reference values of pulmonary nitric oxide dynamics in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Högman, M; Thornadtsson, A; Liv, P; Hua-Huy, T; Dinh-Xuan, A T; Tufvesson, E; Dressel, H; Janson, C; Koskela, K; Oksa, P; Sauni, R; Uitti, J; Moilanen, E; Lehtimäki, L

2017-09-13

The lung just like all other organs is affected by age. The lung matures by the age of 20 and age-related changes start around middle age, at 40-50 years. Exhaled nitric oxide (F E NO) has been shown to be age, height and gender dependent. We hypothesize that the nitric oxide (NO) parameters alveolar NO (C A NO), airway flux (J aw NO), airway diffusing capacity (D aw NO) and airway wall content (C aw NO) will also demonstrate this dependence. Data from healthy subjects were gathered by the current authors from their earlier publications in which healthy individuals were included as control subjects. Healthy subjects (n = 433) ranged in age from 7 to 78 years. Age-stratified reference values of the NO parameters were significantly different. Gender differences were only observed in the 20-49 age group. The results from the multiple regression models in subjects older than 20 years revealed that age, height and gender interaction together explained 6% of variation in F E NO at 50 ml s -1 (F E NO 50 ), 4% in J aw NO, 16% in C aw NO, 8% in D aw NO and 12% in C A NO. In conclusion, in this study we have generated reference values for NO parameters from an extended NO analysis of healthy subjects. This is important in order to be able to use these parameters in clinical practice.

Task value profiles across subjects and aspirations to physical and IT-related sciences in the United States and Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Angela; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Salmela-Aro, Katariina

2012-11-01

Two independent studies were conducted to extend previous research by examining the associations between task value priority patterns across school subjects and aspirations toward the physical and information technology- (IT-) related sciences. Study 1 measured task values of a sample of 10th graders in the United States (N = 249) across (a) physics and chemistry, (b) math, and (c) English. Study 2 measured task values of a sample of students in the second year of high school in Finland (N = 351) across (a) math and science, (b) Finnish, and (c) the arts and physical education. In both studies, students were classified into groups according to how they ranked math and science in relation to the other subjects. Regression analyses indicated that task value group membership significantly predicted subsequent aspirations toward physical and IT-related sciences measured 1-2 years later. The task value groups who placed the highest priority on math and science were significantly more likely to aspire to physical and IT-related sciences than were the other groups. These findings provide support for the theoretical assumption regarding the predictive role of intraindividual hierarchical patterns of task values for subsequent preferences and choices suggested by the Eccles [Parsons] (1983) expectancy-value model.

Detection of lymphomatous infiltration in the bone marrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, M. O.; Santos, A. O.; Costa, S.C.; Ramos, C.D.; Etchebehere, E.C.S.C.; Metze, I.L.; Barbosa, M.N.S.; Souza, C.A.; Camargo, E.E.

1997-01-01

Full text: The scintillographic follow-up of patients with lymphoma is obtained by making whole body research (WBR) with gallium-67. However, the abnormal accumulation of this pharmaceutical in the long bones is not an specific for lymphomatous infiltration and can be representative of hematopoietic expansion of bone marrow, as well. The differential diagnosis can be done using bone scintillography (BS) and bone marrow scintillography (BMS). We present a case where the diagnosis of lymphomatous infiltration indicated by the WBR with gallium-67, was confirmed by the BS and BMS. Male patient, 57 years old, with diagnosis of a high level malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was submitted to the WBR with gallium-67 during the chemotherapy. The gallium-67 was high uptaked in the third distal of the right femur and in the proximal of the right tibia. One month after finishing the chemotherapy, a new WBR with gallium-67 shows the persistence of the high uptake in the same areas and the appearance of new ones in the third distal of the left femur. The study was complemented with BS and BMS. The BS revealed high uptake in focal areas, in the same regions where high uptake of gallium-67 has been detected in the study, after chemotherapy. The BMS showed absence of functioning bone marrow in these areas reducing the probability of medullar expansion. The absence of answering to the chemotherapy has been verified, changing the patient behavior and prognostic. The BMS with colloidal Tc-99m sulfur in this patient was useful for the differential diagnosis between medullar expansion and lymphomatous medullar infiltration

Values Education in the Mathematics Classroom: Subject Values, Educational Values and One Teacher's Articulation of Her Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Bills, Liz; Husbands, Chris

2005-01-01

The issue of values has been a longstanding concern of mathematics education research. Attempts have been made to analyze the specifically mathematical values which characterize the practice of mathematics teachers. In this paper we draw on one teacher's articulation of her practice to explore values issues in the teaching of mathematics, drawing…

Acoustic emission energy b-value for local damage evaluation in reinforced concrete structures subjected to seismic loadings

Science.gov (United States)

Sagasta, Francisco; Zitto, Miguel E.; Piotrkowski, Rosa; Benavent-Climent, Amadeo; Suarez, Elisabet; Gallego, Antolino

2018-03-01

A modification of the original b-value (Gutenberg-Richter parameter) is proposed to evaluate local damage of reinforced concrete structures subjected to dynamical loads via the acoustic emission (AE) method. The modification, shortly called energy b-value, is based on the use of the true energy of the AE signals instead of its peak amplitude, traditionally used for the calculation of b-value. The proposal is physically supported by the strong correlation between the plastic strain energy dissipated by the specimen and the true energy of the AE signals released during its deformation and cracking process, previously demonstrated by the authors in several publications. AE data analysis consisted in the use of guard sensors and the Continuous Wavelet Transform in order to separate primary and secondary emissions as much as possible according to particular frequency bands. The approach has been experimentally applied to the AE signals coming from a scaled reinforced concrete frame structure, which was subjected to sequential seismic loads of incremental acceleration peak by means of a 3 × 3 m2 shaking table. For this specimen two beam-column connections-one exterior and one interior-were instrumented with wide band low frequency sensors properly attached on the structure. Evolution of the energy b-value along the loading process accompanies the evolution of the severe damage at the critical regions of the structure (beam-column connections), thus making promising its use for structural health monitoring purposes.

Low diagnostic value of fasting and post-methionine load homocysteine tests. A study in Dutch subjects with homocysteine test indications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fokkema, M R; Dijck-Brouwer, D A J; van Doormaal, J J; Reijngoud, D J; Muskiet, F A J

BACKGROUND: Homocysteine is a cardiovascular disease risk factor. We investigated, both in subjects with past plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) test indications and healthy adults, the diagnostic value of a fasting (tHcy) (f-tHcy) and the added value of a post-methionine-load tHcy (postload-tHcy).

Mercury toxicokinetics-dependency on strain and gender

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekstrand, Jimmy; Nielsen, Jesper B.; Havarinasab, Said; Zalups, Rudolfs K.; Soederkvist, Peter; Hultman, Per

2010-01-01

Mercury (Hg) exposure from dental amalgam fillings and thimerosal in vaccines is not a major health hazard, but adverse health effects cannot be ruled out in a small and more susceptible part of the exposed population. Individual differences in toxicokinetics may explain susceptibility to mercury. Inbred, H-2-congenic A.SW and B10.S mice and their F1- and F2-hybrids were given HgCl 2 with 2.0 mg Hg/L drinking water and traces of 203 Hg. Whole-body retention (WBR) was monitored until steady state after 5 weeks, when the organ Hg content was assessed. Despite similar Hg intake, A.SW males attained a 20-30% significantly higher WBR and 2- to 5-fold higher total renal Hg retention/concentration than A.SW females and B10.S mice. A selective renal Hg accumulation but of lower magnitude was seen also in B10.S males compared with females. Differences in WBR and organ Hg accumulation are therefore regulated by non-H-2 genes and gender. Lymph nodes lacked the strain- and gender-dependent Hg accumulation profile of kidney, liver and spleen. After 15 days without Hg A.SW mice showed a 4-fold higher WBR and liver Hg concentration, but 11-fold higher renal Hg concentration, showing the key role for the kidneys in explaining the slower Hg elimination in A.SW mice. The trait causing higher mercury accumulation was not dominantly inherited in the F1 hybrids. F2 mice showed a large inter-individual variation in Hg accumulation, showing that multiple genetic factors influence the Hg toxicokinetics in the mouse. The genetically heterogeneous human population may therefore show a large variation in mercury toxicokinetics.

"Cultural fit": individual and societal discrepancies in values, beliefs, and subjective well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Luo

2006-04-01

The author examined the relationship between cultural values, beliefs, and subjective well-being (SWB) in the context of the "cultural fit" proposition with 3 diverse Chinese samples from Taiwan and Mainland China (N = 581). The author found that beliefs regarding the independent self, the interdependent self, active control, and relationship harmony as forming individual-level culture were consistently related to SWB. Furthermore, the author found that the magnitude of cultural fit was associated with SWB for certain groups of the Chinese people. It is most interesting that the direction of cultural fit regarding independent self was also important for SWB. Specifically, people who endorsed higher independent self but expected lower societal endorsement of such views were better off in SWB than those of the opposite combination.

The value of bone scintigram in elderly subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanno, Munehiko; Yamada, Hideo; Hayashida, Koichi; Endoh, Kazuo; Nagashima, Junichi; Yamagata, Atsushi; Nishino, Hideo; Chiba, Kazuo

1986-01-01

To evaluate increased bone uptake of radionuclides at lumbar vertebra in elderly subjects, comparative study of bone scintigram with CT findings and autopsy finding of bone were performed. Incidence of abnormal increased bone uptake were 59 % in neoplastic disease group, while 50 % in benign disease group, respectively. Bone uptake of radionuclides to thoracic and lumbar vertebrae revealed marked high incidence even in both group. 13 out of 25 cases which revealed bone uptake at lumbar vertebrae in malignant disease group showed metastatic bone lesions and the rest of these cases did not show no apparent macroscopic metastatic bone lesions. In comparative study with CT findings of 18 cases most cases revealed osteosclerotic and osteoperotic changes of bone and fracture on CT imaging at the sites where bone uptake of radionuclides were observed. Thus, these evidence support that ageing process of bone must be considered as important factors to evaluate bone scintigram imaging in elderly subjects. (author)

Using Sound-Taste Correspondences to Enhance the Subjective Value of Tasting Experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe eReinoso Carvalho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The soundscapes of those places where we eat and drink can influence our perception of taste. Here, we investigated whether contextual sound would enhance the subjective value of a tasting experience. The customers in a chocolate shop were invited to take part in an experiment in which they had to evaluate a chocolate’s taste while listening to an auditory stimulus. Four different conditions were presented to four different groups in a between-participants design. Envisioning a more ecological approach, a pre-recorded piece of popular music and the shop’s own soundscape were used as the sonic stimuli. The results revealed that not only did the customers report having a significantly better tasting experience when the sounds were presented as part of the food’s identity, but they were also willing to pay significantly more for the experience. The method outlined here paves a new approach to dealing with the design of multisensory tasting experiences, and gastronomic situations.

Practical aspects of sup(99m)technetium-methylene-diphosphonate kinetics in metabolic bone diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vattimo, A.; Lore, F.; Nuti, R.

1982-01-01

Kinetic studies in man have shown that sup(99m)Tc-MDP is rapidly taken up by the skeleton or excreted in urine, only negligible quantities being retained by soft tissues. It can be assumed that the amount of the tracer retained in the whole body up to 24 h after the injection (WBR) is completely bound to bone and represents the total skeletal uptake. On the basis of this assumption we have considered the possibility that the evaluation of WBR might be applied in clinical medicine as an index of bone turnover. The method has been used in a large number of patients with a variety of disorders known to affect bone turnover. The results obtained are reported in this paper

Detecting relationships between amylose content and amino acid ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

protein content (PC) and brown rice weight (WBR) could significantly affect the relationships between AC and amino acid ... vironment (GE) interaction effects besides the genetic main ..... Unconditional analysis:The covariance components of.

Cognitive dysfunction and histological findings in adult rats one year after whole brain irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Katsuhiko; Tanaka, Ryuichi; Sato, Mitsuya; Takeda, Norio

2001-01-01

Cognitive dysfunction and histological changes in the brain were investigated following irradiation in 20 Fischer 344 rats aged 6 months treated with whole brain irradiation (WBR) (25 Gy/single dose), and compared with the same number of sham-irradiated rats as controls. Performance of the Morris water maze task and the passive avoidance task were examined one year after WBR. Finally, histological and immunohistochemical examinations using antibodies to myelin basic protein (MBP), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament (NF) were performed of the rat brains. The irradiated rats continued to gain weight 7 months after WBR whereas the control rats stopped gaining weight. Cognitive functions in both the water maze task and the passive avoidance task were lower in the irradiated rats than in the control rats. Brain damage consisting of demyelination only or with necrosis was found mainly in the body of the corpus callosum and the parietal white matter near the corpus callosum in the irradiated rats. Immunohistochemical examination of the brains without necrosis found MBP-positive fibers were markedly decreased in the affected areas by irradiation; NF-positive fibers were moderately decreased and irregularly dispersed in various shapes in the affected areas; and GFAP-positive fibers were increased, with gliosis in those areas. These findings are similar to those in clinically accelerated brain aging in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Binswanger's disease, and multiple sclerosis. (author)

Quantitative determination of blood losses by a whole-body counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochna Viola, E.M.; Garreta, A.C. de; Soria, N.; Blanco, E.

1976-01-01

A method to quantitate blood losses by determination of the 51 Cr whole body retention (WBR) was developed. Autologous red cells labelled with Na 2 O 4 51 Cr were given intravenously. Blood losses were simulated by withdrawing blood samples. Percent relative variation (PRV) between real blood losses (blood withdrawal) and blood losses calculated by determining the WBR, were found. Withdrawal of 60 ml blood gave a PRV lower than 10.0%. 51 Cr body loss due to elution and red cell death was found to be 0.017 day -1 . The method allows the accurate detection of total blood losses of 60 ml or more, and it can be used to quantitate gastrointestinal or gynecological hemorrhages, avoiding the inconveniences involved by the complete recolection of faeces or of towels and tampons. (author) [es

Bone turnover in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Effect of calcitonin treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Civitelli, R; Gonnelli, S; Zacchei, F; Bigazzi, S; Vattimo, A; Avioli, L V; Gennari, C

1988-10-01

To investigate the effectiveness of calcitonin treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in relation to bone turnover, we examined 53 postmenopausal osteoporotic women before and after one year of therapy with salmon calcitonin (sCT), at the dose of 50 IU every other day. Baseline evaluation revealed that 17 (32%) patients had high turnover (HTOP), and 36 (68%) normal turnover osteoporosis (NTOP) as assessed by measurement of whole body retention (WBR) of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate. The two groups did not differ in terms of bone mineral content (BMC) measured by dual photon absorptiometry at both lumbar spine and femoral diaphysis. However, HTOP patients had higher levels of serum osteocalcin (OC) and urinary hydroxyproline excretion (HOP/Cr). Multivariate regression analysis showed no correlation between parameters of bone turnover (WBR, OC, HOP/Cr) and both femoral and vertebral bone density; the latter being negatively correlated only with the years elapsed since menopause (R2 = 0.406). Treatment with sCT resulted in a significant increase of vertebral BMC in the 53 patients taken as a whole group (+/- 7%, P less than 0.001). When the results obtained in HTOP and NTOP were analyzed separately, only those with HTOP showed a marked increment of spinal BMC (+22%, P less than 0.001), NTOP subjects neither gained nor lost bone mineral during the study. Femoral BMC decreased in the whole group after sCT therapy (-3%, P less than 0.003). However, HTOP patients maintained initial BMC values, whereas those with NTOP lost a significant amount of bone during the study period (-5%, P less than 0.001). The increase of vertebral bone mass was associated with a marked depression of bone turnover detectable in both subsets of patients and in the whole group. (a) assessment of bone turnover cannot help predict the severity of bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis; (b) calcitonin therapy appears to be particularly indicated for patients with high-turnover osteoporosis

Social Values, Subjective Transformations, and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Brent

2004-01-01

A persistent anomaly in the social dilemmas literature is the surprisingly high level of cooperation observed in experimental investigations of the one-shot Prisoners' Dilemma (PD). The exchange heuristic hypothesis and related approaches explain this finding by arguing that actors subjectively transform PD into the Assurance Dilemma. A tendency…

Brain perfusion ratios by 99mTc HMPAO SPECT utilizing a mean value of the visual cortex to the cerebellum ratio derived from normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Catasus, C.; Rodriguez, R.; Cisnero, M.; Palmero, R.; Diaz, O.; Aguila, A.

2002-01-01

Aim: Previous results shows that the cerebellum (CER) is the best reference to calculate relative indexes of perfusion (IP) by brain SPECT. However, it can not be used on patients with bilateral cerebellar hypoperfusion. In such cases visual cortex (VC) or an average of the whole brain activity is recommended (WB). VC and WB are less reliable than CER, making it difficult to compare SPECT scans that have been normalized with different values. Materials and Methods: To overcome this difficulty, we developed a method to calculate IP utilizing a reference value defined as (VC / ), where is the mean value of the VC/CER ratio derived from a normal database which was assumed to be constant. We called the value VC/ the 'Pseudocerebellum' (PCER). For clinical validation, we first tested statistically the VC/CER ratio on a group of 60 [ 99m Tc]-HMPAO SPECT scans of 20 normal subjects and 40 neurological patients with positive SPECT but without involvement of VC and CER. To demonstrate that IP PCER approx. IP CER , we calculated the mean value of the absolute differences CER - IP PCER vertical bar> on two groups of scans from subjects without involvement of VC and CER: 10 normal subjects (GI); and 40 patients (GII). Finally, using an indirect procedure the method was tested on a third group of SPECT scans of 30 patients with bilateral cerebellar hypoperfusion (G III). Results: The VC/CER ratio was approximately constant with gender and age at a 95% confidence level; CER - IP PCER vertical bar> was 1.22%±0.35 and 1.20%±0.42 for GI and GII, respectively. This is less than the within-subject replicability of the HMPAO SPECT studies; and thus demonstrated by an indirect approach that IP PCER is a valid procedure by which to evaluate relative perfusion on patients with bilateral cerebellar hypoperfusion and quantitatively comparable to using CER as reference region. Conclusion: The VC/CER ratio has very little inter-subject variability in individuals where these regions are not

Development of "Task Value" Instrument for Biology as a School Subject

Science.gov (United States)

Köksal, Mustafa Serdar; Yaman, Süleyman

2013-01-01

The expectancy-value model of motivation states that individuals' choice, persistence and performances are related to their beliefs about how much they value task. Despite the importance of "task value" in learning biology, lack of the instruments on task value for high school biology courses for practical use indicated requirement to…

Mirror neurons encode the subjective value of an observed action

Science.gov (United States)

Caggiano, Vittorio; Fogassi, Leonardo; Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Casile, Antonino; Giese, Martin A.; Thier, Peter

2012-01-01

Objects grasped by an agent have a value not only for the acting agent, but also for an individual observing the grasping act. The value that the observer attributes to the object that is grasped can be pivotal for selecting a possible behavioral response. Mirror neurons in area F5 of the monkey premotor cortex have been suggested to play a crucial role in the understanding of action goals. However, it has not been addressed if these neurons are also involved in representing the value of the grasped object. Here we report that observation-related neuronal responses of F5 mirror neurons are indeed modulated by the value that the monkey associates with the grasped object. These findings suggest that during action observation F5 mirror neurons have access to key information needed to shape the behavioral responses of the observer. PMID:22753471

The predictive value of self-rated health in the presence of subjective memory complaints on permanent nursing home placement in elderly primary care patients over 4-year follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anni Brit Sternhagen; Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Waldemar, Gunhild

2013-01-01

self-rated health (SRH) predicts nursing home (NH) placement; subjective memory complaints (SMC) too. However, the predictive value of SRH in the presence of SMC is unclear.......self-rated health (SRH) predicts nursing home (NH) placement; subjective memory complaints (SMC) too. However, the predictive value of SRH in the presence of SMC is unclear....

On the value of redundancy subject to common-cause failures: Toward the resolution of an on-going debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoepfer, V.M.; Saleh, J.H.; Marais, K.B.

2009-01-01

Common-cause failures (CCF) are one of the more critical and challenging issues for system reliability and risk analyses. Academic interest in modeling CCF, and more broadly in modeling dependent failures, has steadily grown over the years in the number of publications as well as in the sophistication of the analytical tools used. In the past few years, several influential articles have shed doubts on the relevance of redundancy arguing that 'redundancy backfires' through common-cause failures, and that the latter dominate unreliability, thus defeating the purpose of redundancy. In this work, we take issue with some of the results of these publications. In their stead, we provide a nuanced perspective on the (contingent) value of redundancy subject to common-cause failures. First, we review the incremental reliability and MTTF provided by redundancy subject to common-cause failures. Second, we introduce the concept and develop the analytics of the 'redundancy-relevance boundary': we propose this redundancy-relevance boundary as a design-aid tool that provides an answer to the following question: what level of redundancy is relevant or advantageous given a varying prevalence of common-cause failures? We investigate the conditions under which different levels of redundancy provide an incremental MTTF over that of the single component in the face of common-cause failures. Recognizing that redundancy comes at a cost, we also conduct a cost-benefit analysis of redundancy subject to common-cause failures, and demonstrate how this analysis modifies the redundancy-relevance boundary. We show how the value of redundancy is contingent on the prevalence of common-cause failures, the redundancy level considered, and the monadic cost-benefit ratio. Finally we argue that general unqualified criticism of redundancy is misguided, and efforts are better spent for example on understanding and mitigating the potential sources of common-cause failures rather than deriding the concept

Clinical manifestations and outcomes of severe malaria among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

admitted children with severe malaria there is a need for health providers to deploy strategic management of fatal prognostic factors. In conclusion ..... Umulisa, N., Uwimana, A., Mokuolu, O.A., Adedoyin, O.T., Johnson, W.B.R.,. Tshefu, A.K. ...

Axiology, the Subject and the Chair

Science.gov (United States)

Melville, Wayne; Campbell, Todd; Jones, Doug

2017-08-01

This article addresses two gaps in the literature related to science department chairs: the axiological relationship between the chair and science, the subject, and the perceptions of the chair with respect to teaching and learning within their departments. In this work, axiology is used to understand how the chair's values toward the subject influenced his own perceived capacity to lead learning within his department in a reformed discourse. A narrative inquiry methodology was used to consider the chair's experiences in the development of his identify over his life span in the form of two stories: (1) the relationship between the chair and science, the subject, and (2) the perceptions of the chair with regards to teacher learning within the department. The findings revealed that the work and career of the chair in this study were authored by strong elements of personal continuity and points of stability around the valuing of science, the subject, even as this valuing evolved from being more focused on epistemic values early in his career, to being more concerned with universal values connected to his legacy and his department later in his career.

Perception of parents as demonstrating the inherent merit of their values: relations with self-congruence and subjective well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shi; Assor, Avi; Liu, Xiangping

2015-02-01

This study focuses on the parenting practice of inherent value demonstration (IVD), involving parents' tendency to express their values in behaviours and appear satisfied and vital while doing so. Data from Chinese college students (n = 89) confirmed the hypothesis that offspring's perception of their parents as engaged in IVD predicts offspring's subjective well-being (SWB) through sense of self-congruence. Importantly, these relations emerged also when controlling for fundamental autonomy-supportive (FAS) parenting practices such as taking children's perspective, minimising control and allowing choice. These findings are consistent with the view that parents concerned with their children's sense of autonomy may do well to engage in IVD in addition to more fundamental autonomy-supportive practices. Future research may examine the role of IVD in promoting authentic values that serve as an internal compass that guides children to act in ways that feel self-congruent. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Subjective poverty line definitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Flik; B.M.S. van Praag (Bernard)

1991-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we will deal with definitions of subjective poverty lines. To measure a poverty threshold value in terms of household income, which separates the poor from the non-poor, we take into account the opinions of all people in society. Three subjective methods will be discussed

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.

Estimating the subjective value of future rewards: comparison of adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Daniel D; Green, Leonard; Myerson, Joel

2012-07-01

The present study examined whether equivalent discounting of delayed rewards is observed with different experimental procedures. If the underlying decision-making process is the same, then similar patterns of results should be observed regardless of procedure, and similar estimates of the subjective value of future rewards (i.e., indifference points) should be obtained. Two experiments compared discounting on three types of procedure: adjusting-delay (AD), adjusting-immediate-amount (AIA), and adjusting-delayed-amount (ADA). For the two procedures for which discounting functions can be established (i.e., AD and AIA), a hyperboloid provided good fits to the data at both the group and individual levels, and individuals' discounting on one procedure tended to be correlated with their discounting on the other. Notably, the AIA procedure produced the more consistent estimates of the degree of discounting, and in particular, discounting on the AIA procedure was unaffected by the order in which choices were presented. Regardless of which of the three procedures was used, however, similar patterns of results were obtained: Participants systematically discounted the value of delayed rewards, and robust magnitude effects were observed. Although each procedure may have its own advantages and disadvantages, use of all three types of procedure in the present study provided converging evidence for common decision-making processes underlying the discounting of delayed rewards. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex during self-related processing: positive subjective value or personal significance?

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyungmi; Johnson, Marcia K

2015-04-01

Well-being and subjective experience of a coherent world depend on our sense of 'self' and relations between the self and the environment (e.g. people, objects and ideas). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) is involved in self-related processing, and disrupted vMPFC activity is associated with disruptions of emotional/social functioning (e.g. depression and autism). Clarifying precise function(s) of vMPFC in self-related processing is an area of active investigation. In this study, we sought to more specifically characterize the function of vMPFC in self-related processing, focusing on two alternative accounts: (i) assignment of positive subjective value to self-related information and (ii) assignment of personal significance to self-related information. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants imagined owning objects associated with either their perceived ingroup or outgroup. We found that for ingroup-associated objects, vMPFC showed greater activity for objects with increased than decreased post-ownership preference. In contrast, for outgroup-associated objects, vMPFC showed greater activity for objects with decreased than increased post-ownership preference. Our findings support the idea that the function of vMPFC in self-related processing may not be to represent/evaluate the 'positivity' or absolute preference of self-related information but to assign personal significance to it based on its meaning/function for the self. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wigfield; Eccles

2000-01-01

We discuss the expectancy-value theory of motivation, focusing on an expectancy-value model developed and researched by Eccles, Wigfield, and their colleagues. Definitions of crucial constructs in the model, including ability beliefs, expectancies for success, and the components of subjective task values, are provided. These definitions are compared to those of related constructs, including self-efficacy, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and interest. Research is reviewed dealing with two issues: (1) change in children's and adolescents' ability beliefs, expectancies for success, and subjective values, and (2) relations of children's and adolescents' ability-expectancy beliefs and subjective task values to their performance and choice of activities. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Understanding relations between pastoralism and its changing natural environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamou, Charles

2017-01-01

The competition for land has become an issue of major concern and cause of conflict, especially between pastoralists and crop farmers, but also between pastoralists and nature conservation institutions. The Biosphere Reserve of W in Benin Republic (WBR) and its surrounding lands are located in

Subjective Population of Personality: Socio-Psychological Aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vadym Zavatskyi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The paper is aimed at identifying the influence of socio-psychological factors on the formation of subjective wellbeing of a married person. The following methods were used: questionnaire, psycho diagnostic techniques for investigating satisfaction with marriage, personal self-fulfillment in the family (on the operational level and the level of values and role sets, socio-psychological adaptation, conformity of family values and role expectations in marriage. The data about the content, structural components (cognitive and evaluation, value and motivational, emotional and behavioral and functions (regulatory, prognostic, developmental of subjective well-being of a married person have been presented. Socio-psychological factors of subjective well-being of a married person have been specified.

Water and vegetation indices by using MODIS products for eucalyptus, pasture, and natural ecosystems in the eastern São Paulo state, Southeast Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

de C. Teixeira, Antônio H.; Leivas, Janice F.; Ronquim, Carlos C.; Garçon, Edlene A. M.; Bayma-Silva, Gustavo

2017-10-01

Eucalyptus (Ec) and pasture (Pt) are expanding while natural vegetation (Nv) are losing space in the Paraíba Valley, eastern side of the São Paulo state, Southeast Brazil. For quantification of water and vegetation conditions, the MODIS product MOD13Q1 was used together with a net of weather stations and vegetation land masks during the year 2015. The SAFER algorithm was applied to retrieve the actual evapotranspiration (ET), which was combined with the Monteith's radiation use efficiency (RUE) model to estimate the biomass production (BIO). Three moisture indices were applied, the climatic water balance ratio (WBr), the ratio of precipitation (P) to ET, the water balance deficit (WBd), the difference between P and ET, and the evapotranspiration ratio (ETr), the ratio of ET to the reference evapotranspiration (ET0). On the one hand, the highest ET rates for the Ec ecosystem should be a negative aspect under water scarcity conditions; however, it presented the best water productivity. Although the Ec ecosystem presenting the lowest WBr and WBd values, it had the highest ETr, averaging 0.92, when comparing to those for Nv (0.88) and Pt (0.79). These results indicated that eucalyptus plants have greater ability of conserving soil moisture in their root zones, increasing WP, when comparing with Pt and Nv ecosystems. These water relationships are relevant issues under the land-use change conditions in the Paraiba Valley, confirming the suitability of using the MODIS products together with weather stations to study the ecosystem dynamics.

The value relevance of investment property fair value

OpenAIRE

Selas, Duarte Nuno Gonçalves da Costa

2009-01-01

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics This paper examines if the use of the fair value model is value relevant in companies where the investment properties are not their core business. An analysis is also made into whether the disclosed fair value of investment property is perceived by investors. The sample includes Portuguese listed companies subject to the mandatory adoption of I...

Lymphopenia: A new independent prognostic factor for survival in patients treated with whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases from breast carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claude, Line; Perol, David; Ray-Coquard, Isabelle; Petit, Thierry; Blay, Jean-Yves; Carrie, Christian; Bachelot, Thomas

2005-01-01

Background and purpose: To determine overall survival (OS) and independent prognostic factors in patients with brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer treated by whole brain radiotherapy (WBR). Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty (120) women with BM, treated in a single French cancer center between 02/91 and 06/01, were reviewed. BM were confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Survival time was defined as the time interval from the date of BM to the date of death or last follow-up. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to determine significant prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. Results: Surgery was followed by WBR in 5 patients. One hundred and four (104) patients received exclusive WBR, eight received concomitant chemo-radiation, and one received chemo-radiation after surgery. The median survival time was 5 months (95% CI: 3-7 months). In the multivariate analysis, performance status over 1 and lymphopenia (<0.7 G/L) were found to be independent prognostic factors for poor survival. Based on the number of these independent prognostic factors, we propose a predictive model for survival in brain metastatic cancer patients. Median survival was 7 months for patients presenting none or one poor prognosis factor at diagnosis versus 2 months for patients with 2 poor prognosis factors (p<0.0001) Conclusion: Brain metastases from breast cancer remain associated with very poor prognosis and there is a need for better treatment procedures. If confirmed in predictive models, the identification of prognostic subgroups, based on KPS and lymphopenia, among patients with BM from breast cancer would help physicians select patients for future clinical trials

Informatic parcellation of the network involved in the computation of subjective value

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel, Antonio

2014-01-01

Understanding how the brain computes value is a basic question in neuroscience. Although individual studies have driven this progress, meta-analyses provide an opportunity to test hypotheses that require large collections of data. We carry out a meta-analysis of a large set of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of value computation to address several key questions. First, what is the full set of brain areas that reliably correlate with stimulus values when they need to be computed? Second, is this set of areas organized into dissociable functional networks? Third, is a distinct network of regions involved in the computation of stimulus values at decision and outcome? Finally, are different brain areas involved in the computation of stimulus values for different reward modalities? Our results demonstrate the centrality of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), ventral striatum and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in the computation of value across tasks, reward modalities and stages of the decision-making process. We also find evidence of distinct subnetworks of co-activation within VMPFC, one involving central VMPFC and dorsal PCC and another involving more anterior VMPFC, left angular gyrus and ventral PCC. Finally, we identify a posterior-to-anterior gradient of value representations corresponding to concrete-to-abstract rewards. PMID:23887811

Fair Value in the light of IFRS 13 «Fair Value Measurement»

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.V. Svitselska

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The main provisions of IFRS 13 «Fair Value Measurement» have been researched as well as its critical analysis has been conducted. Comparison of the previous and the new definition of the concept «fair value» has been done on the basis of what the shortcomings of the previous definition have been highlighted, the characteristic features and advantages of new definition from IFRS 13 «Fair Value Measurement» have been outlined. It has been proved that new interpretation of the concept of «fair value» is narrower and more accurate than the previous, it clarifies the subject matter, subjects of transactions, as well as the date of its execution. The scheme of estimation at fair value as well as model of fair value determination according to IFRS 13 «Fair Value Measurement» has been presented. Methods of measurement at fair value and the fair value hierarchy have been researched. Some disadvantages of provisions of IFRS 13 «Fair Value Measurement» on the basis of its analysis have been highlighted, uncertainty is essential among them in which fair value should be applied.

Values beyond value? Is anything beyond the logic of capital?

Science.gov (United States)

Skeggs, Bev

2014-03-01

We are living in a time when it is frequently assumed that the logic of capital has subsumed every single aspect of our lives, intervening in the organization of our intimate relations as well as the control of our time, including investments in the future (e.g. via debt). The theories that document the incursion of this logic (often through the terms of neoliberalism and/or governmentality) assume that this logic is internalized, works and organizes everything including our subjectivity. These theories performatively reproduce the very conditions they describe, shrinking the domain of values and making it subject to capital's logic. All values are reduced to value. Yet values and value are always dialogic, dependent and co-constituting. In this paper I chart the history by which value eclipses values and how this shrinks our sociological imagination. By outlining the historical processes that institutionalized different organizations of the population through political economy and the social contract, producing ideas of proper personhood premised on propriety, I detail how forms of raced, gendered and classed personhood was formed. The gaps between the proper and improper generate significant contradictions that offer both opportunities to and limits on capitals' lines of flight. It is the lacks, the residues, and the excess that cannot be captured by capital's mechanisms of valuation that will be explored in order to think beyond the logic of capital and show how values will always haunt value. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

Mercury toxicokinetics--dependency on strain and gender

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekstrand, Jimmy; Nielsen, Jesper B; Havarinasab, Said

2010-01-01

regulated by non-H-2 genes and gender. Lymph nodes lacked the strain- and gender-dependent Hg accumulation profile of kidney, liver and spleen. After 15 days without Hg A.SW mice showed a 4-fold higher WBR and liver Hg concentration, but 11-fold higher renal Hg concentration, showing the key role...

Normative values for CT-based texture analysis of vertebral bodies in dual X-ray absorptiometry-confirmed, normally mineralized subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mannil, Manoj; Eberhard, Matthias; Becker, Anton S.; Alkadhi, Hatem; Guggenberger, Roman; Schoenenberg, Denise; Osterhoff, Georg; Frey, Diana P.; Konukoglu, Ender

2017-01-01

To develop age-, gender-, and regional-specific normative values for texture analysis (TA) of spinal computed tomography (CT) in subjects with normal bone mineral density (BMD), as defined by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to determine age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences. In this retrospective, IRB-approved study, TA was performed on sagittal CT bone images of the thoracic and lumbar spine using dedicated software (MaZda) in 141 individuals with normal DXA BMD findings. Numbers of female and male subjects were balanced in each of six age decades. Three hundred and five TA features were analyzed in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae using free-hand regions-of-interest. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated for determining intra- and inter-observer agreement of each feature. Further dimension reduction was performed with correlation analyses. The TA features with an ICC 0.8 with other features were excluded from further analysis for dimension reduction. From the remaining 31 texture features, a significant correlation with age was found for the features mean (r = -0.489, p < 0.001), variance (r = -0.681, p < 0.001), kurtosis (r = 0.273, p < 0.001), and WavEnLL_s4 (r = 0.273, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between genders for various higher-level texture features (p < 0.001). Regional differences among the thoracic spine, thoracic-lumbar junction, and lumbar spine were found for most TA features (p < 0.021). This study established normative values of TA features on CT images of the spine and showed age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences in individuals with normal BMD as defined by DXA. (orig.)

Developmental changes and gender effects on motivational constructs based on the expectancy-value model in Czech and United States students regarding learning of science, mathematics, and other subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Eun-Mi

This study employed American and Czech student samples to investigate the motivational constructs used in Eccles and Wigfield's (1983) expectancy-value model. To predict achievement behavior, the model specifies relationships among expectancy for-success and task value, task-specific self-concept, perception of task-difficulty, perceptions of social environment, and interpretations and attributions for past events in relation to the social world. Czech and American students (n = 1,145) in grades 4--12 were the participants in this study. The causal relationships among the constructs were tested to investigate structural similarities and differences in the models for both countries. This study also explored developmental changes, gender, and national differences in the students' motivational beliefs for these motivational constructs: Expectancy for Success, Intrinsic Interest Value, Task-specific Self-concept, Perception of Task-difficulty, and Perceived Vocational Gender Dominance for science, mathematics, and other school subjects. The findings indicated that, for both countries, with respect to changes over grade level, compared to the younger students, the older students showed lower motivational beliefs for most subject areas except reading. However, the Czech students in grades 6--8 showed more positive motivational beliefs in life science and social studies than did the Czech students in other grade levels. In comparing genders, the male students exhibited more positive motivational beliefs in physical science than did the female students, and female students showed more positive motivational beliefs in reading than did the male students. For life science, the Czech female students rated Intrinsic Interest Value and Task-specific Self-concept higher than did their peer male students. The American students' motivational beliefs in reading were more positive than were Czech students', and the Czech students held more positive motivational beliefs in life

A subjective utilitarian theory of moral judgment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Dale J; Ahn, Minwoo

2016-10-01

Current theories hypothesize that moral judgments are difficult because rational and emotional decision processes compete. We present a fundamentally different theory of moral judgment: the Subjective Utilitarian Theory of moral judgment. The Subjective Utilitarian Theory posits that people try to identify and save the competing item with the greatest "personal value." Moral judgments become difficult only when the competing items have similar personal values. In Experiment 1, we estimate the personal values of 104 items. In Experiments 2-5, we show that the distributional overlaps of the estimated personal values account for over 90% of the variance in reaction times (RTs) and response choices in a moral judgment task. Our model fundamentally restructures our understanding of moral judgments from a competition between decision processes to a competition between similarly valued items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

An effective and better strategy for reducing body burden of radiostrontium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagtap, V S; Sonawane, V R; Pahuja, D N; Rajan, M G R; Rajashekharrao, B; Samuel, A M

2003-01-01

In this study we have examined the effect of different calcium salts, Ca gluconate (CaG), Ca lactate (CaL), Ca carbonate (CaC) and Ca phosphate (CaP), on the clearance of radiostrontium (*Sr) administered either intraperitoneally (ip) (*Sr-ip group) or orally (*Sr-oral group) in rats. The influence of these Ca salts was examined in a group of animals administered *Sr ip, while the effect of three Ca salts (CaG, CaL and CaP) was studied in another group of rats given *Sr orally and compared with that of Ca alginate (CaA), normally advised for *Sr decorporation. Rats from both groups were subdivided into control and four experimental subgroups and were housed individually. The experimental subgroups were given the respective Ca salts (elemental Ca = 9 mg/rat/day) 2 h post 85 Sr, and thereafter once daily. In the *Sr-ip group, CaG was administered ip while the other Ca salts were given orally. In the *Sr-oral group all Ca salts were administered orally. In addition, the diet of all the experimental subgroups was supplemented with the respective Ca salts to 2% elemental Ca. The whole-body retention (WBR) of *Sr in animals treated with Ca salts was found to be significantly reduced from 50-60% at 24 h to 20-30% at the end of 15 days compared with 70-80% at 24 h to 50-60% at the end of 15 days in the untreated control animals. The results strongly suggest that CaA could be replaced by any of the commonly used Ca salts for curtailing the WBR of *Sr. CaG which was administered ip, in the *Sr-ip group, was found to be more effective in reducing the WBR of *Sr

Value in co-creation: Subjecting innovative in-hospital technologies to multi-stakeholder appraisal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abrishami Shirazi, Payam; Boer, Albert; Horstman, Klasien

2017-01-01

Abstract: This article addresses how we can account for a value-driven introduction of in-hospital innovations when value is prone to – sometimes considerable – uncertainty. The contribution of multi-disciplinary, evidenceinformed multi-stakeholder deliberation (MSD) to deal with value issues is

Value concepts and value based collaboration in building projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2005-01-01

Value has in recent years become a popular term in management theory and practice in general as well as in economic theory and architectural management. This paper attempts to clarify the various uses and meanings of concepts of value/values. Six different value concepts are identified. The ori......-gin and use of value concepts in classic and modern economic theory and in management theory is outlined. The question of objectivity and subjectivity is discussed in relation to economic value and customer value. Value creation is put in relation to development in products and processes and a number...... of design strategies are identified. The concept and methods of value based management and collaboration is discussed in this context. The paper is mainly theoretical and based on work during a MBA study in 2002-04 as well as many years of experience as building client and facilities manager....

Intrinsic gas-phase reactivity toward methanol of trinuclear tungsten W(3)S(4) complexes bearing W-X (X = Br, OH) groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Vicent, Cristian; Feliz, Marta; Llusar, Rosa

2008-12-11

Electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry is used to investigate the gas-phase dissociation of trinuclear sulfide W(3)S(4) complexes containing three diphosphane ligands and three terminal bromine atoms, namely, [W(3)S(4)(dmpe)(3)(Br)(3)](+) (1(+)) or hydroxo groups, [W(3)S(4)(dmpe)(3)(OH)(3)](+) (2(+)) (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane). Sequential evaporation of two diphosphane ligands is the sole fragmentation channel for the 1(+) cation that yields product ions with one or two unsaturated W-Br functional groups, respectively. Conversely, evaporation of one diphosphane ligand followed by two water molecules is observed for cation 2(+). Complementary deuterium-labeling experiments in conjunction with computational studies provide deep insight into the thermodynamically favored product ion structures found along the fragmentation pathways. From these results, the formation of a series of cluster cations with WBr, WOH, and WO functional groups either on saturated or unsaturated metal sites is proposed. The effect of the properties of these cluster cations, among them chemical composition and coordinative saturation, on their reactivity toward methanol is discussed.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN THE FORMATION OF VALUES AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aneta Barakoska

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper is reviewed the concept of values and value orientations, as to the role of education in the process of their forming among adolescents from middle and late adolescence. Presented and discussed are the results of a larger research regarding the differences in values and value orientations in adolescents with different kind of education and: а adolescents learning religious subjects and ethics b adolescents learning ethics and c adolescents learning neither religious subjects, nor ethics.The findings obtained testify for the presence of differences in the system of values in adolescents with different education type as regarding to the following instrumental values: cooperation, honesty, determination, capability, assistance, clarity, generosity, logics and competing. There are also differences regarding the terminal values: exciting life, peace in the world, self-respecting, peace of mind, equality, economic welfare, pleasure and social justice. As regarding to the examined life styles, differences are found between the examined groups of adolescents in the following value orientations: family, altruistic, utilitary, popular and individual, as to religious, hedonism and power.

Subjective method of refractometry and depth of focus

Science.gov (United States)

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 when applying convex lenses with values which are fewer or equal to the depth of focus values. The following values of the depth of focus were used: ±0.55 D, ±0.35 D and ±0.2 D for visual acuity 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0, respectively. Results Application of the traditional method of refractometry produced the following occurrence of refractions: hypermetropia 59.3%, myopia 22% and emmetropia 18.7%. After correction of the initial results of values of the depth of focus the distribution of refractions was as follows: hypermetropia 12.7%, myopia 22% and emmetropia 65.3%. Conclusion The traditional method of subjective refractometry with application of trial lenses was developed on the basis of data of large optical aberrations and significant depth of focus which values should be taken into account during interpretation of results of subjective refractometry. Our data regarding to prevalence of emmetropic refraction falls in line with basic science provisions in respect of the physiology of the eye.

Normative values for CT-based texture analysis of vertebral bodies in dual X-ray absorptiometry-confirmed, normally mineralized subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mannil, Manoj; Eberhard, Matthias; Becker, Anton S.; Alkadhi, Hatem; Guggenberger, Roman [University Hospital Zurich, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Schoenenberg, Denise; Osterhoff, Georg [University Hospital Zurich, Division of Trauma Surgery, Zurich (Switzerland); Frey, Diana P. [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Rheumatology, Zurich (Switzerland); Konukoglu, Ender [Computer Vision Laboratory, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-11-15

To develop age-, gender-, and regional-specific normative values for texture analysis (TA) of spinal computed tomography (CT) in subjects with normal bone mineral density (BMD), as defined by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to determine age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences. In this retrospective, IRB-approved study, TA was performed on sagittal CT bone images of the thoracic and lumbar spine using dedicated software (MaZda) in 141 individuals with normal DXA BMD findings. Numbers of female and male subjects were balanced in each of six age decades. Three hundred and five TA features were analyzed in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae using free-hand regions-of-interest. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated for determining intra- and inter-observer agreement of each feature. Further dimension reduction was performed with correlation analyses. The TA features with an ICC < 0.81 indicating compromised intra- and inter-observer agreement and with Pearson correlation scores r > 0.8 with other features were excluded from further analysis for dimension reduction. From the remaining 31 texture features, a significant correlation with age was found for the features mean (r = -0.489, p < 0.001), variance (r = -0.681, p < 0.001), kurtosis (r = 0.273, p < 0.001), and WavEnLL{sub s}4 (r = 0.273, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between genders for various higher-level texture features (p < 0.001). Regional differences among the thoracic spine, thoracic-lumbar junction, and lumbar spine were found for most TA features (p < 0.021). This study established normative values of TA features on CT images of the spine and showed age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences in individuals with normal BMD as defined by DXA. (orig.)

