The impact of neighborhood walkability on walking: Does it differ across adult life stage and does neighborhood buffer size matter?

Abstract Purpose Capability wellbeing measures, such as the ICECAP measures, have been proposed for use in economic evaluations to capture broader outcomes of health and care interventions. The ICECAP measures have been developed to reflect capabilities at different stages of life. Some patient groups include patients of different ages and at different stages of life, so it is not always apparent which ICECAP measure is most relevant. This study explores the impact of age and life stage on completion, where both ICECAP-A and ICECAP-O were completed by the same patient. Methods A think-aloud study, and an associated semi-structured interview were conducted with people receiving kidney care as a renal outpatient, kidney transplant outpatient, or through receiving facility-based haemodialysis. Qualitative analysis focused on (1) differences in responses across measures by individuals, where attributes had conceptual overlap, (2) key factors in self-reported capability levels, and (3) measure preference. Results Thirty participants were included in the study, with a mix of older and younger adults. Attributes with similar wording across measures produced similar responses compared to attributes where wording differed. Age and health were key factors for self-reported capability levels. ICECAP-A was slightly preferred overall, including by older adults. Conclusion This study suggests use of ICECAP-A in patients with certain chronic health conditions that include a mix of adults across the life course. This study highlights the importance of considering the stage of life when using capability measures and in economic evaluations of health and care interventions more generally.

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Developmental up-regulation of NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mGlu5 receptor knock-out mice

Molecular Brain ◽

10.1186/s13041-021-00784-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tiziana Imbriglio ◽

Remy Verhaeghe ◽

Nico Antenucci ◽

Stefania Maccari ◽

Giuseppe Battaglia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Nmda Receptor ◽

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors ◽

Adult Life ◽

Developmental Time ◽

Postnatal Life ◽

Developmental Studies ◽

Knock Out ◽

Nmda Receptor Subunits ◽

The Impact

AbstractmGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors are highly expressed and functional in the early postnatal life, and are known to positively modulate NMDA receptor function. Here, we examined the expression of NMDA receptor subunits and interneuron-related genes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mGlu5−/− mice and wild-type littermates at three developmental time points (PND9, − 21, and − 75). We were surprised to find that expression of all NMDA receptor subunits was greatly enhanced in mGlu5−/− mice at PND21. In contrast, at PND9, expression of the GluN2B subunit was enhanced, whereas expression of GluN2A and GluN2D subunits was reduced in both regions. These modifications were transient and disappeared in the adult life (PND75). Changes in the transcripts of interneuron-related genes (encoding parvalbumin, somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, reelin, and the two isoforms of glutamate decarboxylase) were also observed in mGlu5−/− mice across postnatal development. For example, the transcript encoding parvalbumin was up-regulated in the prefrontal cortex of mGlu5−/− mice at PND9 and PND21, whereas it was significantly reduced at PND75. These findings suggest that in mGlu5−/− mice a transient overexpression of NMDA receptor subunits may compensate for the lack of the NMDA receptor partner, mGlu5. Interestingly, in mGlu5−/− mice the behavioral response to the NMDA channel blocker, MK-801, was significantly increased at PND21, and largely reduced at PND75. The impact of adaptive changes in the expression of NMDA receptor subunits should be taken into account when mGlu5−/− mice are used for developmental studies.

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How far from the road should land cover be assessed? A case study on mesopredator mortality on roads

European Journal of Wildlife Research ◽

10.1007/s10344-021-01461-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Angelika Nieszała ◽

Daniel Klich

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Red Fox ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Buffer Size ◽

Local Conditions ◽

Explanatory Variables ◽

The Road ◽

Spatially Correlated ◽

European Badger ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe methods used to assess the significance of land cover in the vicinity of a road for the mortality of mesopredators are diverse. In assessing the effect of land cover along the road on road causalities, scientists use various buffer sizes, or even no buffer along the road. The aim of this study was to verify how results of land cover effects on the mortality of mesopredators on roads may differ when analyzing various buffer sizes from the road. We assessed road causalities in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship (Poland) from 3 consecutive years: 2015, 2016, and 2017. The roads were divided into equal sections of 2000 m each with buffer size of radius: 10, 250, 500, and 1000 m. We analyzed the number of road kills of red fox and European badger separately in a generalized linear model, whereas explanatory variables we used land cover types (based on the Corine Land Cover inventory) and traffic volume. Mean annual mortality from road collisions amounts to 2.36% of the red fox population and 3.82% of the European badger population. We found that the buffer size determines the results of the impact of land cover on mesocarnivore mortality on roads. The red fox differed from the European badger in response to land cover depending on the buffer size. The differences we have shown relate in particular to built-up areas. Our results indicate a 500-m buffer as best reflecting the land cover effects in road kills of both species. This was confirmed by model evaluation and a tendency to use or avoid the vicinity of human settlements of the analyzed species. We concluded that buffer size will probably affect mostly the significance of cover types that are spatially correlated with roads, positively or negatively. We suggest that the home range size of given species in local conditions should be assessed before determining the size of the buffer for analysis.

