Comparing the validity and output of the GT1M and GT3X accelerometer in 5- to 9-year-old children

The purpose of this study was to compare the validity and output of the biaxial ActiGraph GT1M and the triaxial GT3X (ActiGraph, LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA)accelerometer in 5- to 9-year-old children. Thirty-two children wore the two monitors while their energy expenditure was measured with indirect calorimetry. They performed four locomotor and four play activities in an exercise laboratory and were further measured during 12 minutes of a sports lesson. Validity evidence in relation to indirect calorimetry was examined with linear regression equations applied to the laboratory data. During the sports lessons predicted energy expenditure according to the regression equations was compared to measured energy expenditure with the Wilcoxon-signed rank test and the Spearman correlation. To compare the output, agreement between counts of the two monitors during the laboratory activities was assessed with Bland-Altman plots. The evidence of validity was similar for both monitors. Agreement between the output of the two monitors was good for vertical counts (mean bias = −14 ± 22 counts) but not for horizontal counts (−17 ± 32 counts). The current results indicate that the two accelerometer models are able to estimate energy expenditure of a range of physical activities equally well in young children. However, they show output differences for movement in the horizontal direction.

Der mittelfristige Einfluss von Feedback auf die Leistung von Mastery oder Performance motivierten Personen

In vielen Situationen bekommen Personen beim Lernen neuer Aufgaben in einer ersten Phase Feedback, doch in einer zweiten Phase arbeiten sie ohne Feedback. Bislang gibt es einige Befunde zu der Auswirkung eines Feedbacks auf die unmittelbare Leistung, nicht jedoch auf die mittelfristige Leistung in einer Phase ohne Feedback. Es ist zu erwarten, dass die Form der Leistungsmotivation hier eine entscheidende Rolle spielt. Für Personen, die das Ziel haben, besser zu sein als andere, kann ein negatives Feedback eine Bedrohung des Selbstwertes darstellen und daher demotivieren. Mittelfristig sollte jedoch die Bedrohung des Selbstwertes abnehmen. Daher ist zu erwarten, dass Feedback mittelfristig die Leistung steigert. Für Personen, die das Ziel haben, ihre Kenntnisse zu verbessern, stellt ein negatives Feedback keine Bedrohung des Selbstwertes da. Daher sollte sich Feedback anfänglich positiv auf die Leistung auswirken. Diese Personen lieben jedoch das Gefühl, sich Kenntnisse selbst zu erarbeitet zu haben. Feedback verdirbt den Spass am selbstständigen Explorieren und Lösungen finden. Feedback sollte daher - nach einer anfänglichen Leistungssteigerung- mittelfristig zu einer Verringerung der Leistung führen. Wir zeigen in einer Studie in der Tangram Puzzles gelöst wurden, dass beide Prozesse stattfinden.

Influence of directionality and maximal power output on speech understanding with bone anchored hearing implants in single sided deafness

Bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHI) are routinely used to alleviate the effects of the acoustic head shadow in single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD). In this study, the influence of the directional microphone setting and the maximum power output of the BAHI sound processor on speech understanding in noise in a laboratory setting were investigated. Eight adult BAHI users with SSD participated in this pilot study. Speech understanding in noise was measured using a new Slovak speech-in-noise test in two different spatial settings, either with noise coming from the front and noise from the side of the BAHI (S90N0) or vice versa (S0N90). In both spatial settings, speech understanding was measured without a BAHI, with a Baha BP100 in omnidirectional mode, with a BP100 in directional mode, with a BP110 power in omnidirectional and with a BP110 power in directional mode. In spatial setting S90N0, speech understanding in noise with either sound processor and in either directional mode was improved by 2.2-2.8 dB (p = 0.004-0.016). In spatial setting S0N90, speech understanding in noise was reduced by either BAHI, but was significantly better by 1.0-1.8 dB, if the directional microphone system was activated (p = 0.046), when compared to the omnidirectional setting. With the limited number of subjects in this study, no statistically significant differences were found between the two sound processors.

How Welfare States Shape the Democratic Public: Policy Feedback, Participation, Voting and Attitudes

This crucial volume significantly advances the study of policy feedbacks. With contributions from many subfields and methodological approaches, it offers both sophisticated theorizing and new empirical examples that show how policies make politics in a variety of ways. Innovative research designs provide more convincing inference than ever. And the normative questions engaged about welfare performance, evaluation, participation, and accountability could not be more important or timely in this era of austerity and discord over the future of welfare states.’