Normative values for CT-based texture analysis of vertebral bodies in dual X-ray absorptiometry-confirmed, normally mineralized subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Mannil, Manoj; Eberhard, Matthias; Becker, Anton S; Schönenberg, Denise; Osterhoff, Georg; Frey, Diana P; Konukoglu, Ender; Alkadhi, Hatem; Guggenberger, Roman

2017-11-01

To develop age-, gender-, and regional-specific normative values for texture analysis (TA) of spinal computed tomography (CT) in subjects with normal bone mineral density (BMD), as defined by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to determine age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences. In this retrospective, IRB-approved study, TA was performed on sagittal CT bone images of the thoracic and lumbar spine using dedicated software (MaZda) in 141 individuals with normal DXA BMD findings. Numbers of female and male subjects were balanced in each of six age decades. Three hundred and five TA features were analyzed in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae using free-hand regions-of-interest. Intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients were calculated for determining intra- and inter-observer agreement of each feature. Further dimension reduction was performed with correlation analyses. The TA features with an ICC  0.8 with other features were excluded from further analysis for dimension reduction. From the remaining 31 texture features, a significant correlation with age was found for the features mean (r = -0.489, p < 0.001), variance (r = -0.681, p < 0.001), kurtosis (r = 0.273, p < 0.001), and WavEnLL_s4 (r = 0.273, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between genders for various higher-level texture features (p < 0.001). Regional differences among the thoracic spine, thoracic-lumbar junction, and lumbar spine were found for most TA features (p < 0.021). This study established normative values of TA features on CT images of the spine and showed age-, gender-, and regional-specific differences in individuals with normal BMD as defined by DXA.

Normative values for a functional capacity evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Soer, Remko; van der Schans, Cees P; Geertzen, Jan H; Groothoff, Johan W; Brouwer, Sandra; Dijkstra, Pieter U; Reneman, Michiel F

2009-10-01

Soer R, van der Schans CP, Geertzen JH, Groothoff JW, Brouwer S, Dijkstra PU, Reneman MF. Normative values for a functional capacity evaluation. To establish normative values for a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) of healthy working subjects. Descriptive. Rehabilitation center. Healthy working subjects (N=701; 448 men, 253 women) between 20 and 60 years of age, working in more than 180 occupations. Subjects performed a 2-hour FCE consisting of 12 work-related tests. Subjects were classified into categories based on physical demands according to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Means, ranges, SDs, and percentiles were provided for normative values of FCE, and a regression analysis for outcome of the 12 tests was performed. Normative FCE values were established for 4 physical demand categories. The normative values enable comparison of patients' performances to these values. If a patient's performance exceeds the lowest scores in his/her corresponding demand category, then the patient's capacity is very likely to be sufficient to meet the workload. Further, clinicians can make more precise return-to-work recommendations and set goals for rehabilitation programs. A comparison of the normative values can be useful to the fields of rehabilitation, occupational, and insurance medicine. Further research is needed to test the validity of the normative values with respect to workplace assessments and return-to-work recommendations.

Pengukuran Kinerja Perusahaan Melalui Economic Value Added (Eva) Dan (Mva) Market Value

OpenAIRE

Andhaniwati, Erry

2011-01-01

Performance corporating to constitute one of prescriptive factor gets on descent of stock price because firm performance constitute to refuse fathom for investor deeping to determine stock bid price. Economic Value Added, and Market Value Added are umpteen corporate performance grader that can be utilized by investor in assesses how well firm performance. Therefore to the effect this research is subject to be analyse influence among Economic Value Added , and Market Value Added to stock pr...

[Evaluation of thermal comfort in a student population: predictive value of an integrated index (Fanger's predicted mean value].

Science.gov (United States)

Catenacci, G; Terzi, R; Marcaletti, G; Tringali, S

1989-01-01

Practical applications and predictive values of a thermal comfort index (Fanger's PRV) were verified on a sample school population (1236 subjects) by studying the relationships between thermal sensations (subjective analysis), determined by means of an individual questionnaire, and the values of thermal comfort index (objective analysis) obtained by calculating the PMV index individually in the subjects under study. In homogeneous conditions of metabolic expenditure rate and thermal impedence from clothing, significant differences were found between the two kinds of analyses. At 22 degrees C mean radiant and operative temperature, the PMV values averaged 0 and the percentage of subjects who experienced thermal comfort did not exceed 60%. The high level of subjects who were dissatisfied with their environmental thermal conditions confirms the doubts regarding the use of the PMV index as a predictive indicator of thermal comfort, especially considering that the negative answers were not homogeneous nor attributable to the small thermal fluctuations (less than 0.5 degree C) measured in the classrooms.

Value and power in economics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josifidis Kosta

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this article we rethink the field of value in economic theory. First, we prove that the transhistorical and nominalist approaches show different weaknesses and can not account for the constitutive dimensions of value. Within this context, we demonstrate why value emerged in the first place and what epistemological dimensions it provided and enabled for economic reflexivity. In addition, we demonstrate that it is impossible to understand inherent value as an immanent property of goods in economic transactions and we critique the approach that renders value to the theory of price. Economic relations reflect value-related aspects without which the relations could not be understood. We then analyze the interrelations between power and value, proving the constitutive dimension of power in understanding value, demonstrated in selected examples. We treat power as a constellation in which economic agents act on other subjects to provoke certain activity. Power may occur only where the behaviour of subjects is not entirely determined. Finally, one additional selected example shows the range of this theory of power in terms of positional goods.

Reference values for vastus lateralis fiber size and type in healthy subjects over 40 years old: a systematic review and metaanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gouzi, Fares; Maury, Jonathan; Molinari, Nicolas; Pomiès, Pascal; Mercier, Jacques; Préfaut, Christian; Hayot, Maurice

2013-08-01

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a major systemic impairment in chronic diseases. Yet its determinants have been hard to identify because a clear research definition has not been agreed upon. The reduction in muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) is a widely acknowledged marker of muscle atrophy, but no reference values for the muscle fiber CSA at the age of the onset of chronic disease have ever been published. Thus, we aimed to systematically review the studies providing data on fiber CSA and fiber type proportion in the vastus lateralis of the quadriceps of healthy subjects (age >40 yr) and then to pool and analyze the data from the selected studies to determine reference values for fiber CSA. We followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and identified 19 studies, including 423 subjects that matched the inclusion criteria. On the basis of fiber type and gender, the mean fiber CSA and the lower limits of normal (LLNs) were (%type I*60) + 1,743 μm(2) and (%type I*60) - 718 μm(2), respectively, for men; and (%type I*70) + 139 μm(2) and (%type I*70) - 1,485 μm(2), respectively, for women. There was no significant heterogeneity among subgroups of fiber type and gender. The pooled type I fiber proportion was 50.3% (LLN = 32.9%). In multivariate analysis, fiber CSA was significantly correlated with Vo2 peak (r = 190.92; P = 0.03), and type I fiber proportion was correlated with age (r = -0.024; P = 0.005), body mass index (r = 0.096; P = 0.005), and Vo2 peak (r = -0.053; P = 0.005). Our metaanalysis of a homogeneous set of studies is the first to provide valuable LLNs for fiber CSA according to fiber type and gender. This analysis will be improved by prospective assessment in well-characterized healthy subjects.

High blood pressure in older subjects with cognitive impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mossello, Enrico; Simoni, David

2016-06-22

High blood pressure and cognitive impairment often coexist in old age, but their pathophysiological association is complex. Several longitudinal studies have shown that high blood pressure at midlife is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia, although this association is much less clear in old age. The effect of blood pressure lowering in reducing the risk of dementia is only borderline significant in clinical trials of older subjects, partly due to the insufficient follow-up time. Conversely, dementia onset is associated with a decrease of blood pressure values, probably secondary to neurodegeneration. Prognostic effect of blood pressure values in cognitively impaired older subjects is still unclear, with aggressive blood pressure lowering being potentially harmful in this patients category. Brief cognitive screening, coupled with simple motor assessment, are warranted to identify frail older subjects who need a more cautious approach to antihypertensive treatment. Values obtained with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring seem more useful than clinical ones to predict the outcome of cognitively impaired older subjects. Future studies should identify the most appropriate blood pressure targets in older subjects with cognitive impairment.

Ventromedial Frontal Lobe Damage Alters how Specific Attributes are Weighed in Subjective Valuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidya, Avinash R; Sefranek, Marcus; Fellows, Lesley K

2017-10-23

The concept of subjective value is central to current neurobiological views of economic decision-making. Much of this work has focused on signals in the ventromedial frontal lobe (VMF) that correlate with the subjective value of a variety of stimuli (e.g., food, monetary gambles), and are thought to support decision-making. However, the neural processes involved in assessing and integrating value information from the attributes of such complex options remain to be defined. Here, we tested the necessary role of VMF in weighting attributes of naturalistic stimuli during value judgments. We asked how distinct attributes of visual artworks influenced the subjective value ratings of subjects with VMF damage, compared to healthy participants and a frontal lobe damaged control group. Subjects with VMF damage were less influenced by the energy (emotion, complexity) and color radiance (warmth, saturation) of the artwork, while they were similar to control groups in considering saliency, balance and concreteness. These dissociations argue that VMF is critical for allowing certain affective content to influence subjective value, while sparing the influence of perceptual or representational information. These distinctions are important for better defining the often-underspecified concept of subjective value and developing more detailed models of the brain mechanisms underlying decision behavior. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Interaction, transference, and subjectivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundgaard Andersen, Linda

2012-01-01

Fieldwork is one of the important methods in educational, social, and organisational research. In fieldwork, the researcher takes residence for a shorter or longer period amongst the subjects and settings to be studied. The aim of this is to study the culture of people: how people seem to make...... sense of their lives and which moral, professional, and ethical values seem to guide their behaviour and attitudes. In fieldwork, the researcher has to balance participation and observation in her attempts at representation. Consequently, the researcher’s academic and life-historical subjectivity...... is also subjected to psychodynamic processes. In this article, I draw upon a number of research inquiries to illustrate how psychodynamic processes influence research processes: data production, research questions and methodology, relations to informants, as well as interpretation and analysis. I further...

Values in First-Episode Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Agid, Ofer; Mcdonald, Krysta; Fervaha, Gagan; Littrell, Romie; Thoma, Jessica; Zipursky, Robert B; Foussias, George; Remington, Gary

2015-11-01

Functional impairment continues to represent a major challenge in schizophrenia. Surprisingly, patients with schizophrenia report a level of happiness comparable with control subjects, even in the face of the prominent functional deficits, a finding at odds with evidence indicating a positive relation between happiness and level of functioning. In attempting to reconcile these findings, we chose to examine the issue of values, defined as affectively infused criteria or motivational goals used to select and justify actions, people, and the self, as values are related to both happiness and functioning. Fifty-six first-episode patients in remission and 56 healthy control subjects completed happiness and values measures. Statistical analyses included correlations, analysis of variance, structural equation modelling, and smallest space analysis. Results indicated that patients with schizophrenia placed significantly greater priority on the value dimensions of Tradition (P = 0.02) and Power (P = 0.03), and significantly less priority on Self-direction (P = 0.007) and Stimulation, (P = 0.008). Essentially, people with schizophrenia place more emphasis on the customs and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide in conjunction with a decreased interest in change, which is at odds with the expectations of early adulthood. This value difference could be related to functional deficits. To this point, we have assumed that people hold to the same values that guided them before the illness' onset, but this may not be the case. Our study indicates that values differ in people with schizophrenia, compared with control subjects, even early in the illness and in the face of symptomatic remission.

Balancing between conflicting values for designing subjective well-being for the digital home

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tsai, W.-C.; Chuang, Y.; Chen, L.

2015-01-01

This paper highlights three pairs of implicit but important human values that are sometimes overlooked or taken for granted in the design of mainstream products for the home. They are private and shared, present and past, control and abdicate. We argue that these values are worth preserving and

Diurnal levels of immunoreactive erythropoietin in normal subjects and subjects with chronic lung disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, M.E.; Garcia, J.F.; Cohen, R.A.; Cronkite, E.P.; Moccia, G.; Acevedo, J.

1981-10-01

Serum levels of immunoreactive erythropoietin (Ep) were measured in 48 normal male and female volunteers, ages 20-60 years, to establish a control value for Ep of 18.5 +/- 5.0 (mean +/- SD) mU/ml. Levels of the hormone were also measured sequentially over a 24 h period of time in an additional 17 normal volunteers with no diurnal variation. Diurnal levels of immunoreactive Ep were also measured in 30 subjects, with chronic lung disease. These patients, in contrast to normal subjects exhibited a diurnal variation in the level of immunoreactive Ep with peak levels occurring at midnight. The only variable measured which correlated with the serum immunoreactive Ep level in subjects with chronic lung disease was the level of carboxyhaemoglobin (P less than 0.02).

Diabetes mellitus defined by hemoglobin A1c value: Risk characterization for incidence among Japanese subjects in the JPHC Diabetes Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Masayuki; Takahashi, Yoshihiko; Matsushita, Yumi; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Inoue, Manami; Kadowaki, Takashi; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Noda, Mitsuhiko

2011-10-07

Aims/Introduction:  Although several risk factors for type 2 diabetes have been identified, most of them have been identified in studies on Western populations, and they should be evaluated in a Japanese population. In 2010, new diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus using hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were released and its use in epidemiological studies has many advantages. The aim of the present study was to evaluate risk factors for type 2 diabetes defined based on HbA1c values in a Japanese population.   A total of 9223 subjects (3076 men and 6147 women) were followed up for 5 years. Diabetes was defined based on self-report or HbA1c value. Risk factors for diabetes were evaluated as odds ratios adjusted for potential confounding factors by logistic regression.   During the 5-year follow-up period, we documented 518 incident cases of diabetes (232 men and 286 women). Of the 518 incident cases, 310 cases were diagnosed by HbA1c alone. Among the men, age, smoking (both past smoking and current smoking) and family history of diabetes significantly increased the risk of diabetes. Among the women, body mass index, family history of diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of diabetes. These results did not change markedly after adjustment for the baseline HbA1c values, and the baseline HbA1c value itself was a significant risk factor for diabetes mellitus.   Known risk factors for diabetes established in Western populations also increased the risk of diabetes in a Japanese population defined on the basis of HbA1c values. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2011.00119.x, 2011).

Cultural estrangement: the role of personal and societal value discrepancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard, Mark M; Gebauer, Jochen E; Maio, Gregory R

2006-01-01

Study 1 examined whether cultural estrangement arises from discrepancies between personal and societal values (e.g., freedom) rather than from discrepancies in attitudes toward political (e.g., censorship) or mundane (e.g., pizza) objects. The relations between different types of value discrepancies, estrangement, subjective well-being, and need for uniqueness also were examined. Results indicated that personal-societal discrepancies in values and political attitudes predicted estrangement, whereas mundane attitude discrepancies were not related to estrangement. As expected, value discrepancies were the most powerful predictor of estrangement. Value discrepancies were not related to subjective well-being but fulfilled a need for uniqueness. Study 2 replicated the relations between value discrepancies, subjective well-being, and need for uniqueness while showing that a self-report measure of participants' values and a peer-report measure of the participants' values yielded the same pattern of value discrepancies. Together, the studies reveal theoretical and empirical benefits of conceptualizing cultural estrangement in terms of value discrepancies.

Ventilation-perfusion distribution in normal subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Kenneth C; Johnson, Bruce D; Olson, Thomas P; Wilson, Theodore A

2012-09-01

Functional values of LogSD of the ventilation distribution (σ(V)) have been reported previously, but functional values of LogSD of the perfusion distribution (σ(q)) and the coefficient of correlation between ventilation and perfusion (ρ) have not been measured in humans. Here, we report values for σ(V), σ(q), and ρ obtained from wash-in data for three gases, helium and two soluble gases, acetylene and dimethyl ether. Normal subjects inspired gas containing the test gases, and the concentrations of the gases at end-expiration during the first 10 breaths were measured with the subjects at rest and at increasing levels of exercise. The regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion was described by a bivariate log-normal distribution with parameters σ(V), σ(q), and ρ, and these parameters were evaluated by matching the values of expired gas concentrations calculated for this distribution to the measured values. Values of cardiac output and LogSD ventilation/perfusion (Va/Q) were obtained. At rest, σ(q) is high (1.08 ± 0.12). With the onset of ventilation, σ(q) decreases to 0.85 ± 0.09 but remains higher than σ(V) (0.43 ± 0.09) at all exercise levels. Rho increases to 0.87 ± 0.07, and the value of LogSD Va/Q for light and moderate exercise is primarily the result of the difference between the magnitudes of σ(q) and σ(V). With known values for the parameters, the bivariate distribution describes the comprehensive distribution of ventilation and perfusion that underlies the distribution of the Va/Q ratio.

Studies in radioaerosol lung scanning in urban health survey subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doshi, V.B.; Gregat, I.K.; Kamat, S.R.; Papewar, V.N.; Raikar, U.R.; Sharma, S.M.; Ganatra, R.D.

1984-01-01

As a part of health survey in relation to air pollution, 16 smokers(11 from 'high' and 5 from 'low' zone) were studied with extensive serial lung functions, chest radiography and radioaerosol lung scanning. The clinical diagnosis were chronic bronchitis(COPD) in 9 subjects; but others (4 'High' and 3 'Low') were considered normal. The values of FVC, FEV were normal in most of these three groups, but FEV 1 /FVC percent values were lower in subjects from 'high' zone.The functional declines were higher in normals of 'high' zone. Radioaerosol (ventilation) scans (with technetium 99 ) showed a normal picture in 2 COPD and 3 normal subjects; in 3 COPD and 1 normal subjects the abnormalities were definite. For perfusion scans, 2 COPD and 3 normal subjects showed a normal pattern while definite abnormalities were seen in 1 COPD and 1 normal subjects. Lung scans may pick up abnormalities in normal smokers at an early stage. (author)

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α shows predictive value as a risk marker for subjects and sites vulnerable to bone loss in a longitudinal model of aggressive periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Daniel H; Markowitz, Kenneth; Fairlie, Karen; Tischio-Bereski, Debbie; Ferrandiz, Javier; Godboley, Dipti; Furgang, David; Gunsolley, John; Best, Al

2014-01-01

Improved diagnostics remains a fundamental goal of biomedical research. This study was designed to assess cytokine biomarkers that could predict bone loss (BL) in localized aggressive periodontitis. 2,058 adolescents were screened. Two groups of 50 periodontally healthy adolescents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. One group had Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), the putative pathogen, while the matched cohort did not. Cytokine levels were assessed in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Participants were sampled, examined, and radiographed every 6 months for 2-3 years. Disease was defined as radiographic evidence of BL. Saliva and GCF was collected at each visit, frozen, and then tested retrospectively after detection of BL. Sixteen subjects with Aa developed BL. Saliva from Aa-positive and Aa-negative healthy subjects was compared to subjects who developed BL. GCF was collected from 16 subjects with BL and from another 38 subjects who remained healthy. GCF from BL sites in the 16 subjects was compared to healthy sites in these same subjects and to healthy sites in subjects who remained healthy. Results showed that cytokines in saliva associated with acute inflammation were elevated in subjects who developed BL (i.e., MIP-1α MIP-1β IL-α, IL-1β and IL-8; p<0.01). MIP-1α was elevated 13-fold, 6 months prior to BL. When MIP-1α levels were set at 40 pg/ml, 98% of healthy sites were below that level (Specificity); whereas, 93% of sites with BL were higher (Sensitivity), with comparable Predictive Values of 98%; p<0.0001; 95% C.I. = 42.5-52.7). MIP-1α consistently showed elevated levels as a biomarker for BL in both saliva and GCF, 6 months prior to BL. MIP-1α continues to demonstrate its strong candidacy as a diagnostic biomarker for both subject and site vulnerability to BL.

Valuing Urban Landscape Using Subjective Well-Being Data: Empirical Evidence from Dalian, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erda Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available It has been well recognized that the urban landscape ecosystem is able to make a great contribution to the quality of life for people who live in the city and beyond, thus it can potentially accrue a significant economic value to the human well-being. However, due to its public good nature, it is difficult to monetizing its values in a systematic manner. In this paper, we attempt to assess the economic value of the urban landscape through people’s life satisfaction approach utilizing a large sample of dataset complied from the general public survey in Dalian City which is one of the well-known tourism cities in China. The results indicate that most of the urban landscape attributes impose significant effects on people’s life satisfaction, thus accruing a considerable amount of value to the local residents. Taking a 10-point ranking scale for the urban landscape quality as an example, the household willingness to pay on average reaches ¥24,579 per annum for one point of ranking level increase. Relative to the low level of household income, those high-income households are much keener to the changes of the landscape quality. If the urban landscape quality is disaggregated into five levels, household’s marginal willingness-to-pay diminishes as the urban landscape’s rank level is improved.

Values, food and bags: A study of consumption decisions in a laboratory supermarket

OpenAIRE

Astrid Matthey; Tim Kasser

2013-01-01

We study the relation between people's personal values and environmentally friendly consumption behavior. We first assessed subjects' personal values using the Aspiration Index. Then subjects participated in a laboratory supermarket offering organic and conventional food products and different kinds of bags. The results suggest that subjects' personal values are poor predictors of their ecologically-relevant consumption behavior. However, we find that subjects who spontaneously reflected upon...

Some hematological parameters and the prognostic values of CD4, CD8 and total lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 cell count ratio in healthy HIV sero-negative, healthy HIV sero-positive and AIDS subjects in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

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Blessing Didia

2008-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The present study attempts to determine normal values of CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 ratio, total WBC and differential counts, hematocrit and total lymphocyte count (TLC in healthy HIV sero-negative and sero-positive subjects, and to assess the prognostic significance of these parameters in these subjects as compared to AIDS subjects.METHODS: A total of 300 subjects (147 M, 153 F aged between 17 and 71 years were recruited into the study. Subjects were separated according to sex and divided into three groups: Group A: healthy HIV sero-negative subjects; Group B: healthy HIV sero-positive newly diagnosed ART-naïve subjects; and Group C: AIDS subjects. CD4 and CD8 counts were determined by flow cytometry; hematocrit was determined using Hawksley micro-capillary tubes; total WBC and differential counts were determined manually with the improved Neubauer counting chamber; and TLC was obtained by multiplying the percentage of lymphocytes by the total WBC count.RESULTS: For male subjects, significant differences were found in CD4 count, CD4/CD8 count ratio, hematocrit, total WBC and TLC, whereas for female subjects, significant differences were found only in CD4 and CD4/CD8 count ratio in the three groups of subjects. In both sexes, however, these parameters were found to be highest in healthy HIV sero-negative subjects and lowest in AIDS subjects, with HIV sero-positive subjects having intermediate values. CONCLUSION: The results confirm previous reports that the CD4 count and CD4/CD8 count ratio are fairly reliable indicators of the progression of HIV infection. In addition, the results also apparently suggest that the prognostic value of CD8 count is limited and that of TLC possibly sex-dependent. The results could be of importance in our environment since previous reports have been relatively scarce.

Gender influencers on work values of black adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, V G; Shields, L C

1987-01-01

Work values and key influencers of a sample of black male and female adolescents were examined. Results indicated that boys and girls valued both the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of work; however, girls reported slighter stronger extrinsic values than did boys. In addition, the sexes reported differences in the importance of specific work values such as "making lots of money," and "doing important things." When naming a key influencer, respondents tended to cite a same-sex and race individual. Sex of one's key influencer was related to certain work values, with subjects reporting a male key influencer valuing "trying out one's own ideas" and "having a secure future" more than those reporting a female key influencer. The interaction of sex of subject and sex of key influencer was significant on one of the work value outcomes. Implications of these findings are considered.

Fluctuation in hematology values in gamma irradiated rats subjected to pesticide ingestion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

abdel-Hamid, F M [Radioisotope Department, Nuclear Research Center, Radiation Biology, cairo (Egypt); Roushdy, H M [Department, National Center for Radiation Reasrch and Technology, Cairo (Egypt); Girgis, R B; Abu-Ghadir, A R [Atomic Energy Authority, and Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo (Egypt)

1995-10-01

Male albino rats were exposed to gamma irradiation alone or after either oral daily administration of 50 or 100 mg kelthane for 3 successive days; or daily administration of 200 mg kelthane mixed with food per kg body weight for 3,6 and 12 weeks. Relative spleen weight and certain hematological values were determined. Significant decrease could be estimated in relative spleen weight due to exposure only to gamma irradiation significant increase was recorded due to treatment with 50 and 100 mg kelthane. The data obtained on hematological levels revealed insignificant changes in erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin concentration due to exposure to gamma irradiation and/.or kelthane treatment. Significant decrease was recorded in hematocrit value either for successive 30 days or due exposure to gamma irradiation after treatment with kelthane for short and long term periods. Leucocyte counts showed significant decrease for all animals groups. 2 tabs.

fluctuation in hematology values in gamma irradiated rats subjected to pesticide ingestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

abdel-Hamid, F.M.; Roushdy, H.M.; Girgis, R.B.; Abu-Ghadir, A.R.

1995-01-01

Male albino rats were exposed to gamma irradiation alone or after either oral daily administration of 50 or 100 mg kelthane for 3 successive days; or daily administration of 200 mg kelthane mixed with food per kg body weight for 3,6 and 12 weeks. Relative spleen weight and certain hematological values were determined. Significant decrease could be estimated in relative spleen weight due to exposure only to gamma irradiation significant increase was recorded due to treatment with 50 and 100 mg kelthane. The data obtained on hematological levels revealed insignificant changes in erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin concentration due to exposure to gamma irradiation and/.or kelthane treatment. Significant decrease was recorded in hematocrit value either for successive 30 days or due exposure to gamma irradiation after treatment with kelthane for short and long term periods. Leucocyte counts showed significant decrease for all animals groups. 2 tabs

Fluctuation in haematological values in gamma irradiated rats subjected to pesticide ingestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Hamid, F.M.; Roushdy, H.M.; Abu-Ghadeer, A.R.; Girgis, R.B.

1995-01-01

Male albino rats were exposed to gamma irradiation alone or after either oral daily administration of 50 or 100 mg kelthane for 3 successive days; or daily administration of 200 mg kelthane mixed with food per kg body weight for 3,6 and 12 weeks. Relative spleen weight and certain hematological values were determined. Significant decrease could be estimated in relative spleen weight due to exposure to gamma irradiation. Significant increase was recorded due to treatment with 50 and 100 mg kelthane. The data obtained on hematological levels revealed insignificant changes in erythrocyte counts and hemoglobin concentration due to exposure to gamma irradiation and / or kelthane treatment. Significant decrease was recorded in hematocrit value either for successive 30 days or due to exposure to gamma radiation after treatment with kelthane for short and long term periods. Leucocyte counts showed significant decrease for all animal groups. 2 tabs

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)

Skeletal scintigraphy and quantitative tracer studies in metabolic bone disease

Science.gov (United States)

Fogelman, Ignac

means of quantitating this uptake the use of bone to soft-tissue ratios derived from the bone scan image by computer was critically evaluated. The technique was shown to be observer dependent and again found to be of limited value due to the large overlap of patient results with those from control subjects. In chapter 3 the use of bone scan imaging in metabolic bone disease has been compared with radiology. Despite the difficulties mentioned above the metabolic index was employed, and the bone scan found to be the more sensitive investigation in primary hyperparathyroidism, renal osteodystrophy and osteomalacia. In osteoporosis, however, the bone scan was often unable to identify disease and radiology remains the investigation of choice. In a further study comparing bone scanning and radiology in Paget's disease, the bone scan was found to be clearly the more sensitive investigation. As a result of the work described in chapter 2 it became apparent that a sensitive means of quantitating absolute bone uptake of tracer could be of diagnostic value. In chapter 4 a promising new quantitative technique is described in which the 24-hour whole-body retention of Tc-99m diphosphonate (WBR) is measured using a shadow-shield whole-body monitor. At 24 hours after injection, diphosphonate has reached a stable equilibrium in bone reflecting skeletal metabolic activity, while tracer in the soft-tissues of the body has been largely excreted via the urinary tract. It was found that this technique provided a sensitive means of detecting patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, renal osteodystrophy and Paget's disease and that in these conditions all the results from individual patients lay outside the control range. In further studies the WBR technique was shown to be highly reproducible and not subject to any significant technical errors.

The value sphere of native and newcomer youth in their subjective assessment of the environment of a megalopolis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kruzhkova, O. V.

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Currently, in the Russian Federation more and more attention is being paid to the quality of human capital. The innovative future of the country as a whole and its regions in particular depends on having young people with an active lifestyle, a high level of education, and a desire to be included in the development process of their country, region, city, or town. In most regions of the Russian Federation, programs and projects are supported that promote the self-actualization of young people and create conditions to ensure a full and rich life for the younger generation. But, despite these measures, as well as major government funding, the process of active internal migration and the outflow of talented young people from provincial areas into the central regions, as well as from rural to urban settlements, lead to the significant negative skewing of socioeconomic development in the regions of the Russian Federation. Thus, these are the issues: which characteristics of life in a megalopolis are valuable and attractive to young people and are there differences in the images of a big city held by native young people and newcomers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of the value-sense and need-motivational spheres of native and newcomer youth in a megalopolis as well as to reveal the specifics of their images of a contemporary megalopolis. A comprehensive study conducted in Ekaterinburg among young people in the senior classes of secondary schools, colleges, and universities, as well as among young working men and women (N = 1108; ages 17-25, disclosed the base values in the subjective evaluation of the environment of a megalopolis by native and newcomer youth. In accordance with the objectives of the study, the sample was divided into two contrasting groups: native residents of Ekaterinburg (living there since birth 437; newcomer residents of Ekaterinburg (living there fewer than 3 years who were actively adapting

Establishing values-based leadership and value systems in healthcare organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Graber, David R; Kilpatrick, Anne Osborne

2008-01-01

The importance of values in organizations is often discussed in management literature. Possessing strong or inspiring values is increasingly considered to be a key quality of successful leaders. Another common theme is that organizational values contribute to the culture and ultimate success of organizations. These conceptions or expectations are clearly applicable to healthcare organizations in the United States. However, healthcare organizations have unique structures and are subject to societal expectations that must be accommodated within an organizational values system. This article describes theoretical literature on organizational values. Cultural and religious influences on Americans and how they may influence expectations from healthcare providers are discussed. Organizational cultures and the training and socialization of the numerous professional groups in healthcare also add to the considerable heterogeneity of value systems within healthcare organizations. These contribute to another challenge confronting healthcare managers--competing or conflicting values within a unit or the entire organization. Organizations often fail to reward members who uphold or enact the organization's values, which can lead to lack of motivation and commitment to the organization. Four key elements of values-based leadership are presented for healthcare managers who seek to develop as values-based leaders. 1) Recognize your personal and professional values, 2) Determine what you expect from the larger organization and what you can implement within your sphere of influence, 3) Understand and incorporate the values of internal stakeholders, and 4) Commit to values-based leadership.

Occupational choice and values.

OpenAIRE

Kantas, A.

1985-01-01

It is suggested that psychological and sociological approaches to occupational choice can be linked together by employment of three concepts: work salience, values and motivation. Employing Vroom's (1964) cognitive model of motivation occupational choice was examined as a value attainment process. The subjects were 225 male pupils of two different school complexes in Athens, Greece. They were asked to respond to a work salience questionnaire and to rank order a set of ...

Fortalecimiento de los valores a través de la asignatura Preparación para la Defensa II Strengthening moral values through the Subject "Preparation for Defense-2"

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Pedro Pablo Quintero Paredes

2009-12-01

Full Text Available En la preparación del profesional de la salud reviste gran importancia el enfrentamiento a desastres ya sean naturales o provocados por el hombre. Es por ello que se hacen esfuerzos porque estos profesionales culminen sus estudios de pregrado con la máxima preparación física, política y humana. Se trabajó con el objetivo de proponer tareas docentes en las unidades temáticas 8 y 9 de la asignatura Preparación para la Defensa II para el fortalecimiento de valores en los estudiantes de 4to año académico de la carrera de Medicina. El sistema de valores en esta asignatura se fortalece a través de tareas docentes propuestas por el profesor en las actividades docentes. La formación de valores se hace imprescindible a la hora de enfocar dicha preparación si se trata de lograr un profesional capaz de actuar en cada momento con la capacidad y pertinencia que este requiera desde cada disciplina o asignatura. El accionar del médico, la enfermera u otro personal asistencial ha puesto el nombre de Cuba en múltiples ocasiones en la cúspide de la solidaridad.During the training of health professionals facing disasters either natural or those caused by man are of great importance. Efforts are undertaken for the health professionals to end the pre-graduate studies having the highest physical, political and humane preparation. This paper was aimed at suggesting teaching tasks in the subject matters 8 and 9 of the Subject "Preparation for Defense-2" to strengthen moral values in medical students enrolled in 4th academic year. The system of values in this subject is strengthened by means of teaching tasks proposed by the professors in the teaching-learning activities. The formation of moral values is indispensable to approach such preparation, or when a health professional is able to deal with each circumstance having the adequate and required capacity and pertinence from every discipline or subject taught. The performance of doctors, nurses or other

The Challenging Diagnosis of Non-Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Non-Mechanically Ventilated Subjects: Value of Microbiological Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Messika, Jonathan; Stoclin, Annabelle; Bouvard, Eric; Fulgencio, Jean-Pierre; Ridel, Christophe; Muresan, Ioan-Paul; Boffa, Jean-Jacques; Bachmeyer, Claude; Denis, Michel; Gounant, Valérie; Esteso, Adoracion; Loi, Valeria; Verdet, Charlotte; Prigent, Hélène; Parrot, Antoine; Fartoukh, Muriel

2016-02-01

Early recognition and an attempt at obtaining microbiological documentation are recommended in patients with non-community-acquired pneumonia (NCAP), whether hospital-acquired (HAP) or health care-associated (HCAP). We aimed to characterize the clinical features and microbial etiologies of NCAP to assess the impact of microbiological investigation on their management. This was a prospective 1-y study in a university hospital with 141 non-mechanically ventilated subjects suspected of having HAP (n = 110) or HCAP (n = 31). Clinical criteria alone poorly identified pneumonia (misdiagnosis in 50% of cases). Microbiological confirmation was achievable in 80 subjects (57%). Among 79 microorganisms isolated, 28 were multidrug-resistant aerobic Gram-negative bacilli and group III Enterobacteriaceae and 6 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Multidrug-resistant aerobic Gram-negative bacilli accounted for one third of the microorganisms in early-onset HAP and for 50% in late-onset HAP. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was most often recovered from subjects with HCAP. Inappropriate empirical antibiotics were administered to 36% of subjects with confirmed pneumonia. Forty subjects were admitted to the ICU, 13 (33%) of whom died. Overall, 39 subjects (28%) died in the hospital. Integrating the microbiological investigation in the complex clinical diagnostic workup of patients suspected of having NCAP is mandatory. Respiratory tract specimens should be obtained whenever possible for appropriate management. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

A Study on Fasting Serum Gastrin level in Normal Subjects and Various Gastric Diseases by Radioimmunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong Duck; Lee, Heon Sil; Park, Seung Uk; Park, Sung Hwi; Lee, Chong Suk; Lee, Hak Choong [National Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1981-09-15

The fasting serum gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 32 normal healthy subjects without recognized gastrointestinal symptoms and 93 patients with various gastric diseases, who were visited of admitted to National Medical Center from February to June, 1981. The following results were obtained; 1) The fasting mean serum gastrin level in normal subjects was 55.9+-26.3 pg/m1, and there was no difference between male and female. 2) The gastrin levels in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 85.0+-28.4 and 76.0+-43.0 pg/ml respectively, and it's values were elevated as compared with normal subjects. In gastric ulcer, the gastrin level was elevated than that of duodenal ulcer, but no significant difference in each other. 3) The gastrin level in stomach cancer was 89.5+-42.2 pg/ml, and it's values were markedly elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 4) The gastrin level in gastritis was 73.4+-37. 4 pg/ml, and it's values were elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 5) The gastrin level in post-gastrectomy state was 50.3+-16.3 pg/ml, and it's values were slightly decreased as compared with values in normal subjects.

A Study on Fasting Serum Gastrin level in Normal Subjects and Various Gastric Diseases by Radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Duck; Lee, Heon Sil; Park, Seung Uk; Park, Sung Hwi; Lee, Chong Suk; Lee, Hak Choong

1981-01-01

The fasting serum gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 32 normal healthy subjects without recognized gastrointestinal symptoms and 93 patients with various gastric diseases, who were visited of admitted to National Medical Center from February to June, 1981. The following results were obtained; 1) The fasting mean serum gastrin level in normal subjects was 55.9±26.3 pg/m1, and there was no difference between male and female. 2) The gastrin levels in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 85.0±28.4 and 76.0±43.0 pg/ml respectively, and it's values were elevated as compared with normal subjects. In gastric ulcer, the gastrin level was elevated than that of duodenal ulcer, but no significant difference in each other. 3) The gastrin level in stomach cancer was 89.5±42.2 pg/ml, and it's values were markedly elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 4) The gastrin level in gastritis was 73.4±37. 4 pg/ml, and it's values were elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 5) The gastrin level in post-gastrectomy state was 50.3±16.3 pg/ml, and it's values were slightly decreased as compared with values in normal subjects.

A Study on Fasting Serum Gastrin level in Normal Subjects and Various Gastric Diseases by Radioimmunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong Duck; Lee, Heon Sil; Park, Seung Uk; Park, Sung Hwi; Lee, Chong Suk; Lee, Hak Choong [National Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1981-09-15

The fasting serum gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 32 normal healthy subjects without recognized gastrointestinal symptoms and 93 patients with various gastric diseases, who were visited of admitted to National Medical Center from February to June, 1981. The following results were obtained; 1) The fasting mean serum gastrin level in normal subjects was 55.9+-26.3 pg/m1, and there was no difference between male and female. 2) The gastrin levels in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 85.0+-28.4 and 76.0+-43.0 pg/ml respectively, and it's values were elevated as compared with normal subjects. In gastric ulcer, the gastrin level was elevated than that of duodenal ulcer, but no significant difference in each other. 3) The gastrin level in stomach cancer was 89.5+-42.2 pg/ml, and it's values were markedly elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 4) The gastrin level in gastritis was 73.4+-37. 4 pg/ml, and it's values were elevated as compared with values in normal subjects. 5) The gastrin level in post-gastrectomy state was 50.3+-16.3 pg/ml, and it's values were slightly decreased as compared with values in normal subjects.

Normative Values for a Functional Capacity Evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soer, Remko; van der Schans, Cees P.; Geertzen, Jan H.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Brouwer, Sandra; Dijkstra, Pieter U.; Reneman, Michiel F.

2009-01-01

Objective: To establish normative values for a functional capacity evaluation (FCE) of healthy working subjects. Design: Descriptive. Setting: Rehabilitation center. Participants: Healthy working subjects (N=701; 448 men, 253 women) between 20 and 60 years of age, working in more than 180

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α shows predictive value as a risk marker for subjects and sites vulnerable to bone loss in a longitudinal model of aggressive periodontitis.

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Daniel H Fine

Full Text Available Improved diagnostics remains a fundamental goal of biomedical research. This study was designed to assess cytokine biomarkers that could predict bone loss (BL in localized aggressive periodontitis. 2,058 adolescents were screened. Two groups of 50 periodontally healthy adolescents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. One group had Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa, the putative pathogen, while the matched cohort did not. Cytokine levels were assessed in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF. Participants were sampled, examined, and radiographed every 6 months for 2-3 years. Disease was defined as radiographic evidence of BL. Saliva and GCF was collected at each visit, frozen, and then tested retrospectively after detection of BL. Sixteen subjects with Aa developed BL. Saliva from Aa-positive and Aa-negative healthy subjects was compared to subjects who developed BL. GCF was collected from 16 subjects with BL and from another 38 subjects who remained healthy. GCF from BL sites in the 16 subjects was compared to healthy sites in these same subjects and to healthy sites in subjects who remained healthy. Results showed that cytokines in saliva associated with acute inflammation were elevated in subjects who developed BL (i.e., MIP-1α MIP-1β IL-α, IL-1β and IL-8; p<0.01. MIP-1α was elevated 13-fold, 6 months prior to BL. When MIP-1α levels were set at 40 pg/ml, 98% of healthy sites were below that level (Specificity; whereas, 93% of sites with BL were higher (Sensitivity, with comparable Predictive Values of 98%; p<0.0001; 95% C.I. = 42.5-52.7. MIP-1α consistently showed elevated levels as a biomarker for BL in both saliva and GCF, 6 months prior to BL. MIP-1α continues to demonstrate its strong candidacy as a diagnostic biomarker for both subject and site vulnerability to BL.

The Pre-Service Teachers' Value Orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, Mehmet Ali

2018-01-01

It is important to note that social scientists have recently concentrated on the issue of values. People's thoughts, decisions, behaviors etc. values that have an important place in the explanations constitute the subject of this research. The main purpose of the research is to analyze whether the value orientations of the pre-service teacher'…

Age differences in personal values: Universal or cultural specific?

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, Helene H; Ho, Yuan Wan; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Xin; Noels, Kimberly A; Tam, Kim-Pong

2016-05-01

Prior studies on value development across adulthood have generally shown that as people age, they espouse communal values more strongly and agentic values less strongly. Two studies investigated whether these age differences in personal values might differ according to cultural values. Study 1 examined whether these age differences in personal values, and their associations with subjective well-being, showed the same pattern across countries that differed in individualism-collectivism. Study 2 compared age differences in personal values in the Canadian culture that emphasized agentic values more and the Chinese culture that emphasized communal values more. Personal and cultural values of each individual were directly measured, and their congruence were calculated and compared across age and cultures. Findings revealed that across cultures, older people had lower endorsement of agentic personal values and higher endorsement of communal personal values than did younger people. These age differences, and their associations with subjective well-being, were generally not influenced by cultural values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Subjective method of refractometry and depth of focus

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Nikolai M. Sergienko

2012-04-01

Conclusion: The traditional method of subjective refractometry with application of trial lenses was developed on the basis of data of large optical aberrations and significant depth of focus which values should be taken into account during interpretation of results of subjective refractometry. Our data regarding to prevalence of emmetropic refraction falls in line with basic science provisions in respect of the physiology of the eye.

Pupillographic assessment of sleepiness in sleep-deprived healthy subjects.

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Wilhelm, B; Wilhelm, H; Lüdtke, H; Streicher, P; Adler, M

1998-05-01

Spontaneous pupillary-behavior in darkness provides information about a subject's level of sleepiness. In the present work, pupil measurements in complete darkness and quiet have been recorded continuously over 11-minute period with infrared video pupillography at 25 Hz. The data have been analyzed to yield three parameters describing pupil behavior; the power of diameter variation at frequencies below 0.8 Hz (slow changes in pupil size), the pupillary unrest index, and the average pupil size. To investigate the changes of these parameters in sleep deprivation, spontaneous pupillary behavior in darkness was recorded every 2 hours in 13 healthy subjects from 19:00 to 07:00 during forced wakefulness. On each occasion, comparative subjective sleepiness was assessed with a self-rating scale (Stanford Sleepiness Scale, SSS). The power of slow pupillary oscillations (< or = 0.8 Hz) increased significantly and so did the values of SSS, while basic pupil diameter decreased significantly. Slow pupillary oscillations and SSS did not correlate well in general but high values of pupil parameters were always associated with high values in subjective rating. Our results demonstrate a strong relationship between ongoing sleep deprivation and typical changes in the frequency profiles of spontaneous pupillary oscillations and the tendency to instability in pupil size in normals. These findings suggest that the results of pupil data analysis permit an objective measurement of sleepiness.

Diagnostic value of alpha-fetoprotein in liver cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pervez, T.; Anwar, S.M.

2001-01-01

Objective: To determine diagnostic value of alpha-fetoproteins (alpha-FP) in liver cancer. Design: Prospective study. Place and duration of study: Department of clinical oncology services Hospital Lahore, during the period from February 1998 to February 2001. Subjects and Methods: Among 200 persons studied, 100 presented with liver mass, jaundice and other symptoms directing toward liver pathology, later confirmed histopathologically, as suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) while the other 100 healthy subject came to the department for blood donation and were HBs Ag pasitive on blood screening. All these subjects under went blood test for alpha-FP. This tumor marker was analyzed by using enzyme immunoassay-based kit. Results: The alpha-FP positivity was statistically evaluated. In HCC this test was statistically significant with p value of <0.001. In this study sensitivity of alpha-FP was 72% specificity 89%, positive predictive value 86.7% and negative predictive value of 76.1%. Conclusion: This study showed that alpha-FP was a useful diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of HCC. (author)

Fisher information and Shannon entropy for on-line detection of transient signal high-values in laser Doppler flowmetry signals of healthy subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humeau, Anne; Trzepizur, Wojciech; Abraham, Pierre; Rousseau, David; Chapeau-Blondeau, Francois

2008-01-01

Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is an easy-to-use method for the assessment of microcirculatory blood flow in tissues. However, LDF recordings very often present TRAnsient Signal High-values (TRASH), generally of a few seconds. These TRASH can come from tissue motions, optical fibre movements, movements of the probe head relative to the tissue, etc. They often lead to difficulties in signal global interpretations. In order to test the possibility of detecting automatically these TRASH for their removal, we process noisy and noiseless LDF signals with two indices from information theory, namely Fisher information and Shannon entropy. For this purpose, LDF signals from 13 healthy subjects are recorded at rest, during vascular occlusion of 3 min, and during post-occlusive hyperaemia. Computation of Fisher information and Shannon entropy values shows that, when calibrated, these two indices can be complementary to detect TRASH and be insensitive to the rapid increases of blood flow induced by post-occlusive hyperaemia. Moreover, the real-time algorithm has the advantage of being easy to implement and does not require any frequency analysis. This study opens new fields of application for Fisher information and Shannon entropy: LDF 'denoising'

Reflections on the value concept in accounting

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P. Buys

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The recent meltdown in global finances and the reasons for it may make people doubtful about the stewardship function of accounting. In the global financial markets, there is a great fascination with the reality that accounting values intend to reflect. However, what many people considered valuable is now suddenly of no value. The question can therefore be asked what is meant by the value concept as a foundation to modern-day accountancy. “Value” is a concept that is open to different interpretations, based on the needs, perspectives and personal values of the interpreter. This article aims to reflect on the value concept from an accounting perspective in analysing the fundamental quali-tative perspectives and how these perspectives might affect the quantitative value measurements, as reported in the financial statements. From a quantitative perspective, accounttancy aims to measure and report the monetary values of items. However, there is a move towards a mixed valuation model with many financial statements, including both historical cost and value-based accounting information. The article concludes that this questionable development opens up many additional and subjective interpretations of accounting value measurement and reporting. Both valuation measurement methods have merit when considered in the overall purpose of accounting information. However, subjective value-based mea-surements may cast a shadow of doubt on the reliability and comparability requirements of accounting value information.

