An integrative marketing channel performance measurement framework

This paper proposes a number of channel performance measurement research propositions. The paper reviews the strategy implementation, strategic control, marketing metrics, marketing channels and performance measurement literature to develop a conceptual model and research propositions. Current channel performance measurement guidelines are too generic for marketing managers and too reliant on financial measures. The introduction of contextual variables such as strategy, culture and manager's personality may provide measures more useful for an individual company's context and requirements. The alignment of channel measures with business strategy should result in more effective and efficient use of channel resources.

Community reintegration of ex-prisoners : type and degree of change in variables influencing successful reintegration

Community reintegration of ex-prisoners is an important issue in efforts to reduce recidivism. The present study examined the multiple, complex, and dynamic nature of variables influencing successful reintegration by assessing the type and degree of change in reintegration variables over time. Participants were 79 adult prisoners (54 male, 25 female) who completed a prerelease questionnaire 1 month before their release, which focused on prison-related variables, participant background, and anticipated conditions upon release. A postrelease questionnaire was administered to the same participants at 1-4 weeks and 3-4 months postrelease, focusing on the quality of life conditions experienced following release. Results indicate that current health ratings and several indicators of drug use were significantly different over the three measurement phases. Ratings of employment and housing stability, finance, and social support were unchanged over the postrelease period. Theoretical implications of the present investigation for reintegration theory are discussed, together with practical applications.

Bone geometry in response to long-term tennis playing and its relationship with muscle volume : a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study in tennis players

The benefit of impact-loading activity for bone strength depends on whether the additional bone mineral content (BMC) accrued at loaded sites is due to an increased bone size, volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) or both. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the aim of this study was to characterize the geometric changes of the dominant radius in response to long-term tennis playing and to assess the influence of muscle forces on bone tissue by investigating the muscle–bone relationship. Twenty tennis players (10 men and 10 women, mean age: 23.1 ± 4.7 years, with 14.3 ± 3.4 years of playing) were recruited. The total bone volume, cortical volume, sub-cortical volume and muscle volume were measured at both distal radii by MRI. BMC was assessed by DXA and was divided by the total bone volume to derive vBMD. Grip strength was evaluated with a dynamometer. Significant side-to-side differences (P < 0.0001) were found in muscle volume (+9.7%), grip strength (+13.3%), BMC (+13.5%), total bone volume (+10.3%) and sub-cortical volume (+20.6%), but not in cortical volume (+2.6%, ns). The asymmetry in total bone volume explained 75% of the variance in BMC asymmetry (P < 0.0001). vBMD was slightly higher on the dominant side (+3.3%, P < 0.05). Grip strength and muscle volume correlated with all bone variables (except vBMD) on both sides (r = 0.48–0.86, P < 0.05–0.0001) but the asymmetries in muscle parameters did not correlate with those in bone parameters. After adjustment for muscle volume or grip strength, BMC was still greater on the dominant side. This study showed that the greater BMC induced by long-term tennis playing at the dominant radius was associated to a marked increase in bone size and a slight improvement in volumetric BMD, thereby improving bone strength. In addition to the muscle contractions, other mechanical stimuli seemed to exert a direct effect on bone tissue, contributing to the specific bone response to tennis playing.

Vehicle detection and classification by measuring and processing magnetic signal

This paper presents novel vehicle detection and classification method by measuring and processing magnetic signal based on single micro-electro- mechanical system (MEMS) magnetic sensor. When a vehicle moves over the ground, it generates a succession of impacts on the earth's magnetic field, which can be detected by single magnetic sensor. The magnetic signal measured by the magnetic sensor is related to the moving direction and the type of the vehicle. Generally, the recognition rate using single sensor detector is not high. In order to improve the recognition rate, a novel feature extraction algorithm and a novel vehicle classification and recognition algorithm are presented. The concavity and convexity areas, and the angles of concave and convex parts of the waveform are extracted. An improved support vector machine (ISVM) classifier is developed to perform vehicle classification and recognition. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by outdoor experiments.