Dynamics of a minimal model of interlocked positive and negative feedback loops of transcriptional regulation by cAMP-response element binding proteins.

cAMP-response element binding (CREB) proteins are involved in transcriptional regulation in a number of cellular processes (e.g., neural plasticity and circadian rhythms). The CREB family contains activators and repressors that may interact through positive and negative feedback loops. These loops can be generated by auto- and cross-regulation of expression of CREB proteins, via CRE elements in or near their genes. Experiments suggest that such feedback loops may operate in several systems (e.g., Aplysia and rat). To understand the functional implications of such feedback loops, which are interlocked via cross-regulation of transcription, a minimal model with a positive and negative loop was developed and investigated using bifurcation analysis. Bifurcation analysis revealed diverse nonlinear dynamics (e.g., bistability and oscillations). The stability of steady states or oscillations could be changed by time delays in the synthesis of the activator (CREB1) or the repressor (CREB2). Investigation of stochastic fluctuations due to small numbers of molecules of CREB1 and CREB2 revealed a bimodal distribution of CREB molecules in the bistability region. The robustness of the stable HIGH and LOW states of CREB expression to stochastic noise differs, and a critical number of molecules was required to sustain the HIGH state for days or longer. Increasing positive feedback or decreasing negative feedback also increased the lifetime of the HIGH state, and persistence of this state may correlate with long-term memory formation. A critical number of molecules was also required to sustain robust oscillations of CREB expression. If a steady state was near a deterministic Hopf bifurcation point, stochastic resonance could induce oscillations. This comparative analysis of deterministic and stochastic dynamics not only provides insights into the possible dynamics of CREB regulatory motifs, but also demonstrates a framework for understanding other regulatory processes with similar network architecture.

A reduced model clarifies the role of feedback loops and time delays in the Drosophila circadian oscillator.

Although several detailed models of molecular processes essential for circadian oscillations have been developed, their complexity makes intuitive understanding of the oscillation mechanism difficult. The goal of the present study was to reduce a previously developed, detailed model to a minimal representation of the transcriptional regulation essential for circadian rhythmicity in Drosophila. The reduced model contains only two differential equations, each with time delays. A negative feedback loop is included, in which PER protein represses per transcription by binding the dCLOCK transcription factor. A positive feedback loop is also included, in which dCLOCK indirectly enhances its own formation. The model simulated circadian oscillations, light entrainment, and a phase-response curve with qualitative similarities to experiment. Time delays were found to be essential for simulation of circadian oscillations with this model. To examine the robustness of the simplified model to fluctuations in molecule numbers, a stochastic variant was constructed. Robust circadian oscillations and entrainment to light pulses were simulated with fewer than 80 molecules of each gene product present on average. Circadian oscillations persisted when the positive feedback loop was removed. Moreover, elimination of positive feedback did not decrease the robustness of oscillations to stochastic fluctuations or to variations in parameter values. Such reduced models can aid understanding of the oscillation mechanisms in Drosophila and in other organisms in which feedback regulation of transcription may play an important role.

Impact of dams, dam removal and dam-related river engineering structures on sediment connectivity and channel morphology of the Fugnitz and the Kaja Rivers

In terms of changing flow and sediment regimes of rivers, dams are often regarded as the most dominant form of human impact on fluvial systems. Dams can decrease the flux of water and sediments leading to channel changes such as upstream aggradation and downstream degradation. The opposite effects occur when dams are removed. Channel degradation often requires further intervention in terms of river bed and bank protection works. The situation evolves more complex in river systems that are impacted by a series of dams due to feedback processes between the different system compartments. A number of studies have recently investigated geomorphic systems using connectivity approaches to improve the understanding of geomorphic system response to change. This paper presents a case study investigating the impact of dam construction, dam removal and dam-related river bed and bank protection measures on the sediment connectivity and channel morphology of the Fugnitz and the Kaja Rivers using a combination of DEM analyses, field surveys and landscape evolution modelling. For both river systems the results revealed low sediment connectivity accompanied by a fine river bed sediment facies in river sections upstream of active dams and of removed dams with protection measures. Contrarily, high sediment connectivity which was accompanied by a coarse river bed sediment facies was observed in river sections either located downstream of active dams or of removed dams with upstream protection. In terms of channel changes, significant channel degradation was examined at locations downstream of active dams and of removed dams. Channel bed and bank protection measures prevent erosion and channel slope recovery after dam removal. Landscape evolution modeling revealed a complex geomorphic response to dam construction and dam removal as sediment output rates and therefore geomorphic processes have been shown to act in a non-linear manner. These insights are deemed to have major implications for river management and conservation, as quality and state of riverine habitats are determined by channel morphology and river bed sediment composition.