The User-Subjective Approach to Personal Information Management Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, Ofer; Beyth-Marom, Ruth; Nachmias, Rafi

2003-01-01

Explains personal information management (PIM) systems and suggests a user-subjective approach to PIM system design. Advocates that PIM systems relate to the subjective value-added attributes that the user gives the stored data so that the user can find information again, recall it when needed, and use it effectively in the next interaction.…

A New Approach to Interval-Valued Choquet Integrals and the Problem of Ordering in Interval-Valued Fuzzy Set Applications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bustince, H.; Galar, M.; Bedregal, B.; Kolesárová, A.; Mesiar, Radko

2013-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 6 (2013), s. 1150-1162 ISSN 1063-6706 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/11/0378 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Interval- value d Choquet integral * Shapley value * interval- value d ordered weighted aggregation (OWA) operators * interval- value d decision making Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 6.306, year: 2013 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2013/E/mesiar-0399771.pdf

Mosques As Lifelon g Values Education Institutions : Values Education In Khutbah

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Hüseyin KAYGIN

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Various dazzling social, technological, scientific etc. developments of 21st century in which we are have affected societies radically and nowadays in which societies are shaken off its foundation values education has becom e more important than it has been at any period. The fact that values education is a lifelong lasting activity needed by societies requires it to be addressed on the basis of lifelong learning education. Today, there are numerous academic studies conduct ed on the subject of values education to be carried out at schools but there aren’t many academic studies about the functions of mosques and khutbah in terms of values education. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine delivering values educat ion in mosques and in khutbah one of the primary ways of presenting it in mosques as a lifelong educational activity with its various aspects. Based on the literature search, this compilation study addresses values education and lifelong learning concept ually, presents the studies carried out in the field of values education in Turkey and discusses the role played by mosques and khutbah in delivering values education. As a result, it has been found that values education is not limited to family life a nd schools and that mosques and khutbah are functional in delivering life - long values education as they appeal to anyone at any age .

Do MCI criteria in drug trials accurately identify subjects with predementia Alzheimer's disease?

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Visser, P; Scheltens, P; Verhey, F

2005-01-01

Background: Drugs effective in Alzheimer-type dementia have been tested in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) because these are supposed to have Alzheimer's disease in the predementia stage. Objectives: To investigate whether MCI criteria used in these drug trials can accurately diagnose subjects with predementia Alzheimer's disease. Methods: MCI criteria of the Gal-Int 11 study, InDDEx study, ADCS memory impairment study, ampakine CX 516 study, piracetam study, and Merck rofecoxib study were applied retrospectively in a cohort of 150 non-demented subjects from a memory clinic. Forty two had progressed to Alzheimer type dementia during a five year follow up period and were considered to have predementia Alzheimer's disease at baseline. Outcome measures were the odds ratio, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. Results: The odds ratio of the MCI criteria for predementia Alzheimer's disease varied between 0.84 and 11. Sensitivity varied between 0.46 and 0.83 and positive predictive value between 0.43 and 0.76. None of the criteria combined a high sensitivity with a high positive predictive value. Exclusion criteria for depression led to an increase in positive predictive value and specificity at the cost of sensitivity. In subjects older than 65 years the positive predictive value was higher than in younger subjects. Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of MCI criteria used in trials for predementia Alzheimer's disease is low to moderate. Their use may lead to inclusion of many patients who do not have predementia Alzheimer's disease or to exclusion of many who do. Subjects with moderately severe depression should not be excluded from trials in order not to reduce the sensitivity. PMID:16170074

CONVERGENCES AND DIVERGENCES RELATED TO FAIR VALUE

OpenAIRE

Ionica Oncioiu; Florin Razvan Oncioiu; Daniela Simona Nenciu

2012-01-01

Many authors present the advantages of fair value accounting, but others contest this concept, because of its volatility and subjective tendency of the models used for the evaluation. The advantages of fair value include utility, relevance, transparency and superior accuracy of the results, provides more clarity to the financial statements, it provides a total accounting of the comparable value and it gives more liability to the manager. However, critics of fair value accounting do not provid...

Neural correlates of economic value and valuation context: an event-related potential study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyson-Carr, John; Kokmotou, Katerina; Soto, Vicente; Cook, Stephanie; Fallon, Nicholas; Giesbrecht, Timo; Stancak, Andrej

2018-05-01

The value of environmental cues and internal states is continuously evaluated by the human brain, and it is this subjective value that largely guides decision making. The present study aimed to investigate the initial value attribution process, specifically the spatiotemporal activation patterns associated with values and valuation context, using electroencephalographic event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants completed a stimulus rating task in which everyday household items marketed up to a price of £4 were evaluated with respect to their desirability or material properties. The subjective values of items were evaluated as willingness to pay (WTP) in a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak auction. On the basis of the individual's subjective WTP values, the stimuli were divided into high- and low-value items. Source dipole modeling was applied to estimate the cortical sources underlying ERP components modulated by subjective values (high vs. low WTP) and the evaluation condition (value-relevant vs. value-irrelevant judgments). Low-WTP items and value-relevant judgments both led to a more pronounced N2 visual evoked potential at right frontal scalp electrodes. Source activity in right anterior insula and left orbitofrontal cortex was larger for low vs. high WTP at ∼200 ms. At a similar latency, source activity in right anterior insula and right parahippocampal gyrus was larger for value-relevant vs. value-irrelevant judgments. A stronger response for low- than high-value items in anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortex appears to reflect aversion to low-valued item acquisition, which in an auction experiment would be perceived as a relative loss. This initial low-value bias occurs automatically irrespective of the valuation context. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate the spatiotemporal characteristics of the brain valuation process using event-related potentials and willingness to pay as a measure of subjective value. The N2 component resolves values of objects with a

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEGAL SUBJECT OF THE OFFENSE AND THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL VALUE

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Vasile DRĂGHICI

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The society does not have to be a mere observer of reality; it should have an initiative and it should take measures in order to ensure the common good. It is very important to have in mind that, besides the criminal law, the church is another entity that protects social values. From this angle, they represent what we want, seek, cherish and love. The valuation criteria depend on the value assessment of the members of the society, on their conscience and, not least, on their degree of culture. The society categorizes as social values all those criteria on which it depends for its existence, development and sustainability.

Trials to optimize dosimetry for 153Sm-EDTMP therapy to improve therapeutic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riccabona, G.; Moncayo-Naveda, R.; Oberlandstaetter, M.; Donnemiller, E.; Kendler, D.

2001-01-01

In a trial to improve results of therapy with 153 Sm-EDTMP for pain control in patients with disseminated bone metastases dosimetric studies were performed. Out of 30 treated patients 8 were selected for the study at random (5 breast Ca., 3 prostate Ca.). Whole body retention (WBR) of 99m Tc-DPD and 99m Tc-EDTMP was compared with WBR of 153 Sm-EDTMP. Volume of metastases and regional 99 m Tc-phosphonate uptake were assessed by SPECT and conjugated whole body scan data after phantom studies. Effective half-life was estimated also. Clinically results of pain control, side effects and changes of in vitro parameters were followed after therapy for up to 8 months. Therapy was performed in these patients with 55,5 MBq/kg body weight. Results showed an identical pattern of radioactivity distribution on 99 Tc-phosphonate and 153 Sm-EDTMP posttherapy scans, WBR of tracers and therapeutic agent was similar. Tumour volumes were 151-652 mL, count ratios metastases/normal bone 1,72-2,41, so that 6-50% of applied 153 Sm-EDTMP were concentrated in bone lesions. This gave dose estimates of 2,8-13,7 Gy in metastases. Evaluation of clinical results showed that the majority of very good results were observed in patients receiving > 10 Gy (n=3) while with lower doses only 1/4 responded very well. 1 patient was lost to follow-up due to death in the first month after therapy. Moderate and transient myelodepression (platelets) was seen in 3/7 patients without relation to Gy applied. As obviously 153 Sm concentration is not homogenous in bone metastases it can be assumed, that in border zones between tumour and bone 30-40 Gy can be delivered when 10 Gy are calculated for the whole lesion, which would explain the satisfactory therapeutic effect in our study. The dosimetric approach to 153 Sm-EDTMP therapy could necessitate the application of higher amounts of 153 Sm-EDTMP to reach adequate radiation doses in lesions without necessarily increasing risk of myelodepression and with even

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENTACCOUNTING BASED ON VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS: VALUE CHAINACCOUNTING

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Mustafa KIRLI

2011-01-01

Full Text Available To compete successfully in today’s highly competitive global environment,companies have made customer satisfaction an overriding priority. They have alsoadopted new management approaches, changed their manufacturing systems andinvested in new technologies. Strategic managementaccounting examines thedecision-making linked with the business operationsand strategic work offinancial administration as support for the same. Strategic managementaccounting is a theory and practice of accounting that looks at an organization'scost position, cost advantages and product differentiation in order to make marketdecisions. The value chain is a systematic approachto examining the developmentof competitive advantage. The chain consists of a series of activities that createand build value. Value chain analysis refers to a structured method of analyzingthe effects of all core activities on cost and/or differentiation of the valuechain.With the growing division of labour and the global dispersion of theproduction ofcomponents, systemic competitiveness and so value chain analysishave become increasingly important. Value chain accounting is the combinationof value chain analysis and accounting theory.Valuechain accounting is animportant part of value chain management and a further development of strategicmanagement accounting. Value chain accounting is anew approach onaccounting subject which is combined by the theories of value chain management,supply chain management, accounting management andinformation technology.From the analysis about value chain theory and strategic management accountingtheory,this paper proposes an accounting managementframework based on valuechain analysis called value chain accounting.

Avaliação da vertical visual subjetiva em indivíduos brasileiros normais Subjective visual vertical evaluation in normal Brazilian subjects

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Aline M. Kozoroski Kanashiro

2007-06-01

Full Text Available A função otolítica pode ser avaliada pela Vertical Visual Subjetiva (VVS que determina a capacidade de um indivíduo julgar se objetos estão na posição vertical na ausência de outras referências visuais. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a VVS em indivíduos brasileiros normais usando um aparelho portátil. As medidas da VVS foram realizadas em 160 indivíduos (16 a 85 anos. O valor médio da VVS foi obtido após dez ajustes. A VVS teve valores médios entre -2,0º e +2,4º (média=0,18º, e DP=0,77º. Não houve diferença entre as médias da VVS em relação à idade (teste de Kruskal-Wallis; p=0,40, mas as faixas etárias maiores tiveram variância maior (teste de Levene; p=0,016. Os valores da VVS encontrados neste estudo foram semelhantes aos registrados na literatura. Não houve diferença nas médias das inclinações da VVS de acordo com a idade, mas foi encontrada maior variância entre indivíduos mais idosos.Otolith function can be evaluated by subjective visual vertical (SVV that determine the capacity of a subject to judge if the objects are on vertical position with absence of any visual reference. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SVV in a sample of normal Brazilian subjects using a portable device. Measurements of SVV were performed in 160 normal subjects (aged from 16 to 85. SVV mean value was obtained after ten adjustments. SVV mean values ranged from -2.0º to +2.4º (mean=0.18º, and SD=0.77. Considering all age groups, there was no difference of SVV mean values (Kruskal-Wallis test; p=0.40, but older groups had a greater variance (Levene test; p=0.016. SVV values observed in this study are comparable to those described in previous studies. Although there was no difference in mean SVV-inclination according to age, there was a greater variance in older subjects.

19 CFR 10.454 - Regional value content.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.454 Regional value content. Where General Note 26, subdivision (n), HTSUS... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Regional value content. 10.454 Section 10.454...

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

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Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo [Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Shouwa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo [Department of Radiology, First Kamiida General Hospital (Japan)

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean{+-}standard deviation 2.3{+-}1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean±standard deviation 2.3±1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

The cutoff values of visceral fat area and waist circumference for identifying subjects at risk for metabolic syndrome in elderly Korean: Ansan Geriatric (AGE cohort study

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Koh Young

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Korea, the cutoff values of waist circumference (WC for the identification of metabolic syndrome (MetS were suggested to be 90 cm for men and 85 cm for women based on the analysis mainly in middle-aged adults. As aging is associated with increased fat, especially abdominal visceral fat, the cutoff value of WC may differ according to age. In addition, the usefulness of visceral abdominal fat area (VFA to predict MetS in the elderly has not been studied yet. We aimed to suggest WC and VFA criteria and to compare the predictability of WC and VFA to identify people at risk for MetS. Methods A total of 689 elderly subjects aged ≥63 years (308 men, 381 women were chosen in this cross-sectional study from an ongoing, prospective, population-based study, the Ansan Geriatric (AGE cohort study. VFA was measured by single slice abdominal computed tomography scanning. The metabolic risk factors except WC (plasma glucose, blood pressure, serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels were defined using modified NCEP-ATP III criteria. We estimated the accuracy of VFA and WC for identifying at least two of these factors by receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis. Results Two hundred three of 308 men and 280 of 381 women had ≥2 metabolic risk factors. The area under the ROC curve (AUC value for VFA to predict the presence of ≥2 metabolic risk factors was not significantly different from that for WC (men, 0.735 and 0.750; women, 0.715 and 0.682; AUC values for VFA and WC, respectively. The optimal cutoff points for VFA and WC for predicting the presence of ≥2 metabolic risk factors were 92.6 cm2 and 86.5 cm for men and 88.9 cm2 and 86.5 cm for women. Conclusion WC had comparable power with VFA to identify elderly people who are at risk for MetS. Elderly Korean men and women had very similar cutoff points for both VFA and WC measurements for estimating the risk of MetS. Age-specific cutoff point for WC might be

Urine creatinine in treatment-naïve HIV subjects in eastern Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Anyabolu, Ernest Ndukaife

2016-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global healthcare problem. Some diseases and physiological states may be altered in HIV-infected individuals. Our objective was to evaluate urine creatinine and factors that influence urine creatinine in treatment-naïve HIV subjects in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study involving treatment-naïve HIV subjects in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Creatinine in spot and 24-hour urine samples and other relevant investigations were performed. Low urine creatinine or dilute urine was defined as 24-hour urine creatinine (24HUCr) creatinine as 24HUCr 300-3000mg and high urine creatinine or concentrated urine as 24HUCr>3000mg.Theassociation of low urine creatinine and high urine creatinine with potential risk factors was determined. The mean spot urine creatinine (SUCr) of the treatment-naïve HIV subjects was 137.21± 98.47(mg/dl), minimum value 13.3mg/dl, maximum value 533.3mg/dl and range of values 520.0mg/dl. The mean 24HUCr was 1507±781mg, minimum value 206mg, maximum value 4849mg and range of values 4643mg. Twenty four-hour urine creatinine3000mg in 24(6.4%) subjects. There was significant association between 24HUCr and serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL),serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). There was high correlation between 24HUCr>3000mg and 24-hour urine osmolality (24HUOsm) (r=0.95), body mass index (BMI) (r=0.74), CD4 cells count (r=-0.71), serum HDL (r=-0.73). The prevalence of dilute urine and concentrated urine was low. Twenty-four hour urine osmolality. BMI, CD4 cells count and HDL were strong correlates of high urine creatinine. Lipid abnormalities were common in treatment-naïve HIV subjects with high urine creatinine. There is need for clinicians to routinely conduct urine creatinine and further search for abnormalities of serum lipids, weight changes, depressed immunity and anemia in HIV subjects with dilute or concentrated urine in the early stages of the infection.

Sleep Enhances a Spatially Mediated Generalization of Learned Values

Science.gov (United States)

Javadi, Amir-Homayoun; Tolat, Anisha; Spiers, Hugo J.

2015-01-01

Sleep is thought to play an important role in memory consolidation. Here we tested whether sleep alters the subjective value associated with objects located in spatial clusters that were navigated to in a large-scale virtual town. We found that sleep enhances a generalization of the value of high-value objects to the value of locally clustered…

Locally Sensitive Lattice-Valued Possibilistic Entropy Functions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kramosil, Ivan

2008-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 6 (2008), s. 469-488 ISSN 1210-0552 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100300503 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : complete lattice * chained lattice * lattice-valued possibilistic distribution * possibilistic expected value Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.395, year: 2008

INFLUENCE OF SUBJECTIVE EXERCISE EXPERIENCE ON RECREATIONAL EXERCISING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dražen Čular

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Effects of physical activity on psychological health and well-being have been intrigued topic for many researches (McAuley & Courneya, 1994. Also, the positive subjective experience lies in the basis of every successful recreational activity and training. However, the influence of different types of activities and their gender specifics regarding self-reported well-being have not yet been investigated. The aims of this study were: (1 to analyse gender differences before and after physical activity in “Subjective Exercise Experience Scale“(SEES in group of subjects involved in aesthetic and non-aesthetic recreational physical activities and (2 to determine differences between subjects involved in aesthetic and non-aesthetic recreational physical activities before and after the activity for female and male group separately. The SEES was used to assess psychological responses to exercise among female (N=32 and male (N=83 recreational athletes. The 12 items of SEES represented three-aspects of exercise experience: Positive Well-Being, Psychological Distress and Fatigue. The results showed significant gender differences only in non-aesthetic group before and after physical activity in Psychological Distress subscale. Female students (Mean=4.8 had lower values of Psychological Distress than Male students (Mean=6.9. Furthermore, female aesthetic group (Mean=24.4 had significantly higher values in Positive Well-Being subscale after physical activity than female nonaesthetic group (Mean=18.8, while male aesthetic group had significantly higher values in Positive Well-Being subscale before and after physical activity than male non-aesthetic group. It is possible to conclude that aesthetic activities have positive effect on both female and male sample. It is possible that music increased emotionally experienced activity and contributed to better physical well being especially among female recreational athletes.

A conventional value for the geoid reference potential

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sánchez, L.; Čundrlík, R.; Dayoub, N.; Mikula, K.; Minarechová, Z.; Šíma, Zdislav; Vatrt, V.; Vojtíšková, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 90, č. 9 (2016), s. 815-835 ISSN 0949-7714 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : gobal W-0 value * W-0 best estimate * potential value of the geoid Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 2.949, year: 2016

Interests in School Subjects and Vocational Preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Sjoberg, Lennart; Drottz, Britt-Marie

1983-01-01

Reports a study in which Swedish high school students' academic interests were related to perceived effort, ability, and perceived vocational job prospects. Notes that academic interests were based on subjects' logical appeal and practical value. Notes that vocational preferences correlated strongly with individual job prospects but weakly with…

MARC Coding of DDC for Subject Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Wajenberg, Arnold S.

1983-01-01

Recommends an expansion of MARC codes for decimal class numbers to enhance automated subject retrieval. Five values for a second indicator and two new subfields are suggested for encoding hierarchical relationships among decimal class numbers. Additional subfields are suggested to enhance retrieval through analysis of synthesized numbers in…

Propositional matrices as alternative representation of truth values ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper considered the subject of representation of truth values in symbolic logic. An alternative representation was given based on the rows and columns properties of matrices, with the operations involving the logical connectives subjected to the laws of algebra of propositions. Matrices of various propositions detailing ...

Factors influencing subjective perceptions of everyday occupations: comparing day centre attendees with non-attendees.

Science.gov (United States)

Argentzell, Elisabeth; Leufstadius, Christel; Eklund, Mona

2012-01-01

Subjective perceptions of everyday occupations are important for the well-being of people with psychiatric disabilities (PD) and are likely to vary with factors such as attending a day centre or not, activity level, self-mastery, sociodemographic and clinical factors. To explore differences in subjective perceptions of occupation and activity level between day centre attendees and non-attendees, and to investigate factors of importance for the subjective perceptions of occupations. The study groups comprised 175 participants: 93 day centre attendees and 82 non-attendees. Data were collected with instruments concerning; subjective perceptions of everyday occupations, activity level, self-mastery, and sociodemographic and clinical factors. Day centre attendees perceived higher levels of occupational value and activity level, while the groups perceived a similar level of satisfaction with daily occupations. For the total sample, self-mastery influenced both valued and satisfying everyday occupations while only value was affected by activity level. Satisfaction with daily occupation increased with age and both value and satisfaction increased with lower levels of psychiatric symptoms. Day centres provide perceptions of occupational value and stimulate activity. Non-differences between the groups regarding satisfaction with everyday occupations implied, however, that day centres might not cover all relevant occupational needs.

On return rate implied by behavioural present value

OpenAIRE

Piasecki, Krzysztof

2013-01-01

The future value of a security is described as a random variable. Distribution of this random variable is the formal image of risk uncertainty. On the other side, any present value is defined as a value equivalent to the given future value. This equivalence relationship is a subjective. Thus follows, that present value is described as a fuzzy number, which is depend on the investor's susceptibility to behavioural factors. All above reasons imply, that return rate is given as a fuzzy probabili...

Practical differences in business valuation using the market value, value in use and the value for price negotiations

OpenAIRE

Vlček, Michal

2010-01-01

This thesis aims to explain the basic characteristics of valuation method in practice use. The first chapter is about basic character of each method of valuation and factors which influence its applicability. The second chapter mentions estimation of market value/appraisal, includes affecting factors. Then, the third and fourth parts aim to comparing these appraisals (market. vs. price bargaining, subjective and objective, complex appraisal) and price formation for price bargaining in the Cze...

From Value Assessment to Value Cocreation: Informing Clinical Decision-Making with Medical Claims Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Steven; Varvel, Stephen; Sasinowski, Maciek; Burke, James P

2016-09-01

Big data and advances in analytical processes represent an opportunity for the healthcare industry to make better evidence-based decisions on the value generated by various tests, procedures, and interventions. Value-based reimbursement is the process of identifying and compensating healthcare providers based on whether their services improve quality of care without increasing cost of care or maintain quality of care while decreasing costs. In this article, we motivate and illustrate the potential opportunities for payers and providers to collaborate and evaluate the clinical and economic efficacy of different healthcare services. We conduct a case study of a firm that offers advanced biomarker and disease state management services for cardiovascular and cardiometabolic conditions. A value-based analysis that comprised a retrospective case/control cohort design was conducted, and claims data for over 7000 subjects who received these services were compared to a matched control cohort. Study subjects were commercial and Medicare Advantage enrollees with evidence of CHD, diabetes, or a related condition. Analysis of medical claims data showed a lower proportion of patients who received biomarker testing and disease state management services experienced a MI (p companies have in terms of identifying value-creating healthcare interventions. However, payers and providers also need to pursue system integration efforts to further automate the identification and dissemination of clinically and economically efficacious treatment plans to ensure at-risk patients receive the treatments and interventions that will benefit them the most.

Diagnostic Value of Subjective Memory Complaints Assessed with a Single Item in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease: Results of the DIAN Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Laske

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. We examined the diagnostic value of subjective memory complaints (SMCs assessed with a single item in a large cross-sectional cohort consisting of families with autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD participating in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN. Methods. The baseline sample of 183 mutation carriers (MCs and 117 noncarriers (NCs was divided according to Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR scale into preclinical (CDR 0; MCs: n=107; NCs: n=109, early symptomatic (CDR 0.5; MCs: n=48; NCs: n=8, and dementia stage (CDR ≥ 1; MCs: n=28; NCs: n=0. These groups were subdivided by the presence or absence of SMCs. Results. At CDR 0, SMCs were present in 12.1% of MCs and 9.2% of NCs (P=0.6. At CDR 0.5, SMCs were present in 66.7% of MCs and 62.5% of NCs (P=1.0. At CDR ≥ 1, SMCs were present in 96.4% of MCs. SMCs in MCs were significantly associated with CDR, logical memory scores, Geriatric Depression Scale, education, and estimated years to onset. Conclusions. The present study shows that SMCs assessed by a single-item scale have no diagnostic value to identify preclinical ADAD in asymptomatic individuals. These results demonstrate the need of further improvement of SMC measures that should be examined in large clinical trials.

Children's motivation in elementary physical education: an expectancy-value model of achievement choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Ping; McBride, Ron; Guan, Jianmin; Solmon, Melinda

2003-03-01

This study examined children's motivation in elementary physical education within an expectancy-value model developed by Eccles and her colleagues. Four hundred fourteen students in second and fourth grades completed questionnaires assessing their expectancy-related beliefs, subjective task values, and intention for future participation in physical education. Results indicated that expectancy-related beliefs and subjective task values were clearly distinguishable from one another across physical education and throwing. The two constructs were related to each other positively. Children's intention for future participation in physical education was positively associated with their subjective task values and/or expectancy-related beliefs. Younger children had higher motivation for learning in physical education than older children. Gender differences emerged and the findings provided empirical evidence supporting the validity of the expectancy-value model in elementary physical education.

Administration of deuterium depletion water and physiological effect of Japanese subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunihiro, Seki

2003-01-01

It is from February, 2002 that Deuterium Depletion Water (DDW) was imported by Japan from Hungary. Since then studies were undertaken on normal and patient Japanese subjects to observe the effect of DDW for a long period of time, and the side effects of its administration. Three types of DDW administration were undertaken and the following results are report. Normal male subject was made to consume DDW-105 ppm one liter per day, every day for one year. The stiffness of the shoulders disappeared in normal subjects men and women. The benign neoplasm disappeared. Lack of sleep sensation disappeared. The old-man skin liver spots disappeared. The male sex function was recovered. The airsickness of jet traveling abroad disappeared. In the second type of experiments a 250 liters bath of DDW-105 ppm was administrated and the normal subject was made to take a bath for 20 minutes in water temperature of 39 deg C every day for seven days in a row. The humidity effect of the skin before and after bathing, the liver spots of the skin, weight, and subjective-symptoms investigation were investigated. Side effects or changes in skin aspects were not observed after the bathing experiment. In the third case the patient was made to consume DDW-105 ppm or 25 ppm, and changes of the tumor marker following the administration were measured. In the subjects SK (Kanagawa 58 years old) who suffered from the extramammary Paget disease, it was observed that the value of the tumor marker TPA (Tissue polypeptide antigen) being 120U/L (normal value: 70U/L) at first fell to 58U/L after six months. In a case of prostatic cancer in a 64 years old HT male subject of Tokyo the tumor marker PSA (prostatic specific antigen) was 6.2 ng/ml (normal value: 4.0 ng/ml) in July, 2002. Two months after drinking DDW-105 ppm, it fell to 4.2 ng/ml. A prostatic cancer was excised and all tumor markers also reached a normal value in February, 2003. Now, subject HT consume of DDW-105 one liter every day. His face

Persuasion, Influence, and Value: Perspectives from Communication and Social Neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Falk, Emily; Scholz, Christin

2018-01-04

Opportunities to persuade and be persuaded are ubiquitous. What determines whether influence spreads and takes hold? This review provides an overview of evidence for the central role of subjective valuation in persuasion and social influence for both propagators and receivers of influence. We first review evidence that decisions to communicate information are determined by the subjective value a communicator expects to gain from sharing. We next review evidence that the effects of social influence and persuasion on receivers, in turn, arise from changes in the receiver's subjective valuation of objects, ideas, and behaviors. We then review evidence that self-related and social considerations are two key inputs to the value calculation in both communicators and receivers. Finally, we highlight biological coupling between communicators and receivers as a mechanism through which perceptions of value can be transmitted.

Estimations of cholesterol, triglycerides and fractionation of lipoproteins in serum samples of some Nigerian female subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.I. Adeyeye

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Blood samples (serum were collected to determine some biochemical parameters: total glycerides (TG, total cholesterol (TC, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C in 53 female subjects in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria using the Reflotron® (an auto analyser, supported with the use of questionnaire to get information on age and sex. Age range of the subjects was 18–80 years. The TG levels in all the subjects were < 200 mg/dL; only one subject (1.89% had TC < 200 mg/dL; nine subjects (17.0% had HDL-C ≤ 35 mg/dL; for LDL-C only one subject (1.89% had a desirable level of < 130 mg/dL; for VLDL-C 29 subjects (54.7% had values 17.2 mg/dL and above. For therapeutic decision-making, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C, were calculated. In TC/HDL-C, three subjects (5.66% had values < 4.4 and in LDL-C/HDL-C, 41 subjects (77.4% had values < 4.5. Hence, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C and slightly LDL-C/HDL-C and VLDL-C in the subjects could lead to increase coronary heart diseases. Results were matched for the age and sex of subjects.

20-Year Subject and Author Index, Volume 1, 1997-Volume 20, 1996; Subject and Author Index, Volume 21, 1997.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, Robert M.; Pealer, Lisa N.

1997-01-01

This index provides readers interested in health behavior, health education, and health promotion ordered access to materials published in Health Values and the American Journal of Health Behavior, 1977-1997. The index includes 115 subject headings and 5 department headings, classifying 918 entries by 1,319 authors and coauthors. (SM)

[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..

Decisions in Motion: Decision Dynamics during Intertemporal Choice reflect Subjective Evaluation of Delayed Rewards

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hora, Denis; Carey, Rachel; Kervick, Aoife; Crowley, David; Dabrowski, Maciej

2016-02-01

People tend to discount rewards or losses that occur in the future. Such delay discounting has been linked to many behavioral and health problems, since people choose smaller short-term gains over greater long-term gains. We investigated whether the effect of delays on the subjective value of rewards is expressed in how people move when they make choices. Over 600 patrons of the RISK LAB exhibition hosted by the Science Gallery DublinTM played a short computer game in which they used a computer mouse to choose between amounts of money at various delays. Typical discounting effects were observed and decision dynamics indicated that choosing smaller short-term rewards became easier (i.e., shorter response times, tighter trajectories, less vacillation) as the delays until later rewards increased. Based on a sequence of choices, subjective values of delayed outcomes were estimated and decision dynamics during initial choices predicted these values. Decision dynamics are affected by subjective values of available options and thus provide a means to estimate such values.

Subjective memory complaints in primary care patients and death from all causes: a four-year follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siersma, Volkert Dirk; Waldemar, Gunhild; Waldorff, Frans Boch

2013-01-01

To investigate the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints for all-cause mortality in order to determine whether elderly persons with subjective memory complaints may be regarded as a group of vulnerable patients who need close follow-up.......To investigate the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints for all-cause mortality in order to determine whether elderly persons with subjective memory complaints may be regarded as a group of vulnerable patients who need close follow-up....

The role of between-parent values agreement in parent-to-child transmission of academic values.

Science.gov (United States)

Gniewosz, Burkhard; Noack, Peter

2012-08-01

The present study investigates the intergenerational transmission of academic task values within family in early adolescence. Social learning processes are assumed to operate through the students' perceptions of their parents' values. The major goal of this study is to show that this values transmission is facilitated by between-parent value agreement. Based on a longitudinal data set including 1019 German students, their mothers (N = 847), and fathers (N = 733), structural equation models showed significant effects of the parents' task values regarding math and German language as academic subjects on the respective task values reported by the students, mediated through the student-perceived parental values. This transmission chain was only found if the between-parent agreement was high. The results are discussed in terms of parent-specific mechanisms fostering transmission if both parents agree on academic values, such as an improved perceptive accuracy as well as the increased salience and mutual reinforcement of parental messages. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons to foot movements in rats with a sprained ankle

OpenAIRE

Kim, Jae Hyo; Kim, Hee Young; Chung, Kyungsoon; Chung, Jin Mo

2011-01-01

Acute ankle injuries are common problems and often lead to persistent pain. To investigate the underlying mechanism of ankle sprain pain, the response properties of spinal dorsal horn neurons were examined after ankle sprain. Acute ankle sprain was induced manually by overextending the ankle of a rat hindlimb in a direction of plantarflexion and inversion. The weight-bearing ratio (WBR) of the affected foot was used as an indicator of pain. Single unit activities of dorsal horn neurons in res...

Wind energy for the future. Scoping document for the wind turbine farm Favorius; Windenergie voor de toekomst. Startnotitie Windpark Favorius

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Molen-Balk, J.A.M.; Beerlage, B.F.M.; Van de Putte, B.H.M.

2005-05-15

ARCADIS pans to build a wind turbine farm (named Favorius) in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Dutch Continental Shelf. In the licensing procedure also an environmental impact report must be drafted. [Dutch] ARCADIS wil, als initiatiefnemer, een vergunning aanvragen op grond van de Wet beheer rijkswaterstaatwerken (Wbr) voor de ontwikkeling van het windturbinepark Favorius in de Exclusieve Economische Zone (EEZ) op het Nederlands Continentaal Plat. Ten behoeve van de vergunningverlening wordt de procedure van de milieueffectrapportage (m.e.r.) doorlopen.

Wind energy for the future. Scoping document for the wind turbine farm Okeanos; Windenergie voor de toekomst. Startnotitie Windpark Okeanos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Molen-Balk, J.A.M.; Beerlage, B.F.M.; Van de Putte, B.H.M.

2005-05-15

ARCADIS pans to build a wind turbine farm (named Thetys) in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Dutch Continental Shelf. In the licensing procedure also an environmental impact report must be drafted. [Dutch] ARCADIS wil, als initiatiefnemer, een vergunning aanvragen op grond van de Wet beheer rijkswaterstaatwerken (Wbr) voor de ontwikkeling van het windturbinepark Okeanos in de Exclusieve Economische Zone (EEZ) op het Nederlands Continentaal Plat. Ten behoeve van de vergunningverlening wordt de procedure van de milieueffectrapportage (m.e.r.) doorlopen.

Wind energy for the future. Scoping document for the wind turbine farm Thetys; Windenergie voor de toekomst. Startnotitie Windpark Thetys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Molen-Balk, J.A.M.; Beerlage, B.F.M.; Van de Putte, B.H.M.

2005-05-15

ARCADIS pans to build a wind turbine farm (named Thetys) in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Dutch Continental Shelf. In the licensing procedure also an environmental impact report must be drafted. [Dutch] ARCADIS wil, als initiatiefnemer, een vergunning aanvragen op grond van de Wet beheer rijkswaterstaatwerken (Wbr) voor de ontwikkeling van het windturbinepark Thetys in de Exclusieve Economische Zone (EEZ) op het Nederlands Continentaal Plat. Ten behoeve van de vergunningverlening wordt de procedure van de milieueffectrapportage (m.e.r.) doorlopen.

Is valuing positive emotion associated with life satisfaction?

Science.gov (United States)

Bastian, Brock; Kuppens, Peter; De Roover, Kim; Diener, Ed

2014-08-01

The experience of positive emotion is closely linked to subjective well-being. For this reason, campaigns aimed at promoting the value of positive emotion have become widespread. What is rarely considered are the cultural implications of this focus on happiness. Promoting positive emotions as important for "the good life" not only has implications for how individuals value these emotional states, but for how they believe others around them value these emotions also. Drawing on data from over 9,000 college students across 47 countries we examined whether individuals' life satisfaction is associated with living in contexts in which positive emotions are socially valued. The findings show that people report more life satisfaction in countries where positive emotions are highly valued and this is linked to an increased frequency of positive emotional experiences in these contexts. They also reveal, however, that increased life satisfaction in countries that place a premium on positive emotion is less evident for people who tend to experience less valued emotional states: people who experience many negative emotions, do not flourish to the same extent in these contexts. The findings demonstrate how the cultural value placed on certain emotion states may shape the relationship between emotional experiences and subjective well-being.

Value Orientation of the Modern Studentship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Tarasevitch

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The study is aimed at investigating the dynamics of students’ value orientation at the pedagogic higher school. The subject of the research incorporates the value-motivation sphere as being the component of students’ cognitive interest. The research methodology is based on the system determinism principle and combines the theoretical and practical substantiation of the value orientation problem as the main component of students’ cognitive interest. The research results referred to the professional activity values, growing year after year during the undergraduate course, can be taken into account in developing the value–motivation sphere of the studentship. The research shows that the proper psychological conditions created in the educational environment make the develop- ment of the value orientation system more successful. 

Normalized value coding explains dynamic adaptation in the human valuation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaw, Mel W; Glimcher, Paul W; Louie, Kenway

2017-11-28

The notion of subjective value is central to choice theories in ecology, economics, and psychology, serving as an integrated decision variable by which options are compared. Subjective value is often assumed to be an absolute quantity, determined in a static manner by the properties of an individual option. Recent neurobiological studies, however, have shown that neural value coding dynamically adapts to the statistics of the recent reward environment, introducing an intrinsic temporal context dependence into the neural representation of value. Whether valuation exhibits this kind of dynamic adaptation at the behavioral level is unknown. Here, we show that the valuation process in human subjects adapts to the history of previous values, with current valuations varying inversely with the average value of recently observed items. The dynamics of this adaptive valuation are captured by divisive normalization, linking these temporal context effects to spatial context effects in decision making as well as spatial and temporal context effects in perception. These findings suggest that adaptation is a universal feature of neural information processing and offer a unifying explanation for contextual phenomena in fields ranging from visual psychophysics to economic choice.

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.

High-sensitivity serum C-reactive protein levels in subjects with or without myocardial infarction or periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, G Rutger; Pettersson, Thomas; Ohlsson, Ola; Renvert, Stefan

2005-03-01

Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsC-rp) is a non-specific marker of inflammation. Elevated hsC-rp levels are found in subjects with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Periodontitis may influence hsC-rp levels. To assess periodontal status and hsC-rp serum levels in consecutive subjects hospitalized and diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n=85) and in a group of carefully matched subjects (gender, age social, ethnic, and smoking habits) without clinical evidence of CVD (n=63). hsC-rp levels, other routine serum values, and clinical periodontal conditions were studied. Subjects with AMI had higher hsC-rp levels than control subjects (pperiodontitis (30% or more sites with>4.0 mm loss of alveolar bone) had serum hsC-rp>1.8 mg/l was 1.5 (95% CI: 1.1-7.3, pperiodontal parameters in an explanatory model to hsC-rp values. Only the serum leucocyte (white blood cell (WBC)) counts were explanatory to hsC-rp values (beta standard coefficient=0.45, t=3.2, pperiodontitis (pperiodontitis in subjects with no evidence of CVD. (3) Periodontal parameters are not explanatory to elevated serum hsC-rp values if serum WBC and low-density lipoprotein counts are included in the regression model. Copyright 2005 Blackwell Munksgaard.

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. 

Library Subject Guides: A Case Study of Evidence-Informed Library Development

Science.gov (United States)

Wakeham, Maurice; Roberts, Angharad; Shelley, Jane; Wells, Paul

2012-01-01

This paper describes the process whereby a university library investigated the value of its subject guides to its users. A literature review and surveys of library staff, library users and other libraries were carried out. Existing library subject guides and those of other higher education libraries were evaluated. The project team reported…

Changes of heart: the switch-value method for assessing value uncertainty.

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John, Leslie K; Fischhoff, Baruch

2010-01-01

Medical choices often evoke great value uncertainty, as patients face difficult, unfamiliar tradeoffs. Those seeking to aid such choices must be able to assess patients' ability to reduce that uncertainty, to reach stable, informed choices. The authors demonstrate a new method for evaluating how well people have articulated their preferences for difficult health decisions. The method uses 2 evaluative criteria. One is internal consistency, across formally equivalent ways of posing a choice. The 2nd is compliance with principles of prospect theory, indicating sufficient task mastery to respond in predictable ways. Subjects considered a hypothetical choice between noncurative surgery and palliative care, posed by a brain tumor. The choice options were characterized on 6 outcomes (e.g., pain, life expectancy, treatment risk), using a drug facts box display. After making an initial choice, subjects indicated their willingness to switch, given plausible changes in the outcomes. These changes involved either gains (improvements) in the unchosen option or losses (worsening) in the chosen one. A 2 x 2 mixed design manipulated focal change (gains v. losses) within subjects and change order between subjects. In this demonstration, subjects' preferences were generally consistent 1) with one another: with similar percentages willing to switch for gains and losses, and 2) with prospect theory, requiring larger gains than losses, to make those switches. Informed consent requires understanding decisions well enough to articulate coherent references. The authors' method allows assessing individuals' success in doing so.

Subjective visual vertical after treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

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Maristela Mian Ferreira

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Otolith function can be studied by testing the subjective visual vertical, because the tilt of the vertical line beyond the normal range is a sign of vestibular dysfunction. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a disorder of one or more labyrinthine semicircular canals caused by fractions of otoliths derived from the utricular macula. Objective: To compare the subjective visual vertical with the bucket test before and immediately after the particle repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Methods: We evaluated 20 patients. The estimated position where a fluorescent line within a bucket reached the vertical position was measured before and immediately after the particle repositioning maneuver. Data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: Before repositioning maneuver, 9 patients (45.0% had absolute values of the subjective visual vertical above the reference standard and 2 (10.0% after the maneuver; the mean of the absolute values of the vertical deviation was significantly lower after the intervention (p < 0.001. Conclusion: There is a reduction of the deviations of the subjective visual vertical, evaluated by the bucket test, immediately after the particle repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Ageing influence for the evaluation of DXA precision in female subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Qiang; Yu Wei; Qin Mingwei; Shang Wei; Tian Junping; Han Shaomei

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate whether aging factor influence the precision of DXA measurement at the lumbar spine in females. Methods: A total of 90 female subjects were recruited and divided into three age groups, i.e. 45-55 years, 56-65 years and 66-75 years. There were 30 female subjects for each age group. Each subject was scanned twice at the same day. Mean BMD values from L2 to L4 were collected and grouped by calculating the root mean square (RMS). Precision errors were expressed as root mean square (RMS). P 2 , (0.992±0.010) g/cm 2 , (0.910±0.010) g/cm 2 , respectively. Mean BMD values from L2 to L4 decreased with increasing age group. Root mean square was lower in the 45 -55 age group, and was same between 56-65 and 66-75 age group. There were significant difference of BMD standard deviation between both there groups (F=5.213, P<0.05) any age group (q value I vs II 0.035; II vs III 0.500; I vs III 0.035, P<0.05). Conclusion: Age could influence the precision of DXA measurement at the site of lumbar spine in females. Therefore, caution should be paid to the age of female subjects recruited for the evaluation of precision for DXA measurement in the clinical trials. (authors)

Deep pain thresholds in the distal limbs of healthy human subjects.

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Rolke, R; Andrews Campbell, K; Magerl, W; Treede, R-D

2005-02-01

Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) in distal limbs have been under-investigated despite their potential clinical importance. Therefore, we compared PPTs over nail bed, bony prominences, and muscle in distal parts of upper and lower limbs. We investigated 12 healthy subjects using three handheld devices: a spring-loaded, analogue pressure threshold meter (PTM) with two operating ranges, and an electronic Algometer. PPTs were determined with three series of ascending stimulus intensities with a ramp of about 50 kPa/s. PPTs were normally distributed in logarithmic space. PPTs over different tissues varied significantly (ANOVA, pAlgometer than with PTMs (ANOVA, ptesting over muscle. There was no significant right-left difference (ANOVA, p=0.33). In spite of considerable variability across subjects, reproducibility within subjects was high (correlation coefficients>0.90). For within-subject comparisons, threshold elevations beyond 33-43% would be abnormal (95% confidence intervals), whereas only deviations from the group mean by at least a factor of two would be abnormal with respect to absolute normative values. PPTs over distal muscles were comparable to published values on proximal limb and trunk muscles. These findings suggest that pressure pain testing over distal muscles may be a sensitive test for deep pain sensitivity and that the simple and less expensive devices are sufficient for testing this tissue type. Intra-individual site-to-site comparisons will be more sensitive than absolute normative values.

Dopamine Receptor-Specific Contributions to the Computation of Value.

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Burke, Christopher J; Soutschek, Alexander; Weber, Susanna; Raja Beharelle, Anjali; Fehr, Ernst; Haker, Helene; Tobler, Philippe N

2018-05-01

Dopamine is thought to play a crucial role in value-based decision making. However, the specific contributions of different dopamine receptor subtypes to the computation of subjective value remain unknown. Here we demonstrate how the balance between D1 and D2 dopamine receptor subtypes shapes subjective value computation during risky decision making. We administered the D2 receptor antagonist amisulpride or placebo before participants made choices between risky options. Compared with placebo, D2 receptor blockade resulted in more frequent choice of higher risk and higher expected value options. Using a novel model fitting procedure, we concurrently estimated the three parameters that define individual risk attitude according to an influential theoretical account of risky decision making (prospect theory). This analysis revealed that the observed reduction in risk aversion under amisulpride was driven by increased sensitivity to reward magnitude and decreased distortion of outcome probability, resulting in more linear value coding. Our data suggest that different components that govern individual risk attitude are under dopaminergic control, such that D2 receptor blockade facilitates risk taking and expected value processing.