Analysis of dynamic strains in tibia during human locomotion based on flexible multibody approach integrated with magnetic resonance imaging technique

Bone is known to adapt to the prevalent strain environment while the variation in strains, e.g., due to mechanical loading, modulates bone remodeling, and modeling. Dynamic strains rather than static strains provide the primary stimulus of bone functional adaptation. The finite element method can be generally used for estimating bone strains, but it may be limited to the static analysis of bone strains since the dynamic analysis requires expensive computation. Direct in vivo strain measurement, in turn, is an invasive procedure, limited to certain superficial bone sites, and requires surgical implementation of strain gauges and thus involves risks (e.g., infection). Therefore, to overcome difficulties associated with the finite element method and the in vivo strain measurements, the flexible multibody simulation approach has been recently introduced as a feasible method to estimate dynamic bone strains during physical activity. The purpose of the present study is to further strengthen the idea of using the flexible multibody approach for the analysis of dynamic bone strains. Besides discussing the background theory, magnetic resonance imaging is integrated into the flexible multibody approach framework so that the actual bone geometry could be better accounted for and the accuracy of prediction improved.

Kaleidoscope configurations for reflectance measurement

Simulations of different configurations of the symmetrical tapered kaleidoscope are performed to assess their merits for measurement of BRDFs and BTFs. The relationship between optimal kaleidoscope layout, and factors such as hardware restrictions and the resolution of the required reflectance function, is derived. The effect on the measurement of the reflectance function of changing these independent variables is examined through the simulation. These experiments highlight issues affecting the measurement of BTFs using kaleidoscopes, and suggest configurations that allow sampling at regular parameter intervals. A number of other kaleidoscope architectures are explored, which offer the benefits of potentially doubling the range of directions that can be sampled, and allowing adaptive control of sample intervals.

What has transcranial magnetic stimulation taught us about neural adaptations to strength training? A brief review

The evidence for neural mechanisms underpinning rapid strength increases has been investigated and discussed for over 30 years using indirect methods, such as surface electromyography, with inferences made toward the nervous system. Alternatively, electrical stimulation techniques such as the Hoffman reflex, volitional wave, and maximal wave have provided evidence of central nervous system changes at the spinal level. For 25 years, the technique of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has allowed for noninvasive supraspinal measurement of the human nervous system in a number of areas such as fatigue, skill acquisition, clinical neurophysiology, and neurology. However, it has only been within the last decade that this technique has been used to assess neural changes after strength training. The aim of this brief review is to provide an overview of TMS, discuss specific strength training studies that have investigated changes, after short-term strength training in healthy populations in upper and lower limbs, and conclude with further research suggestions and the application of this knowledge for the strength and conditioning coach.

Direct measurement of surface forces due to charging of solids immersed in a nonpolar liquid

Direct measurements of a long-range force between charged solid surfaces in a nonpolar liquid are presented for the first time. Measurements were made between mica surfaces in solutions of the anionic surfactant sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) at millimolar concentrations in n-decane using a surface force apparatus which has been modified to improve its sensitivity for detecting a weak and long-range force. Modifications include a magnetic drive system, the use of a weak cantilever spring with the apparatus mounted in a vertical configuration, and a detailed consideration of the interference optics to allow accurate measurements of surface separations up to several micrometers. The results show a repulsion that is well fitted by theoretical curves based on a model in which only counterions enter the calculation, in other words, in the absence of a reservoir of ions in the solvent. Fitting the theory to the data allows an estimate of the mica surface charge density of ∼1 mC/m². A mechanism for surface charging of mica in this solution is proposed, which includes a role for trace amounts of water that are inevitably present and adsorbed surface aggregates of AOT. The relevance of the results to previously observed charge stabilization of colloids in nonaqueous solvents is discussed.