Quality of feedback to e-mail requests - an explorative study in alpine tourism destinations

The central aim of our project is to explore the handling of e-mail request from customers by tourist organisations and to explain the perceived behaviour. For this purpose, we designed a qualitative empirical study which consists basically of two stages. The first stage consists of a black-box test where we employ the setting of a qualitative experiment to measure the behaviour of the organisation to an e-mail request. The second stage comprises a with-box test where we want to look into the tourist organizations and analyse the relevant information processes. This study should give as some insight in the internal processing of e-mail requests and thus should help to explain the reactions that we registered.

Reliability of lithium dilution cardiac output in anaesthetized sheep

BACKGROUND: Cardiac output (CO) measurement with lithium dilution (COLD) has not been fully validated in sheep using precise ultrasonic flow probe technology (COUFP). Sheep generate important cardiovascular research models and the use of COLD has become more popular in experimental settings. METHODS: Ultrasonic transit-time perivascular flow probes were surgically implanted on the pulmonary artery of 13 sheep. Paired COLD readings were taken at six time points, before and after implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and compared with COUFP recorded just after lithium injection. RESULTS: The mean COLD was 5.7 litre min(-1) (range 3.8-9.6 litre min(-1)) and mean COUFP 5.9 litre min(-1) (range 4.0-9.2 litre min(-1)). The bias (standard deviation) was 0.3 (1.0) litre min(-1) [5.1 (16.9)%] and limits of agreement (LOA) were -1.7 to 2.3 litre min(-1) (-28.8 to 39.0%) with a percentage error (PE) of 34.4%. Data to assess trending [rate (95% confidence intervals)] included a 78 (62-93)% concordance rate in the four-quadrant plot (n=27). In the half moon polar plot (n=19), the mean polar angle was +5°, the radial LOA were -49 to +35° and 68 (47-89)% of data points fell within 22.5° of the mean polar angle. Both tests indicated moderate to poor trending ability. CONCLUSION: COLD is not precise when evaluated against COUFP in sheep based on the statistical criteria set, but the results are comparable with previously published animal studies. KEYWORDS:

Ultrasound feedback and motivational interviewing targeting smoking cessation in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and child health outcomes. Effective interventions to increase smoking cessation rates are needed particularly for pregnant women unable to quit in their first trimester. Real-time ultrasound feedback focused on potential effects of smoking on the fetus may be an effective treatment adjunct, improving smoking outcomes. METHODS: A prospective randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a smoking cessation intervention consisting of personalized feedback during ultrasound plus motivational interviewing-based counseling sessions. Pregnant smokers (N = 360) between 16 and 26 weeks of gestation were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Best Practice (BP) only, Best Practice plus ultrasound feedback (BP+US), or Motivational Interviewing-based counseling plus ultrasound feedback (MI+US). Assessments were conducted at baseline and end of pregnancy (EOP). RESULTS: Analyses of cotinine-verified self-reported smoking status at EOP indicated that 10.8% of the BP group was not smoking at EOP; 14.2% in the BP+US condition and 18.3% who received MI+US were abstinent, but differences were not statistically significant. Intervention effects were found conditional upon level of baseline smoking, however. Nearly 34% of light smokers (< or =10 cigarettes/day) in the MI+US condition were abstinent at EOP, followed by 25.8% and 15.6% in the BP+US and BP conditions, respectively. Heavy smokers (>10 cigarettes/day) were notably unaffected by the intervention. DISCUSSION: Future research should confirm benefit of motivational interviewing plus ultrasound feedback for pregnant light smokers and explore mechanisms of action. Innovative interventions for pregnant women smoking at high levels are sorely needed.