Integration of multiple determinants in the neuronal computation of economic values.

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Raghuraman, Anantha P; Padoa-Schioppa, Camillo

2014-08-27

Economic goods may vary on multiple dimensions (determinants). A central conjecture in decision neuroscience is that choices between goods are made by comparing subjective values computed through the integration of all relevant determinants. Previous work identified three groups of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of monkeys engaged in economic choices: (1) offer value cells, which encode the value of individual offers; (2) chosen value cells, which encode the value of the chosen good; and (3) chosen juice cells, which encode the identity of the chosen good. In principle, these populations could be sufficient to generate a decision. Critically, previous work did not assess whether offer value cells (the putative input to the decision) indeed encode subjective values as opposed to physical properties of the goods, and/or whether offer value cells integrate multiple determinants. To address these issues, we recorded from the OFC while monkeys chose between risky outcomes. Confirming previous observations, three populations of neurons encoded the value of individual offers, the value of the chosen option, and the value-independent choice outcome. The activity of both offer value cells and chosen value cells encoded values defined by the integration of juice quantity and probability. Furthermore, both populations reflected the subjective risk attitude of the animals. We also found additional groups of neurons encoding the risk associated with a particular option, the risky nature of the chosen option, and whether the trial outcome was positive or negative. These results provide substantial support for the conjecture described above and for the involvement of OFC in good-based decisions. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3311583-21$15.00/0.

Relationship between neck circumference, insulin resistance and arterial stiffness in overweight and obese subjects.

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Fantin, Francesco; Comellato, Gabriele; Rossi, Andrea P; Grison, Elisa; Zoico, Elena; Mazzali, Gloria; Zamboni, Mauro

2017-09-01

Background Only a few studies have investigated the relationship between neck circumference and cardiometabolic risk. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between neck circumference, waist circumference, metabolic variables and arterial stiffness in a group of overweight and obese subjects evaluating a possible independent role of neck circumference in determining arterial stiffness. Methods and results We studied 95 subjects (53 women) with an age range of 20-77 years and body mass index range from 25.69 to 47.04 kg/m 2 . In each subject we evaluated body mass index, waist, hip and neck circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, insulin, fasting glucose, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWVcr). Both PWVcf and PWVcr were higher in subjects with high values of neck circumference compared with subjects with normal values of neck circumference. Subjects with high values of neck circumference and abdominal obesity presented higher values of mean arterial pressure, PWVcr and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index and lower values of high-density lipoprotein than subjects with only abdominal obesity. Two models of stepwise multiple regression were performed in order to evaluate the combined effect of independent variables on arterial stiffness. In the first model PWVcf was considered a dependent variable, and age, gender, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, waist circumference, neck circumference, HOMA index and the use of anti-hypertensive medications were considered independent variables. Age, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and waist circumference were significant predictors of PWVcf, explaining 65% of its variance. In the second model, in which PWVcr was considered a dependent variable, neck circumference

Measuring value sensitivity in medicine.

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Ineichen, Christian; Christen, Markus; Tanner, Carmen

2017-01-28

Value sensitivity - the ability to recognize value-related issues when they arise in practice - is an indispensable competence for medical practitioners to enter decision-making processes related to ethical questions. However, the psychological competence of value sensitivity is seldom an explicit subject in the training of medical professionals. In this contribution, we outline the traditional concept of moral sensitivity in medicine and its revised form conceptualized as value sensitivity and we propose an instrument that measures value sensitivity. We developed an instrument for assessing the sensitivity for three value groups (moral-related values, values related to the principles of biomedical ethics, strategy-related values) in a four step procedure: 1) value identification (n = 317); 2) value representation (n = 317); 3) vignette construction and quality evaluation (n = 37); and 4) instrument validation by comparing nursing professionals with hospital managers (n = 48). We find that nursing professionals recognize and ascribe importance to principle-related issues more than professionals from hospital management. The latter are more likely to recognize and ascribe importance to strategy-related issues. These hypothesis-driven results demonstrate the discriminatory power of our newly developed instrument, which makes it useful not only for health care professionals in practice but for students and people working in the clinical context as well.

Influence of learning strategy on response time during complex value-based learning and choice.

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Shiva Farashahi

Full Text Available Measurements of response time (RT have long been used to infer neural processes underlying various cognitive functions such as working memory, attention, and decision making. However, it is currently unknown if RT is also informative about various stages of value-based choice, particularly how reward values are constructed. To investigate these questions, we analyzed the pattern of RT during a set of multi-dimensional learning and decision-making tasks that can prompt subjects to adopt different learning strategies. In our experiments, subjects could use reward feedback to directly learn reward values associated with possible choice options (object-based learning. Alternatively, they could learn reward values of options' features (e.g. color, shape and combine these values to estimate reward values for individual options (feature-based learning. We found that RT was slower when the difference between subjects' estimates of reward probabilities for the two alternative objects on a given trial was smaller. Moreover, RT was overall faster when the preceding trial was rewarded or when the previously selected object was present. These effects, however, were mediated by an interaction between these factors such that subjects were faster when the previously selected object was present rather than absent but only after unrewarded trials. Finally, RT reflected the learning strategy (i.e. object-based or feature-based approach adopted by the subject on a trial-by-trial basis, indicating an overall faster construction of reward value and/or value comparison during object-based learning. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the pattern of RT can be informative about how reward values are learned and constructed during complex value-based learning and decision making.

Postural strategies assessed with inertial sensors in healthy and parkinsonian subjects.

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Baston, Chiara; Mancini, Martina; Schoneburg, Bernadette; Horak, Fay; Rocchi, Laura

2014-01-01

The present study introduces a novel instrumented method to characterize postural movement strategies to maintain balance during stance (ankle and hip strategy), by means of inertial sensors, positioned on the legs and on the trunk. We evaluated postural strategies in subjects with 2 types of Parkinsonism: idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), and in age-matched control subjects standing under perturbed conditions implemented by the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Coordination between the upper and lower segments of the body during postural sway was measured using a covariance index over time, by a sliding-window algorithm. Afterwards, a postural strategy index was computed. We also measured the amount of postural sway, as adjunctive information to characterize balance, by the root mean square of the horizontal trunk acceleration signal (RMS). showed that control subjects were able to change their postural strategy, whilst PSP and PD subjects persisted in use of an ankle strategy in all conditions. PD subjects had RMS values similar to control subjects even without changing postural strategy appropriately, whereas PSP subjects showed much larger RMS values than controls, resulting in several falls during the most challenging SOT conditions (5 and 6). Results are in accordance with the corresponding clinical literature describing postural behavior in the same kind of subjects. The proposed strategy index, based on the use of inertial sensors on the upper and lower body segments, is a promising and unobtrusive tool to characterize postural strategies performed to attain balance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Subjective Norms Mediation to Entrepreneurship Intention at Entrepreneurship Learning in School

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Achmad Mustofa

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This type of research is quantitative research with the help of Smart PLS 3.0 application. The population in this study are all students of marketing program of SMK Negeri Boyolali on entrepreneuship learning. Through the sampling formula Issac and Michael obtained as many as 175 student samples. Sampling technique used proportionate stratified random sampling. Technical analysis used is structural equation model analysis. Testing hypothesis with significant level 5% obtained by coefficient of beta (original sample at specific indirect effects equal to 0,105. It shows that entrepreneuship learning has positive predictive properties of entrepreneurship intention (EI through students' subjective norms. The value of t-count is 2,844, the value of t-table is 1.96 then t-count > t-table (2,844> 1,96. It shows that student EI is significantly influenced by entrepreneuship learning through students' subjective norms. While the value of coefficient of determination (r-square obtained coefficient of determination for subjective norms (SN variable shows that the amount of contribution, contribution given by entrepreneurship learning (EL variables 9.3% and the value of coefficient of determination for EI variable shows that the amount of contribution, contribution given by variable SN 37.8%. So this research is well used in the development of economic learning innovation, especially entrepreneurship subjects.

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. 

Reproducibility of ambulatory blood pressure values and circadian blood pressure patterns in untreated subjects in a 1-11 month interval.

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Monte, Miguel; Cambão, Mariana; Mesquita Bastos, José; Polónia, Jorge

2015-11-01

To evaluate in untreated subjects the reproducibility of mean values and four circadian patterns between two ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) recordings separated by 1-11 months. We performed a retrospective analysis of 481 individuals (59% women) evaluated by ABPM on two occasions, visit 1 (V1) and 2 (V2), separated by 5.5+0.2 months. Four circadian patterns were defined by night/day systolic blood pressure (SBP) ratios: reverse dippers (RD), ratio >1.0; non-dippers (ND), ratio 0.9-1.0; dippers (D), ratio 0.8-patterns were calculated by the percentage of the same profile from V1 to V2. Mean 24-h blood pressure (BP) at V1 and V2 was 126.8/75.9±0.5/0.5 vs. 126.5/75.7±0.5/0.4 mmHg (NS). Nighttime SBP fall was 9.8±0.4 (V1) and 9.6±0.3% (V2) (NS). The correlation coefficient of ABPM data at V1 vs. at V2 was 0.41-0.69 (ppatterns. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

State-dependent impulses boundary value problems on compact interval

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Rachůnková, Irena

2015-01-01

This book offers the reader a new approach to the solvability of boundary value problems with state-dependent impulses and provides recently obtained existence results for state dependent impulsive problems with general linear boundary conditions. It covers fixed-time impulsive boundary value problems both regular and singular and deals with higher order differential equations or with systems that are subject to general linear boundary conditions. We treat state-dependent impulsive boundary value problems, including a new approach giving effective conditions for the solvability of the Dirichlet problem with one state-dependent impulse condition and we show that the depicted approach can be extended to problems with a finite number of state-dependent impulses. We investigate the Sturm–Liouville boundary value problem for a more general right-hand side of a differential equation. Finally, we offer generalizations to higher order differential equations or differential systems subject to general linear boundary...

FORMATION OF MORAL VALUES OF STUDENTS OF PEDAGOGICAL INSTITUTES

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Tatiana Mikhaylovna Borisova

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article is devoted, in terms of improving the education system in Russia, political and economic reality, the subject of moral education of future teachers. The subject of analysis are the pedagogical conditions of education of moral values. The author aims to reveal the value of the spiritual culture of the people in the education of moral values at the future teachers. Methodology. The basis of the research form the theoretical and methodological analysis, equity and advanced pedagogical experience, diagnostic methods. Results. The results concluded that the author notes a significant increase in the level of formation of moral values in students of the experimental group. Practical implications. The proposed system of pedagogical conditions, technologies, forms and methods as a holistic innovation process can be used in the work of teachers and educators of secondary schools, employees of institutions of additional education.

[Food value of the spiruline algae to man].

Science.gov (United States)

Sautier, C; Tremolieres, J

1975-01-01

The acceptability of various culinary products based on the algae spirulina was tested by questionaire: formulas rich in proteins, soups, omelets, desserts. Spirulina are little appreciated in France due to offensive color, smell and taste. Tomato and chocolate are the most acceptable flavors. Lyophilisation is preferable to atomisation, and discoloration using alcohol is preferable to the acetone method. The hydrolysate obtained, having neither the smell nor the taste of algae, is excellent. Nitrogen, sodium and potassium balances were recorded in 5 undernourished subjects fed via a gastric tube. The spirulina provided respectively 15 p. 100 (1 subject), 30 p. 100 (2 subjects), and 50 p. 100 (2 subjects) of the protein ration. There were no intestinal problems. The spirulina did not modify the investigated balances. However, faecal nitrogen increased to 2.08 g (compared to control period values, 1.33 g and 1.51 g). The various coefficients: digestibility, nitrogen retention and protein utilization did not vary. In man as in animals, nitrogen retention is satisfactory, but digestibility is diminished. Uric acid did not vary in the urine, but serum values increased slightly. Ingestion of spirulina in small doses even over a long period should be tolerable in the normal subject.

User-driven Innovation in a Supply and Value Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cankaya, Alev; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann; Wandahl, Søren

This article serves to conduct a systematic literary review upon the subject of user driven innovation in a supply and value network. The methodology behind the review is strict, organised, and controlled by peers in order to ensure that most of the relevant theory behind the subject is covered...

Surface roughness of composite resins subjected to hydrochloric acid.

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Roque, Ana Carolina Cabral; Bohner, Lauren Oliveira Lima; de Godoi, Ana Paula Terossi; Colucci, Vivian; Corona, Silmara Aparecida Milori; Catirse, Alma Blásida Concepción Elizaur Benitez

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of hydrochloric acid on surface roughness of composite resins subjected to brushing. Sixty samples measuring 2 mm thick x 6 mm diameter were prepared and used as experimental units. The study presented a 3x2 factorial design, in which the factors were composite resin (n=20), at 3 levels: microhybrid composite (Z100), nanofilled composite (FiltekTM Supreme), nanohybrid composite (Ice), and acid challenge (n=10) at 2 levels: absence and presence. Acid challenge was performed by immersion of specimens in hydrochloric acid (pH 1.2) for 1 min, 4 times per day for 7 days. The specimens not subjected to acid challenge were stored in 15 mL of artificial saliva at 37 oC. Afterwards, all specimens were submitted to abrasive challenge by a brushing cycle performed with a 200 g weight at a speed of 356 rpm, totaling 17.8 cycles. Surface roughness measurements (Ra) were performed and analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test (p≤0.05). Surface roughness values were higher in the presence (1.07±0.24) as compared with the absence of hydrochloric acid (0.72±0.04). Surface roughness values were higher for microhybrid (1.01±0.27) compared with nanofilled (0.68 ±0.09) and nanohybrid (0.48±0.15) composites when the specimens were not subjects to acid challenge. In the presence of hydrochloric acid, microhybrid (1.26±0.28) and nanofilled (1.18±0,30) composites presents higher surface roughness values compared with nanohybrid (0.77±0.15). The hydrochloric acid affected the surface roughness of composite resin subjected to brushing.

Several Results on Set-Valued Possibilistic Distributions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kramosil, Ivan; Daniel, Milan

2015-01-01

Roč. 51, č. 3 (2015), s. 391-407 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP202/10/1826 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : probability measures * possibility measures * non-numerical uncertainty degrees * set-valued uncertainty degrees * possibilistic uncertainty functions * set-valued entropy functions Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.628, year: 2015 http://dml.cz/handle/10338.dmlcz/144376

Lattice-Valued Possibilistic Entropy Measure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kramosil, Ivan

2008-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 6 (2008), s. 829-846 ISSN 0218-4885 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100300503 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : complete lattice * lattice-valued possibilistic distribution * entropy measure * product of possibilistic distribution Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2008

Estimation of physical activity levels using cell phone questionnaires: a comparison with accelerometry for evaluation of between-subject and within-subject variations.

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Bexelius, Christin; Sandin, Sven; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva; Litton, Jan-Eric; Löf, Marie

2011-09-25

Physical activity promotes health and longevity. Further elaboration of the role of physical activity for human health in epidemiological studies on large samples requires accurate methods that are easy to use, cheap, and possible to repeat. The use of telecommunication technologies such as cell phones is highly interesting in this respect. In an earlier report, we showed that physical activity level (PAL) assessed using a cell phone procedure agreed well with corresponding estimates obtained using the doubly labeled water method. However, our earlier study indicated high within-subject variation in relation to between-subject variations in PAL using cell phones, but we could not assess if this was a true variation of PAL or an artifact of the cell phone technique. Our objective was to compare within- and between-subject variations in PAL by means of cell phones with corresponding estimates using an accelerometer. In addition, we compared the agreement of daily PAL values obtained using the cell phone questionnaire with corresponding data obtained using an accelerometer. PAL was measured both with the cell phone questionnaire and with a triaxial accelerometer daily during a 2-week study period in 21 healthy Swedish women (20 to 45 years of age and BMI from 17.7 kg/m² to 33.6 kg/m²). The results were evaluated by fitting linear mixed effect models and descriptive statistics and graphs. With the accelerometer, 57% (95% confidence interval [CI] 40%-66%) of the variation was within subjects, while with the cell phone, within-subject variation was 76% (95% CI 59%-83%). The day-to-day variations in PAL observed using the cell phone questions agreed well with the corresponding accelerometer results. Both the cell phone questionnaire and the accelerometer showed high within-subject variations. Furthermore, day-to-day variations in PAL within subjects assessed using the cell phone agreed well with corresponding accelerometer values. Consequently, our cell phone

Modelling of individual subject ozone exposure response kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schelegle, Edward S; Adams, William C; Walby, William F; Marion, M Susan

2012-06-01

A better understanding of individual subject ozone (O(3)) exposure response kinetics will provide insight into how to improve models used in the risk assessment of ambient ozone exposure. To develop a simple two compartment exposure-response model that describes individual subject decrements in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) induced by the acute inhalation of O(3) lasting up to 8 h. FEV(1) measurements of 220 subjects who participated in 14 previously completed studies were fit to the model using both particle swarm and nonlinear least squares optimization techniques to identify three subject-specific coefficients producing minimum "global" and local errors, respectively. Observed and predicted decrements in FEV(1) of the 220 subjects were used for validation of the model. Further validation was provided by comparing the observed O(3)-induced FEV(1) decrements in an additional eight studies with predicted values obtained using model coefficients estimated from the 220 subjects used in cross validation. Overall the individual subject measured and modeled FEV(1) decrements were highly correlated (mean R(2) of 0.69 ± 0.24). In addition, it was shown that a matrix of individual subject model coefficients can be used to predict the mean and variance of group decrements in FEV(1). This modeling approach provides insight into individual subject O(3) exposure response kinetics and provides a potential starting point for improving the risk assessment of environmental O(3) exposure.

Non-commutative multiple-valued logic algebras

CERN Document Server

Ciungu, Lavinia Corina

2014-01-01

This monograph provides a self-contained and easy-to-read introduction to non-commutative multiple-valued logic algebras; a subject which has attracted much interest in the past few years because of its impact on information science, artificial intelligence and other subjects.   A study of the newest results in the field, the monograph includes treatment of pseudo-BCK algebras, pseudo-hoops, residuated lattices, bounded divisible residuated lattices, pseudo-MTL algebras, pseudo-BL algebras and pseudo-MV algebras. It provides a fresh perspective on new trends in logic and algebras in that algebraic structures can be developed into fuzzy logics which connect quantum mechanics, mathematical logic, probability theory, algebra and soft computing.   Written in a clear, concise and direct manner, Non-Commutative Multiple-Valued Logic Algebras will be of interest to masters and PhD students, as well as researchers in mathematical logic and theoretical computer science.

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

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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.

Age-related cutoffs for cervical movement behaviour to distinguish chronic idiopathic neck pain patients from unimpaired subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Niederer, Daniel; Vogt, Lutz; Wilke, Jan; Rickert, Marcus; Banzer, Winfried

2015-03-01

The present study aims to develop age-dependent cutoff values in a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional diagnostic test study. One hundred and twenty (120) asymptomatic subjects (n = 100, 36♀, 18 75 years, for normative values; n = 20, 23-75 years, 15♀, for selectivity analyses) and 20 patients suffering from idiopathic neck pain (selectivity analyses, 22-71 years, 15♀) were included. Subjects performed five repetitive maximal cervical flexion/extension movements in an upright sitting position. Cervical kinematic characteristics (maximal range of motion (ROM), coefficient of variation (CV) and mean conjunct movements in rotation and flexion (CM)) were calculated from raw 3D ultrasonic data. Regression analyses were conducted to reveal associations between kinematic characteristics and age and gender and thus to determine normative values for healthy subjects. Age explains 53 % of the variance in ROM (decrease 10.2° per decade), 13 % in CV (increase 0.003 per decade) and 9 % in CM (increase 0.57° per decade). Receivers operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted for differences between individual values of the kinematic characteristics and normative values to optimise cutoff values for distinguishing patients from unimpaired subjects (20 patients and 20 healthy). Cutoff values distinguished asymptomatic subjects' and chronic nonspecific neck patient's movement characteristics with sufficient quality (sensitivity 70-80 %, specificity 65-70 %). By including such classifications, the present findings expand actual research stating an age-related decrease in kinematic behaviour only using categorising span widths across decades. Future study is warranted to reveal our results' potential applicability for intervention onset decision making for idiopathic neck pain patients.

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality.

Science.gov (United States)

Naganawa, Shinji; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo; Ishigaki, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean+/-standard deviation 2.3+/-1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (pright frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (pbrain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference.

Prognostic value of ambulatory heart rate revisited in 6928 subjects from 6 populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Tine Willum; Thijs, Lutgarde; Staessen, Jan A.

2008-01-01

The evidence relating mortality and morbidity to heart rate remains inconsistent. We performed 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 6928 subjects (not on beta-blockers; mean age: 56.2 years; 46.5% women) enrolled in prospective population studies in Denmark, Belgium, Japan, Sweden......, Uruguay, and China. We computed standardized hazard ratios for heart rate, while stratifying for cohort, and adjusting for blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. Over 9.6 years (median), 850, 325, and 493 deaths accrued for total, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality......, respectively. The incidence of fatal combined with nonfatal end points was 805, 363, 439, and 324 for cardiovascular, stroke, cardiac, and coronary events, respectively. Twenty-four-hour heart rate predicted total (hazard ratio: 1.15) and noncardiovascular (hazard ratio: 1.18) mortality but not cardiovascular...

Capturing Old-Growth Values for Use in Forest Decision-Making

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Rochelle J.; Duinker, Peter N.; Beckley, Thomas M.

2009-02-01

Old-growth forests have declined significantly across the world. Decisions related to old growth are often mired in challenges of value diversity, conflict, data gaps, and resource pressures. This article describes old-growth values of citizens and groups in Nova Scotia, Canada, for integration in sustainable forest management (SFM) decision-making. The study is based on data from 76 research subjects who participated in nine field trips to forest stands. Research subjects were drawn from Aboriginal groups, environmental organizations, forestry professionals, and rural and urban publics. Diaries, group discussions, and rating sheets were used to elicit information during the field trips. Findings show that different elicitation techniques can influence the articulation of intensity with which some values are held. In addition, certain values are more often associated with old-growth than with other forest-age classes. Some values associated with old-growth are considered more important than others, and some silvicultural treatments are perceived to compromise old-growth values more than others. Demographic characteristics, such as constituency group, gender, and age, are shown to influence value priorities. Ideas on how to incorporate old-growth values into SFM decision-making are highlighted.

What does existing research say about value co-creation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Merethe Stjerne; Tanev, Stoyan; Pedrosa, Alex

2010-01-01

The paper presents a literature review on co-creation, which is summarized into emerging research areas and insights as a basis for a future research agenda for value co-creation. The search methodology is based on a keywords search on ISI Web of Knowledge, leading to 82 articles with a summary...... of four emerging subject areas within marketing science, service management, new product development & innovation and general business and management. The four subject areas lead to new key driving forces of value co-creation by involving the customers in experience networks, where both creating......-customer interaction events, which are extremely personal with unique products, services and experiences. In general the paper is starting up a conceptual refinement on value co-creation by addressing the key characteristics of current literature and driving forces of co-creation....

Facts and values in risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cross, Frank B.

1998-01-01

Risk, as commonly understood, is a complex melange of facts, values, and fears. While this complexity of public risk perception is now broadly recognized, its implications are insufficiently explored. Public risk perceptions offer p poor guide for public policymaking. Popular assessments of risk are tainted by misinformation and unreliable heuristics. While subjective considerations, often called values, play a role in public perception of risk, those 'values' are often inappropriate for government decisionmaking. Reliance on public perceptions of risk means more premature deaths. Public risk perception also is systematically skewed contrary to the interests of the disadvantaged. Strict probabilistic risk measures generally provide a superior guide for government regulatory policy

Subjective Expected Utility: A Model of Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischoff, Baruch; And Others

1981-01-01

Outlines a model of decision making known to researchers in the field of behavioral decision theory (BDT) as subjective expected utility (SEU). The descriptive and predictive validity of the SEU model, probability and values assessment using SEU, and decision contexts are examined, and a 54-item reference list is provided. (JL)

How to assess the value of medicines?

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven

2010-01-01

This study aims to discuss approaches to assessing the value of medicines. Economic evaluation assesses value by means of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Health is maximized by selecting medicines with increasing ICERs until the budget is exhausted. The budget size determines the value of the threshold ICER and vice versa. Alternatively, the threshold value can be inferred from pricing/reimbursement decisions, although such values vary between countries. Threshold values derived from the value-of-life literature depend on the technique used. The World Health Organization has proposed a threshold value tied to the national GDP. As decision makers may wish to consider multiple criteria, variable threshold values and weighted ICERs have been suggested. Other approaches (i.e., replacement approach, program budgeting and marginal analysis) have focused on improving resource allocation, rather than maximizing health subject to a budget constraint. Alternatively, the generalized optimization framework and multi-criteria decision analysis make it possible to consider other criteria in addition to value.

How to assess the value of medicines?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Simoens

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims to discuss approaches to assessing the value of medicines. Economic evaluation assesses value by means of the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER. Health is maximised by selecting medicines with increasing ICERs until the budget is exhausted. The budget size determines the value of the threshold ICER and vice versa. Alternatively, the threshold value can be inferred from pricing/reimbursement decisions, although such values vary between countries. Threshold values derived from the value-of-life literature depend on the technique used. The WHO has proposed a threshold value tied to the national GDP. As decision makers may wish to consider multiple criteria, variable threshold values and weighted ICERs have been suggested. Other approaches (i.e. replacement approach, program budgeting and marginal analysis have focused on improving resource allocation, rather than maximising health subject to a budget constraint. Alternatively, the generalised optimisation framework and multi-criteria decision analysis make it possible to consider other criteria in addition to value.

What is the value of Values Based Recruitment for nurse education programmes?

Science.gov (United States)

Groothuizen, Johanna E; Callwood, Alison; Gallagher, Ann

2018-05-01

A discussion of issues associated with Values Based Recruitment (VBR) for nurse education programmes. Values Based Recruitment is a mandatory element in selection processes of students for Higher Education healthcare courses in England, including all programmes across nursing. Students are selected on the basis that their individual values align with those presented in the Constitution of the National Health Service. However, there are issues associated with the use of values as selection criteria that have been insufficiently addressed. These are discussed. Discussion paper. This article is based on documents published on the website of the executive body responsible for the implementation of a policy regarding VBR in Higher Education Institutions up until June 2017 and our evaluation of the conceptualisation of VBR, underpinned by contemporary theory and literature. Values Based Recruitment influences who is accepted onto a nurse education programme, but there has been limited critical evaluation regarding the effectiveness of employing values as selection criteria. Values are subject to interpretation and evidence regarding whether or how VBR will improve practice and care is lacking. The issues discussed in this article show that Higher Education Institutions offering nursing courses, whether in England or in other countries, should be critical and reflective regarding the implementation of VBR methods. We call for a debate regarding the meaning and implications of VBR and further research regarding its validity and effectiveness. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Moral concepts set decision strategies to abstract values.

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Svenja Caspers

Full Text Available Persons have different value preferences. Neuroimaging studies where value-based decisions in actual conflict situations were investigated suggest an important role of prefrontal and cingulate brain regions. General preferences, however, reflect a superordinate moral concept independent of actual situations as proposed in psychological and socioeconomic research. Here, the specific brain response would be influenced by abstract value systems and moral concepts. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying such responses are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI with a forced-choice paradigm on word pairs representing abstract values, we show that the brain handles such decisions depending on the person's superordinate moral concept. Persons with a predominant collectivistic (altruistic value system applied a "balancing and weighing" strategy, recruiting brain regions of rostral inferior and intraparietal, and midcingulate and frontal cortex. Conversely, subjects with mainly individualistic (egocentric value preferences applied a "fight-and-flight" strategy by recruiting the left amygdala. Finally, if subjects experience a value conflict when rejecting an alternative congruent to their own predominant value preference, comparable brain regions are activated as found in actual moral dilemma situations, i.e., midcingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our results demonstrate that superordinate moral concepts influence the strategy and the neural mechanisms in decision processes, independent of actual situations, showing that decisions are based on general neural principles. These findings provide a novel perspective to future sociological and economic research as well as to the analysis of social relations by focusing on abstract value systems as triggers of specific brain responses.

Moral Concepts Set Decision Strategies to Abstract Values

Science.gov (United States)

Caspers, Svenja; Heim, Stefan; Lucas, Marc G.; Stephan, Egon; Fischer, Lorenz; Amunts, Katrin; Zilles, Karl

2011-01-01

Persons have different value preferences. Neuroimaging studies where value-based decisions in actual conflict situations were investigated suggest an important role of prefrontal and cingulate brain regions. General preferences, however, reflect a superordinate moral concept independent of actual situations as proposed in psychological and socioeconomic research. Here, the specific brain response would be influenced by abstract value systems and moral concepts. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying such responses are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a forced-choice paradigm on word pairs representing abstract values, we show that the brain handles such decisions depending on the person's superordinate moral concept. Persons with a predominant collectivistic (altruistic) value system applied a “balancing and weighing” strategy, recruiting brain regions of rostral inferior and intraparietal, and midcingulate and frontal cortex. Conversely, subjects with mainly individualistic (egocentric) value preferences applied a “fight-and-flight” strategy by recruiting the left amygdala. Finally, if subjects experience a value conflict when rejecting an alternative congruent to their own predominant value preference, comparable brain regions are activated as found in actual moral dilemma situations, i.e., midcingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our results demonstrate that superordinate moral concepts influence the strategy and the neural mechanisms in decision processes, independent of actual situations, showing that decisions are based on general neural principles. These findings provide a novel perspective to future sociological and economic research as well as to the analysis of social relations by focusing on abstract value systems as triggers of specific brain responses. PMID:21483767

Effect of imaging time on the values of the sacroiliac index

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodig, D.; Domljan, Z.; Popovic, S.; Simonovic, I.; Zagreb Univ.

1988-01-01

Quantitative scintigraphy of the sacroiliac joints was performed in a group of normal subjects and a group of subjects with unilateral and bilateral sacroiliitis. The aim of the study was to determine whether the time intervals of imaging had any effect on the values of the sacroiliac index. Imaging was performed every 30 min up to 300 min and the indices were calculated at the time intervals mentioned. We found that the values of the sacroiliac index increased in the group of normal subjects until 150 min after the application of the radiopharmaceutical, and that in the group of subjects who had sacroiliitis they increased until 210 min. The results show that the time interval optimal to quantitative sacroiliac joint imaging is at least 3 1/2 h after administration of the radiopharmaceutical. (orig.)

Work Values Evolution in a Baccalaureate Student Nurse Population

Science.gov (United States)

Dietrich, Marie C.

1977-01-01

Differences related to degree aspiration, desired nursing career specialty, and other nursing-related biographical variables were found among the four classes of a sample of 408 full-time non-RN female subjects in a baccalaureate nursing program. These differences were associated with shifts in the work values patterns of the subjects. (Author)

The dimensional salience solution to the expectancy-value muddle: an extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Joshua D; Newton, Fiona J; Ewing, Michael T

2014-01-01

The theory of reasoned action (TRA) specifies a set of expectancy-value, belief-based frameworks that underpin attitude (behavioural beliefs × outcome evaluations) and subjective norm (normative beliefs × motivation to comply). Unfortunately, the most common method for analysing these frameworks generates statistically uninterpretable findings, resulting in what has been termed the 'expectancy-value muddle'. Recently, however, a dimensional salience approach was found to resolve this muddle for the belief-based framework underpinning attitude. An online survey of 262 participants was therefore conducted to determine whether the dimensional salience approach could also be applied to the belief-based framework underpinning subjective norm. Results revealed that motivations to comply were greater for salient, as opposed to non-salient, social referents. The belief-based framework underpinning subjective norm was therefore represented by evaluating normative belief ratings for salient social referents. This modified framework was found to predict subjective norm, although predictions were greater when participants were forced to select five salient social referents rather than being free to select any number of social referents. These findings validate the use of the dimensional salience approach for examining the belief-based frameworks underpinning subjective norm. As such, this approach provides a complete solution to addressing the expectancy-value muddle in the TRA.

The Use and Abuse of "Universal Values" in the Danish Cartoon Controversy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostbøll, Christian Fogh

's embodiment of these values from the more abstract ideas. To avoid self-contradiction, liberal principles and constitutional norms should not be seen as incontestable aspects of democracy but rather as subject to recursive democratic justification and revision by everyone subject to them. Newcomers should......During the Danish cartoon controversy in 2005-2006 appeals to universal liberal values were often made in ways that marginalized Muslims. An analysis of the controversy shows that referring to "universal values" can be exclusionary when dominant actors fail to distinguish their own culture...

The influence of career orientations on subjective work experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melinde Coetzee

2010-11-01

Research purpose: The study empirically assessed the causal influence of individuals’ career orientations on their perceived life satisfaction, job or career satisfaction, sense of happiness and their perceptions of work as a valuable activity as aspects of their subjective work experiences. Motivation for study: From an organisational perspective, research on individuals’ inner definitions of career success and satisfaction is needed to guide current selection, placement, development, reward and retention practices. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative survey was conducted on a random sample of 2997 participants at predominantly managerial and supervisory level in the service industry. The measuring instruments consisted of an adapted five-factor career orientations model of the Career Orientations Inventory and a 4-item global subjective work experiences scale. Structural equation modelling (SEM was conducted to achieve the aim of the study. Main findings/results: Statistically significant causal relationships were observed between the career orientations and subjective work experiences variables. Practical implications: Individuals’ career orientations influence their general sense of life and job or career satisfaction, happiness and perceptions of work as a valuable activity. Organisations concerned with the retention of staff need to find a way of aligning individuals’ career needs and motives with the goals and aspirations of the organisation. Contribution/value-add: The research confirms the need for assessing the inner career orientations of employees as these provide valuable information regarding the motives and values driving individuals’ career decision making and subjective experiences of their working lives.

Professional values, aesthetic values, and the ends of trade.

Science.gov (United States)

Edgar, Andrew

2011-05-01

Professionalism is initially understood as a historical process, through which certain commercial services sought to improve their social status (and economic reward) by separating themselves from mere crafts or trades. This process may be traced clearly with the aspiration of British portrait painters (headed by Sir Joshua Reynolds), in the eighteenth century, to acquire a social status akin to that of already established professionals, such as clerics and doctors. This may be understood, to a significant degree, as a process of gentrification. The values of the professional thereby lie as much in the etiquette and other social skills with which they deal with their clients, than with any distinctive form of skill or value. Professionalisation as gentrification seemingly says little about the nature of modern professionalism. However, if this process is also construed as one in which the goals and achievements of the profession come to be subject to radical reflection, then something significant about professional values emerges. On this account, the profession is distinguished from craft or trade on the grounds that the goals of the profession, and the effectiveness of any attempt to realise them, are not transparent to the client. While a lay person will typically have the competence necessary to judge whether or not a craft worker has achieved their goal, that person will not necessarily be able to recognise the values that determine the success of a medical operation. It will be concluded that the values of a profession are articulated intrinsically to the profession, in terms of the contested understanding that the professionals themselves have of the meaning of the profession and the narratives within which its history is to be told.

Modulation of aesthetic value by semantic context: An fMRI study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirk, Ulrich; Skov, Martin; Hulme, Oliver

2009-01-01

Aesthetic judgments, like most judgments, depend on context. Whether an object or image is seen in daily life or in an art gallery can significantly modulate the aesthetic value humans attach to it. We investigated the neural system supporting this modulation by presenting human subjects....... This contextual modulation correlated with activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and prefrontal cortex, whereas the context, independent of aesthetic value, correlated with bilateral activations of temporal pole and bilateral entorhinal cortex. This shows that prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices recruited...... by aesthetic judgments are significantly biased by subjects' prior expectations about the likely hedonic value of stimuli according to their source....

Multi-modal management of acromegaly: a value perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimmell, Kristopher T; Weil, Robert J; Marko, Nicholas F

2015-10-01

The Acromegaly Consensus Group recently released updated guidelines for medical management of acromegaly patients. We subjected these guidelines to a cost analysis. We conducted a cost analysis of the recommendations based on published efficacy rates as well as publicly available cost data. The results were compared to findings from a previously reported comparative effectiveness analysis of acromegaly treatments. Using decision tree software, two models were created based on the Acromegaly Consensus Group's recommendations and the comparative effectiveness analysis. The decision tree for the Consensus Group's recommendations was subjected to multi-way tornado analysis to identify variables that most impacted the value analysis of the decision tree. The value analysis confirmed the Consensus Group's recommendations of somatostatin analogs as first line therapy for medical management. Our model also demonstrated significant value in using dopamine agonist agents as upfront therapy as well. Sensitivity analysis identified the cost of somatostatin analogs and growth hormone receptor antagonists as having the most significant impact on the cost effectiveness of medical therapies. Our analysis confirmed the value of surgery as first-line therapy for patients with surgically accessible lesions. Surgery provides the greatest value for management of patients with acromegaly. However, in accordance with the Acromegaly Consensus Group's recent recommendations, somatostatin analogs provide the greatest value and should be used as first-line therapy for patients who cannot be managed surgically. At present, the substantial cost is the most significant negative factor in the value of medical therapies for acromegaly.

Electroacupuncture reduces the evoked responses of the spinal dorsal horn neurons in ankle-sprained rats

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jae Hyo; Kim, Hee Young; Chung, Kyungsoon

2011-01-01

Acupuncture is shown to be effective in producing analgesia in ankle sprain pain in humans and animals. To examine the underlying mechanisms of the acupuncture-induced analgesia, the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on weight-bearing forces (WBR) of the affected foot and dorsal horn neuron activities were examined in a rat model of ankle sprain. Ankle sprain was induced manually by overextending ligaments of the left ankle in the rat. Dorsal horn neuron responses to ankle movements or compression were recorded from the lumbar spinal cord using an in vivo extracellular single unit recording setup 1 day after ankle sprain. EA was applied to the SI-6 acupoint on the right forelimb (contralateral to the sprained ankle) by trains of electrical pulses (10 Hz, 1-ms pulse width, 2-mA intensity) for 30 min. After EA, WBR of the sprained foot significantly recovered and dorsal horn neuron activities were significantly suppressed in ankle-sprained rats. However, EA produced no effect in normal rats. The inhibitory effect of EA on hyperactivities of dorsal horn neurons of ankle-sprained rats was blocked by the α-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (5 mg/kg ip) but not by the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (10 mg/kg ip). These data suggest that EA-induced analgesia in ankle sprain pain is mediated mainly by suppressing dorsal horn neuron activities through α-adrenergic descending inhibitory systems at the spinal level. PMID:21389301

Radiation enhances silica translocation to the pulmonary interstitium and increases fibrosis in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamson, I.Y.R.

1992-01-01

The effects of whole body irradiation (WBR) on particle clearance and the development of pulmonary fibrosis have been investigated. Using carbon, clearance is accomplished by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and alveolar macrophages (AM), and only a few particles reach the interstitum. However, in preirradiated mice, the usual eflux of inflammatory cells is much delayed so that more free carbon remains in the alveoli, and by 1 week, many particles cross the epithelium to be phagocytized by interstitial macrophages. Carbon is found in the peribronchiolar interstitium 6 months later with no evidence of fibrosis. In the present study, mice received 1 mg silica intratracheally 2 days after 6.5 Gy WBR when the white blood cell count was low. A much-reduced Am and PMN response was found in the following 2 weeks compared to the reaction to silica alone, and many silica particles reached interstitial macrophages. In this case, macrophage activation by silica was associated with fibroblast proliferation, and by 16 weeks, much more pulmonary fibrosis was produced than after silica or irradiation only. This was measured biochemically and correlated with a large increase in retained silica in the irradiation-silica group. The results indicate that radiation inhibits the inflammatory response to particle instillation, resulting in greater translocation of free particles to the pulmonary interstitium. In the case of silica, the greater, prolonged interaction with interstitial macrophages leads to a much exaggerated fibrotic reaction. 17 refs., 11 figs

Subjective well-being and Citizenship dimensions according to individualism and collectivism beliefs among Polish adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna M. Zalewska

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background The aim of the research is to analyse pleasant (subjective well-being – SWB and meaningful life (Citizenship dimensions in the context of Horizontal and Vertical Individualism (HI, VI or Collectivism (HC, VC values (individual beliefs among adolescents living in the culture “in between individualism and collectivism”. Participants and procedure Second-year high (111 and secondary (98 school students filled in the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Questionnaire, the Citizenship Behaviour Questionnaire, and SWB (Subjective Happiness Scale, Satisfaction with the Life Scale, Mood Questionnaire, Ladder of Need Scales. Participants were recruited in schools. Results Subjective well-being positively correlated with all Citizenship dimensions except Political Activity. All values predicted SWB, but higher VI predicted lower SWB and was not linked to Citizenship. Citizenship dimensions oriented to general good were predicted by Collectivism values, and those including personal benefits were predicted by HI and Collectivism values. Subjective well-being mediated relations between HC and Social Activity, and between HC, HI and Personal Activity. VC moderated relations between SWB and Passive as well as Semi-active Citizenship. Conclusions Among young Poles, pleasant life is linked with meaningful life. Individualism and Collectivism values are relatively independent, and their relations with SWB and Citizenship are complex. Higher Horizontal values facilitate the achievement of both pleasant and meaningful life, but higher VC can hinder the coherence between them. High SWB, engagement in Citizenship and links between them are required for attaining “authentic happiness” and living a truly full life; thus it is important to study variables that may influence them.

Transient Elastographic Values of Healthy Volunteers in a Tertiary Care Hospital

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Bhupendra Kumar Basnet

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction:Transient elastography is a very promising non invasive procedure to determine liver stiffness for diagnosis of fibrosis in various chronic liver diseases. However, studies on normal values of liver stiffness in apparently healthy subjects are still few. We aimed to determine liver stiffness values in healthy Nepalese volunteers. Methods:Transient elastography (FibroScanR, Echosens, Paris, France was performed to find out liver stiffness values in 45 apparently healthy volunteers after explaining study protocol. Complete medical examination with routine laboratory tests was performed. Subjects with normal liver biochemistries and normal liver ultrasonography were taken for analysis. Results:Mean liver stiffness value of study subjects was 4.24±0.70 kPa. Liver stiffness value was found higher in males than in females (4.32±0.74 vs 4.07±0.61 kPa, respectively, P=0.26 but not statistically significant. Similarly, comparison between age and liver stiffness also showed positive correlation (r=0.211 but not statistically significant (P=0.164 Conclusions: Our study showed that the mean liver stiffness value was 4.24±0.70 kPa in our population and influence of age, gender and body mass index were not significant. Keywords: chronic liver disease; FibroScanR; healthy volunteers; liver stiffness valve; transient elastography.

Perceived changes in behavior and values after a red blood cell transfusion

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Broccolo M

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Marianna Broccolo,1 Nicolas Favez,2 Oliver Karam3,4 1School of Medicine, 2Clinical Psychology Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, 3Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland; 4Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA, USA Background: Several studies have evaluated perceived changes in patients’ behavior after an organ transplant, especially a heart transplant. Although blood transfusions are much more frequent and have many connotations, derived from religious values, mass culture, or personal ideas, there is no study of the perception the patients have of changes in their behavior and values after a transfusion. This study’s objective was to assess perceived changes in behavior and values after a red blood cell transfusion.Materials and methods: Exploratory study through semistructured interviews with seven adults transfused after orthopedic surgery.Results: Blood had strong symbolic values for all subjects. Each of the seven participants mentioned positive characteristics that they would like to receive from the donor. Six subjects out of the seven acknowledged the possibility that transfusions might induce changes in behavior or values. Three subjects clearly stated that they would refuse to receive blood from a criminal for fear that some negative characteristic may be transmitted to them. Furthermore, three subjects acknowledged that their transfusion might have changed their own behavior or values.Discussion: This study shows that patients might feel that transfusions could modify their behavior or values and that certain personality traits of the donor could be transmitted. Further research in a larger population is warranted to evaluate the incidence of a perceived changed in behavior or values after a blood transfusion, which would then lead to changes in the way information is provided to

Subjective visual vertical assessment with mobile virtual reality system

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Ingrida Ulozienė

Full Text Available Background and objective: The subjective visual vertical (SVV is a measure of a subject's perceived verticality, and a sensitive test of vestibular dysfunction. Despite this, and consequent upon technical and logistical limitations, SVV has not entered mainstream clinical practice. The aim of the study was to develop a mobile virtual reality based system for SVV test, evaluate the suitability of different controllers and assess the system's usability in practical settings. Materials and methods: In this study, we describe a novel virtual reality based system that has been developed to test SVV using integrated software and hardware, and report normative values across healthy population. Participants wore a mobile virtual reality headset in order to observe a 3D stimulus presented across separate conditions – static, dynamic and an immersive real-world (“boat in the sea” SVV tests. The virtual reality environment was controlled by the tester using a Bluetooth connected controllers. Participants controlled the movement of a vertical arrow using either a gesture control armband or a general-purpose gamepad, to indicate perceived verticality. We wanted to compare 2 different methods for object control in the system, determine normal values and compare them with literature data, to evaluate the developed system with the help of the system usability scale questionnaire and evaluate possible virtually induced dizziness with the help of subjective visual analog scale. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in SVV values during static, dynamic and virtual reality stimulus conditions, obtained using the two different controllers and the results are compared to those previously reported in the literature using alternative methodologies. The SUS scores for the system were high, with a median of 82.5 for the Myo controller and of 95.0 for the Gamepad controller, representing a statistically significant difference between the two

Cost-savings accruable to removing value added tax from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Despite the important and essential role that medicines play in any society, all medicines, including those identified as essential, are uniformly subjected to 14% value added tax (VAT), regardless of their therapeutic value in the private healthcare sector of South Africa. The aim of this article is to demonstrate ...