Magnetic liquid marbles : Toward “Lab in a Droplet“

Liquid marbles exhibit great potential for use as miniature labs for small-scale laboratory operations, such as experiment and measurement. While important progress has been made recently in exploring their applications as microreactions, “on-line“ measurement of the components inside the liquid still remains a challenge. Herein, it is demonstrated that “on-line“ detection can be realized on magnetic liquid marbles by taking advantage of their unique magnetic opening feature. By partially opening the particle shell, electrochemical measurement is carried out with a miniaturized three-electrode probe and the application of this technique for quantitative measurement of dopamine is demonstrated. Fully opened magnetic liquid marble makes it feasible to detect the optical absorbance of the liquid in a transmission mode. With this optical method, a glucose assay is demonstrated. Moreover, when magnetic particle shell contains low melting point material, e.g., wax, the liquid marble shows a unique encapsulation ability to form a rigid shell after heating, which facilitates the storage of the non-volatile ingredients. These unique features, together with the versatile use as microreactors, enable magnetic liquid marbles to function as a miniature lab (or called “lab in a droplet“), which may find applications in clinical diagnostics, biotechnology, chemical synthesis, and analytical chemistry.

Estimation of changes in volume of individual lower-limb muscles using magnetic resonance imaging (during bed-rest)

Muscle size in the lower limb is commonly assessed in neuromuscular research as it correlates with muscle function and some approaches have been assessed for their ability to provide valid estimates of muscle volume. Work to date has not examined the ability of different measurement approaches (such as cross-sectional area (CSA) measures on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging) to accurately track changes in muscle volume as a result of an intervention, such as exercise, injury or disuse. Here we assess whether (a) the percentage change in muscle CSA in 17 lower-limb muscles during 56 days bed-rest, as assessed by five different algorithms, lies within 0.5% of the muscle volume change and (b) the variability of the outcome measure is comparable to that of muscle volume. We find that an approach selecting the MR image with the highest muscle CSA and then a series of CSA measures, the number of which depended upon the muscle considered, immediately distal and proximal, provided an acceptable estimate of the muscle volume change. In the vastii, peroneal, sartorius and anterior tibial muscle groups, accurate results can be attained by increasing the spacing between CSA measures, thus reducing the total number of MR images and hence the measurement time. In the two heads of biceps femoris, semimembranosus and gracilis, it is not possible to reduce the number of CSA measures and the entire muscle volume must be evaluated. Using these approaches one can reduce the number of CSA measures required to estimate changes in muscle volume by ~60%. These findings help to attain more efficient means to track muscle volume changes in interventional studies.

Real-time ultrasound measures of lumbar erector spinae and multifidus: reliability and comparison to magnetic resonance imaging

In this work we examine the reliability and validity (in comparison to magnetic resonance imaging; MRI) of real-time ultrasound measures of lumbar erector spinae thickness. We also consider the between-day reliability of the lumbar multifidus muscle area as measured via ultrasound. 23 male subjects aged 21-45 years were measured three times over the course of nine days by one operator. The first (L1) through to the fifth (L5) lumbar vertebral levels were measured on the left and right sides. MRI was performed on the same day as first ultrasound scanning. For between-day intra-rater reliability, intra-class correlation co-efficients (ICCs), standard error of the measurement, minimal detectable difference and co-efficients of variation (CVs) were calculated along with their 95% confidence intervals and Bland-Altman analysis was performed. On Bland-Altman analysis, erector spinae thickness and multifidus area ultrasound measures 'agreed' with equivalent MR measures, though the correlation between MR and ultrasound measures was typically poor to moderate. For both ultrasound measures, the ICCs ranged from 'moderate' to 'excellent' at individual vertebral levels, although multifidus area (CV ranged from 8 to 15%) was less reliable than erector spinae thickness (CV ranged from 6 to 10%). 'Agreement' on Bland-Altmann analysis was present between days for all ultrasound measures. Averaging between sides and between vertebral levels improved reliability. Average erector spinae thickness showed a CV of 5.5% (ICC 0.77) and average multifidus area 6.2% (ICC 0.80).