AUDITING FAIR VALUES IN A SENSITIVE SOCIO-ECONOMICAL CONTEXT

OpenAIRE

Nicoleta Farcane; Delia Deliu; Maria Gheorghian

2011-01-01

The concept of fair value was subject of many debates and disputes in recentyears. These debates have focused mainly on the relevance of the concept, but also on thepractical difficulties in determining reasonable estimates, raising particularly the interest ofpractitioners in terms of identifying the best valuation procedures and techniques,respectively auditing fair values. Determining the fair value involves a broad spectrum ofapproaches, from the simplest to the most complex and burdensom...

Pyrethroid insecticide exposure and reproductive hormone levels in healthy Japanese male subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshinaga, J; Imai, K; Shiraishi, H

2014-01-01

)] were explored in 322 male university students in suburban Tokyo. The subjects constituted part of a large cross-sectional survey on the reference value of semen quality of Japanese men. Urinary 3-PBA was detectable in 91% of the subjects demonstrating ubiquitous exposure among the general population....... However, there were no associations between urinary 3-PBA and serum hormone levels. This result was inconsistent with those reported in China and the USA for subjects who had similar levels of urinary 3-PBA to the present subjects. One of the possible reasons of the inconsistency might be different...

Discrimination ability of comorbidity, frailty, and subjective health to predict mortality in community-dwelling older people

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusumastuti, Sasmita; Gerds, Thomas Alexander; Lund, Rikke

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the added value of comorbidity, frailty, and subjective health to mortality predictions in community-dwelling older people and whether it changes with increasing age. PARTICIPANTS: 36,751 community-dwelling subjects aged 50-100 from the longitudinal Survey of Health......, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. METHODS: Mortality risk associated with Comorbidity Index, Frailty Index, Frailty Phenotype, and subjective health was analysed using Cox regression. The extent to which health indicators modified individual mortality risk predictions was examined and the added ability......, and household income. CONCLUSION: Calendar age encompasses most of the discrimination ability to predict mortality. The added value of comorbidity, frailty, and subjective health to mortality predictions decreases with increasing age....

Bidding in common value fair division games

OpenAIRE

Brünner, Tobias; Becker, Alice

2013-01-01

In a fair division game an indivisible object with an unknown common value is owned by a group of individuals and should be allocated to one of them while the others are compensated monetarily. Implementing fair division games in the lab, we fi nd many occurrences of the winner's curse under the first-price rule but only few occurrences under the second-price rule. Moreover, bidding behavior is very heterogeneous across subjects. A considerable share of our subjects anticipates that other bid...

Values Education in Ottoman Empire in the Second Constitutional Period: A Sample Lesson

Science.gov (United States)

Oruc, Sahin; Ilhan, Genc Osman

2015-01-01

Values education holds a significant place in an education environment and many studies are carried out about this new subject area. The aim of this study is to define how the subject of "values education" is handled in a sample lesson designed in the period of Constitution II in the Ottoman Empire. In this study, the lesson plan in the…

Reference change values and power functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iglesias Canadell, Natàlia; Hyltoft Petersen, Per; Jensen, Esther

2004-01-01

Repeated samplings and measurements in the monitoring of patients to look for changes are common clinical problems. The "reference change value", calculated as zp x [2 x (CVI2 + CVA2)](1/2), where zp is the z-statistic and CVI and CVA are within-subject and analytical coefficients of variation......, respectively, has been used to detect whether a measured difference between measurements is statistically significant. However, a reference change value only detects the probability of false-positives (type I error), and for this reason, a model to calculate the risk of missing significant changes in serial...... difference is the same as the calculated reference change value, then it will be detected in only 50% of situations....

Quest for a good life: spiritual values, life goals, and college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kaili Chen; Yu, Esther Dawen

2014-03-01

Values and life goals are associated with one's general well-being and quality of life. However, there is insufficient documentation about issues that are linked with the notions of spiritual values and life goals among college students in Asia. This study addressed this lack of research by focusing on the spiritual values and life goals among students in Singapore. Four hundred and ninety structured surveys and 64 follow-up interviews were taken in two government-sponsored universities in Singapore. Statistics showed that spiritual values were positively correlated with intrinsic goals, which had been shown to strongly relate to subjective well-being (SWB). Developing spiritual values may promote subjective well-being by enabling college students to find meaning and purpose in life. Copyright © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Class, Mothering and the Values of Food

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aamann, Iben Charlotte

2015-01-01

The data analysed in this empirical paper stems from ethnographic fieldwork among new school parents at three Danish primary schools. I draw on empirically grounded theories on the cultural and subjective dimensions of class, inspired by the “English School” of poststructuralist informed, feminist...... scholars, to explore how class matters. Using the values ascribed to food at social arrangements as a lens, I explore different ways of doing class and mothering: through the exchange value of the food, through its use value and through its healthiness. I conclude by arguing that food studies hold a huge...

Applying the Expectancy-Value Model to understand health values.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu-Hao; Xie, Feng; Wee, Hwee-Lin; Thumboo, Julian; Li, Shu-Chuen

2008-03-01

Expectancy-Value Model (EVM) is the most structured model in psychology to predict attitudes by measuring attitudinal attributes (AAs) and relevant external variables. Because health value could be categorized as attitude, we aimed to apply EVM to explore its usefulness in explaining variances in health values and investigate underlying factors. Focus group discussion was carried out to identify the most common and significant AAs toward 5 different health states (coded as 11111, 11121, 21221, 32323, and 33333 in EuroQol Five-Dimension (EQ-5D) descriptive system). AAs were measured in a sum of multiplications of subjective probability (expectancy) and perceived value of attributes with 7-point Likert scales. Health values were measured using visual analog scales (VAS, range 0-1). External variables (age, sex, ethnicity, education, housing, marital status, and concurrent chronic diseases) were also incorporated into survey questionnaire distributed by convenience sampling among eligible respondents. Univariate analyses were used to identify external variables causing significant differences in VAS. Multiple linear regression model (MLR) and hierarchical regression model were used to investigate the explanatory power of AAs and possible significant external variable(s) separately or in combination, for each individual health state and a mixed scenario of five states, respectively. Four AAs were identified, namely, "worsening your quality of life in terms of health" (WQoL), "adding a burden to your family" (BTF), "making you less independent" (MLI) and "unable to work or study" (UWS). Data were analyzed based on 232 respondents (mean [SD] age: 27.7 [15.07] years, 49.1% female). Health values varied significantly across 5 health states, ranging from 0.12 (33333) to 0.97 (11111). With no significant external variables identified, EVM explained up to 62% of the variances in health values across 5 health states. The explanatory power of 4 AAs were found to be between 13

Work values: Their emergence and their consequences for labour market behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Putman, L.S.

2013-01-01

What people value in their job is a research subject of growing interest. Most research has focused on the structure in work values or on the differences in preferences that workers have for various job aspects. The effects of work values on work-related behaviour have received much less attention.

Evaluation of Value System and Its Effects on Nigeria Education: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study concentrates on the evaluation of value system in Nigeria and its effect on education, using the philosophical approach. It employed the logical inference and ideal statements. The work was guided by four axiological questions: (a) Are values extrinsic or intrinsic? (b) Are values subjective or objective? (c)Are ...

Gender Differences in Subjective Well-Being: Comparing Societies with Respect to Gender Equality

Science.gov (United States)

Tesch-Romer, Clemens; Motel-Klingebiel, Andreas; Tomasik, Martin J.

2008-01-01

These analyses explore the relationship between gender inequality and subjective well-being. The hypothesis was tested as to whether societal gender inequality is related to the size of gender differences in subjective well-being in various societies. Results come from comparative data sets (World Values Survey, involving 57 countries; OASIS…

Prediction of peak response values of structures with and without TMD subjected to random pedestrian flows

Science.gov (United States)

Lievens, Klaus; Van Nimmen, Katrien; Lombaert, Geert; De Roeck, Guido; Van den Broeck, Peter

2016-09-01

In civil engineering and architecture, the availability of high strength materials and advanced calculation techniques enables the construction of slender footbridges, generally highly sensitive to human-induced excitation. Due to the inherent random character of the human-induced walking load, variability on the pedestrian characteristics must be considered in the response simulation. To assess the vibration serviceability of the footbridge, the statistics of the stochastic dynamic response are evaluated by considering the instantaneous peak responses in a time range. Therefore, a large number of time windows are needed to calculate the mean value and standard deviation of the instantaneous peak values. An alternative method to evaluate the statistics is based on the standard deviation of the response and a characteristic frequency as proposed in wind engineering applications. In this paper, the accuracy of this method is evaluated for human-induced vibrations. The methods are first compared for a group of pedestrians crossing a lightly damped footbridge. Small differences of the instantaneous peak value were found by the method using second order statistics. Afterwards, a TMD tuned to reduce the peak acceleration to a comfort value, was added to the structure. The comparison between both methods in made and the accuracy is verified. It is found that the TMD parameters are tuned sufficiently and good agreements between the two methods are found for the estimation of the instantaneous peak response for a strongly damped structure.

Information technology investments must deliver value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, Y.

1998-01-01

The value of information technology (IT) management for the petroleum industry was discussed. There are currently two points of view regarding the subject. Adherents of one view hold that the strategic uses of information technology are relevant to the oil and gas industry, while those opposed find no demonstrated connection between information technology investments and business results. This paper addresses the impact of the information paradox, but maintains that information technology is not only valuable but essential to the oil and gas industry. This paper maintains that whenever it is perceived as being of limited use and too expensive, it is usually because it is not well managed. Value management can and should lead to superior outcomes. Neither exploration, nor drilling nor production, nor marketing could exist without information technology as the value is imperative. To further make the case, the nature of information technology value management and the strategies required to achieve value from information technology are reviewed. figs

The Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale in subjects clinically at high risk of psychosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieman, D. H.; Velthorst, E.; Becker, H. E.; de Haan, L.; Dingemans, P. M.; Linszen, D. H.; Birchwood, M.; Patterson, P.; Salokangas, R. K. R.; Heinimaa, M.; Heinz, A.; Juckel, G.; von Reventlow, H. G.; Morrison, A.; Schultze-Lutter, F.; Klosterkötter, J.; Ruhrmann, S.; McGorry, Patrick D.; McGlashan, Thomas H.; Knapp, Martin; van de Fliert, Reinaud; Klaassen, Rianne; Picker, Heinz; Neumann, Meike; Brockhaus-Dumke, Anke; Pukrop, Ralf; Svirskis, Tanja; Huttunen, Jukka; Laine, Tiina; Ilonen, Tuula; Ristkari, Terja; Hietala, Jarmo; Skeate, Amanda; Gudlowski, Yehonala; Ozgürdal, Seza; French, Paul; Stevens, Helen

2013-01-01

To investigate the predictive value of the Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale (SCPS) for transition to a first psychotic episode in subjects clinically at high risk (CHR) of psychosis. Two hundred and forty-four CHR subjects participating in the European Prediction of Psychosis Study were

Referential and Non-Referential Uses of the Third Person Pronominal Subject in Spanish

Science.gov (United States)

García Salido, Marcos

2018-01-01

This paper studies the role of two different types of motivation that have been proposed to explain the use of subject personal pronouns in Spanish, namely their function as indications for the addressee to identify the subject's referent, and their suitability for expressing informational values such as contrastiveness or focus. This study…

Value systems and opinions on the disposal of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidl, R.; Moser, C.; Kruetli, P.; Stauffacher, M.

2011-06-01

This report by the Institute for Environmental Decisions at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, takes a look at factors concerning acceptance, values, chances and risks involved in the realisation of depositories for nuclear wastes in Switzerland. The aims of a study made on the subject are discussed. The study was organised in five steps: The first step involved a literature study covering value systems, value-connected concepts for geological deep repositories and their evaluation. In the second step, a screening in connection with the values involved and their influence on the formation of opinion is examined. The random sampling of public opinion involved in this step is described and discussed. A third step involved the evaluation of interviews made on the subject of radioactive waste disposal. The fourth step was to correlate the results and make conclusions on the methodology being used in connection with the disposal of radioactive wastes. Three appendices to the report present further details on the work done

Subjective relevance of objective measures for spatial impression (A)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Lily M.; Gade, Anders Christian

2000-01-01

Several objective measures have been proposed to describe the feeling of spatial impression in concert halls, including Lateral Energy Fraction (LF) and Interaural Cross-Correlation Coefficient (IACC). However, previous studies have shown that LF and IACC values did not highly correlate with each...... other at individual seat positions in real halls [J. S. Bradley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 3525–3535 (1994)]. To investigate the listener envelopment aspect of spatial impression further, subjective paired-comparison tests have been run using signals which have various values for LF, early IACC (from 5...

Relationship between Income and Subjective Economic Well-Being: Absolute or Relative?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V A Khashchenko

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The article considers the role of the absolute and relative income in determining the subjective economic well-being. It is shown that the relationship of the income to SEB is curvilinear with the increase of marginal utility for a higher income. At low income levels its effect on SEB is determined not by its absolute, but by its relative value based on the comparisons with the subjective standards of well-being.

Library subject guides: A case study of evidence-informed library development

OpenAIRE

Wakeham, Maurice; Roberts, Angharad; Shelley, Jane; Wells, Paul

2012-01-01

This paper describes the process whereby a university library investigated the value of its subject guides to its users. A literature review and surveys of library staff, library users and other libraries were carried out. Existing library subject guides and those of other higher education libraries were evaluated. The project team reported regularly to the wider library team throughout the year long investigation and made recommendations. The project served to develop the professional skills...

Construction of Subjectivity in Social Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anže Dolinar

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Social media are a phenomenon that came about with the Web 2.0. The essential characteristic of social media is the so-called user-generated content, which means that individuals and their lives are entangled in a social interaction in which their identity is to some extent subsumed under the logic of the production of profit. From the standpoint of the critique of political economy, the phenomenon of digital labor can be tackled with a digital labor theory of value. On the other hand, a question of a subjective aspect remains open. The initial hypothesis is that an analysis of a dynamic character of capitalism is necessarily connected with historical transformations of subjectivity. I will inspect which type of subjectivity is produced during the “process of production” on Facebook, how relations of the exchange of information and meaning take place inside this medium, and what kind of consciousness comes with this virtual identity. I will attempt to address this question with an explication of social forms of sharing amongst individuals on this social network. I will focus on how photos, notifications and comments structure web subjectivity and its function. Answers to such questions can help us in understanding a certain aspect of a socioeconomic structure of contemporary capitalism and bear an emancipatory potential in a possibility of negation of such social relations. The article will limit itself to the exploration of subjectivity in social media, which will be dealt with in a dynamic sense and in regard to formal conditions of communication inside social media, and in respect to a social situation in which they are.

The Value of Culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skrede, Joar

2014-01-01

House has already been built. Parallel to this project, a decision has been made to relocate several old museums without any plans for the existing premises. Both projects have triggered years of debate in the media and the general public, and many of the decisions are highly disputed. From the official......, and that economic motives are given more attention than culture itself. This may be understood as a neoliberalisation of values where spheres of social and cultural life are subjected to the logic of the market....... documents and the public debate, it is evident that “culture” is vital in the urban development projects, but it is ambiguous what the value of “culture” consists of. Many citizens are questioning the disruption to historical continuity and they are confused about the political reasoning behind...

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex, adding value to autobiographical memories

OpenAIRE

Lin, W. J.; Horner, A. J.; Burgess, N.

2016-01-01

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been consistently implicated in autobiographical memory recall and decision making. Its function in decision making tasks is believed to relate to value representation, but its function in autobiographical memory recall is not yet clear. We hypothesised that the mPFC represents the subjective value of elements during autobiographical memory retrieval. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging during an autobiographical memory recall task, we found tha...

On the Expected Value of Fuzzy Events

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Klement, E.P.; Mesiar, Radko

2015-01-01

Roč. 23, Supplement 1 (2015), s. 57-74 ISSN 0218-4885 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : expected value * fuzzy event * Choquet integral Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2015/E/mesiar-0452568.pdf

Sustainable values for a livable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCluney, R.

1995-01-01

Alternative paths to the future which might produce true sustainability involve comprehensive behavior change, not only by government and business leaders but also by ordinary citizens. Individual and societal behavior is guided to a great extent by the values and beliefs underlying that behavior. A growing body of literature deals with this subject, which is called environmental ethics. From the seminal work of Thomas Berry to conference proceedings and journal articles, examinations of the moral and ethical implications of the need for changing values and behavior can be found in both the religious and secular literature. Central to much of that literature is the concept of envisioning a sustainable future. Developing, promoting, and publicizing those visions will be important in overcoming the natural fears one has of changing basic values and beliefs, thereby enabling open and public discussion of the need of a set of sustainable values for a livable future

Cardiopulmonary performance testing using a robotics-assisted tilt table: feasibility assessment in able-bodied subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Saengsuwan, J; Laubacher, M; Nef, T; Hunt, K J

2014-01-01

Robotics-assisted tilt table technology was introduced for early rehabilitation of neurological patients. It provides cyclical stepping movement and physiological loading of the legs. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of this type of device for peak cardiopulmonary performance testing using able-bodied subjects. A robotics-assisted tilt table was augmented with force sensors in the thigh cuffs and a work rate estimation algorithm. A custom visual feedback system was employed to guide the subjects' work rate and to provide real time feedback of actual work rate. Feasibility assessment focused on: (i) implementation (technical feasibility), and (ii) responsiveness (was there a measurable, high-level cardiopulmonary reaction?). For responsiveness testing, each subject carried out an incremental exercise test to the limit of functional capacity with a work rate increment of 5 W/min in female subjects and 8 W/min in males. 11 able-bodied subjects were included (9 male, 2 female; age 29.6 ± 7.1 years: mean ± SD). Resting oxygen uptake (O_{2}) was 4.6 ± 0.7 mL/min/kg and O_{2}peak was 32.4 ± 5.1 mL/min/kg; this mean O_{2}peak was 81.1% of the predicted peak value for cycle ergometry. Peak heart rate (HRpeak) was 177.5 ± 9.7 beats/min; all subjects reached at least 85% of their predicted HRpeak value. Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) at O_{2}peak was 1.02 ± 0.07. Peak work rate) was 61.3 ± 15.1 W. All subjects reported a Borg CR10 value for exertion and leg fatigue of 7 or more. The robotics-assisted tilt table is deemed feasible for peak cardiopulmonary performance testing: the approach was found to be technically implementable and substantial cardiopulmonary responses were observed. Further testing in neurologically-impaired subjects is warranted.

Common Sense in Choice: The Effect of Sensory Modality on Neural Value Representations

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Abstract Although it is well established that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) represents value using a common currency across categories of rewards, it is unknown whether the vmPFC represents value irrespective of the sensory modality in which alternatives are presented. In the current study, male and female human subjects completed a decision-making task while their neural activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging. On each trial, subjects chose between a safe alternative and a lottery, which was presented visually or aurally. A univariate conjunction analysis revealed that the anterior portion of the vmPFC tracks subjective value (SV) irrespective of the sensory modality. Using a novel cross-modality multivariate classifier, we were able to decode auditory value based on visual trials and vice versa. In addition, we found that the visual and auditory sensory cortices, which were identified using functional localizers, are also sensitive to the value of stimuli, albeit in a modality-specific manner. Whereas both primary and higher-order auditory cortices represented auditory SV (aSV), only a higher-order visual area represented visual SV (vSV). These findings expand our understanding of the common currency network of the brain and shed a new light on the interplay between sensory and value information processing. PMID:29619408

Common Sense in Choice: The Effect of Sensory Modality on Neural Value Representations.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuster, Anastasia; Levy, Dino J

2018-01-01

Although it is well established that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) represents value using a common currency across categories of rewards, it is unknown whether the vmPFC represents value irrespective of the sensory modality in which alternatives are presented. In the current study, male and female human subjects completed a decision-making task while their neural activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging. On each trial, subjects chose between a safe alternative and a lottery, which was presented visually or aurally. A univariate conjunction analysis revealed that the anterior portion of the vmPFC tracks subjective value (SV) irrespective of the sensory modality. Using a novel cross-modality multivariate classifier, we were able to decode auditory value based on visual trials and vice versa. In addition, we found that the visual and auditory sensory cortices, which were identified using functional localizers, are also sensitive to the value of stimuli, albeit in a modality-specific manner. Whereas both primary and higher-order auditory cortices represented auditory SV (aSV), only a higher-order visual area represented visual SV (vSV). These findings expand our understanding of the common currency network of the brain and shed a new light on the interplay between sensory and value information processing.

Plagiarism education and prevention a subject-driven case-based approach

CERN Document Server

Bradley, Cara

2011-01-01

Academic librarians and university instructors worldwide are grappling with an increasing incidence of student plagiarism. Recent publications urge educators to prevent plagiarism by teaching students about the issue, and some have advocated the value of a subject-specific approach to plagiarism prevention education. There is, however, a complete lack of resources and guidance for librarians and instructors who want to adopt this approach in their teaching. This book opens with a brief overview of plagiarism today, followed by arguments in favour of a subject-based approach. The rest of the bo

Hepatic effects of dietary weight loss in morbidly obese subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, T; Gluud, C; Franzmann, Magnus

1991-01-01

= 0.026). Liver biochemistry, which was of no individual diagnostic value, improved. It is concluded that morbidly obese subjects with a high degree of hepatic fatty change are at risk of developing portal inflammation and fibrosis when undergoing very fast dietary weight reductions.......This prospective study was carried out in order to evaluate the influence on liver morphology and function of a very-low-calorie formula diet. Fourty-one morbidly obese, non-alcoholic subjects had liver biopsy performed before and after a median weight loss of 34 kg. Fatty change improved (p less...

Relationships Between Service Personal Values, Service Value, Satisfaction, and Loyalty: A Study Regarding Services of Private and State Hospitals in Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metin Argan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Service and value are the two inseparable concepts in experiential service environment. Service personal value is a concept that is subjectively assessed from a consumer perspective, and is associated with service value, consumer satisfaction and loyalty. In this context, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between services personal values, service value, satisfaction, and loyalty. Data were collected from persons (996 receiving services from private hospitals and state hospitals using convenience sampling method. The scales of service personal values, service value, satisfaction and loyalty were adapted from literature. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA was used to investigate validity and reliability of the scales. Then, a structural equation model (SEM was developed and tested using data with Lisrel 8.80 software. The results of the study indicate significant relationships between services personal values, service value, satisfaction, and loyalty. The results of the study have significant implications as to how well private hospital managers design strategies of health service, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Relevance of normative values for functional capacity evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soer, R.; Van Der Schans, C.; Geertzen, J.; Groothoff, J.; Brouwer, Sandra; Dijkstra, P.; Reneman, M.

2009-01-01

Background: Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are evaluations designed to measure capacity to perform activities and are used to make recommendations for participation in work. Normative values of healthy working subjects' performances are unavailable, thus patients' performances cannot be

The RID2 biofidelic rear impact dummy: a pilot study using human subjects in low speed rear impact full scale crash tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Croft, Arthur C; Philippens, Mathieu M G M

2007-03-01

Human subjects and the recently developed RID2 rear impact crash test dummy were exposed to a series of full scale, vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests. To evaluate the biofidelity of the RID2 anthropometric test dummy on the basis of calculated neck injury criterion (NIC) values by comparing these values to those obtained from human subjects exposed in the very same crashes. The widely used and familiar hybrid III dummy has been said to lack biofidelity in the special application of low speed rear impact crashes. Several attempts have been made to modify this dummy with only marginal success. Two completely new dummies have been developed; the BioRID and the RID2. Neither have been tested under real world crash boundary conditions in side-by-side comparisons with live human subjects. Volunteer subjects, including a 50th percentile male, a 95th percentile male, and a 50th percentile female, were placed in the driver's seat of a vehicle and subjected to a series of three low speed rear impact crashes each. The RID2 dummy, which is modeled after a 50th percentile male, was placed in the passenger seat in each case. Both subjects and dummy were fully instrumented and acceleration-time histories were recorded. From this data, velocities of the heads and torsos were determined and both were used to calculate the NIC values for both crash test subjects and the RID2. The RID2 demonstrated generally higher head accelerations and NIC values than those of the human subjects. Most of the observed variations might be explained on the basis of differing head restraint geometry, posture, and body size. The RID2 NIC values compared most favorably with those of the 50th percentile male subject. For the whole group, the correlations between RID2 and human subjects did not reach statistical significance. The small number of test subjects and crash tests limited the statistical power of this pilot study, and the correlation between the RID2 and human subject NIC values were not

The Category of Value in the Corporate Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shvydanenko Genefa O.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The article examines evolution of the category of value and its provisioning with economic arguments, considering the legacy of the modern school of strategic management. Analyzing, systematizing and generalizing the scientific work of the subject area of the study have led to the identification of some problematic aspects, namely: prevalence of consumerism in disclosing the essence of value and its assessment through the prism of value expression, as well as the lack of a systemic approach that would take into account the multidisciplinary nature of this category. The origins of the definition of «corporate values» have been identified. As result, a classification of the specific manifestations of the values of enterprise are presented, the notions of «values» and «value orientations» are delineated. It has been substantiated that value is the economic category that has a polysemic nature and, accordingly, its ontological essence can be systemically disclosed only in the light of the interests of all stakeholders in business.

Human rights – local value or universal norm?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grigory Gutner

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The article argues for the universal character of human rights. It is demonstrated that they are not of specific value of Western culture but are a universal norm. This norm is valid not only for political practices but, first of all, for the morality and practice of argumentation. Human rights are strictly correlated with Kantian Categorical Imperative and can be substantiated by means of transcendental­pragmatic argument (K.­O. Apel. The difference between values and norms are also considered. It is demonstrated that values are always subjective and arbitrary meanwhile final justification is possible for norms.  

Feeling Expression Using Avatars and Its Consistency for Subjective Annotation

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Fuyuko; Sasaki, Yasunari; Hiroyasu, Tomoyuki; Miki, Mitsunori

Consumer Generated Media(CGM) is growing rapidly and the amount of content is increasing. However, it is often difficult for users to extract important contents and the existence of contents recording their experiences can easily be forgotten. As there are no methods or systems to indicate the subjective value of the contents or ways to reuse them, subjective annotation appending subjectivity, such as feelings and intentions, to contents is needed. Representation of subjectivity depends on not only verbal expression, but also nonverbal expression. Linguistically expressed annotation, typified by collaborative tagging in social bookmarking systems, has come into widespread use, but there is no system of nonverbally expressed annotation on the web. We propose the utilization of controllable avatars as a means of nonverbal expression of subjectivity, and confirmed the consistency of feelings elicited by avatars over time for an individual and in a group. In addition, we compared the expressiveness and ease of subjective annotation between collaborative tagging and controllable avatars. The result indicates that the feelings evoked by avatars are consistent in both cases, and using controllable avatars is easier than collaborative tagging for representing feelings elicited by contents that do not express meaning, such as photos.

Is International Accounting Education Delivering Pedagogical Value?

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Chris; Millanta, Brian; Tweedie, Dale

2016-01-01

This paper examines whether universities are delivering pedagogical value to international accounting students commensurate with the costs of studying abroad. The paper uses survey and interview methods to explore the extent to which Chinese Learners (CLs) in an Australian postgraduate accounting subject have distinct learning needs. The paper…

Diagnostic value of exercise-induced changes in circulating high sensitive troponin T in stable chest pain patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouridsen, Mette Rauhe; Nielsen, Olav Wendelboe; Pedersen, Ole Dyg

2013-01-01

We investigated the diagnostic value of exercise-induced increase in cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) in stable chest pain subjects.......We investigated the diagnostic value of exercise-induced increase in cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) in stable chest pain subjects....

Tsallis’ non-extensive free energy as a subjective value of an uncertain reward

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Taiki

2009-03-01

Recent studies in neuroeconomics and econophysics revealed the importance of reward expectation in decision under uncertainty. Behavioral neuroeconomic studies have proposed that the unpredictability and the probability of an uncertain reward are distinctly encoded as entropy and a distorted probability weight, respectively, in the separate neural systems. However, previous behavioral economic and decision-theoretic models could not quantify reward-seeking and uncertainty aversion in a theoretically consistent manner. In this paper, we have: (i) proposed that generalized Helmholtz free energy in Tsallis’ non-extensive thermostatistics can be utilized to quantify a perceived value of an uncertain reward, and (ii) empirically examined the explanatory powers of the models. Future study directions in neuroeconomics and econophysics by utilizing the Tsallis’ free energy model are discussed.

The Research on Coordinated Decision-Making Method Tax System Based on Subject Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoji Yu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Academically, the research of subject database of tax system aims to set up an efficient, harmonious virtual data application environment. Subject data, in application and management, has been on demand polymerized and autonomously collaborated and has reached a balance between instantaneity and accuracy. This paper defines the connotation and characteristics enterprise informationization, designs a value system of enterprise informationization which is subject database oriented, and builds a model for the import of the subject database of enterprise informationization. Meantime, this paper describes the structure of the subject database based information import model and forges the model’s theoretical basis of subject data import in tax system. Using the model can make an analysis on the information of data warehouse, storage information, and tax information to provide decision support for the tax administrators.

On nonepistemic values in conservation biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgaertner, Bert; Holthuijzen, Wieteke

2017-02-01

Conservation biology is a uniquely interdisciplinary science with strong roots in ecology, but it also embraces a value-laden and mission-oriented framework. This combination of science and values causes conservation biology to be at the center of critique regarding the discipline's scientific credibility-especially the division between the realms of theory and practice. We identify this dichotomy between seemingly objective (fact-based) and subjective (value-laden) practices as the measure-value dichotomy, whereby measure refers to methods and analyses used in conservation biology (i.e., measuring biodiversity) and value refers to nonepistemic values. We reviewed and evaluated several landmark articles central to the foundation of conservation biology and concepts of biodiversity with respect to their attempts to separate measures and values. We argue that the measure-value dichotomy is false and that conservation biology can make progress in ways unavailable to other disciplines because its practitioners are tasked with engaging in both the realm of theory and the realm of practice. The entanglement of measures and values is by no means a weakness of conservation biology. Because central concepts such as biodiversity contain both factual and evaluative aspects, conservation biologists can make theoretical progress by examining, reviewing, and forming the values that are an integral part of those concepts. We suggest that values should be included and analyzed with respect to the methods, results, and conclusions of scientific work in conservation biology. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Entropy Evaluation Based on Value Validity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarald O. Kvålseth

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Besides its importance in statistical physics and information theory, the Boltzmann-Shannon entropy S has become one of the most widely used and misused summary measures of various attributes (characteristics in diverse fields of study. It has also been the subject of extensive and perhaps excessive generalizations. This paper introduces the concept and criteria for value validity as a means of determining if an entropy takes on values that reasonably reflect the attribute being measured and that permit different types of comparisons to be made for different probability distributions. While neither S nor its relative entropy equivalent S* meet the value-validity conditions, certain power functions of S and S* do to a considerable extent. No parametric generalization offers any advantage over S in this regard. A measure based on Euclidean distances between probability distributions is introduced as a potential entropy that does comply fully with the value-validity requirements and its statistical inference procedure is discussed.

Alzheimer’s disease cerebrospinal fluid biomarker in cognitively normal subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Toledo, Jon B.; Zetterberg, Henrik; van Harten, Argonde C.; Glodzik, Lidia; Martinez-Lage, Pablo; Bocchio-Chiavetto, Luisella; Rami, Lorena; Hansson, Oskar; Sperling, Reisa; Engelborghs, Sebastiaan; Osorio, Ricardo S.; Vanderstichele, Hugo; Vandijck, Manu; Hampel, Harald; Teipl, Stefan; Moghekar, Abhay; Albert, Marilyn; Hu, William T.; Monge Argilés, Jose A.; Gorostidi, Ana; Teunissen, Charlotte E.; De Deyn, Peter P.; Hyman, Bradley T.; Molinuevo, Jose L.; Frisoni, Giovanni B.; Linazasoro, Gurutz; de Leon, Mony J.; van der Flier, Wiesje M.; Scheltens, Philip; Blennow, Kaj; Shaw, Leslie M.

2015-01-01

In a large multicentre sample of cognitively normal subjects, as a function of age, gender and APOE genotype, we studied the frequency of abnormal cerebrospinal fluid levels of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers including: total tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid-β1-42. Fifteen cohorts from 12 different centres with either enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays or Luminex® measurements were selected for this study. Each centre sent nine new cerebrospinal fluid aliquots that were used to measure total tau, phosphorylated tau and amyloid-β1-42 in the Gothenburg laboratory. Seven centres showed a high correlation with the new Gothenburg measurements; therefore, 10 cohorts from these centres are included in the analyses here (1233 healthy control subjects, 40–84 years old). Amyloid-β amyloid status (negative or positive) and neurodegeneration status (negative or positive) was established based on the pathological cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer’s disease cut-off values for cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β1-42 and total tau, respectively. While gender did not affect these biomarker values, APOE genotype modified the age-associated changes in cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers such that APOE ε4 carriers showed stronger age-related changes in cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau, total tau and amyloid-β1-42 values and APOE ε2 carriers showed the opposite effect. At 40 years of age, 76% of the subjects were classified as amyloid negative, neurodegeneration negative and their frequency decreased to 32% at 85 years. The amyloid-positive neurodegeneration-negative group remained stable. The amyloid-negative neurodegeneration-positive group frequency increased slowly from 1% at 44 years to 16% at 85 years, but its frequency was not affected by APOE genotype. The amyloid-positive neurodegeneration-positive frequency increased from 1% at 53 years to 28% at 85 years. Abnormally low cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β1-42 levels were already frequent in midlife and APOE genotype

A subjective scheduler for subjective dedicated networks

Science.gov (United States)

Suherman; Fakhrizal, Said Reza; Al-Akaidi, Marwan

2017-09-01

Multiple access technique is one of important techniques within medium access layer in TCP/IP protocol stack. Each network technology implements the selected access method. Priority can be implemented in those methods to differentiate services. Some internet networks are dedicated for specific purpose. Education browsing or tutorial video accesses are preferred in a library hotspot, while entertainment and sport contents could be subjects of limitation. Current solution may use IP address filter or access list. This paper proposes subjective properties of users or applications are used for priority determination in multiple access techniques. The NS-2 simulator is employed to evaluate the method. A video surveillance network using WiMAX is chosen as the object. Subjective priority is implemented on WiMAX scheduler based on traffic properties. Three different traffic sources from monitoring video: palace, park, and market are evaluated. The proposed subjective scheduler prioritizes palace monitoring video that results better quality, xx dB than the later monitoring spots.

TRUST MODEL FOR SOCIAL NETWORK USING SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION

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Davis Bundi Ntwiga

2016-06-01

Full Text Available For effective interactions to take place in a social network, trust is important. We model trust of agents using the peer to peer reputation ratings in the network that forms a real valued matrix. Singular value decomposition discounts the reputation ratings to estimate the trust levels as trust is the subjective probability of future expectations based on current reputation ratings. Reputation and trust are closely related and singular value decomposition can estimate trust using the real valued matrix of the reputation ratings of the agents in the network. Singular value decomposition is an ideal technique in error elimination when estimating trust from reputation ratings. Reputation estimation of trust is optimal at the discounting of 20 %.

Selected Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Vegetarians and Subjects of General Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Valachovičová, Martina; Príbojová, Jana; Urbánek, Vladimír; Bírošová, Lucia

2017-12-01

Besides genetic factors there are environmental effects including nutritional habits which can influence the risk of age-related diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the age dependence of selected cardiovascular risk markers in two groups of subjects with different nutritional pattern. In 470 long-term vegetarians and 478 subjects of general population the following indicators were measured: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin concentrations, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index and insulin resistance IR(HOMA) were also calculated in studied subjects. Obtained data were evaluated according to age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin, and values of atherogenic index and IR(HOMA) were significantly reduced in all age decades. Vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian triacalglycerol concentrations were significantly reduced from 4th–7th decade. Vegetarian average decade values of all lipid parameters were in reference range. In non-vegetarian group, the risk average values of total cholesterol (>5.2 mmol/l) were found from 5th–7th decade, LDL-cholesterol (>3.3 mmol/l) in 7th decade and atherogenic index (>4) in 6th–7th decade. In vegetarians vs. non-vegetarians were noted the average decade values for total cholesterol ranging from 4.01–4.59 vs. 4.48–5.67 mmol/l, for triacylglycerols 1.00–1.33 vs. 1.13–1.74 mmol/l, for LDL-cholesterol 2.03–2.58 vs. 2.43–3.49 mmol/l, for atherogenic index 2.72–3.31 vs. 3.05–4.21 and for IR(HOMA) 0.99–1.15 vs. 1.15–1.84. Our data show significantly reduced mean age decade values of lipid and non-lipid cardiovascular risk markers in all adult vegetarians. Smaller changes of markers between decades compared to non-vegetarians document a protective effect of vegetarian nutrition in prevention of cardiovascular disease. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017

Hematological Analysis of the Ascidian Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816) During Whole-Body Regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchoud, Simon; Zondag, Lisa; Lamare, Miles D; Wilson, Megan J

2017-06-01

Whole-body regeneration (WBR)-the formation of an entire adult from only a small fragment of its own tissue-is extremely rare among chordates. Exceptionally, in the colonial ascidian Botrylloides leachii (Savigny, 1816) a fully functional adult is formed from their common vascular system after ablation of all adults from the colony in just 10 d, thanks to their high blastogenetic potential. While previous studies have identified key genetic markers and morphological changes, no study has yet focused on the hematological aspects of regeneration despite the major involvement of the remaining vascular system and the contained hemocytes in this process. To dissect this process, we analyzed colony blood flow patterns using time-lapse microscopy to obtain a quantitative description of the velocity, reversal pattern, and average distance traveled by hemocytes. We also observed that flows present during regeneration are powered by temporally and spatially synchronized contractions of the terminal ampullae. In addition, we revised previous studies of B. leachii hematology as well as asexual development using histological sectioning and compared the role played by hemocytes during WBR. We found that regeneration starts with a rapid healing response characterized by hemocyte aggregation and infiltration of immunocytes, followed by increased activity of hemoblasts, recruitment of macrophage-like cells for clearing the tissues of debris, and their subsequent disappearance from the circulation concomitant with the maturation of a single regenerated adult. Overall, we provide a detailed account of the hematological properties of regenerating B. leachii colonies, providing novel lines of inquiry toward the decipherment of regeneration in chordates.

Assessing values of Arctic wildlife and habitat subject to potential petroleum development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCabe, Thomas R. (USFWS, Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Fairbanks, AK (United States))

1994-02-01

The National Wildlife Refuge system of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is predicated on the principle of conserving and perpetuating the natural diversity and abundance of wildlife and wildlands. The prospect of petroleum development on the 1002 area of the 10,000 km[sup 2] pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been a contentious national issue. The FWS assessed the habitat and its constituent wildlife species to determine potential impacts from this development. As part of the assessment effort, research was conducted on the 163,000 member porcupine caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herd, its primary predator at calving, brown bear (Ursus arctos), and the vegetation communities on the coastal plain. We found the traditional calving area within the 1002 area had significantly greater forage species availability and nutrient quality than areas peripheral to the 1002 area. Increased post-perinatal, predator-related mortality has been associated with the foothills and mountains adjacent to the 1002 area. Displacement of the calving caribou from the 1002 area would mean a lesser abundance of high quality forage for calving cows, and calves would be subjected to a potentially higher predation risk. These factors could have a negative impact on the population dynamics of the Porcupine herd. If petroleum development were authorized on the 1002 area of ANWR, the challenge for the FWS will be to assure that the dynamics of the tundra ecosystem are adequately understood and to conserve the abundance and diversity of natural wildlife populations and their habitat

Assessing values of Arctic wildlife and habitat subject to potential petroleum development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, Thomas R.

1994-01-01

The National Wildlife Refuge system of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is predicated on the principle of conserving and perpetuating the natural diversity and abundance of wildlife and wildlands. The prospect of petroleum development on the 1002 area of the 10,000 km 2 pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been a contentious national issue. The FWS assessed the habitat and its constituent wildlife species to determine potential impacts from this development. As part of the assessment effort, research was conducted on the 163,000 member porcupine caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herd, its primary predator at calving, brown bear (Ursus arctos), and the vegetation communities on the coastal plain. We found the traditional calving area within the 1002 area had significantly greater forage species availability and nutrient quality than areas peripheral to the 1002 area. Increased post-perinatal, predator-related mortality has been associated with the foothills and mountains adjacent to the 1002 area. Displacement of the calving caribou from the 1002 area would mean a lesser abundance of high quality forage for calving cows, and calves would be subjected to a potentially higher predation risk. These factors could have a negative impact on the population dynamics of the Porcupine herd. If petroleum development were authorized on the 1002 area of ANWR, the challenge for the FWS will be to assure that the dynamics of the tundra ecosystem are adequately understood and to conserve the abundance and diversity of natural wildlife populations and their habitat

Absence of diurnal variation of C-reactive protein concentrations in healthy human subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Meier-Ewert, H. K.; Ridker, P. M.; Rifai, N.; Price, N.; Dinges, D. F.; Mullington, J. M.

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND: The concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) in otherwise healthy subjects has been shown to predict future risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. CRP is synthesized by the liver in response to interleukin-6, the serum concentration of which is subject to diurnal variation. METHODS: To examine the existence of a time-of-day effect for baseline CRP values, we determined CRP concentrations in hourly blood samples drawn from healthy subjects (10 males, 3 females; age range, 21-35 years) during a baseline day in a controlled environment (8 h of nighttime sleep). RESULTS: Overall CRP concentrations were low, with only three subjects having CRP concentrations >2 mg/L. Comparison of raw data showed stability of CRP concentrations throughout the 24 h studied. When compared with cutoff values of CRP quintile derived from population-based studies, misclassification of greater than one quintile did not occur as a result of diurnal variation in any of the subjects studied. Nonparametric ANOVA comparing different time points showed no significant differences for both raw and z-transformed data. Analysis for rhythmic diurnal variation using a method fitting a cosine curve to the group data was negative. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that baseline CRP concentrations are not subject to time-of-day variation and thus help to explain why CRP concentrations are a better predictor of vascular risk than interleukin-6. Determination of CRP for cardiovascular risk prediction may be performed without concern for diurnal variation.

Combining Near-Subject Absolute and Relative Measures of Longitudinal Hydration in Hemodialysis

OpenAIRE

Chan, Cian; McIntyre, Christopher; Smith, David; Spanel, Patrik; Davies, Simon J.

2009-01-01

Background and objectives: The feasibility and additional value of combining bioimpedance analysis (BIA) with near-subject absolute measurement of total body water using deuterium dilution (TBWD) in determining longitudinal fluid status was investigated.

Crossover and maximal fat-oxidation points in sedentary healthy subjects: methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gmada, N; Marzouki, H; Haboubi, M; Tabka, Z; Shephard, R J; Bouhlel, E

2012-02-01

Our study aimed to assess the influence of protocol on the crossover point and maximal fat-oxidation (LIPOX(max)) values in sedentary, but otherwise healthy, young men. Maximal oxygen intake was assessed in 23 subjects, using a progressive maximal cycle ergometer test. Twelve sedentary males (aged 20.5±1.0 years) whose directly measured maximal aerobic power (MAP) values were lower than their theoretical maximal values (tMAP) were selected from this group. These individuals performed, in random sequence, three submaximal graded exercise tests, separated by three-day intervals; work rates were based on the tMAP in one test and on MAP in the remaining two. The third test was used to assess the reliability of data. Heart rate, respiratory parameters, blood lactate, the crossover point and LIPOX(max) values were measured during each of these tests. The crossover point and LIPOX(max) values were significantly lower when the testing protocol was based on tMAP rather than on MAP (PtMAP at 30, 40, 50 and 60% of maximal aerobic power (PtMAP rather than MAP (P<0.001). During the first 5 min of recovery, EPOC(5 min) and blood lactate were significantly correlated (r=0.89; P<0.001). Our data show that, to assess the crossover point and LIPOX(max) values for research purposes, the protocol must be based on the measured MAP rather than on a theoretical value. Such a determination should improve individualization of training for initially sedentary subjects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Risk, value conflict and political legitimacy. Chapter 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotgrove, S.

1981-01-01

The differing views of environmentalists, the public and industrialists on the perception of dangers to the environment are analysed. The subject is continued under the headings: competing paradigms; acceptable risk; values for money - flowers or production; a crisis of legitimacy (query). (U.K.)

Values and Objectivity in Science: Value-Ladenness, Pluralism and the Epistemic Attitude

Science.gov (United States)

Carrier, Martin

2013-10-01

My intention is to cast light on the characteristics of epistemic or fundamental research (in contrast to application-oriented research). I contrast a Baconian notion of objectivity, expressing a correspondence of the views of scientists to the facts, with a pluralist notion, involving a critical debate between conflicting approaches. These conflicts include substantive hypotheses or theories but extend to values as well. I claim that a plurality of epistemic values serves to accomplish a non-Baconian form of objectivity that is apt to preserve most of the intuitions tied to the objectivity of science. For instance, pluralism is the only way to cope with the challenge of preference bias. Furthermore, the plurality of epistemic values cannot be substantially reduced by exploring the empirical success of scientific theories distinguished in light of particular such values. However, in addition to pluralism at the level of theories and value-commitments alike, scientific research is also characterized by a joint striving for consensus which I trace back to a shared epistemic attitude. This attitude manifests itself, e.g., in the willingness of scientists to subject their claims to empirical scrutiny and to respect rational argument. This shared epistemic attitude is embodied in rules adopted by the scientific community concerning general principles of dealing with knowledge claims. My contention is that pluralism and consensus formation can be brought into harmony by placing them at different levels of consideration: at the level of scientific reasoning and at the level of social conventions regarding how to deal with claims put forward within the scientific community.

Subjective executive difficulties – a study using the Dysexecutive Questionnaire

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Ewa Małgorzata Szepietowska

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Subjective executive difficulties, understood as a sense of disruption of planning, control and correction of one’s own activity, is often reported by healthy as well as clinical individuals. Self-report measures such as the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-S are used to assess the severity of this feeling. The diagnostic value of this method is debated due to the numerous factors affecting the beliefs on executive deficits. Aim of the study: With reference to inconclusive data concerning the underlying factors of subjective executive deficits and the value of self-report measures the following aims of the present study were established: a determination of the demographic, clinical and cognitive characteristics of individuals with various levels of subjective executive difficulties, b finding which of these variables contribute to the risk of subjective executive difficulties increase. Material and methods: The study included 213 adult individuals. DEX-S as well as measures of cognitive assessment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA; subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, WAIS-R and depressive mood assessment [Geriatric Depression Scale (Short Form, GDS-15] were used. Demographic variables (age, gender and educational level as well as clinical variables (lack of/presence of central nervous system disease history, including lateralised brain pathology were also taken into consideration. Based on DEX-S results a cluster analysis was performed and two groups of subjects with a different level of subjective executive difficulties were identified: low-severity group (individuals reporting no complaints regarding executive deficits and high-severity group (individuals with complaints. Group comparisons demonstrated that individuals complaining about executive deficits have a higher depressive mood index and lower scores on some subtests used to assess cognitive functions. The results of logistic regression analysis

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolder, Patrick C; Schmid, Yasmin; Steuer, Andrea E; Kraemer, Thomas; Rentsch, Katharina M; Hammann, Felix; Liechti, Matthias E

2017-10-01

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is used recreationally and in clinical research. The aim of the present study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics and exposure-response relationship of oral LSD. We analyzed pharmacokinetic data from two published placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over studies using oral administration of LSD 100 and 200 µg in 24 and 16 subjects, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of the 100-µg dose is shown for the first time and data for the 200-µg dose were reanalyzed and included. Plasma concentrations of LSD, subjective effects, and vital signs were repeatedly assessed. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using compartmental modeling. Concentration-effect relationships were described using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling. Geometric mean (95% confidence interval) maximum plasma concentration values of 1.3 (1.2-1.9) and 3.1 (2.6-4.0) ng/mL were reached 1.4 and 1.5 h after administration of 100 and 200 µg LSD, respectively. The plasma half-life was 2.6 h (2.2-3.4 h). The subjective effects lasted (mean ± standard deviation) 8.2 ± 2.1 and 11.6 ± 1.7 h for the 100- and 200-µg LSD doses, respectively. Subjective peak effects were reached 2.8 and 2.5 h after administration of LSD 100 and 200 µg, respectively. A close relationship was observed between the LSD concentration and subjective response within subjects, with moderate counterclockwise hysteresis. Half-maximal effective concentration values were in the range of 1 ng/mL. No correlations were found between plasma LSD concentrations and the effects of LSD across subjects at or near maximum plasma concentration and within dose groups. The present pharmacokinetic data are important for the evaluation of clinical study findings (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging studies) and the interpretation of LSD intoxication. Oral LSD presented dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and first-order elimination up to 12 h. The effects of LSD were related

Relationship between meanings, emotions, product preferences and personal values. Application to ceramic tile floorings.

Science.gov (United States)

Agost, María-Jesús; Vergara, Margarita

2014-07-01

This work aims to validate a conceptual framework which establishes the main relationships between subjective elements in human-product interaction, such as meanings, emotions, product preferences, and personal values. The study analyzes the relationships between meanings and emotions, and between these and preferences, as well as the influence of personal values on such relationships. The study was applied to ceramic tile floorings. A questionnaire with images of a neutral room with different ceramic tile floorings was designed and distributed via the web. Results from the study suggest that both meanings and emotions must be taken into account in the generation of product preferences. The meanings given to the product can cause the generation of emotions, and both types of subjective impressions give rise to product preferences. Personal reference values influence these relationships between subjective impressions and product preferences. As a consequence, not only target customers' demographic data but specifically their values and criteria must be taken into account from the beginning of the development process. The specific results of this paper can be used directly by ceramic tile designers, who can better adjust product design (and the subjective impressions elicited) to the target market. Consequently, the chance of product success is reinforced. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

19 CFR 10.535 - Regional value content.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Singapore Free Trade... treatment for such good, on the basis of the build-down method or the build-up method described in...-down method. Under the build-down method, the regional value content must be calculated on the basis of...

AN EXAMPLE - BASED, DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION OF VALUE CREATION AND VALUE DESTRUCTION BY CORPORATE ACTIVISTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GABURICI Matei

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates, through an example-based scenario, the extent to which corporate activists create or destroy shareholder value; there are five high-profile campaigns analyzed related to four major players. The foundation of the analysis is a variant of DCF model which examines the cash flows to equity. In 4 out of 5 cases the financial metrics are computed in order to assess the performance of the subject company ex-ante and ex-post activists’ involvement.

Development of Flight Safety Prediction Methodology for U. S. Naval Safety Center. Revision 1

Science.gov (United States)

1970-02-01

INLET? 133410 AADM3 A 76 Clit.. VALVE-ANJTI SIN 11341$ AARHLE A 79 HYU PILTEN 113410) AABHF A Ito6 TU1i1111 11341s AAAuo A ivi, wbrULAT10OI * CONTROL...SWITCH323AA4 LOARBA A NO HYU XFER PUMP CONTROL RELAY323AA* LBARbB A AFTERBURNER MODE SELECT 3 LBARC L LOARS AAAAAAAAA 3 LBARC KAH PI THROTTLE LEVER 329311...RESERVOIR Z4512A KOCA A 54. BLELD VALVE Zb12$ KDOB A 55 HYU /FUEL RADIATOR Z45128 KDDC A 56 FILTLR 245127 KDOO 357 RESERVOIR CHECK VALVE Z�* KODE Ab8 PUMP

Expanding subjectivities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundgaard Andersen, Linda; Soldz, Stephen

2012-01-01

A major theme in recent psychoanalytic thinking concerns the use of therapist subjectivity, especially “countertransference,” in understanding patients. This thinking converges with and expands developments in qualitative research regarding the use of researcher subjectivity as a tool......-Saxon and continental traditions, this special issue provides examples of the use of researcher subjectivity, informed by psychoanalytic thinking, in expanding research understanding....

The added value of advisory services in SME mergers and acquisitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lex van Teeffelen

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to shed light on the added value of the services of five disciplines in M&A advisory in the SME domain: accountants, bankers, business brokers, fiscalists and lawyers. Theory is inconclusive in the added value of advisory services and research on the subject is hardly

Glycaemic index and glycaemic load values of a selection of popular foods consumed in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Lok, Kris Y; Chan, Ruth; Chan, Dicken; Li, Liz; Leung, Grace; Woo, Jean; Lightowler, Helen J; Henry, C Jeya K

2010-02-01

The objective of the present paper is to provide glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) values for a variety of foods that are commonly consumed in Hong Kong and expand on the international GI table of Chinese foods. Fasted healthy subjects were given 50 g of available carbohydrate servings of a glucose reference, which was tested twice, and test foods of various brands of noodles (n 5), instant cereals (n 3) and breads (n 2), which were tested once, on separate occasions. For each test food, tests were repeated in ten healthy subjects. Capillary blood glucose was measured via finger-prick samples in fasting subjects ( - 5, 0 min) and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after the consumption of each test food. The GI of each test food was calculated geometrically by expressing the incremental area under the blood glucose response curve (IAUC) of each test food as a percentage of each subject's average IAUC for the reference food. GL was calculated as the product of the test food's GI and the amount of available carbohydrate in a reference serving size. The majority of GI values of foods tested were medium (a GI value of 56-69) to high (a GI value of 70 or more) and compared well with previously published values. More importantly, our dataset provides GI values of ten foods previously untested and presents values for foods commonly consumed in Hong Kong.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-I adult reference values for an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Considering the importance of IGF-I local normal range, the aim of this study was to determine reference values for IGF-I (Immulite 2000) in a Brazilian adult population from the city of Rio de Janeiro. This study included samples of blood taken from 484 healthy subjects (251 men, 233 women) aged 18 to 70. The subjects ...

Tomato farmers adoption level of postharvest value addition ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined tomato farmers' adoption level of postharvest value addition technology and its constraints in Surulere Area of Oyo state. 160 tomato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed through structured interview schedule. Data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results ...

BMD T-Score Values Expeditions 1-23 (n=30)

Science.gov (United States)

Sibonga, Jean

2010-01-01

This chart shows the T-Values for the Bone Mass Density (BMD) of three areas of the body (i.e., lumbar spine, femoral neck and trochanter) for both pre-spaceflight and post-spaceflight for 30 subjects.

Nerve ultrasound normal values - Readjustment of the ultrasound pattern sum score UPSS.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, Alexander; Axer, Hubertus; Heiling, Bianka; Winter, Natalie

2018-07-01

Reference values are crucial for nerve ultrasound. Here, we reevaluated normal nerve and fascicle cross-sectional area (CSA) values in humans and compared them to published values. Based on these data, ultrasound pattern sum score (UPSS) boundary values were revisited and readjusted. Ultrasound of different peripheral nerves was performed in 100 healthy subjects at anatomically defined landmarks. Correlations with age, gender, height and weight were calculated. Overall, correspondence to other published reference values was high. Gender-dependency was found for the proximal median nerve. Dependency from height occurred in the tibial nerve (TN). Weight-dependency was not found. However, the most obvious differences were found in the TN between men >60 years and women values were defined using the mean plus the twofold standard deviation for all subjects and nerve segments except for the TN, in which different cut-offs were proposed for elder men. Accordingly, the cut-offs for the UPSS were re-adjusted, none of the individuals revealed more than 2 points at maximum. The influence of distinct epidemiological factors on nerve size is most prominent in the TN, for which thus several normal values are useful. Adjusted reference values improve the accuracy of the UPSS. Copyright © 2018 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quality of Life and Leisure Activities: How Do Leisure Activities Contribute to Subjective Well-Being?

Science.gov (United States)

Brajsa-Zganec, Andreja; Merkas, Marina; Sverko, Iva

2011-01-01

The quality of life is determined with objective factors and also with subjective perception of factors which influence human life. Leisure activities play a very important role in subjective well-being because they provide opportunities to meet life values and needs. Through participation in leisure activities people build social relationships,…

A Value-based Approach to Unspelling Entrepreneurship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baryshev Aleksey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur figure are social phenomena subjected to constant mutations. Extant definitions of entrepreneurship are always based on current characteristics of entrepreneur activity and, as a rule, absolutize them as essential. In the article main mystifications of entrepreneurship are analyzed due to the fact that it is attributed general properties of entrepreneurial activity in the way they are understood in a certain historical period. The paper suggests a way out of the succession of mystifications by rejecting the entrepreneurship definition in the frame of a subject-object interpretive scheme and the development of the entrepreneur activity concept as a kind of social activity. The social action theory and the theory of social objects fetishization are the methodological research foundation. The results of the research are the following. First, the interpretation of the entrepreneur and entrepreneurship on the basis of personal traits, functions and ways of the construction of the future are mystifications ascribing the monopoly on arising and developing human action characteristics in different historical periods to entrepreneurship. Second, the cause of mystifications is the transfer of the human action analysis according to the scheme «subject-process-object » to the research of entrepreneurship. Third, attempts to overcome mystifications while preserving the naturalistic approach result in the multiplication of entrepreneurial mystifications as the reflection of new arising general characteristics of human action. Fourth, a general approach to the definition of the entrepreneurial action as a kind of the social action, which has sense in the value production and is capable of everlasting enrichment with new modus of actions and created values, is suggested. Perspectives of further research include the investigation of synchronic and diachronic peculiarities of entrepreneurial action modus and produced values.

Gait variability measurements in lumbar spinal stenosis patients: part A. Comparison with healthy subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadakis, N C; Christakis, D G; Tzagarakis, G N; Chlouverakis, G I; Kampanis, N A; Stergiopoulos, K N; Katonis, P G

2009-01-01

The objective of this study is to compare the gait variability of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (experimental group) with healthy individuals (control group). The hypothesis is that the preoperative gait variability of the experimental group is higher than the control group. The experimental group consisted of 35 adults (18 males, 17 females). The subjects of the experimental group suffered exclusively from spinal stenosis. The patients were determined by MRI scans. A tri-axial accelerometer sensor was used for the gait measurement, and differential entropy algorithm was used to quantify the gait acceleration signal. The Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire was used to determine the condition on the day of the measurement. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was utilized to assess the diagnostic value of the method and determine a cut-off value. There is a statistically significant difference between gait variability in the control group and the experimental group. ROC analysis determines a cut-off differential entropy value. The cut-off value has a 97.6% probability of separating patients with spinal stenosis from healthy subjects. The Oswestry Low Back Questionnaire is well correlated with the spectral differential entropy values

The effects of audit quality on the value relevance of other comprehensive incomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levinska Primavera

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Stockholders claim deals with handling crucial role to investors while another ac-counting measurement has not yet been paid attention by the investors and analysts. Beside, another comprehensive income despite of its equal role to net income also re-quires a deep concern. This research uses financial industry data in Indonesia Capital Market for 2011-2012 under panel method and also cross-section method as the addi-tional analysis. This research assesses the effect of audit quality on value relevance of other comprehensive income regarding subjectivity embedded in other comprehensive income components. These components are determined through fair value aspects, which eventually lead to management discretion in measuring other comprehensive income components. Subjective components of other comprehensive incomes consist of foreign exchange translation (forex, revaluation in fixed assets (rev, minimum pension liability adjustment (pen, and available-for-sale securities adjustment (sec. The audit quality is believed as a mechanism which can increase the value relevance of subjective of other comprehensive income components. On the other hand, when as-sessing the value relevance of other comprehensive income components both indivi-dually and in aggregate, it is encouraged by inconsistency of previous research results.

CONSUMERS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES VALUE PERCEPTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Nichifor

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This article is a theoretical approach on products and services as value satisfiers. Consumers have knowledge about the personal, symbolic values that products, services and brands help them satisfy or achieve. Values are people’s broad life goals. Values often involve the emotional affect associated with such goals and needs (the strong feelings and emotions that accompany success. Recognizing when a value has been satisfied or a basic life goal has been achieved is an internal feeling that is somewhat intangible and subjective. In contrast, functional and psychosocial consequences are more tangible and are more obvious when they occur. Salespeople add value by identifying customer needs and devising or delivering a solution for those needs. Salespeople are able to adapt how products or/and services are presented or even to adapt products/services so that they meet the needs of the buyers. Such adaption powers professional selling, because customers often don’t know what they need or how to configure a solution to their needs. Satisfying a value usually elicits positive affect (happiness, joy, satisfaction, whereas blocking a value produces negative affect (frustration, anger, disappointment. Consumers can have products and services knowledge about products and services attributes, consequences of products or services use and personal values. Most marketing research focuses on one type of products and services knowledge – usually attributes or consequences, where the focus typically is on benefits rather than risks. Values are examined less frequently and usually in isolation. This paper objective is to show the importance of creating, delivering, and capturing buyer value. A company’s ability to deliver value to its customers is closely tied with its ability to create satisfaction for its employees and other stakeholders. Value ultimately depends on the perceiver. Smart companies not only offer purchase value but also offer use value

College Students' Motivation toward Weight Training: An Application of Expectancy-Value Model

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zan; Xiang, Ping

2008-01-01

Guided by an expectancy-value model of achievement choice (Eccles et al., 1983; Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), the relationships among expectancy-related beliefs, subjective task values (importance, interest, and usefulness), and achievement outcomes (intention, engagement, and performance) were examined in a college-level beginning weight training…

Fair-trade and tea: a comparative analysis of value chains in Kabarole Districtm Uganda

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Odoch, M.

2008-01-01

This dissertation examines the competiveness of the fair trade tea value chain through a comparative study of the conventional and fair trade tea value chains in Kabarole district, Uganda. By examining this economically important subject, it clarifies the process by which value chains compete for

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

Effect of nifedipine on gastric emptying in normal subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Traube, M.; Lange, R.C.; McAllister, R.G.; McCallum, R.W.

1985-05-01

Nifedipine (N) inhibits calcium entry into smooth muscle cells and relaxes esophageal smooth muscle. The authors studied N's effect on gastric emptying of liquids and solids. Ten normal subjects underwent radionuclide (In-111-DTPA in water and Tc-99m-sulfur colloid tagged to chicken liver) emptying tests with and without 30 mg N given orally 20 min prior to meal ingestion. Peak plasma N levels were either 30 or 60 min after drug dosing and showed a 3-fold variation (low 145 ng/ml, high 434 ng/ml). Both mean N levels and integral concentration time values were twice as high as those obtained after 30 mg sublingual dosing in normals previously studied in our lab. The authors conclude that plasma N levels which are associated with significant esophageal motility effects do not change gastric emptying in normal subjects. The data also show that N levels are greater after oral than sublingual dosing of 30 mg in normal subjects.

Effect of nifedipine on gastric emptying in normal subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traube, M.; Lange, R.C.; McAllister, R.G.; McCallum, R.W.

1985-01-01

Nifedipine (N) inhibits calcium entry into smooth muscle cells and relaxes esophageal smooth muscle. The authors studied N's effect on gastric emptying of liquids and solids. Ten normal subjects underwent radionuclide (In-111-DTPA in water and Tc-99m-sulfur colloid tagged to chicken liver) emptying tests with and without 30 mg N given orally 20 min prior to meal ingestion. Peak plasma N levels were either 30 or 60 min after drug dosing and showed a 3-fold variation (low 145 ng/ml, high 434 ng/ml). Both mean N levels and integral concentration time values were twice as high as those obtained after 30 mg sublingual dosing in normals previously studied in our lab. The authors conclude that plasma N levels which are associated with significant esophageal motility effects do not change gastric emptying in normal subjects. The data also show that N levels are greater after oral than sublingual dosing of 30 mg in normal subjects

Food irradiation and consumer values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruhn, C.M.; Schutz, H.G.; Sommer, R.

1988-01-01

A mail survey technique was used to determine if value hierarchy, locus of control, innovativeness, and demographic parameters could distinguish between subjects expressing different levels of concern and willingness to buy irradiated food. Concern toward irradiated food was lower than concern for other food safety issues, probably because many expressed uncertainty regarding irradiation. Those ranking the value “an ecologically balanced world” expressed the greatest irradiation concern. Factors which could predict high irradiation concern were being highly concerned about the use of chemical sprays on food, completing more formal education and being female; those believing that life was controlled by luck were less concerned. Irradiation concern was a principal factor determining willingness to buy irradiated foods. Innovative consumers were more likely to try irradiated foods than noninnovative. Implications for consumer education are presented

Cognitive challenges to minimising low value care.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Ian A

2017-09-01

Clinical decisions often rely on pattern recognition, simple rules of thumb, tacit knowledge and habit. In many instances, such intuitive decisions are fast and accurate, but they can be subject to cognitive biases leading to delivery of care of low value at odds with scientific evidence of best practice. If programmes, such as EVOLVE (Evaluating Evidence, Enhancing Efficiencies) and Choosing Wisely are to have maximal impact in minimising low value care, such biases, and the factors that hide and accentuate them, need to be exposed and addressed in a collegiate and non-judgemental manner. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Normative ultrasound values of renal parenchymal thickness among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the ultrasound normative values of renal parenchymal thickness (RPT) among adults and correlate them with age ... Methods: This was a prospective clinic based study involving 310 normal adults (135 males and 175 females) scanned at ... kidneys and subjects in which three RPT measurements.

Transferring and generalizing deep-learning-based neural encoding models across subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Haiguang; Shi, Junxing; Chen, Wei; Liu, Zhongming

2018-08-01

Recent studies have shown the value of using deep learning models for mapping and characterizing how the brain represents and organizes information for natural vision. However, modeling the relationship between deep learning models and the brain (or encoding models), requires measuring cortical responses to large and diverse sets of natural visual stimuli from single subjects. This requirement limits prior studies to few subjects, making it difficult to generalize findings across subjects or for a population. In this study, we developed new methods to transfer and generalize encoding models across subjects. To train encoding models specific to a target subject, the models trained for other subjects were used as the prior models and were refined efficiently using Bayesian inference with a limited amount of data from the target subject. To train encoding models for a population, the models were progressively trained and updated with incremental data from different subjects. For the proof of principle, we applied these methods to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from three subjects watching tens of hours of naturalistic videos, while a deep residual neural network driven by image recognition was used to model visual cortical processing. Results demonstrate that the methods developed herein provide an efficient and effective strategy to establish both subject-specific and population-wide predictive models of cortical representations of high-dimensional and hierarchical visual features. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic value of ADC in patients with prostate cancer: influence of the choice of b values.

Science.gov (United States)

Thörmer, Gregor; Otto, Josephin; Reiss-Zimmermann, Martin; Seiwerts, Matthias; Moche, Michael; Garnov, Nikita; Franz, Toni; Do, Minh; Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Horn, Lars-Christian; Kahn, Thomas; Busse, Harald

2012-08-01

To evaluate the influence of the choice of b values on the diagnostic value of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for detection and grading of prostate cancer (PCa). Forty-one patients with biopsy-proven PCa underwent endorectal 3-T MRI before prostatectomy. Different combinations of b values (0-800 s/mm(2)) were used to calculate four representative ADC maps. Mean ADCs of tumours and non-malignant tissue were determined. Tumour appearance on different ADC maps was rated by three radiologists as good, fair or poor by assigning a visual score (VS) of 2, 1 or 0, respectively. Differences in the ADC values with the choice of b values were analysed using one-way ANOVA. Choice of b values had a highly (P < 0.001) significant influence on the absolute ADC in each tissue. Maps using b = [50, 800] and [0, 800] were rated best (VS= 1.6 ± 0.3) and second best (1.1 ± 0.3, P < 0.001), respectively. For low-grade carcinomas (Gleason score ≤ 6, 13/41 patients), only the former choice received scores better than fair (VS = 1.4 ± 0.3). Mean tumour ADCs showed significant negative correlation (Spearman's ρ -0.38 to -0.46, P < 0.05) with Gleason score. Absolute ADC values strongly depend on the choice of b values and therefore should be used with caution for diagnostic purposes. A minimum b value greater than zero is recommended for ADC calculation to improve the visual assessment of PCa in ADC maps. • Absolute ADC values are highly dependent on the choice of b values. • Absolute ADC thresholds should be used carefully to predict tumour aggressiveness. • Subjective ratings of ADC maps involving b = 0 s/mm ( 2 ) are poor to fair. • Minimum b value greater than 0 s/mm ( 2 ) is recommended for ADC calculation.

Modulatory effect of romantic love on value estimation and its neural mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Yuting; Chen, Ying; Jing, Fang; Wang, Zhenni; Hao, Yaru; Yang, Lizhuang; Liu, Ying; Zhou, Yifeng; Zhang, Xiaochu

2016-03-23

Any decision that is based upon personal preferences utilizes subjective values; however, for objectively equivalent items, whether romantic love modulates subjective value as well as the neural mechanism of this process remains unknown. In this functional MRI study, 30 items with equivalent value were first selected and assigned into three groups, and participants were trained to associate each group of items with their lover, a familiar person, or an unfamiliar person. Thereafter, the participant rated the values of the items during functional MRI scanning, after which they performed a post-test of memory of the associations. Behavioral results demonstrated that, although the items were well remembered, the items that were associated with the lover were rated significantly higher than the other images. Furthermore, we found higher activation related to the items associated with the lover than for those associated with a familiar person or an unfamiliar person in the striatum and the medial prefrontal cortex (related to cognitive control process). Finally, a morphometric analysis demonstrated that gray matter thickness in the striatum was positively associated with gray matter thickness in the medial prefrontal cortex but negatively correlated with the activation that was elicited by the items that were associated with the lover in the same brain area. Our results suggest that the romantic love-related brain region (the striatum) may modulate subjective value through the striatal-prefrontal pathway, further suggesting a potential bottom-up (control impulsivity) process.

Perceptions of Trade Credit Insurance Value : Malaysian Evidence

OpenAIRE

Wong, Benny Weng Hong

2013-01-01

Trade credit insurance (“TCI”) is a subject unfamiliar to most companies in Malaysia despite being around for more than a decade. This is not surprising considering the penetration rate of only 3.84% in Malaysia. The main aim of this paper is to examine the Malaysian firm‟s perceptions of TCI value and the TCI value drivers to help credit insurance companies uncover the motivational factors according to firm size and profit margin in order to improve the penetration rate in Malaysia. Furtherm...

Mutual Influence of Moral Values, Mental Models and Social Dynamics on Intergroup Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-10

with human subjects.  Structured sacred and instrumental differences into between-subjects and within-subjects experimental design.  Ethics ...Oxford: Oxford Higher Education, 2011. 2. Who Becomes a Terrorist Today? In C. Webel & J. Arnaldi (eds.) The ethics and efficacy of the global war...Neural evidence for the non- utilitarian representation of sacred values. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society-B: Biological Sciences. 367

The Fox and the Grapes-How Physical Constraints Affect Value Based Decision Making.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörg Gross

Full Text Available One fundamental question in decision making research is how humans compute the values that guide their decisions. Recent studies showed that people assign higher value to goods that are closer to them, even when physical proximity should be irrelevant for the decision from a normative perspective. This phenomenon, however, seems reasonable from an evolutionary perspective. Most foraging decisions of animals involve the trade-off between the value that can be obtained and the associated effort of obtaining. Anticipated effort for physically obtaining a good could therefore affect the subjective value of this good. In this experiment, we test this hypothesis by letting participants state their subjective value for snack food while the effort that would be incurred when reaching for it was manipulated. Even though reaching was not required in the experiment, we find that willingness to pay was significantly lower when subjects wore heavy wristbands on their arms. Thus, when reaching was more difficult, items were perceived as less valuable. Importantly, this was only the case when items were physically in front of the participants but not when items were presented as text on a computer screen. Our results suggest automatic interactions of motor and valuation processes which are unexplored to this date and may account for irrational decisions that occur when reward is particularly easy to reach.

The Fox and the Grapes-How Physical Constraints Affect Value Based Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Jörg; Woelbert, Eva; Strobel, Martin

2015-01-01

One fundamental question in decision making research is how humans compute the values that guide their decisions. Recent studies showed that people assign higher value to goods that are closer to them, even when physical proximity should be irrelevant for the decision from a normative perspective. This phenomenon, however, seems reasonable from an evolutionary perspective. Most foraging decisions of animals involve the trade-off between the value that can be obtained and the associated effort of obtaining. Anticipated effort for physically obtaining a good could therefore affect the subjective value of this good. In this experiment, we test this hypothesis by letting participants state their subjective value for snack food while the effort that would be incurred when reaching for it was manipulated. Even though reaching was not required in the experiment, we find that willingness to pay was significantly lower when subjects wore heavy wristbands on their arms. Thus, when reaching was more difficult, items were perceived as less valuable. Importantly, this was only the case when items were physically in front of the participants but not when items were presented as text on a computer screen. Our results suggest automatic interactions of motor and valuation processes which are unexplored to this date and may account for irrational decisions that occur when reward is particularly easy to reach.

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF SUBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF LUMBAR LORDOSIS IN CONVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhinda, E; Byanyima, R K; Mugerwa, H

2014-10-01

Reliability and validity studies of different lumbar curvature analysis and measurement techniques have been documented however there is limited literature on the reliability and validity of subjective visual analysis. Radiological assessment of lumbar lordotic curve aids in early diagnosis of conditions even before neurologic changes set in. To ascertain the level of reliability and validity of subjective assessment of lumbar lordosis in conventional radiography. A blinded, repeated-measures diagnostic test was carried out on lumbar spine x-ray radiographs. Radiology Department at Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Mengo-Kampala-Uganda. Seventy (70) lateral lumbar x-ray films were used for this study and were obtained from the archive of JCRC radiology department at Butikiro house, Mengo-Kampala. Poor observer agreement, both inter- and intra-observer, with kappa values of 0.16 was found. Inter-observer agreement was poorer than intra-observer agreement. Kappa values significantly rose when the lumbar lordosis was clustered into four categories without grading each abnormality. The results confirm that subjective assessment of lumbar lordosis has low reliability and validity. Film quality has limited influence on the observer reliability. This study further shows that fewer scale categories of lordosis abnormalities produce better observer reliability.

Perception of the economic value of primary care services: a Willingness to Pay study.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Fernández, Jesús; Gómez-Gascón, Tomás; Oliva-Moreno, Juan; del Cura-González, María Isabel; Domínguez-Bidagor, Julia; Beamud-Lagos, Milagros; Sanz-Cuesta, Teresa

2010-03-01

Identify the economic value the user attributes to the visit to the family physician, in a setting of a National Health System, by the Willingness to Pay (WTP) expressed. Economic evaluation study, by the contingent valuation method. Questions were asked about WTP using a payment card format. Interviews were conducted with 451 subjects, in areas with different socioeconomic characteristics. An ordered probit was used to evaluate model's validity. Median WTP expressed was euro18 (interquartile range euro8-28), not including "zero-answers" of thirty-four subjects (7.5%). This value represents 2% of average adjusted family incomes. Patients with higher incomes or with chronic illnesses presented a probability of 5-14 percentage points of expressing a high WTP. For every point of increase of patient satisfaction, the probability of presenting a WTP in the lowest range decreases 7.0 percentage points. Subjects with a low education level and those older than 65 expressed a lower WTP. Accessibility, risk perception, nationality and having private insurance were not related to the WTP expressed. Users of primary care have a clear perception of the economic value of care received from the family physician, even in a framework of providing services financed by taxes and without cost at the moment of use. This value increases in subjects with higher incomes, with greater need for care, or more satisfied.

Subjective Ratings of Beauty and Aesthetics: Correlations With Statistical Image Properties in Western Oil Paintings

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Thomas; Redies, Christoph

2017-01-01

For centuries, oil paintings have been a major segment of the visual arts. The JenAesthetics data set consists of a large number of high-quality images of oil paintings of Western provenance from different art periods. With this database, we studied the relationship between objective image measures and subjective evaluations of the images, especially evaluations on aesthetics (defined as artistic value) and beauty (defined as individual liking). The objective measures represented low-level statistical image properties that have been associated with aesthetic value in previous research. Subjective rating scores on aesthetics and beauty correlated not only with each other but also with different combinations of the objective measures. Furthermore, we found that paintings from different art periods vary with regard to the objective measures, that is, they exhibit specific patterns of statistical image properties. In addition, clusters of participants preferred different combinations of these properties. In conclusion, the results of the present study provide evidence that statistical image properties vary between art periods and subject matters and, in addition, they correlate with the subjective evaluation of paintings by the participants. PMID:28694958

Prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez Gil, Lidia; de la Sierra, Alejandro

2017-04-21

To assess the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) in comparison with an age- and sex-matched control group. Case-control study with 240 subjects with SH and 480 controls carried out on patients aged 35-75 years admitted to a Primary Care Centre. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia, as well as blood pressure, plasma glucose, and lipid profilses, were evaluated in both groups. No differences were observed neither in the prevalence of hypertension (34.2% vs. 29.6%) or diabetes (12.1% vs. 10%) nor in mean values of blood pressure or plasma fasting glucose. Subjects with SH had an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities (72.1% vs. 57.7%; P<.001), and increased mean values of total cholesterol (205±34 vs. 193±35mg/dL; P<.001), compared to the control group. Patients with SH have an increased prevalence of lipid abnormalities. This can be responsible for an increased cardiovascular risk in such patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Internal and External Factors Shaping Educational Beliefs of High School Teachers of "Sacred" Subjects to Girls

Science.gov (United States)

Iluz, Shira; Rich, Yisrael

2009-01-01

This research investigated pedagogical beliefs of teachers of "sacred" school subjects, curricular topics that the school community deems culturally valued, unassailable and inviolate. Two hundred and fifty-five teachers of girls only who taught sacred or secular subjects in Jewish modern religious high schools responded to questionnaires focusing…

The Foreign Language Learning Value Beliefs of Japanese Elementary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Ron Reuel

2013-01-01

This study was an investigation of student beliefs about their EFL education, and it was based upon the subjective task value component of the expectancy-value theory, a prominent theory of achievement motivation. The participants were three cohorts of Japanese public elementary school students (Cohort 1 from 2008; Cohort 2 from 2009; and Cohort 3…

Effect of Posterior Iliosacral Joint Manipulation on Subjects With Hyperlordosis of Lumbar Spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, Y.M.; Kattabel, O.M.A.; Amin, D.I.

2016-01-01

Back ground: Lumbar spine hyperlordosis combined with excessive anterior pelvic tilting is considered as a wide spread postural disorder related to abnormalities in musculoskeletal balance. Although there were a lot of studies reporting that anterior pelvic tilting is correlated to sacroiliac joint, hip dysfunction and knee pain, fewer studies had related showed its effect on low back pain. The purpose: this study was conducted to investigate the effect of posterior iliosacral joint manipulation on subjects with hyperlordosis of lumbar spine. Subject and methods: Thirty subject of both gender with age ranged from 20 to 40 years , body mass index (BMI) ranging between 18.5-24.9 and assigned in one group, hyperlordosis of lumbar spine was measured by photographic analysis (surgimap software), while anterior pelvic tilting was measured by inclinometer and pain intensity was measured by numerical rating scale and posterior iliosacral joint manipulation (Chicago manipulation) was the treatment procedure Results: there was significant difference in the mean values of anterior pelvic tilting in the pre and immediate post treatment tests, 8.86±0.77 degrees and 4.86±0.68 degrees respectively with F=535.385,and p < 0.0001) Also there was a significant difference in the mean values of pain level in the pre and immediate post treatment tests, 5.8±1.44 degrees and 5.03±1.32 degrees respectively with F=29.445 and P < 0.0001). Conclusion: posterior iliosacral joint manipulation has a value effect in increasing the sacroiliac joint range of motion and decreasing sacroiliac pain and low back pain in subjects with hyperlordosis of lumbar spine.

The value of the Gothic arch tracing in the positioning of denture teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

el-Gheriani, A S; Winstanley, R B

1988-07-01

Twenty-five subjects of three nationalities carried out Gothic arch tracings. Measurements between the side arms were compared with the upper intercuspid distances measured in the same subjects. A relationship was found which may be of value in the setting up of anterior maxillary denture teeth.

A monetary value for initial information in portfolio optimization

OpenAIRE

Martin Schweizer; Dirk Becherer; Jürgen Amendinger

2002-01-01

We consider an investor maximizing his expected utility from terminal wealth with portfolio decisions based on the available information flow. This investor faces the opportunity to acquire some additional initial information ${\\cal G}$. His subjective fair value of this information is defined as the amount of money that he can pay for ${\\cal G}$ such that this cost is balanced out by the informational advantage in terms of maximal expected utility. We study this value for common utility func...

Can platelet indices be used as predictors of complication in subjects with appendicitis?

Science.gov (United States)

Ceylan, Bahadır; Aslan, Turan; Çınar, Ahmet; Ruhkar Kurt, Ayşe; Akkoyunlu, Yasemin

2016-12-01

We examined the changes of mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) in subjects with appendicitis and whether MPV and PDW could be used to predict the development of complication due to appendicitis. The healthy control group, the cases of appendicitis with perforation, and the cases of appendicitis without perforation were compared with regard to MPV and PDW. We determined whether MPV and PDW were independent variables predictive of the development of complication in subjects with appendicitis. This retrospective case-control study included a total of 362 patients (249 of which were male (68.8 %) and 113 were female (31.2 %); median age, 30 [range, 18-84 years]). One hundred and ninety-two subjects (53 %) presented with appendicitis and 170 (47 %) comprised the healthy control group. Sixty-six (18.2 %) of the subjects with appendicitis developed complication. MPVs were lower in subjects of appendicitis without complication compared to the subjects of appendicitis with complication and the control group (MPV, 9.78 ± 0.99 vs. 10.20 ± 1.21 and 10.14 ± 1.03, respectively [p = 0.005]). The PDW levels were not different between the three groups. Independent variables predictive of the presence of complication included increased MPV and time from onset of symptoms to hospital presentation (odds ratio[confidence interval], p-value: 1.507[1.064-2.133], 0.021 and 18.887[5.139-69.410], 0.0001, respectively). Our findings suggested these, MPV values in cases of appendicitis without complication were lower than the cases with complication and healthy control and MPV is a predictor of the development of complication in subjects with appendicitis.

Application of historical Y-12 default radiological activity values to legacy waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coleman, G.

2009-01-01

In June of 2003, Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC tasked Pacific Western Technologies (PWT) to perform a comprehensive audit of the Facility Acceptance Testing/ Container Analysis Tool (FAT-CAT), which is currently administered, by Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC... During this audit, a finding was issued on the subject of assigning historic Y-12 default radiological activity values to radiological containers, having no radiological data. Analysis of default radiological values versus known real radiological values showed the default values to be conservative as a place-holder for containers with no known radiological values. (authors)

The irradiation of human volunteer subjects in research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, R.

1980-01-01

In medical research radiation is sometimes used to obtain data from healthy individuals. These subjects gain no specific benefit from the research. To safeguard their welfare, constraints are imposed on the dose to be received, on the selection of volunteer subjects, on ensuring their understanding of the procedures and risks, and on obtaining their free consent to participate. The research proposals are assessed by peer review prior to being approved by the host institution. The first example presented describes the use of diagnostic radiography to obtain in vivo data on the femur bone. Conservative dosimetry indicates an expected dose-equivalent per film of 0.5 mSv in bone and 0.18 mSv in bone marrow and gonad tissue. The critical organ total dose-equivalent is estimated to be 7% of the dose-equivalent limit for a volunteer. The second example involves the internal administration of radioactive tracers. Dosimetric calculations indicate an expected whole-body dose-equivalent of 0.5 mSv in the case of C-14 and 0.37 mSv in the case of H-3, these values bejng 10% and 7% of the relevant dose-equivalent limit. Both proposals were given conditional approval. In the generalized research use of volunteer human subjects the rights of the subject, the investigator and the institution need to be protected. At the University of New South Wales procedures have been introduced to govern all experjmental procedures involving human subjects. Some interesting problems which have arisen are discussed. (author)

Assessment of acute pesticide toxicity with selected biochemical variables in suicide attempting subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soomro, A.M.; Seehar, G.M.; Bhanger, M.I.

2003-01-01

Pesticide induced changes were assessed in thirty two subjects of attempted suicide cases. Among all, the farmers and their families were recorded as most frequently suicide attempting. The values obtained from seven biochemical variables of 29 years old (average age) hospitalized subjects were compared to the same number and age matched normal volunteers. The results revealed major differences in the mean values of the selected parameters. The mean difference calculate; alkaline phosphatase (178.7 mu/l), Bilirubin (7.5 mg/dl), GPT (59.2 mu/l) and glucose (38.6 mg/dl) were higher than the controls, which indicate the hepatotoxicity induced by the pesticides in suicide attempting individuals. Increase in serum creatinine and urea indicated renal malfunction that could be linked with pesticide induced nephrotoxicity among them. (author)

Effect of changes of serum IGF-II and CT contents on bone metabolism in healthy subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Rongxing; Chen Wenhan; Chen Shaozhu

2005-01-01

Objective: To explore the effect of changes of serum insulin like growth factor II (IGF-II) and calcitonin (CT) on bone metabolism in both male and female healthy subjects of different age groups. Methods: Serum IGF-II and CT contents were determined with RIA in 180 healthy subjects of both sexes in 5 age groups (27-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and over 70). Results: The serum contents of IGF-II and CT decreased gradually as the age increased. The IGF-II contents in subjects above 70 were significantly lower than those in all other subjects (P<0.01); the values in subjects of the age group 27-39 were also significantly higher than those in the 60-69 group (P<0.05). Again, the serum CT contents in subjects over 50 were significantly lower than those in subjects below 50 (P<0.05, P<0.01). There were little differences among the levels in both sexes, with the exception of a slight but not significant lower value in the females above 50. Conclusion: In older subjects, the decreased contents of serum IGF-II would exert less modulation on osteoblastic activity while the decreased contents of CT would exert less inhibition on osteolytic activity. The contents in older females were even lower due to the decreased estrogen level. Combination of these two factors would lead to the initiation and development of osteoporosis. (authors)

Subjective quality of life and emotional pain among subjects with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQoL-Bref), Psychache Scale (PAS) instruments were administered on subjects that consented to the study. Results: One hundred and forty four (144) subjects of equal sex distribution were studied. The mean age was 31.7±10.2 years. The highest number of subjects, ...

Any Admissible Harmonic Ritz Value Set is Possible for GMRES

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Du, K.; Duintjer Tebbens, Jurjen; Meurant, G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 47, September 18 (2017), s. 37-56 ISSN 1068-9613 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-06684S Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : Ritz values * harmonic Ritz values * GMRES convergence * prescribed residual norms * FOM convergence Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Applied mathematics Impact factor: 0.925, year: 2016 http://etna.mcs.kent.edu/volumes/2011-2020/vol47/abstract.php?vol=47&pages=37-56

Associations of airway inflammation and responsiveness markers in non asthmatic subjects at start of apprenticeship

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is considered a hallmark of asthma. Other methods are helpful in epidemiological respiratory health studies including Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) and Eosinophils Percentage (EP) in nasal lavage fluid measuring markers for airway inflammation along with the Forced Oscillatory Technique measuring Airway resistance (AR). Can their outcomes discriminate profiles of respiratory health in healthy subjects starting apprenticeship in occupations with a risk of asthma? Methods Rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma-like symptoms, FEV1 and AR post-Methacholine Bronchial Challenge (MBC) test results, FENO measurements and EP were all investigated in apprentice bakers, pastry-makers and hairdressers not suffering from asthma. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was simultaneously conducted in relation to these groups and this generated a synthetic partition (EI). Associations between groups of subjects based on BHR and EI respectively, as well as risk factors, symptoms and investigations were also assessed. Results Among the 441 apprentice subjects, 45 (10%) declared rhinoconjunctivitis-like symptoms, 18 (4%) declared asthma-like symptoms and 26 (6%) suffered from BHR. The mean increase in AR post-MBC test was 21% (sd = 20.8%). The median of FENO values was 12.6 ppb (2.6-132 range). Twenty-six subjects (6.7%) had EP exceeding 14%. BHR was associated with atopy (p < 0.01) and highest FENO values (p = 0.09). EI identified 39 subjects with eosinophilic inflammation (highest values of FENO and eosinophils), which was associated with BHR and atopy. Conclusions Are any of the identified markers predictive of increased inflammatory responsiveness or of development of symptoms caused by occupational exposures? Analysis of population follow-up will attempt to answer this question. PMID:20604945

Fasting plasma glucose in the screening for type 2 diabetes in morbidly obese subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofsø, Dag; Jenssen, Trond; Hager, Helle; Røislien, Jo; Hjelmesaeth, Jøran

2010-03-01

Higher mortality rates among morbidly obese (BMI of > or =40 or > or =35 kg/m2 with weight-related comorbidities) subjects are mainly explained by comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes. As bariatric surgery ameliorates diabetes, obese diabetic subjects will receive great benefits from bariatric surgery. Screening for diabetes prior to surgical referral is therefore crucial. We studied 1,253 consecutively recruited (2005-2008) morbidly obese subjects (67% women). Among subjects without known diabetes, 70% (670/961) performed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Screen-detected diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (fPG) > or =7.0 mmol/l and/or 2-h glucose concentration (2hPG) > or = 11.1 mmol/l. Within the study population, 31% had diabetes, of which 8% were screen-detected. Eighty percent of those with screen-detected diabetes were diagnosed by fPG. In subjects with nondiabetic fPG concentrations, elevating the fPG cutoff value from 5.2 mmol/l to the World Health Organization's (WHO's) recommended value of 6.1 mmol/l reduced the percentage of the population needing an OGTT considerably (78-23%), but only slightly reduced the sensitivity of fPG in detecting a diabetic 2hPG concentration (100-77%). Only 7% of the patients with fPG between 6.1 and 6.9 mmol/l had a diabetic 2hPG concentration. Following the WHO's recommendations, we found that 95% of all subjects with unknown diabetes were identified. Fasting glucose identified four out of five morbidly obese subjects with unknown diabetes. A supplemental OGTT in selected persons identified the majority of the remaining diabetic cases.

Reliability and feasibility of the six minute walk test in subjects with myotonic dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kierkegaard, Marie; Tollbäck, Anna

2007-12-01

The objective was to describe test-retest reliability and feasibility of the six minute walk test in adult subjects with myotonic dystrophy type 1. Twelve subjects (28-68 years, mean 44) performed three six minute walk tests on two occasions, one week apart. Relative reliability was high (ICC(2.1)=0.99) and absolute reliability values were low (standard error of measurement 12 m, repeatability 33 m). Feasibility was investigated in a sample of 64 subjects (19-70 years, mean 43). Fifty-two subjects were able to perform two tests on the same day. Subjects with severe proximal weakness had difficulties performing repeated tests. A practice trial followed by a second test on the same day can be recommended for most subjects, and the best test should be used for evaluations. In conclusion, even though the study sample was small, the present study indicates that the six minute walk test is reliable and feasible in subjects with myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Pulmonary epithelial permeability in normal subjects and patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anazawa, Yoshiki; Isawa, Toyoharu; Teshima, Takeo; Miki, Makoto; Motomiya, Masakichi

1991-01-01

99m Tc-DTPA is a low molecular weight substance, which is believed to pass through the pulmonary epithelium when it is inhaled as an aerosol. We performed 99m Tc-DTPA inhalation studies in 10 nonsmoking normal subjects and 10 patients with biopsy proven idiopathic interstitial pneumonia prior to therapy. 99m Tc-DTPA aerosol was inhaled for 3 min with the subject in the supine position and radioactivity was measured anteriorly with a gamma camera and recorded on computer. Measurements were performed for 3 min with the subject inhaling aerosol and for the subsequent 30 min with the subject in the same position. Time activity curves from the five regions of interest (ROIs) including the entire left lung, the entire right lung, and the upper, middle and lower third of the right lung were separately fitted to a single exponential function for the initial 7 min following cessation of inhalation, and the respective clearance half life (t1/2) in min was calculated. Lung function data, arterial blood gas tensions and blood chemistry were also obtained for comparison with the t1/2 values. The t1/2 values were significantly smaller in all ROIs in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia than in normal subjects, indicating an increased pulmonary epithelial permeability in these patients. There was no relationship between t1/2 and %DL co , %DL co /V A , PaO 2 , or LDH. Although the true pathophysiologic significance of t1/2 measured using 99m Tc-DTPA aerosol is still not known, we consider that this measurement may be an important indicator of nonrespiratory lung function, in particular the degree of alveolar epithelial damage. (author)

Personal values and value systems of humanities students and workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Křeménková

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Problem: The aim of this paper is to analyze the value orientation of university students and workers in humanities and then determine possible differences between these groups in the context of branches of occupation, school results and gender. Methods: The sample consisted of 158 university students aged 19-24 years (mean age = 20.8 and 170 humanities workers aged 29-48 years (mean age=36.8. Respondents were divided into following groups: men (N = 72, women (N = 256, students’ school results A (N = 43, B (N = 47, C (N = 35, D (N = 29, E (N = 4 and worker´s branch of occupation: teachers in the kindergarten (N = 34, special education teachers (N = 32, high school teachers (N = 47, educational workers (N = 31 and civil servants (N = 26. We used a Rokeach Value Survey (RVS which is designed to measure two sets of values. One set is composed of 18 terminal values or desired end states of existence (e.g., an exciting life, national security, and the other set is composed of 18 instrumental values, or preferable modes of behavior (e.g., being ambitious, independent. Then, subjects are asked to rank order each value as to its importance as a guiding principle in their life. A 1 indicates the most important value and an 18 the least important. Scale responses are considered ordinal.Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: We analyzed the preference of values depending on the gender. Pearson’s ?2 analyses indicated that men are significantly more (often „Effective Crusaders“ than women and women are significantly more (often „Virtuous Advocates“ than men, ?2 (3 = 13.817, p= .003, ?c = .205. After that we analyzed the preference of values depending on depending on the type of employment. Pearson’s ?2analyses indicated that students are significantly more (often „Virtuous Advocates“ than workers and workers are significantly more (often „Effective Crusaders“ and „Independent Maximizers“ than students, ?2 (3 = 61.414, p= .000, ?c

The neural basis of human social values: evidence from functional MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge; Paiva, Mirella; Garrido, Griselda; Krueger, Frank; Huey, Edward D; Grafman, Jordan

2009-02-01

Social values are composed of social concepts (e.g., "generosity") and context-dependent moral sentiments (e.g., "pride"). The neural basis of this intricate cognitive architecture has not been investigated thus far. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging while subjects imagined their own actions toward another person (self-agency) which either conformed or were counter to a social value and were associated with pride or guilt, respectively. Imagined actions of another person toward the subjects (other-agency) in accordance with or counter to a value were associated with gratitude or indignation/anger. As hypothesized, superior anterior temporal lobe (aTL) activity increased with conceptual detail in all conditions. During self-agency, activity in the anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex correlated with pride and guilt, whereas activity in the subgenual cingulate solely correlated with guilt. In contrast, indignation/anger activated lateral orbitofrontal-insular cortices. Pride and gratitude additionally evoked mesolimbic and basal forebrain activations. Our results demonstrate that social values emerge from coactivation of stable abstract social conceptual representations in the superior aTL and context-dependent moral sentiments encoded in fronto-mesolimbic regions. This neural architecture may provide the basis of our ability to communicate about the meaning of social values across cultural contexts without limiting our flexibility to adapt their emotional interpretation.

Size and value effects in the Visegrad countries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Morgese Borys, M.; Zemčík, Petr

-, č. 391 (2009), s. 1-28 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC542 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : regional asset pricing model * book-to- market value effects * Visegrad countries * cost of capital Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp391.pdf

Marital Values and Factors Associated With Marriage Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Rambo, Brenda Clanton; And Others

The breakdown of marriage within American society is a serious problem as evidenced by high divorce rates and numerous separations and family problems. A Marriage Values Questionnaire, developed to determine reasons for marrying and staying married and the impact of religion on marital stability, was completed by 305 subjects, ranging in age from…

Nursing ethical values and definitions: A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahriari, Mohsen; Mohammadi, Eesa; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Bahrami, Masoud

2013-01-01

Ethical values offer a framework for behavior assessment, and nursing values influence nurses' goals, strategies, and actions. A literature review was adopted in order to determine and define ethical values for nurses. This literature review was conducted based on the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. The key words used to search relevant sources were nursing, ethics, ethical values, and nursing values. The search of articles in English was carried out in Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and Proquest databases. The search of articles in Persian was conducted in databases of Magiran, SID, and Irandoc publications. After assessing and analyzing the obtained data, 17 articles which had a distinct definition of ethical values were chosen and subjected to a thorough study. The search yielded 10 nursing ethical values: Human dignity, privacy, justice, autonomy in decision making, precision and accuracy in caring, commitment, human relationship, sympathy, honesty, and individual and professional competency. This study showed that common ethical values are generally shared within the global community. However, in several areas, influences of social, cultural, and economical status and religious beliefs on values result in a different definition of these values. This study revealed that based on humanistic nature of nursing, common values in nursing protect human dignity and respect to the patients. Recognizing and definition of ethical values can help to improve nursing practice and develop codes of ethics.

An Experiment in Fair Value Accounting: UK Investment Vehicles

OpenAIRE

Rees, W.; Danbolt, Jo

2008-01-01

We use the British real estate and investment fund industries as experimentalsettings where historic cost (HC) and fair value accounting (FVA) can be compared. Both industries have the majority of their assets marked to market and hence the difference between the two accounting systems is profound. However, as the valuation of real estate is arguably more subjective than that of investment funds, we are able to contrast fair value accounting in a near ideal setting with one where it remains i...

Educational Values in Different Social-Economic Status--A Study Case of Six Families in Maros Regency

Science.gov (United States)

Jabaruddin; Alimuddin; Manda, Darman

2016-01-01

This research aims at determining educational values in families by describing the priority of the values selected in the educational value, the role of parents, and the socialization of values that were used by parents in educational values. This research is a case study with a qualitative approach. The subjects of the research were selected…

A test of the reward-value hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Alexandra E; Dalecki, Stefan J; Crystal, Jonathon D

2017-03-01

Rats retain source memory (memory for the origin of information) over a retention interval of at least 1 week, whereas their spatial working memory (radial maze locations) decays within approximately 1 day. We have argued that different forgetting functions dissociate memory systems. However, the two tasks, in our previous work, used different reward values. The source memory task used multiple pellets of a preferred food flavor (chocolate), whereas the spatial working memory task provided access to a single pellet of standard chow-flavored food at each location. Thus, according to the reward-value hypothesis, enhanced performance in the source memory task stems from enhanced encoding/memory of a preferred reward. We tested the reward-value hypothesis by using a standard 8-arm radial maze task to compare spatial working memory accuracy of rats rewarded with either multiple chocolate or chow pellets at each location using a between-subjects design. The reward-value hypothesis predicts superior accuracy for high-valued rewards. We documented equivalent spatial memory accuracy for high- and low-value rewards. Importantly, a 24-h retention interval produced equivalent spatial working memory accuracy for both flavors. These data are inconsistent with the reward-value hypothesis and suggest that reward value does not explain our earlier findings that source memory survives unusually long retention intervals.

Reliability and normative values of the foot line test: a technique to assess foot posture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brushøj, C; Larsen, Klaus; Nielsen, MB

2007-01-01

STUDY DESIGN: Test-retest reliability. OBJECTIVE: To examine the reliability and report normative values of a novel test, the foot line test (FLT), to describe foot morphology. BACKGROUND: Numerous foot examinations are performed each day, but most existing examination techniques have considerable...... limitations regarding reliability and validity. METHODS: One hundred thirty subjects with mean foot size 44 (41-50 European size) participated. Two examiners, blinded to each other's measurements, measured the right foot of the subjects twice and the left foot once. The position of the most medial aspect...... of the navicular in the mediolateral direction was projected vertically onto a piece of paper placed under the subject's foot, and compared to the position of the forefoot and hindfoot to obtain the FLT value. RESULTS: FLT values ranged from -8 to 14 mm, with a mean (+/-SD) of 3.7 +/- 3.4 mm. The intratester...

What determines how top managers value their stock options?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sautner, Z.; Weber, M.

2008-01-01

What determines how top managers value their executive stock options? We explore this question empirically by using a unique survey data set which combines subjective option valuation data with a wide set of individual-level variables. Inconsistent with the predictions of theory, individuals in our

Accuracy of Transcutaneous CO2 Values Compared With Arterial and Capillary Blood Gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Laura L; Baldwin, Melissa B; Gonzalez, Cruz Velasco; Lowe, Gary R; Willis, J Randy

2018-05-08

Transcutaneous monitors are utilized to monitor a patient's respiratory status. Some patients have similar values when comparing transcutaneous carbon dioxide ( P tcCO 2 ) values with blood gas analysis, whereas others show extreme variability. A retrospective review of data was performed to determine how accurately P tcCO 2 correlated with CO 2 values obtained by arterial blood gas (ABG) or capillary blood gas. To determine whether P tcCO 2 values correlated with ABG or capillary blood gas values, subjects' records were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included the P tcCO 2 value at the time of blood gas procurement and the ABG or capillary blood gas P CO 2 value. Agreement of pairs of methods (ABG vs P tcCO 2 and capillary blood gas vs P tcCO 2 ) was assessed with the Bland-Altman approach with limits of agreement estimated with a mixed model to account for serial measurements per subject. A total of 912 pairs of ABG/ P tcCO 2 values on 54 subjects and 307 pairs of capillary blood gas/ P tcCO 2 values on 34 subjects were analyzed. The P CO 2 range for ABG was 24-106 mm Hg, and P tcCO 2 values were 27-133 mm Hg. The P CO 2 range for capillary blood gas was 29-108 mm Hg, and P tcCO 2 values were 30-103 mm Hg. For ABG/ P tcCO 2 comparisons, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.82, 95% CI was 0.80-0.84, and P was <.001. For capillary blood gas/ P tcCO 2 comparisons, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.77, 95% CI was 0.72-0.81, and P was <.001. For ABG/ P tcCO 2 , the estimated difference ± SD was -6.79 t± 7.62 mm Hg, and limits of agreement were -22.03 to 8.45. For capillary blood gas/ P tcCO 2 , the estimated difference ± SD was -1.61 ± 7.64 mm Hg, and limits of agreement were -16.88 to 13.66. The repeatability coefficient was about 30 mm Hg. Based on these data, capillary blood gas comparisons showed less variation and a slightly lower correlation with P tcCO 2 than did ABG comparisons. After accounting for serial measurements per patient

Cephalometric analysis for the diagnosis of sleep apnea: a comparative study between reference values and measurements obtained for Brazilian subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrícia Superbi Lemos Maschtakow

2013-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To verify if the reference values of Sleep Apnea cephalometric analysis of North American individuals are similar to the ones of Brazilian individuals presenting no craniofacial anomalies. The study also aimed to identify craniofacial alterations in Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS patients in relation to individuals without clinical characteristics of the disease through this cephalometric analysis. METHOD: It were used 55 lateral cephalograms consisting of 29 for the control group of adult individuals without clinical characteristics of OSAHS and 26 apneic adults. All radiographs were submitted to Sleep Apnea cephalometric analysis through Radiocef Studio 2.0. The standard values of this analysis were compared, by means of z test, to the ones obtained from the control group and these were compared to values from apneic group through Student's t test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between values obtained from control group and standard values. On the group of OSAHS patients it was observed a decrease on the dimensions of upper airways and an increase on the soft palate length. CONCLUSIONS: The standard values of Sleep Apnea analysis can be used as reference in Brazilian individuals. Besides, through lateral cephalograms it was possible to identify craniofacial alterations in OSAHS patients.

Effect of storage conditions on the calorific value of municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Nzioka, Antony Mutua; Hwang, Hyeon-Uk; Kim, Myung-Gyun; Yan, Cao Zheng; Lee, Chang-Soo; Kim, Young-Ju

2017-08-01

Storage conditions are considered to be an important factor as far as waste material characteristics are concerned. This experimental investigation was conducted using municipal solid waste (MSW) with a high moisture content and varying composition of organic waste. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of storage conditions and temperature on the moisture content and calorific value of the waste. Samples were subjected to two different storage conditions and investigated at specified temperatures. The composition of sample materials investigated was varied for each storage condition and temperature respectively. Gross calorific value was determined experimentally while net calorific value was calculated using empirical formulas proposed by other researchers. Results showed minimal changes in moisture content as well as in gross and net calorific values when the samples were subjected to sealed storage conditions. Moisture content reduced due to the ventilation process and the rate of moisture removal increased with a rise in storage temperature. As expected, rate of moisture removal had a positive effect on gross and net calorific values. Net calorific values also increased at varying rates with a simultaneous decrease in moisture content. Experimental investigation showed the effectiveness of ventilation in improving the combustion characteristics of the waste.

Use and value of information sources by parents of child psychiatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Adrienne; Kabashi, Arta; Guthrie, Hannah; Burket, Roger; Turner, Philip

2011-06-01

With Web 2.0, the variety of information sources for parents of paediatric psychiatric patients has increased dramatically. Information use theory suggests newer sources supplement rather than supplant traditional sources of health information. This study sought to determine the use and value of traditional and emerging sources of information and whether the subjects had access to highly valued sources of information. One hundred parents indicated the use and value of six sources of information on the child's symptoms, diagnoses and treatment. The data were analyzed to determine if significant relationships existed between type of source and the use and value of the information sources. Ninety-four percent of the subjects had access to the Internet and almost half of those reported using the Social Web. Eighty-five percent had at least one high-value information source. The psychiatrist in the clinic, the Internet and the primary care physician were the most highly used and valued sources. Use of digital information sources was greater than found in other studies of similar populations. This use appears to complement rather than supplant more traditional sources. Further studies are needed to see if the negative impact of lack of Internet access is replicated. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

Thyroid iodine uptake and serum triiodothyronine level in eldery subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paradowski, L.; Dolinska, G.; Knapik, Z.; Rynowiecka, M.

1980-01-01

Iodine uptake by the thyroid and serum triiodothyronine (T 3 ) level in subjects aged from 65 to 93 years were determined. Low T 3 level and normal uptake of inorganic iodine by the thyroid were found. In the light of these results it is suggested that normal accumulation of inorganic iodine and low production of T 3 are characteristic features of euthyroidism in elderly subjects. It is believed that the function of the thyroid is expressed better by determination of the serum levels of thyroid hormones than determination of the uptake of radioactive iodine. Elaboration of standard normal values which would take into account abnormalities encountered in old age is postulated. (author)

Subjective Well-being Across the Lifespan in Europe and Central Asia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, Jan Michael; Levin, Victoria; Munoz Boudet, Ana Maria

2017-01-01

Using data from the Integrated Values Survey (IVS), the Life in Transition Survey (LiTS), and the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), we analyse the relation between age and subjective well-being in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region and compare it to that in Western......-cohort variation....

GLP-1 and Calcitonin Concentration in Humans: Lack of Evidence of Calcitonin Release from Sequential Screening in over 5000 Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes or Nondiabetic Obese Subjects Treated with the Human GLP-1 Analog, Liraglutide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hegedüs, Laszlo; Moses, Alan C; Zdravkovic, Milan

2011-01-01

to the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus or nondiabetic obese subjects. Methods: Unstimulated serum CT concentrations were measured at 3-month intervals for no more than 2 yr in a series of trials in over 5000 subjects receiving liraglutide or control therapy....... Results: Basal mean CT concentrations were at the low end of normal range in all treatment groups and remained low throughout the trials. At 2 yr, estimated geometric mean values were no greater than 1.0 ng/liter, well below upper normal ranges for males and females. Proportions of subjects whose CT...

Predictors of the discrepancy between objective and subjective cognition in bipolar disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miskowiak, K. W.; Petersen, Jeff Zarp; Ott, C. V.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The poor relationship between subjective and objective cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder (BD) is well-established. However, beyond simple correlation, this has not been explored further using a methodology that quantifies the degree and direction of the discrepancy. This study...... aimed to develop such a methodology to explore clinical characteristics predictive of subjective-objective discrepancy in a large BD patient cohort. METHODS: Data from 109 remitted BD patients and 110 healthy controls were pooled from previous studies, including neuropsychological test scores, self......-reported cognitive difficulties, and ratings of mood, stress, socio-occupational capacity, and quality of life. Cognitive symptom 'sensitivity' scores were calculated using a novel methodology, with positive scores reflecting disproportionately more subjective complaints than objective impairment and negative values...

Diagnostic value of plain abdominal radiographs in acute ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: The plain film of the abdomen (PAX) is still utilised in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (Aap). Aim of this study was to evaluate the value of PAX in the diagnosis of Aap in children, since it continues to be a controversial subject. Design: A retrospective study. Setting: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gazi ...

Size and value efects in the Visegrad countries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Morgese Borys, Magdalena; Zemčík, P.

-, č. 391 (2009), s. 1-28 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC542 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : regional asset pricing model * book-to- market value effects * Visegrad countries * cost of capital Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp391.pdf

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.

Religious Values and Conflict of Laws

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Tonolo

2016-02-01

Abstract: The wide evolution of private international law is currently recalling attention to the general aspects of the discipline. Europeanization and globalisation of sources of private international law do not preclude the chance that conflict of laws should also deal with individual identities. To the extent that the European systems have hitherto offered to the application of foreign laws, we are faced with the problem of survival in Europe of an idea of the personality of laws. In fact it’s generally accepted that conflict of laws faces the individual identities of people involved in international relations. Cultural identity may be considered collective and individual at the same time, because each member of the group has an identity of its own. Religious values ontribute to defining the cultural identity of individuals: be it in Europe or other countries, cultures, values, civilization, religion, are never absent from the solutions of personal status. Stepping back from the analysis of some cases where religious values are relevant, this Article aims at a theoretical analysis of the subject, involving the contrast between value pluralism, conflict of laws and fundamental rights.

Estimating Subjective Probabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steffen; Fountain, John; Harrison, Glenn W.

2014-01-01

either construct elicitation mechanisms that control for risk aversion, or construct elicitation mechanisms which undertake 'calibrating adjustments' to elicited reports. We illustrate how the joint estimation of risk attitudes and subjective probabilities can provide the calibration adjustments...... that theory calls for. We illustrate this approach using data from a controlled experiment with real monetary consequences to the subjects. This allows the observer to make inferences about the latent subjective probability, under virtually any well-specified model of choice under subjective risk, while still...

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.

Subject Teachers as Educators for Sustainability: A Survey Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Uitto

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainability education (SE is included in school curricula to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development (SD into all education. This study investigates lower secondary school subject teachers as educators for sustainability. A survey was used to study the perceptions of 442 subject teachers from 49 schools in Finland. There were significant differences between the subject teachers’ perceptions of their SE competence, and the frequency with which they used different dimensions of SE (ecological, economic, social, well-being, cultural in their teaching varied. Teachers’ age had a small effect, but gender, school, and its residential location were nonsignificant factors. Teachers could be roughly classified into three different subgroups according to their perceptions of the role of SE in their teaching; those who considered three SE dimensions rather often and used holistic sustainability approaches in their teaching (biology, geography, history; those who considered two or three dimensions often but were not active in holistic teaching (mother tongue, religion, visual arts, crafts, music, physical and health education, and home economics and those who used one SE dimension or consider only one holistic approach in their teaching (mathematics, physics, chemistry and language. Subject teachers’ awareness of their SE competence is important to encourage them to plan and implement discipline-based and interdisciplinary SE in their teaching. The specific SE expertise of subject teachers should be taken into account in teacher training and education.

Assessment of emerging biomarkers of liver injury in human subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Schomaker, Shelli; Warner, Roscoe; Bock, Jeff; Johnson, Kent; Potter, David; Van Winkle, Joyce; Aubrecht, Jiri

2013-04-01

Hepatotoxicity remains a major challenge in drug development. Although alanine aminotransferase (ALT) remains the gold standard biomarker of liver injury, alternative biomarker strategies to better predict the potential for severe drug-induced liver injury (DILI) are essential. In this study, we evaluated the utility of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and paraxonase 1 (PON1) as indicators of liver injury in cohorts of human subjects, including healthy subjects across age and gender, subjects with a variety of liver impairments, and several cases of acetaminophen poisoning. In the healthy subjects, levels of GLDH and MDH were not affected by age or gender. Reference ranges for GLDH and MDH in healthy subjects were 1-10 and 79-176U/L, respectively. In contrast, the levels of PON1 and PNP were not consistent across cohorts of healthy subjects. Furthermore, GLDH and MDH had a strong correlation with elevated ALT levels and possessed a high predictive power for liver injury, as determined by ROC analysis. In contrast, PON1 and PNP did not detect liver injury in our study. Finally, evaluation of patients with acetaminophen-induced liver injury provided evidence that both GLDH and MDH might have utility as biomarkers of DILI in humans. This study is the first to evaluate GLDH, MDH, PON1, and PNP in a large number of human subjects and, and it provides an impetus for prospective clinical studies to fully evaluate the diagnostic value of GLDH and MDH for detection of liver injury.

Any Admissible Harmonic Ritz Value Set is Possible for GMRES

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Du, K.; Duintjer Tebbens, Jurjen; Meurant, G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 47, September 18 (2017), s. 37-56 ISSN 1068-9613 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-06684S Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : Ritz value s * harmonic Ritz value s * GMRES convergence * prescribed residual norms * FOM convergence Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Applied mathematics Impact factor: 0.925, year: 2016 http://etna.mcs.kent.edu/volumes/2011-2020/vol47/abstract.php?vol=47&pages=37-56

Neural representation of expected value in the adolescent brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Barkley-Levenson, Emily; Galván, Adriana

2014-01-28

Previous work shows that the adolescent reward system is hyperactive, but this finding may be confounded by differences in how teens value money. To address this, we examined the neural ontogeny of objective value representation. Adolescent and adult participants performed a monetary gambling task in which they chose to accept or reject gambles of varying expected value. Increasing expected value had a stronger influence over gambling choices in adolescents relative to adults, an effect that was paralleled by greater activation in the ventral striatum in adolescents. This unique adolescent ventral striatum response remained even after matching groups on acceptance behavior. These behavioral and neural data suggest that the value of available options has a greater influence in adolescent versus adult choices, even when objective value and subjective choice are held constant. This research provides further evidence that hyperactivation of reward circuitry in adolescence may be a normative ontogenetic shift that is due to greater valuation in the adolescent brain.

Experimental Investigation of Subject-Specific On-Body Radio Propagation Channels for Body-Centric Wireless Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Monirujjaman Khan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, subject-specific narrowband (2.45 GHz and ultra-wideband (3–10.6 GHz on-body radio propagation studies in wireless body area networks (WBANs were performed by characterizing the path loss for eight different human subjects of different shapes and sizes. The body shapes and sizes of the test subjects used in this study are characterised as thin, medium build, fatty, shorter, average height and taller. Experimental investigation was made in an indoor environment using a pair of printed monopoles (for the narrowband case and a pair of tapered slot antennas (for the ultra-wideband (UWB case. Results demonstrated that, due to the different sizes, heights and shapes of the test subjects, the path loss exponent value varies up to maximum of 0.85 for the narrowband on-body case, whereas a maximum variation of the path loss exponent value of 1.15 is noticed for the UWB case. In addition, the subject-specific behaviour of the on-body radio propagation channels was compared between narrowband and UWB systems, and it was deduced that the on-body radio channels are subject-specific for both narrowband and UWB system cases, when the same antennas (same characteristics are used. The effect of the human body shape and size variations on the eight different on-body radio channels is also studied for both the narrowband and UWB cases.

Sensitivity and bias in decision-making under risk: evaluating the perception of reward, its probability and value.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madeleine E Sharp

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There are few clinical tools that assess decision-making under risk. Tests that characterize sensitivity and bias in decisions between prospects varying in magnitude and probability of gain may provide insights in conditions with anomalous reward-related behaviour. OBJECTIVE: We designed a simple test of how subjects integrate information about the magnitude and the probability of reward, which can determine discriminative thresholds and choice bias in decisions under risk. DESIGN/METHODS: Twenty subjects were required to choose between two explicitly described prospects, one with higher probability but lower magnitude of reward than the other, with the difference in expected value between the two prospects varying from 3 to 23%. RESULTS: Subjects showed a mean threshold sensitivity of 43% difference in expected value. Regarding choice bias, there was a 'risk premium' of 38%, indicating a tendency to choose higher probability over higher reward. An analysis using prospect theory showed that this risk premium is the predicted outcome of hypothesized non-linearities in the subjective perception of reward value and probability. CONCLUSIONS: This simple test provides a robust measure of discriminative value thresholds and biases in decisions under risk. Prospect theory can also make predictions about decisions when subjective perception of reward or probability is anomalous, as may occur in populations with dopaminergic or striatal dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.

Sensitivity and Bias in Decision-Making under Risk: Evaluating the Perception of Reward, Its Probability and Value

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Madeleine E.; Viswanathan, Jayalakshmi; Lanyon, Linda J.; Barton, Jason J. S.

2012-01-01

Background There are few clinical tools that assess decision-making under risk. Tests that characterize sensitivity and bias in decisions between prospects varying in magnitude and probability of gain may provide insights in conditions with anomalous reward-related behaviour. Objective We designed a simple test of how subjects integrate information about the magnitude and the probability of reward, which can determine discriminative thresholds and choice bias in decisions under risk. Design/Methods Twenty subjects were required to choose between two explicitly described prospects, one with higher probability but lower magnitude of reward than the other, with the difference in expected value between the two prospects varying from 3 to 23%. Results Subjects showed a mean threshold sensitivity of 43% difference in expected value. Regarding choice bias, there was a ‘risk premium’ of 38%, indicating a tendency to choose higher probability over higher reward. An analysis using prospect theory showed that this risk premium is the predicted outcome of hypothesized non-linearities in the subjective perception of reward value and probability. Conclusions This simple test provides a robust measure of discriminative value thresholds and biases in decisions under risk. Prospect theory can also make predictions about decisions when subjective perception of reward or probability is anomalous, as may occur in populations with dopaminergic or striatal dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. PMID:22493669

Reference values for the geometric centre analysis of colonic transit measurements with 111indium-labelled diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan Lysgård; Fuglsang, Stefan; Graff, Jesper

2003-01-01

after oral administration of 111In-DTPA. Overall, the men had a higher geometric centre value than women after both 24 and 48 h indicating a faster progress of colonic contents in men at these time points. At each time point the geometric centre value was higher in both the young and middle......The geometric centre analysis is often used for evaluating colonic transit data obtained by scintigraphy after oral intake of 111indium-labelled diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (111In-DTPA). The purpose of this study was to establish reference values for the geometric centre analysis in adult......-aged subjects than in the elderly subjects, whereas we did not find any difference between young and middle-aged subjects. Furthermore, the smokers had a higher geometric centre value than non-smokers at each time point. The geometric centre value was not influenced by body mass index at any time point....

Oxidative stress in patients with endemic pemphigus foliaceus and healthy subjects with anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies*

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Ericson Leonardo; Ramos, Willy; Seminario-Vidal, Lucia; Tello, Mercedes; Ronceros, Gerardo; Ortega-Loayza, Alex G.

2018-01-01

Background Previous studies have shown oxidative stress in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, nevertheless, it remains unknown whether a similar response is characteristic of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in Peru. Objectives To determine the oxidative stress response in endemic pemphigus foliaceus patients and subjects with positive for anti-desmoglein1 antibodies (anti-dsg1) from endemic areas of Peru. Subjects and Methods This is a cross-sectional study. The study population included 21 patients with Endemic Pemphigus foliaceus and 12 healthy subjects with anti-dsg1 antibodies from the Peruvian Amazon (Ucayali), as well as 30 healthy control subjects. Malondialdehyde, an indicator of lipid peroxidation by free radicals, was measured in serum. Results We collected 21 cases of endemic pemphigus foliaceus, 15 of them with active chronic disease and 6 in clinical remission. Serum malondialdehyde values in patients with chronic active evolution and healthy subjects with anti-dsg1 antibodies were statistically higher than those of healthy controls (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between serum values of localized and generalized clinical forms. Study limitations The main limitation of this present study is the small number of patients with endemic pemphigus and healthy subjects positive for desmoglein 1 antibodies. Conclusions The increased serum levels of malondialdehyde in patients with chronic active endemic pemphigus foliaceus and healthy subjects from endemic areas with anti-dsg1 antibodies may suggest a contribution of systemic lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of endemic pemphigus foliaceus. PMID:29723379

Cocoa intake and arterial stiffness in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Recio-Rodríguez José

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To analyze the relationship of cocoa intake to central and peripheral blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and carotid intima-media thickness in subjects with some cardiovascular risk factor. Findings Design: A cross-sectional study of 351 subjects (mean age 54.76 years, 62.4% males. Measurements: Intake of cocoa and other foods using a food frequency questionnaire, central and peripheral (ambulatory and office blood pressure, central and peripheral augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, ambulatory arterial stiffness index, carotid intima-media thickness, and ankle-brachial index. Results: Higher pulse wave velocity and greater cardiovascular risk were found in non-cocoa consumers as compared to high consumers (p Conclusions In subjects with some cardiovascular risk factors, cocoa consumption does not imply improvement in the arterial stiffness values. Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT01325064.

Biochemical reference values in elderly black subjects

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1990-09-01

Sep 1, 1990 ... were those included in the Sequential Multiple Analyser. Computer profile because it includes the 20 ... (AST, EC 2.6.1.1), lactate dehydrogenase (LD, EC 1.1.1.27) and l'-gluramyl transferase (GGT, EC 2.3.2.2). ... cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides and uric acid. Commercial quality control (QC) sera were ...

Arterial stiffness estimation in healthy subjects: a validation of oscillometric (Arteriograph) and tonometric (SphygmoCor) techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Ring, Margareta; Eriksson, Maria Jolanta; Zierath, Juleen Rae; Caidahl, Kenneth

2014-11-01

Arterial stiffness is an important cardiovascular risk marker, which can be measured noninvasively with different techniques. To validate such techniques in healthy subjects, we compared the recently introduced oscillometric Arteriograph (AG) technique with the tonometric SphygmoCor (SC) method and their associations with carotid ultrasound measures and traditional risk indicators. Sixty-three healthy subjects aged 20-69 (mean 48 ± 15) years were included. We measured aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and augmentation index (AIx) by AG and SC, and with SC also the PWVao standardized to 80% of the direct distance between carotid and femoral sites (St-PWVaoSC). The carotid strain, stiffness index and intima-media thickness (cIMTmean) were evaluated by ultrasound. PWVaoAG (8.00 ± 2.16 m s(-1)) was higher (Pstiffness indices by AG and SC correlate with vascular risk markers in healthy subjects. AIxao results by AG and SC are closely interrelated, but higher values are obtained by AG. In the lower range, PWVao values by AG and SC are similar, but differ for higher values. Our results imply the necessity to apply one and the same technique for repeated studies.

‘Value for Whom, by Whom’: Investigating Value Constructs in Non-Profit Project Portfolios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karyne Cheng Siew Ang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In most non-profit organisations (NPOs, there are multiple programs, projects or initiatives running simultaneously. The management of multiple projects in organisations can be coined as project portfolio management (PPM (Archer & Ghasemzadeh 1999; Pennypacker & Dye 2002.  In any project-based organisation, it is critical that selected projects align with and deliver the organisation’s strategy or mission. Decisions about project funding are strategic decisions, particularly when there are resource limitations. In PPM decision making, the allocation of resources to projects requires a clear judgement of value across multiple perspectives. Value has often been expressed in financial terms, however increasingly research indicates that non-financial considerations are equally important in evaluating value. A key task in project portfolio management is to maximise value across the portfolio.  However, value can be a subjective notion, as each person may have different expectations of what is valuable. The involvement of diverse stakeholder interests could create complexities in decision making in non-profit organisations due to value being interpreted in different ways by the stakeholders. Furthermore in order to achieve its purpose, non-profits depend heavily on donors, patrons and sponsors - stakeholders who contribute to the portfolio but are often not the direct recipients of the services provided by the non-profit organisation (Kaplan 2012. Non-profit portfolios often compete with other initiatives for resources and attention from the same donors and sponsors, and may need to constantly justify the value they provide to these stakeholders. Most research about value in PPM has been conducted in the ‘for-profit’ sector. Recent value-based studies in the project portfolio field stress the importance of considering both commercial and non-commercial value in portfolio decision making (Killen, du Plessis & Young 2012; Kopman 2013; Martinsuo

Classification of subsurface objects using singular values derived from signal frames

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, David H; Paglieroni, David W

2014-05-06

The classification system represents a detected object with a feature vector derived from the return signals acquired by an array of N transceivers operating in multistatic mode. The classification system generates the feature vector by transforming the real-valued return signals into complex-valued spectra, using, for example, a Fast Fourier Transform. The classification system then generates a feature vector of singular values for each user-designated spectral sub-band by applying a singular value decomposition (SVD) to the N.times.N square complex-valued matrix formed from sub-band samples associated with all possible transmitter-receiver pairs. The resulting feature vector of singular values may be transformed into a feature vector of singular value likelihoods and then subjected to a multi-category linear or neural network classifier for object classification.

Brain correlates of the intrinsic subjective cost of effort in sedentary volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernacer, J; Martinez-Valbuena, I; Martinez, M; Pujol, N; Luis, E; Ramirez-Castillo, D; Pastor, M A

2016-01-01

One key aspect of motivation is the ability of agents to overcome excessive weighting of intrinsic subjective costs. This contribution aims to analyze the subjective cost of effort and assess its neural correlates in sedentary volunteers. We recruited a sample of 57 subjects who underwent a decision-making task using a prospective, moderate, and sustained physical effort as devaluating factor. Effort discounting followed a hyperbolic function, and individual discounting constants correlated with an indicator of sedentary lifestyle (global physical activity questionnaire; R=-0.302, P=0.033). A subsample of 24 sedentary volunteers received a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while performing a similar effort-discounting task. BOLD signal of a cluster located in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex correlated with the subjective value of the pair of options under consideration (Z>2.3, Preward correlated with the signal of a cluster in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (Z>2.3, Pintrinsic subjective cost of effort and its neural correlates in sedentary individuals. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Finite element approximation for time-dependent diffusion with measure-valued source

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Seidman, T.; Gobbert, M.; Trott, D.; Kružík, Martin

2012-01-01

Roč. 122, č. 4 (2012), s. 709-723 ISSN 0029-599X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : measure-valued source * diffusion equation Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.329, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2012/MTR/kruzik-finite element approximation for time - dependent diffusion with measure-valued source.pdf

Dynamics of Values in English Educative Discourse Via Diachronic Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamara Nikolaevna Tsinkerman

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers the values of English educative discourse as constituents of the model that is associated with the function of socializing an individual. The author points out the types of values and specifies some trends in changes viewed in the light of historical and chronological periodization. The object of the paper is the values of English educative discourse in the 18th and 20th centuries. The subject of the research is national and cultural characteristics of adult verbal behavior in education-related communication, their changes in the value paradigm of English educative discourse in the diachronic aspect. The study employed descriptive, contextual and interpretive methods, as well as a historical discoursology method. An analysis of the linguistic material led to a conclusion about the dynamics of the value system of educative discourse in the Anglo-Saxon communicative culture that is characteristic of Great Britain and the United States. The highlighted values are divided into three groups based on the attitude towards the recipients of the educative communication: common values, i.e. the norms and rules of interpersonal communication that are approved in the Anglo-Saxon culture; subject values reflecting the active position of the child in the process of building a personality acceptable in an individual's culture; and object values that are important for a child as being an integral part of his / her society with appropriate discipline and reasonable conformity. Dynamics of changes in the value paradigm of English educative communication are expressed in the verbalized expression of the educator, to whom the society entrusts the socialization of the child in different historical periods. Comparison of the data from corpus of the 18th and 20th centuries and analysis of the questionnaire texts based on the answers of those Americans and British who consider themselves representatives of contemporary AngloSaxon society led to a

Singular value decomposition methods for wave propagation analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Santolík, Ondřej; Parrot, M.; Lefeuvre, F.

2003-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 1 (2003), s. 10-1-10-13 ISSN 0048-6604 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/01/1064 Grant - others:Barrande(CZ) 98039/98055 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3042911; CEZ:MSM 113200004 Keywords : wave propagation * singular value decomposition Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 0.832, year: 2003

Relationship of tumor necrosis factor alpha genotypes with various biochemical parameters of normal, over weight and obese human subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raza, M.; Chaudhary, B.; Shakoori, A.R.

2008-01-01

Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-alpha) is expressed primarily in adipocytes and elevated levels of this cytokine have been associated with obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to test whether the TNF-alpha -308 polymorphism were associated with insulin resistance or obesity related traits in non-diabetic and diabetic patients visiting Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Fatima Hospital and Irfan Clinic in Sargodha. In non diabetic subjects the AA allele carriers, compared with homozygous G allele carriers had significantly lower (28%) triglyceride values and 15% higher HDL yal ues, whereas other parameters tested 81id not show any significant variation. In diabetic patients the AA allele carriers, compared with GG allele carriers, besides having 31 % higher FBS and 26% higher creatinine, had 20% higher cholesterol and 34% higher triglycerides. The HDL values were 14% less, compared to GG allele carriers. In normal subjects (BMI 22.85:1:0.25 kgim2), the AA allele carriers showed 132%, 125%, 65% and 112% higher triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL values compared with GG allele carriers. The HDL and creatinine did not show any significant change. In the overweight subjects (BMI: 27.17+-0.17 kgim/sup 2/) all these values were lower than in AA allele carriers compared with GG allele carriers. The AA allele carries had FBS, triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL 28%, 48%, 14% and 14% lower than in the GG allele' carriers, respectively. In obese subjects, (BMI: 36.73+-0.78kgm/sup 2/), however, the FBS, triglycerides, cholesterol and creatinine values were 5%, 8%, 7% and 14% higher in AA allele carries compared to GG allele carriers, respectively. The LDL content was 8% lower in AA allele carrier as compared with the respective GG allele carriers, It is concluded that replacement of G at -308 with A leads to reduced risk for cardiovascular disease in non-diabetic subject, whereas in diabetic patients this mutation-increases the risk of CVD. Using BMI as index of obesity, it was

The postprandial glucose response to some varieties of commercially available gluten-free pasta: a comparison between healthy and celiac subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacchetti, T; Saturni, L; Turco, I; Ferretti, G

2014-11-01

The objective of the present paper is to evaluate the post-prandial response to some varieties of gluten free (GF) pasta that are commonly consumed in Italy. The glycaemic responses were compared with a glucose standard in healthy subjects and gluten-free diet celiac subjects. Subjects were served portions of the test foods and a standard food (glucose), on separate occasions, each containing 50 g available carbohydrates. Capillary blood glucose was measured from finger-prick samples in fasted subjects and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the consumption of each test food. For each type of pasta, the glycaemic index (GI) was calculated by expressing the incremental area under the blood glucose curve as a percentage of each subject's average incremental area under the blood glucose curve (AUC) for the standard food. Gluten free pasta exhibited a range of GI values from 46 to 66. The glycaemic load (GL) and glycaemic profile (GP) were also calculated. A higher GI value was observed in pasta containing rice flour as the main ingredient. Lower values were observed in pasta obtained using corn or a mixture of corn and rice flour as the main ingredients. The results were confirmed in celiac subjects. The information presented in this paper may be useful in helping celiac people to select low-GI pasta.

The value of building plots in Italy - pdf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Rosato

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper suggests some analysis on dynamics of building plots value in Italy. This is an important subject, since the study of changes in plots value in space and time enables the evaluation of urban rent, which is essential for a fair and effective planning. The analysis confirm past hypothesis which are well known to real estate market operators. The first resulting fact is that the changes in building plots value are concurrent to those in real estate value and the increase occurring in the last years is in relative terms higher than the past one. This seems to confirm that, during real estate market expansion, most of the increase of buildings’ value is attributable to the land rent. The second observation is about value dynamics over time: it has been observed that, during an expansion in demand, the value significantly increases in central areas, much more than in peripheral ones; this means that absolute rent arising from shortage in urban areas is higher than the differential rent created through urban expansion in peripheral areas. Finally, it was highlighted that the factors affecting the value in building areas play different roles, depending on their location relative to the urban centre, identifying differently structured market segments.

Human subjects research handbook: Protecting human research subjects. Second edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-01-30

This handbook serves as a guide to understanding and implementing the Federal regulations and US DOE Orders established to protect human research subjects. Material in this handbook is directed towards new and continuing institutional review board (IRB) members, researchers, institutional administrators, DOE officials, and others who may be involved or interested in human subjects research. It offers comprehensive overview of the various requirements, procedures, and issues relating to human subject research today.

Values in reasoning on energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malaska, P.; Kantola, I.; Kasanen, P.

1989-01-01

Energy policy at the present time is a controversial issue with value loaded but hidden assumptions and controdictory views between proponents and opponents. The hidden or even open value contradictions between people acting on the policy formulation as experts or participating in public discussion, hinder attainment of common understanding of the situation and the choices available as well as rational decision making. Diversified subjects of energy issues followed with logical argumentation by different people and with controversial views as presented in public or in the value panel of the research project, have been described and analysed in a novel way in this research. A previously developed cognitive mapping technique has been applied in presenting the logical substructures of argumentation. However, controversality of energy policy does not stem only from the values but equally from other sources of possible contradictory views, such as erraneous or partial data, contingential information or invalid logic. Energy discussion is not devoid of these pitfalls, not necessarily even when the so-called experts express their views and recommendations. The report analyses some important themes. The message of the research, if any, is about how to consider the value arguments in a rational way and how to 'solve' value contradictions for decision making or how to make decisions on energy in a rational way under value contradictions. It is concluded that the remedy is in conscious elaborations on these contradictions and detection of them from other relevant information and furthermore, in the development of communicative rationality instead of and side by side with the more commonly adapted technical rationality

Value Imposition in Day Care: Fact, Fancy, and Irrelevant?

Science.gov (United States)

Horner, William C.

1977-01-01

A questionnaire addressed to 70 parents and 30 staff members of an early intervention program revealed no substantial discrepancies in their respective evaluations of a number of child behavior characteristics (mainly social). Even when parents subjectively perceived some value dissonance, their satisfaction with the day care program was not…

T1rho, T{sub 2} and focal knee cartilage abnormalities in physically active and sedentary healthy subjects versus early OA patients - a 3.0-Tesla MRI study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Robert [University of California, San Francisco, Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, San Francisco, CA (United States); University Hospitals-Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Department of Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Luke, Anthony; Ma, C.B. [University of California, San Francisco, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA (United States); Li, Xiaojuan; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M. [University of California, San Francisco, Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, San Francisco, CA (United States)

2009-01-15

(1) To assess the degree of focal cartilage abnormalities in physically active and sedentary healthy subjects as well as in patients with early osteoarthritis (OA). (2) To determine the diagnostic value of T2 and T1rho measurements in identifying asymptomatic physically active subjects with focal cartilage lesions. Thirteen asymptomatic physically active subjects, 7 asymptomatic sedentary subjects, and 17 patients with mild OA underwent 3.0-T MRI of the knee joint. T1rho and T2 values, cartilage volume and thickness, as well as the WORMS scores were obtained. Nine out of 13 active healthy subjects had focal cartilage abnormalities. T1rho and T2 values in active subjects with and without focal cartilage abnormalities differed significantly (p<0.05). T1rho and T2 values were significantly higher (p<0.05) in early OA patients compared to healthy subjects. T1rho measurements were superior to T2 in differentiating OA patients from healthy subjects, yet T1rho was moderately age-dependent. (1) Active subjects showed a high prevalence of focal cartilage abnormalities and (2) active subjects with and without focal cartilage abnormalities had different T1rho and T2 composition of cartilage. Thus, T1rho and T2 could be a parameter suited to identify active healthy subjects at higher risk for developing cartilage pathology. (orig.)

The power and value of green in promoting sustainable transport behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaker, David; Vautin, David; Vij, Akshay; Walker, Joan L

2011-01-01

While it is increasingly popular to broadcast information regarding environmental impact, little is known regarding the effects that this information has on human behavior. This research aims to provide insight into whether, and to what extent, presenting environmental attributes of transport alternatives influences individual transport decisions. We designed and conducted three experiments in which subjects (UC Berkeley undergraduates) were presented with hypothetical scenarios of transport decisions, including auto purchase choice, mode choice, and route choice. We analyzed their decisions via a choice model to determine how they value reducing their emissions relative to other attributes. We found that our subjects are willing to adjust their behavior to reduce emissions, exhibiting an average willingness to pay for emissions reduction, or value of green (VoG), of 15 cents per pound of CO 2 saved. Despite concern that people cannot meaningfully process quantities of CO 2 , we found evidence to the contrary in our subject pool in that the estimated VoG was consistent across context (the wide range of transport decisions that we presented) and presentation (e.g., whether the information was presented in tons or pounds, or whether a social reference point of the emissions of an average person was provided). We also found significant heterogeneity in VoG, with most of the respondents valuing green somewhere between 0 and 70 cents per pound and with women, on average, willing to pay 7 cents more per saved pound than men. While the findings are encouraging, further work is required to determine whether they hold outside of a lab environment and with a more representative pool of subjects.

The power and value of green in promoting sustainable transport behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Gaker, David; Vautin, David; Vij, Akshay; Walker, Joan L.

2011-07-01

While it is increasingly popular to broadcast information regarding environmental impact, little is known regarding the effects that this information has on human behavior. This research aims to provide insight into whether, and to what extent, presenting environmental attributes of transport alternatives influences individual transport decisions. We designed and conducted three experiments in which subjects (UC Berkeley undergraduates) were presented with hypothetical scenarios of transport decisions, including auto purchase choice, mode choice, and route choice. We analyzed their decisions via a choice model to determine how they value reducing their emissions relative to other attributes. We found that our subjects are willing to adjust their behavior to reduce emissions, exhibiting an average willingness to pay for emissions reduction, or value of green (VoG), of 15 cents per pound of CO2 saved. Despite concern that people cannot meaningfully process quantities of CO2, we found evidence to the contrary in our subject pool in that the estimated VoG was consistent across context (the wide range of transport decisions that we presented) and presentation (e.g., whether the information was presented in tons or pounds, or whether a social reference point of the emissions of an average person was provided). We also found significant heterogeneity in VoG, with most of the respondents valuing green somewhere between 0 and 70 cents per pound and with women, on average, willing to pay 7 cents more per saved pound than men. While the findings are encouraging, further work is required to determine whether they hold outside of a lab environment and with a more representative pool of subjects.

The power and value of green in promoting sustainable transport behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaker, David; Vautin, David; Vij, Akshay; Walker, Joan L, E-mail: joanwalker@berkeley.edu [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2011-07-15

While it is increasingly popular to broadcast information regarding environmental impact, little is known regarding the effects that this information has on human behavior. This research aims to provide insight into whether, and to what extent, presenting environmental attributes of transport alternatives influences individual transport decisions. We designed and conducted three experiments in which subjects (UC Berkeley undergraduates) were presented with hypothetical scenarios of transport decisions, including auto purchase choice, mode choice, and route choice. We analyzed their decisions via a choice model to determine how they value reducing their emissions relative to other attributes. We found that our subjects are willing to adjust their behavior to reduce emissions, exhibiting an average willingness to pay for emissions reduction, or value of green (VoG), of 15 cents per pound of CO{sub 2} saved. Despite concern that people cannot meaningfully process quantities of CO{sub 2}, we found evidence to the contrary in our subject pool in that the estimated VoG was consistent across context (the wide range of transport decisions that we presented) and presentation (e.g., whether the information was presented in tons or pounds, or whether a social reference point of the emissions of an average person was provided). We also found significant heterogeneity in VoG, with most of the respondents valuing green somewhere between 0 and 70 cents per pound and with women, on average, willing to pay 7 cents more per saved pound than men. While the findings are encouraging, further work is required to determine whether they hold outside of a lab environment and with a more representative pool of subjects.

Thin-section spiral CT evaluation of morphologic effects of aging lung in asymptomatic adult subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Kuncheng; Liu Jian; Yang Yanhui; Yao Xinyu; Yin Jianguo; Wang Shiwen; He Zuoxiang

2006-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the imaging signs of aging lung in asymptomatic adult subjects by using thin-section spiral CT, and analyze the correlation between the signs and the age of examined cases, as well as probe their clinical application value. Methods: One hundred and six healthy adult subjects were divided into 3 groups: 30 to 44 years (n=31), 45 to 59 years (n=30), and over 60 years (n=45), and all the subjects underwent thin-section spiral CT scans in the upper lung field, the middle lung field and the lower lung field. The evaluation indices included the lung interstitium changes, emphysematous changes, mosaic perfusion, dependent density difference, and pleural thickenning. According to the relative score standard, the above-mentioned indices were totally calculated and converted into the score value. The data were statistically processed with SPSS for Windows. Results: Among the three groups, there were remarkable differences in the indices including the lung interstitium changes, emphysematous changes, and mosaic perfusion, respectively (χ 2 =8.10, 9.73, 15.54, P 2 =3.66, 3.24, P> 0.05). The score values had a significant positive correlation with the age (r=0.709, P<0.01). Conclusion: The signs including the lung interstitium changes, emphysematous changes, mosaic perfusion, the dependent density difference, and pleural thickenning can be found in asymptomatic subjects, and they become prominent as the age increases. HRCT is one of the most important methods for evaluating the early signs of the senile lung. (authors)

[Study of personal best value of peak expiratory flow in patients with asthma--comparison of the highest value of daily PEF under good control and the highest value of daily PEF obtained after using repeated inhaled beta2-agonist during high-dose inhaled steroid treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Naoto; Makino, Sohei; Kihara, Norio; Fukuda, Takeshi

2008-12-01

In the guideline for asthma management, it is important to find the personal best value of peak expiratory flow (best PEF). Recently, we have substituted the highest value of PEF in daily life under good control (daily highest PEF) for the best PEF. In the present study, we considered whether the daily highest PEF could be used as the best PEF or not. Subjects were 30 asthmatics who were well controlled but whose baseline PEF values were less than 80 percent of predicted values. We compared the daily highest PEF and the highest of PEF obtained after repeated inhaled beta2-agonist (salbutamol MDI every 20 minutes three times). All subjects then received 1600 microg/day of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) for 4 to 8 weeks. We studied the effect of high-dose inhaled steroid treatment on each PEF value and compared the daily highest PEF and the highest PEF obtained after using repeated salbutamol MDI during high dose inhaled steroid therapy on the examination day again. The baseline PEF, daily highest PEF and the highest PEF obtained after salbutamol MDI were significantly less than the each values obtained after high-dose BDP. The best PEF value of them was the value obtained after repeated salbutamol MDI during high dose BDP. We suggest that the daily highest PEF under good control is not a substitute for best PEF because it changes according to the degree of improvement of airway inflammation. We recommend that a course of high dose inhaled steroid is effective in finding the best value of PEF for each individual with moderate asthma.

Implications of Work Values to Job Satisfaction in the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Milliken, W. James; Whaples, Gene C.

A study was done to determine if work values of the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service faculty were related to Herzberg's job satisfaction elements. The design was ex post facto, exploratory field research. Subjects included 273 extension faculty members. A mail questionnaire composed of Hughes and Flowers'"Values for Working" and an…

Determining resistance to mastitis in a bovine subject involves detecting presence or absence of genetic marker associated with trait indicative of mastitis resistance of the bovine subject and/or off-spring from it

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2010-01-01

NOVELTY - Determining (m1) resistance to mastitis in a bovine subject, involves detecting in a sample from the bovine subject the presence or absence of at least one genetic marker that is associated with at least one trait indicative of mastitis resistance of the bovine subject and/or off......-spring from it, where the genetic marker is located on the bovine chromosome BTA11 in the region flanked by and including the zeta-chain associated protein 70kD (ZAP70) and CD8B genes, where the presence or absence of the genetic marker is indicative of mastitis resistance. USE - For determining resistance...... to mastitis in a bovine subject for determining mastitis resistance in a bovine subject; for detecting the presence or absence in a bovine subject of at least one genetic marker associated with resistance to mastitis; and for estimating breeding value in respect of susceptibility to mastitis in a bovine...

Utility of Reference Change Values for Delta Check Limits.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Dae-Hyun; Park, Hae-Il; Hyun, Jungwon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Park, Min-Jeong; Shin, Dong Hoon

2017-10-01

To assess the utility of reference change values (RCVs) as delta check limits. A total of 1,650,518 paired results for 23 general chemistry test results from June 1, 2014, to October 31, 2016, were analyzed. The RCVs for each analyte were calculated from the analytical imprecision and within-subject biological variation. The percent differences between two consecutive results in one patient were categorized into one of four groups: outpatients, inpatients, emergency care, and general health care. For each, 2.5th and 97.5th percentile values were computed and compared with their RCVs. The distributions were assessed for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Most of the estimated limits were larger than the corresponding RCVs and, furthermore, with notable differences across the groups. Patients in the emergency care group usually demonstrated larger delta percent values than those in the other groups. None of the distributions of the percent differences passed tests of normality when subjected to Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis. Comparison of estimated RCVs and real-world patient data revealed the pitfalls of applying RCVs in clinical laboratories. Laboratory managers should be aware of the limitations of RCVs and exercise caution when using them. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The social value of clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Habets, Michelle G J L; van Delden, Johannes J M; Bredenoord, Annelien L

2014-09-05

International documents on ethical conduct in clinical research have in common the principle that potential harms to research participants must be proportional to anticipated benefits. The anticipated benefits that can justify human research consist of direct benefits to the research participant, and societal benefits, also called social value. In first-in-human research, no direct benefits are expected and the benefit component of the risks-benefit assessment thus merely exists in social value. The concept social value is ambiguous by nature and is used in numerous ways in the research ethics literature. Because social value justifies involving human participants, especially in early human trials, this is problematic. Our analysis and interpretation of the concept social value has led to three proposals. First, as no direct benefits are expected for the research participants in first-in-human trials, we believe it is better to discuss a risk- value assessment instead of a risk - benefit assessment. This will also make explicit the necessity to have a clear and common use for the concept social value. Second, to avoid confusion we propose to limit the concept social value to the intervention tested. It is the expected improvement the intervention can bring to the wellbeing of (future) patients or society that is referred to when we speak about social value. For the sole purpose of gaining knowledge, we should not expose humans to potential harm; the ultimate justification of involving humans in research lies in the anticipated social value of the intervention. Third, at the moment only the validity of the clinical research proposal is a prerequisite for research to take place. We recommend making the anticipated social value a prerequisite as well. In this paper we analyze the use of the concept social value in research ethics. Despite its unavoidable ambiguity, we aim to find a best use of the concept, subject to its role in justifying involving humans in first

The Neural Baroreflex Pathway in Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome

OpenAIRE

Zanoli, Luca; Empana, Jean-Philippe; Estrugo, Nicolas; Escriou, Guillaume; Ketthab, Hakim; Pruny, Jean-Francois; Castellino, Pietro; Laude, Dominique; Thomas, Frederique; Pannier, Bruno; Jouven, Xavier; Boutouyrie, Pierre; Laurent, Stephane

2016-01-01

Abstract The mechanisms that link metabolic syndrome (MetS) to increased cardiovascular risk are incompletely understood. We examined whether MetS is associated with the neural baroreflex pathway (NBP) and whether any such associations are independent of blood pressure values. This study involved the cross-sectional analysis of data on 2835 subjects aged 50 to 75 years from the Paris Prospective Study 3. The prevalence of MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association/National H...

Open-Air Biowarfare Testing and the Evolution of Values

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

The United States and the United Kingdom ended outdoor biological warfare testing in populated areas nearly half a century ago. Yet, the conduct, health effects, and propriety of those tests remain controversial. The varied views reflect the limits of currently available test information and evolving societal values on research involving human subjects. Western political culture has changed since the early days of the American and British testing programs. People have become less reluctant to question authority, and institutional review boards must now pre-approve research involving human subjects. Further, the heightened stringency of laboratory containment has accentuated the safety gap between a confined test space and one without physical boundaries. All this makes it less likely that masses of people would again be unwittingly subjected to secret open-air biological warfare tests. PMID:27564984

A "post-psychological" curiosity of subjectivities and standards

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Morten; Staunæs, Dorthe; Bank, Mads

2016-01-01

a division between standardizing sciences and off-standard qualitative research. Yet, a “postpsychological curiosity” suggests a reflexive stance, admitting to complicity in the “intra-actions” of standards and subjectivity, in theoretical psychology as in practices such as management, counseling, or self......-help. Objectifying values, standards can reach out to the image of infinity; even posited as immanent to practices, they can be seen as expressions of hope. They both shake and establish temporalities and spatial distributions that feed into affective economies and help or force us to focus and forget. We use them...

Ventromedial prefrontal cortex, adding value to autobiographical memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wen-Jing; Horner, Aidan J; Burgess, Neil

2016-06-24

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been consistently implicated in autobiographical memory recall and decision making. Its function in decision making tasks is believed to relate to value representation, but its function in autobiographical memory recall is not yet clear. We hypothesised that the mPFC represents the subjective value of elements during autobiographical memory retrieval. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging during an autobiographical memory recall task, we found that the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was parametrically modulated by the affective values of items in participants' memories when they were recalling and evaluating these items. An unrelated modulation by the participant's familiarity with the items was also observed. During retrieval of the event, the BOLD signal in the same region was modulated by the personal significance and emotional intensity of the memory, which was correlated with the values of the items within them. These results support the idea that vmPFC processes self-relevant information, and suggest that it is involved in representing the personal emotional values of the elements comprising autobiographical memories.

Variations in Withdrawal, Return Flow, and Consumptive Use of Water in Ohio and Indiana, with Selected Data from Wisconsin, 1999-2004

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Kimberly H.

2009-01-01

, colleges, correctional institutions, and national security facilities. Monthly livestock withdrawals were constant for Ohio but were more variable in Indiana and depended on whether the livestock facility operated on a seasonal schedule. Aquaculture withdrawals appeared to correlate with growing seasons and with aeration of ponds during the winter months. Mining withdrawals - specifically, those for nonmetallic mining - tended to be highest in April and may be related to dewatering. Consumptive use and consumptive-use coefficients were computed by two principal methods in this study: the return-flow and withdrawal method (RW; Ohio only) and the winter-base-rate method (WBR; Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin). The WBR method was not suitable for the thermoelectric, industrial, irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, and mining water-use categories. The RW method was not used for public-supply facilities. A third method, the Standard Industrial Classification code method (SIC), was used only for certain industrial facilities. The public-supply annual average consumptive-use coefficient derived by use of the WBR methods ranged from 6 to 8 percent among Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin; the summer average consumptive-use coefficient was considerably higher, ranging from 16 to 20 percent. The commercial annual consumptive-use coefficient for both Ohio and Indiana was 30 percent by the WBR method, which fell within the Ohio annual median (17 percent) and annual average (42 percent) by the RW method. Thermoelectric consumptive use differs greatly by the type of cooling the facility uses; the Ohio annual median consumptive-use coefficient (RW method) was 2 percent for all thermoelectric facilities and facilities with multiple types of cooling, but exclusively once-through-cooling facilities had a median of 0 percent and exclusively closed-loop-cooling facilities had a median of 25 percent. Industrial consumptive-use coefficients varied by type of industry, as reflected by SIC code

Political-economic values and the relationship between socioeconomic status and self-esteem.

Science.gov (United States)

Malka, Ariel; Miller, Dale T

2007-02-01

Values concerning the distribution of wealth are an important aspect of identity for many Americans, and such values may therefore influence how Americans experience their own socioeconomic status (SES). Based on this proposition, the present research examines political-economic values as a moderator of the relationship between SES and self-esteem. Results supported the hypothesis that there is a stronger relationship between SES and self-esteem among individuals who report relatively inegalitarian values than among individuals who report relatively egalitarian values. This result was replicated using both objective and subjective measures of SES. Implications of the present findings for the study of values and well-being, psychological conflict, and the influence of economic factors on self-esteem are discussed.

Amygdala signals subjective appetitiveness and aversiveness of mixed gambles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gelskov, Sofie V.; Henningsson, Susanne; Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard

2015-01-01

People are more sensitive to losses than to equivalent gains when making financial decisions. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to illuminate how the amygdala contributes to loss aversion. The blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response of the amygdala was mapped while healthy...... individuals were responding to 50/50 gambles with varying potential gain and loss amounts. Overall, subjects demanded twice as high potential gain as loss to accept a gamble. The individual level of loss aversion was expressed by the decision boundary, i.e., the gain-loss ratio at which subjects accepted...... and rejected gambles with equal probability. Amygdala activity increased the more the gain-loss ratio deviated from the individual decision boundary showing that the amygdala codes action value. This response pattern was more strongly expressed in loss aversive individuals, linking amygdala activity...

Manual for subject analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This document is one in a series of publications known as the ETDE/INIS Joint Reference Series and also constitutes a part of the ETDE Procedures Manual. It presents the rules, guidelines and procedures to be adopted by centers submitting input to the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) or the Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE). It is a manual for the subject analysis part of input preparation, meaning the selection, subject classification, abstracting and subject indexing of relevant publications, and is to be used in conjunction with the Thesauruses, Subject Categories documents and the documents providing guidelines for the preparation of abstracts. The concept and structure of the new manual are intended to describe in a logical and efficient sequence all the steps comprising the subject analysis of documents to be reported to INIS or ETDE. The manual includes new chapters on preparatory analysis, subject classification, abstracting and subject indexing, as well as rules, guidelines, procedures, examples and a special chapter on guidelines and examples for subject analysis in particular subject fields. (g.t.; a.n.)

Indigenous language and the preservation of African values; the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Language is not only a medium of communication but also amatrix through which the culture, value, norms and mores of a people are transmitted. Unfortunately for the African, the Indigenous Language of the continent were as a result of European Imperialist motives subjected to a series distorting and negative influences.

The self as subject autoethnographic research into identity, culture, and academic librarianship

CERN Document Server

Deitering, Anne-Marie; Stoddart, Richard

2017-01-01

Using autoethnography as their research method, the 21 academic librarian authors of The Self as Subject: Autoethnographic Research into Identity, Culture, and Academic Librarianship investigate aspects of what it means to be a librarian. Starting with a reflective examination of themselves, they each investigate questions of culture, values, and identity. The Self as Subject presents a collection of reflective narratives that, taken together, explore the varied dimensions of librarianship in the present moment. It also examines autoethnography's potential to help librarians answer questions that cannot be answered by traditional, empirical research methods and to reveal voices that are obscured by aggregations of data.

Approximate calculation method for integral of mean square value of nonstationary response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Shigeru; Fukano, Azusa

2010-01-01

The response of the structure subjected to nonstationary random vibration such as earthquake excitation is nonstationary random vibration. Calculating method for statistical characteristics of such a response is complicated. Mean square value of the response is usually used to evaluate random response. Integral of mean square value of the response corresponds to total energy of the response. In this paper, a simplified calculation method to obtain integral of mean square value of the response is proposed. As input excitation, nonstationary white noise and nonstationary filtered white noise are used. Integrals of mean square value of the response are calculated for various values of parameters. It is found that the proposed method gives exact value of integral of mean square value of the response.

Forms of Political Participation and Subjective Well-being: A World Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamín Temkin

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Subjective well-being has been described as perhaps “the ultimate dependent variable” of the social sciences. Thus, it is understandable that much of the empirical research on the subject has focused on the identification of its correlates. In this paper we utilize the sixth wave of the World Value Survey carried out in sixty countries between 2010 and 2014, to evaluate the relationship between different types of political participation and the subjective well-being of citizens, Our research partially confirms the hypothesis that, when controlling for the democratic or undemocratic character of political institutions, conventional political participation is positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction, while unconventional conflictive political activities show the opposite relationship to well-being. On the other hand, the democratic nature of state institutions is universally and consistently related to higher levels of personal well-being among individuals.

A Functional Model for the Integration of Gains and Losses under Risk: Implications for the Measurement of Subjective Value

Science.gov (United States)

Viegas, Ricardo G.; Oliveira, Armando M.; Garriga-Trillo, Ana; Grieco, Alba

2012-01-01

In order to be treated quantitatively, subjective gains and losses (utilities/disutilities) must be psychologically measured. If legitimate comparisons are sought between them, measurement must be at least interval level, with a common unit. If comparisons of absolute magnitudes across gains and losses are further sought, as in standard…

Robust Subjective Visual Property Prediction from Crowdsourced Pairwise Labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yanwei; Hospedales, Timothy M; Xiang, Tao; Xiong, Jiechao; Gong, Shaogang; Wang, Yizhou; Yao, Yuan

2016-03-01

The problem of estimating subjective visual properties from image and video has attracted increasing interest. A subjective visual property is useful either on its own (e.g. image and video interestingness) or as an intermediate representation for visual recognition (e.g. a relative attribute). Due to its ambiguous nature, annotating the value of a subjective visual property for learning a prediction model is challenging. To make the annotation more reliable, recent studies employ crowdsourcing tools to collect pairwise comparison labels. However, using crowdsourced data also introduces outliers. Existing methods rely on majority voting to prune the annotation outliers/errors. They thus require a large amount of pairwise labels to be collected. More importantly as a local outlier detection method, majority voting is ineffective in identifying outliers that can cause global ranking inconsistencies. In this paper, we propose a more principled way to identify annotation outliers by formulating the subjective visual property prediction task as a unified robust learning to rank problem, tackling both the outlier detection and learning to rank jointly. This differs from existing methods in that (1) the proposed method integrates local pairwise comparison labels together to minimise a cost that corresponds to global inconsistency of ranking order, and (2) the outlier detection and learning to rank problems are solved jointly. This not only leads to better detection of annotation outliers but also enables learning with extremely sparse annotations.

How beliefs about self-creation inflate value in the human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Koster, Raphael; Sharot, Tali; Yuan, Rachel; De Martino, Benedetto; Norton, Michael I; Dolan, Raymond J

2015-01-01

Humans have a tendency to overvalue their own ideas and creations. Understanding how these errors in judgement emerge is important for explaining suboptimal decisions, as when individuals and groups choose self-created alternatives over superior or equal ones. We show that such overvaluation is a reconstructive process that emerges when participants believe they have created an item, regardless of whether this belief is true or false. This overvaluation is observed both when false beliefs of self-creation are elicited (Experiment 1) or implanted (Experiment 2). Using brain imaging data we highlight the brain processes mediating an interaction between value and belief of self-creation. Specifically, following the creation manipulation there is an increased functional connectivity during valuation between the right caudate nucleus, where we show BOLD activity correlated with subjective value, and the left amygdala, where we show BOLD activity is linked to subjective belief. Our study highlights psychological and neurobiological processes through which false beliefs alter human valuation and in doing so throw light on a common source of error in judgements of value.

Predicting Teacher Value-Added Results in Non-Tested Subjects Based on Confounding Variables: A Multinomial Logistic Regression

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Nathan Lee

2017-01-01

Teacher value-added measures (VAM) are designed to provide information regarding teachers' causal impact on the academic growth of students while controlling for exogenous variables. While some researchers contend VAMs successfully and authentically measure teacher causality on learning, others suggest VAMs cannot adequately control for exogenous…

Association Between Manual Loading and Newly Developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Subjects With Physical Disabilities: A Follow-Up Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yen-Nung; Chiu, Chun-Chieh; Huang, Shih-Wei; Hsu, Wen-Yen; Liou, Tsan-Hon; Chen, Yi-Wen; Chang, Kwang-Hwa

2017-10-01

To identify the association between body composition and newly developed carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to search for the best probabilistic cutoff value of associated factors to predict subjects with physical disabilities developing new CTS. Longitudinal. University-affiliated medical center. Subjects with physical disabilities (N=47; mean age ± SD, 42.1±7.7y). Not applicable. Median and ulnar sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) were measured at the initial and follow-up tests (interval >2y). Total and regional body composition were measured with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the initial test. Leg lean tissue percentage was calculated to delineate each participant's manual loading degree during locomotion. Leg lean tissue percentage is the lean tissue mass of both legs divided by body weight. Based on median SNCV changes, we divided all participants into 3 groups: subjects with bilateral CTS (median SNCV value normative ulnar SNCV value >37.8m/s) in the initial test (n=10), subjects with newly developed CTS in the follow-up test (n=8), and subjects without additional CTS in the follow-up test (n=27). Eight of 35 subjects not having bilateral CTS initially developed new CTS (8.8% per year; mean follow-up period, 2.6y). Leg lean tissue percentage was associated with the probability of newly developed CTS (adjusted odds ratio, .64; P12% were less likely to have developed new CTS at the follow-up test (sensitivity, .75; specificity, .85; area under the curve, .88; Pphysical disabilities. Therefore, a preventive program for those subjects at risk can start early. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Example of a Non-standard Extreme Value Law

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Haydn, N.; Kupsa, Michal

2015-01-01

Roč. 35, č. 6 (2015), s. 1902-1912 ISSN 0143-3857 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : extreme-value law * rotations of unit circle * non-mixing systems * discrete law * Gumbel distribution * Weibull distribution * Frechet distribution * return times Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 0.983, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/SI/kupsa-0434480.pdf

Philosophic-educational intelligence analysis as a subject of marketing management

OpenAIRE

N. V. Litvinenko

2014-01-01

The highest value for the philosophical problems of education should consider introducing within the philosophical foundations of marketing management methodology for systematic consideration of education as a social subject­object process, which is based on needs. Philosophy of Education in the face of marketing philosophy and management philosophy got a good theoretical and methodological framework for the synthesis of market interpretations educational development and the development of fu...

Estimation of reference values for urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and alpha-naphthol in Danish workers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Åse Marie; Christensen, J M; Sherson, D

1995-01-01

in humans and health effects in occupationally exposed workers. In this context the estimation of the biological level of PAH metabolites in urine from reference populations has become increasingly important in the field of environmental and occupational toxicology. The present study describes...... the calculation of tentative reference values for urinary 1-hydroxypyrene on the basis of two reference populations and for urinary alpha-naphthol on the basis of one reference population in accordance with IFCC recommendations. The study subjects were 115 healthy male workers occupationally exposed to PAH at low...... levels and 121 reference subjects non-occupationally exposed to PAH. Tentative reference values for urinary 1-hydroxypyrene were estimated. In addition, 236 healthy male workers were used to estimate tentative reference values for urinary alpha-naphthol. The reference populations were described...

The Role of Interactivity in Internet Business on Customer Experiential Values and Behavioral Intentions

Science.gov (United States)

Park, So Ra

2012-01-01

Customers' experiential value is based on holistic experience customers would have when they interact with a product/service. Experiential value is defined as "relativistic preference characterizing a subject's experience with some object" (Holbrook, 1994). Internet is characterized for interactivity and it should have a role in…

Aerosol lung inhalation scintigraphy in normal subjects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sui, Osamu; Shimazu, Hideki

1985-03-01

We previously reported basic and clinical evaluation of aerosol lung inhalation scintigraphy with /sup 99m/Tc-millimicrosphere albumin (milli MISA) and concluded aerosol inhalation scintigraphy with /sup 99m/Tc-milli MISA was useful for routine examination. But central airway deposit of aerosol particles was found in not only the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but also normal subjects. So we performed aerosol inhalation scintigraphy in normal subjects and evaluated their scintigrams. The subjects had normal values of FEVsub(1.0)% (more than 70%) in lung function tests, no abnormal findings in chest X-ray films and no symptoms and signs. The findings of aerosol inhalation scintigrams in them were classified into 3 patterns; type I: homogeneous distribution without central airway deposit, type II: homogeneous distribution with central airway deposit, type III: inhomogeneous distribution. These patterns were compared with lung function tests. There was no significant correlation between type I and type II in lung function tests. Type III was different from type I and type II in inhomogeneous distribution. This finding showed no correlation with %VC, FEVsub(1.0)%, MMF, V radical50 and V radical50/V radical25, but good correlation with V radical25 in a maximum forced expiratory flow-volume curve. Flow-volume curve is one of the sensitive methods in early detection of COPD, so inhomogeneous distribution of type III is considered to be due to small airway dysfunction.

Self-esteem and organizational values in university students from Lima

OpenAIRE

Loli Pineda, Alejandro; López Vega, Ernestina; Atalaya Pisco, María

2014-01-01

The selfesteem and the organizational values in students of the public and private university of Lima, it is a study developed in a sample of 1464 subject of a Public University and a Private University of the oldest and traditional of the country, in order to knowing the hierarchy of values organizecionales perceived by the university youths that expect from the organization in which you they would want to work to the culmination of their studies; the relationship between the selfesteem and ...

Raman spectroscopy applied to identify metabolites in urine of physically active subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Letícia Parada; Silveira, Landulfo; da Silva, Alexandre Galvão; Fernandes, Adriana Barrinha; Pacheco, Marcos Tadeu Tavares; Rocco, Débora Dias Ferraretto Moura

2017-11-01

Raman spectroscopy is a rapid and non-destructive technique suitable for biological fluids analysis. In this work, dispersive Raman spectroscopy has been employed as a rapid and nondestructive technique to detect the metabolites in urine of physically active subjects before and after vigorous 30min pedaling or running compared to sedentary subjects. For so, urine samples from 9 subjects were obtained before and immediately after physical activities and submitted to Raman spectroscopy (830nm excitation, 250mW laser power, 20s integration time) and compared to urine from 5 sedentary subjects. The Raman spectra of urine from sedentary showed peaks related to urea, creatinine, ketone bodies, phosphate and other nitrogenous compounds. These metabolic biomarkers presented peaks with different intensities in the urine of physically active individuals after exercises compared to before, measured by the intensity of selected peaks the Raman spectra, which means different concentrations after training. These peaks presented different intensity values for each subject before physical activity, also behaving differently compared to the post-training: some subjects presented increase while others decrease the intensity. Raman spectroscopy may allow the development of a rapid and non-destructive test for metabolic evaluation of the physical training in active and trained subjects using urine samples, allowing nutrition adjustment with the sport's performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-efficacy, values, and complementarity in dyadic interactions: integrating interpersonal and social-cognitive theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Sadler, Pamela

2007-01-01

Dyadic interactions were analyzed using constructs from social-cognitive theory (self-efficacy and subjective values) and interpersonal theory (interpersonal circumplex [IPC] and complementarity). In Study 1, the authors developed a measure of efficacy for interpersonal actions associated with each IPC region--the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Efficacy (CSIE). In Study 2, the authors used the CSIE and the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Values (which assesses the subjective value of interpersonal events associated with each IPC region) to predict the dominance expressed and satisfaction experienced by members of 101 same-sex dyads trying to solve a murder mystery. Structural equation modeling analyses supported both social-cognitive and interpersonal theory. A social-cognitive person-variable (dominance efficacy) and an interpersonal dyadic-variable (reciprocity) together predicted dominant behaviors. Likewise, both a social-cognitive variable (friendliness values) and an interpersonal variable (correspondence of friendliness efficacy) predicted satisfaction. Finally, both shared performance outcomes and dynamic interpersonal processes predicted convergence of collective efficacy beliefs within dyads.

Age effects on cortical thickness in young Down's syndrome subjects: a cross-sectional gender study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romano, Andrea; Moraschi, Marta; Cornia, Riccardo; Stella, Giacomo; Bozzao, Alessandro; Gagliardo, Olga; Chiacchiararelli, Laura; Iani, Cristina; Albertini, Giorgio; Pierallini, Alberto

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine differences in the characteristic pattern of age-related cortical thinning in men and women with Down's syndrome (DS) by means of MRI and automatic cortical thickness measurements and a cross-sectional design, in a large cohort of young subjects. Eighty-four subjects with DS, 30 females (11-35 years, mean age ± SD = 22.8 ± 5.9) and 54 males (11-35 years, mean age ± SD = 21.5 ± 6.5), were examined using a 1.5-T scanner. MRI-based quantification of cortical thickness was performed using FreeSurfer software package. For all subjects participating in the study, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between age and mean cortical thickness values has been evaluated. A significant negative correlation between cortical thickness and age was found in female DS subjects, predominantly in frontal and parietal lobes, bilaterally. In male DS subjects, a significant negative correlation between cortical thickness and age was found in the right fronto-temporal lobes and cingulate regions. Whole brain mean cortical thickness values were significantly negative correlated with age only in female DS subjects. Females with Down's syndrome showed a strong correlation between cortical thickness and age, already in early age. We suggest that the cognitive impairment due to hormonal deficit in the postmenopausal period could be emphasized by the early structural decline of gray matter in female DS subjects. (orig.)

Age effects on cortical thickness in young Down's syndrome subjects: a cross-sectional gender study

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Romano, Andrea; Moraschi, Marta [San Raffaele Foundation Rome, Rehabilitation Facility Ceglie Messapica, Rome (Italy); Cornia, Riccardo; Stella, Giacomo [University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Education and Human Sciences, Emilia-Romagna (Italy); Bozzao, Alessandro; Gagliardo, Olga [University Sapienza, NESMOS, Department of Neuroradiology, S. Andrea Hospital, Rome (Italy); Chiacchiararelli, Laura [University Sapienza, Department of Medical Physics, S. Andrea Hospital, Rome (Italy); Iani, Cristina [University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Communication and Economy, Emilia-Romagna (Italy); Albertini, Giorgio [IRCSS San Raffaele Pisana, Department of Paediatrics, Rome (Italy); Pierallini, Alberto [IRCSS San Raffaele Pisana, Department of Radiology, Rome (Italy)

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine differences in the characteristic pattern of age-related cortical thinning in men and women with Down's syndrome (DS) by means of MRI and automatic cortical thickness measurements and a cross-sectional design, in a large cohort of young subjects. Eighty-four subjects with DS, 30 females (11-35 years, mean age ± SD = 22.8 ± 5.9) and 54 males (11-35 years, mean age ± SD = 21.5 ± 6.5), were examined using a 1.5-T scanner. MRI-based quantification of cortical thickness was performed using FreeSurfer software package. For all subjects participating in the study, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between age and mean cortical thickness values has been evaluated. A significant negative correlation between cortical thickness and age was found in female DS subjects, predominantly in frontal and parietal lobes, bilaterally. In male DS subjects, a significant negative correlation between cortical thickness and age was found in the right fronto-temporal lobes and cingulate regions. Whole brain mean cortical thickness values were significantly negative correlated with age only in female DS subjects. Females with Down's syndrome showed a strong correlation between cortical thickness and age, already in early age. We suggest that the cognitive impairment due to hormonal deficit in the postmenopausal period could be emphasized by the early structural decline of gray matter in female DS subjects. (orig.)

Aspects Concerning Financial Debts and Assets’ Evaluation at Fair Value

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Andreea Elena Dreghiciu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the actual context of the process of globalization and accounting normalization, within which the decisional process must be based on information which fulfill the quality characteristics required by the existing norms referring to a clear image, the notion of fair value is pointed out as a main coordinate. Assets and financial debts, as well as all the patrimonial elements, are subjected to the process of evaluation, respectively reevaluation. Further evaluation of these elements may be realized at fair value a fact which leads to an improvement of the information which are furnished in financial situations, these becoming more reliable, and they have a smaller difference between accounting value and stock value for the rated entities. The benefits of using the concept of fair value have made it presently extending upon all balance sheet items.

Learning stage-dependent effect of M1 disruption on value-based motor decisions.

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Derosiere, Gerard; Vassiliadis, Pierre; Demaret, Sophie; Zénon, Alexandre; Duque, Julie

2017-11-15

The present study aimed at characterizing the impact of M1 disruption on the implementation of implicit value information in motor decisions, at both early stages (during reinforcement learning) and late stages (after consolidation) of action value encoding. Fifty subjects performed, over three consecutive days, a task that required them to select between two finger responses according to the color (instruction) and to the shape (implicit, undisclosed rule) of an imperative signal: considering the implicit rule in addition to the instruction allowed subjects to earn more money. We investigated the functional contribution of M1 to the implementation of the implicit rule in subjects' motor decisions. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) was applied over M1 either on Day 1 or on Day 3, producing a temporary lesion either during reinforcement learning (cTBS Learning group) or after consolidation of the implicit rule, during decision-making (cTBS Decision group), respectively. Interestingly, disrupting M1 activity on Day 1 improved the reliance on the implicit rule, plausibly because M1 cTBS increased dopamine release in the putamen in an indirect way. This finding corroborates the view that cTBS may affect activity in unstimulated areas, such as the basal ganglia. Notably, this effect was short-lasting; it did not persist overnight, suggesting that the functional integrity of M1 during learning is a prerequisite for the consolidation of implicit value information to occur. Besides, cTBS over M1 did not impact the use of the implicit rule when applied on Day 3, although it did so when applied on Day 2 in a recent study where the reliance on the implicit rule declined following cTBS (Derosiere et al., 2017). Overall, these findings indicate that the human M1 is functionally involved in the consolidation and implementation of implicit value information underlying motor decisions. However, M1 contribution seems to vanish as subjects become more experienced in using

The influence of attention on value integration.

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Kunar, Melina A; Watson, Derrick G; Tsetsos, Konstantinos; Chater, Nick

2017-08-01

People often have to make decisions based on many pieces of information. Previous work has found that people are able to integrate values presented in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) stream to make informed judgements on the overall stream value (Tsetsos et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(24), 9659-9664, 2012). It is also well known that attentional mechanisms influence how people process information. However, it is unknown how attentional factors impact value judgements of integrated material. The current study is the first of its kind to investigate whether value judgements are influenced by attentional processes when assimilating information. Experiments 1-3 examined whether the attentional salience of an item within an RSVP stream affected judgements of overall stream value. The results showed that the presence of an irrelevant high or low value salient item biased people to judge the stream as having a higher or lower overall mean value, respectively. Experiments 4-7 directly tested Tsetsos et al.'s (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(24), 9659-9664, 2012) theory examining whether extreme values in an RSVP stream become over-weighted, thereby capturing attention more than other values in the stream. The results showed that the presence of both a high (Experiments 4, 6 and 7) and a low (Experiment 5) value outlier captures attention leading to less accurate report of subsequent items in the stream. Taken together, the results showed that valuations can be influenced by attentional processes, and can lead to less accurate subjective judgements.

Regulation mechanisms of pituitary-thyroid axis in normal subjects and patients with Graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagi, Shinko; Yamauchi, Kazuyuki; Mori, Yuichi

1986-01-01

The regulatory mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis in normal subjects and patients with Graves' disease was investigated using a highly sensitive TSH assay based on the immunoradiometric assay. All of the normal subjects had detectable TSH values within the range 0.35 to 6.0 μU/ml. No negative correlations between TSH and free thyroid hormones existed in normal subjects. Patients with thyroid carcinoma who seemed to have normal pituitary-thyroid function showed a rapid increase of TSH after total thyroidectomy. On the other hand, while untreated patients with Graves' disease all had undetectable TSH values, these patients took 1 to 3.5 months longer to normalize their TSH values than to normalize free thyroid hormones on antithyroid drug therapy. During the recovery phase by the treatment with decrease of antithyroid drug or supplement of T 4 from iatrogenic hypothyroid state after treatment for Graves' disease and thyroid carcinoma, normalization of TSH levels was delayed than that of free thyroid hormones. Patients with Graves' disease in remission showed an extremely positive correlation between basal and peak TSH levels in TRH test, and a negative correlation between basal TSH and FT 4 . In conclusion, an individual patient may have a different set point concerning the regulatory mechanism of the pituitary-thyroid axis, and the persistence of the hyperthyroid state would seem to have caused some reversible dysfunction of the pituitary gland. (author)

Subjective memory complaints among patients on sick leave are associated with symptoms of fatigue and anxiety

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Julie Kristine Aasvik

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to identify symptoms associated with subjective memory complaints among subjects who are currently on sick leave due to symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, subjects (n = 167 who were currently on sick leave were asked to complete an extensive survey consisting of the following: items addressing their sociodemographics, one item from the SF-8 health survey measuring pain, Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Insomnia Severity Index and Everyday Memory Questionnaire – Revised. General linear modeling (GLM was used to analyze variables associated with SMCs. Results: Symptoms of fatigue (p-value <= 0.001 and anxiety (p-value = 0.001 were uniquely and significantly associated with perceived memory failures. The associations with symptoms of pain, depression and insomnia were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Subjective memory complaints should be recognized as part of the complex symptomatology among patients who report multiple symptoms, especially in cases of fatigue and anxiety. Self-report questionnaires measuring perceived memory failures may be a quick and easy way to incorporate and extend this knowledge into clinical practice.

Age Effects on Upper Limb Kinematics Assessed by the REAplan Robot in Healthy Subjects Aged 3 to 93 Years.

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Gilliaux, Maxime; Lejeune, Thierry M; Sapin, Julien; Dehez, Bruno; Stoquart, Gaëtan; Detrembleur, Christine

2016-04-01

Kinematics is recommended for the quantitative assessment of upper limb movements. The aims of this study were to determine the age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in healthy subjects. Three hundred and seventy healthy subjects, aged 3-93 years, participated in the study. They performed two unidirectional and two geometrical tasks ten consecutive times with the REAplan, a distal effector robotic device that allows upper limb displacements in the horizontal plane. Twenty-six kinematic indices were computed for the four tasks. For the four tasks, nineteen of the computed kinematic indices showed an age effect. Seventeen indices (the accuracy, speed and smoothness indices and the reproducibility of the accuracy, speed and smoothness) improved in young subjects aged 3-30 years, showed stabilization in adults aged 30-60 years and declined in elderly subjects aged 60-93 years. Additionally, for both geometrical tasks, the speed index exhibited a decrease throughout life. Finally, a principal component analysis provided the relations between the kinematic indices, tasks and subjects' age. This study is the first to assess age effects on upper limb kinematics and establish normative values in subjects aged 3-93 years.

A method for measuring quality of life through subjective weighting of functional status.

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Stineman, Margaret G; Wechsler, Barbara; Ross, Richard; Maislin, Greg

2003-04-01

To apply a new tool to understand the quality of life (QOL) implications of patients' functional status. Results from the Features-Resource Trade-Off Game were used to form utility weights by ranking functional activities by the relative value of achieving independence in each activity compared with all other component activities. The utility weights were combined with patients' actual levels of performance across the same activities to produce QOL-weighted functional status scores and to form "value rulers" to order activities by perceived importance. Persons with severe disabilities living in the community and clinicians practicing in various rehabilitation disciplines. Two panels of 5 consumers with disabilities and 2 panels of 5 rehabilitation clinicians. The 4 panels played the Features Resource Trade-Off Game by using the FIMT(TM) instrument definitions. Utility weights for each of the 18 FIM items, QOL-weighted FIM scores, and value rulers. All 4 panels valued the achievement of independence in cognitive and communication activities more than independence in physical activities. Consequently, the unweighted FIM scores of patients who have severe physical disabilities but relatively intact cognitive skills will underestimate QOL, while inflating QOL in those with low levels of independence in cognition and communication but higher physical function. Independence in some activities is more valued than in others; thus, 2 people with the same numeric functional status score could experience very different QOL. QOL-weighted functional status scores translate objectively measured functional status into its subjective meaning. This new technology for measuring subjective function-related QOL has a variety of applications to clinical, educational, and research practices.

Instantaneous Metabolic Cost of Walking: Joint-Space Dynamic Model with Subject-Specific Heat Rate.

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Dustyn Roberts

Full Text Available A subject-specific model of instantaneous cost of transport (ICOT is introduced from the joint-space formulation of metabolic energy expenditure using the laws of thermodynamics and the principles of multibody system dynamics. Work and heat are formulated in generalized coordinates as functions of joint kinematic and dynamic variables. Generalized heat rates mapped from muscle energetics are estimated from experimental walking metabolic data for the whole body, including upper-body and bilateral data synchronization. Identified subject-specific energetic parameters-mass, height, (estimated maximum oxygen uptake, and (estimated maximum joint torques-are incorporated into the heat rate, as opposed to the traditional in vitro and subject-invariant muscle parameters. The total model metabolic energy expenditure values are within 5.7 ± 4.6% error of the measured values with strong (R2 > 0.90 inter- and intra-subject correlations. The model reliably predicts the characteristic convexity and magnitudes (0.326-0.348 of the experimental total COT (0.311-0.358 across different subjects and speeds. The ICOT as a function of time provides insights into gait energetic causes and effects (e.g., normalized comparison and sensitivity with respect to walking speed and phase-specific COT, which are unavailable from conventional metabolic measurements or muscle models. Using the joint-space variables from commonly measured or simulated data, the models enable real-time and phase-specific evaluations of transient or non-periodic general tasks that use a range of (aerobic energy pathway similar to that of steady-state walking.

Math-related career aspirations and choices within Eccles et al.'s expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors.

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Lauermann, Fani; Tsai, Yi-Miau; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2017-08-01

Which occupation to pursue is one of the more consequential decisions people make and represents a key developmental task. Yet the underlying developmental processes associated with either individual or group differences in occupational choices are still not well understood. This study contributes toward filling this gap, focusing in particular on the math domain. We examined two aspects of Eccles et al.'s (1983) expectancy-value theory of achievement-related behaviors: (a) the reciprocal associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs and adolescents' career plans and (b) the multiplicative association between expectancies and values in predicting occupational outcomes in the math domain. Our analyses indicate that adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math and their math- or science-related career plans reported at the beginning and end of high school predict each other over time, with the exception of intrinsic interest in math. Furthermore, multiplicative associations between adolescents' expectancy and subjective task value beliefs about math predict math-related career attainment approximately 15 years after graduation from high school. Gender differences emerged regarding career-related beliefs and career attainment, with male students being more likely than female to both pursue and attain math-related careers. These gender differences could not be explained by differences in beliefs about math as an academic subject. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).