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Risk factors for physical inactivity across the adult life span: the impact of depression

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1017/s092427080003088x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 274-274

Author(s):

J Walker ◽

H Christensen ◽

T Windsor ◽

A George

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Life Span ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Adult Life ◽

Adult Life Span ◽

The Impact

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Measuring the impact of Kommerell diverticulum-does the side and size matter?

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.06.054 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Karthik Vaidyanathan Ramakrishnan

Keyword(s):

Size Matter ◽

The Impact ◽

Kommerell Diverticulum

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Wolbachia-Mediated Antiviral Protection in Drosophila Larvae and Adults following Oral Infection

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02841-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 81 (23) ◽

pp. 8215-8223 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Aleksej L. Stevanovic ◽

Pieter A. Arnold ◽

Karyn N. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Virus Infection ◽

Oral Delivery ◽

Life Stage ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Oral Exposure ◽

Viral Dynamics ◽

Content Type ◽

Viral Spread ◽

Infected Insect ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTUnderstanding viral dynamics in arthropods is of great importance when designing models to describe how viral spread can influence arthropod populations. The endosymbiotic bacteriumWolbachiaspp., which is present in up to 40% of all insect species, has the ability to alter viral dynamics in bothDrosophilaspp. and mosquitoes, a feature that in mosquitoes may be utilized to limit spread of important arboviruses. To understand the potential effect ofWolbachiaon viral dynamics in nature, it is important to consider the impact of natural routes of virus infection onWolbachiaantiviral effects. Using adultDrosophilastrains, we show here thatDrosophila-Wolbachiaassociations that have previously been shown to confer antiviral protection following systemic viral infection also confer protection against virus-induced mortality following oral exposure to Drosophila C virus in adults. Interestingly, a different pattern was observed when the same fly lines were challenged with the virus when still larvae. Analysis of the fourDrosophila-Wolbachiaassociations that were protective in adults indicated that only the w1118-wMelPop association conferred protection in larvae following oral delivery of the virus. Analysis ofWolbachiadensity using quantitative PCR (qPCR) showed that a highWolbachiadensity was congruent with antiviral protection in both adults and larvae. This study indicates thatWolbachia-mediated protection may vary between larval and adult stages of a givenWolbachia-host combination and that the variations in susceptibility by life stage correspond withWolbachiadensity. The differences in the outcome of virus infection are likely to influence viral dynamics inWolbachia-infected insect populations in nature and could also have important implications for the transmission of arboviruses in mosquito populations.

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What should be lean buffer threshold for the forward-reserve warehouse?

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management ◽

10.1108/ijppm-02-2021-0075 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Bhavin Shah

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Model ◽

Customer Service ◽

Value Added ◽

Service Level ◽

Buffer Size ◽

Value Stream Mapping ◽

Content Type ◽

Customer Service Level ◽

The Impact ◽

Just Right

PurposeThe assorted piece-wise retail orders in a cosmetics warehouse are fulfilled through a separate fast-picking area called Forward Buffer (FB). This study determines “just-right” size of FB to ensure desired Customer Service Level (CSL) at least storage wastages. It also investigates the impact of FB capacity and demand variations on FB leanness.Design/methodology/approachA Value Stream Mapping (VSM) tool is applied to analyse the warehouse activities and mathematical model is implemented in MATLAB to quantify the leanness at desired CSL. A comprehensive framework is developed to determine lean FB buffer size for a Retail Distribution Centre (RDC) of a cosmetics industry.FindingsThe CSL increases monotonically; however, the results concerning spent efforts towards CSL improvement gets diminished with raised demand variances. The desired CSL can be achieved at least FB capacity and fewer Storage Waste (SW) as it shifts towards more lean system regime. It is not possible to improve Value Added (VA) time beyond certain constraints and therefore, it is recommended to reduce Non-Value Added (NVA) order processing activities to improve leanness.Research limitations/implicationsThis study determines “just-right” capacity and investigates the impact of buffer and demand variations on leanness. It helps managers to analyse warehouse processes and design customized distribution policies in food, beverage and retail grocery warehouse.Practical implicationsProposed buffering model offers customized strategies beyond pre-set CSL by varying it dynamically to reduce wastages. The mathematical model deriving lean sizing and mitigation guidelines are constructive development for managers.Originality/valueThis research provides an inventive approach of VSM model and Mathematical algorithm endorsing lean thinking to design effective buffering policies in a forward warehouse.

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Influence of Dietary Nutrient Intake on Episodic Memory Across the Adult Life Span

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2021.724595 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Selene Cansino ◽

Frine Torres-Trejo ◽

Cinthya Estrada-Manilla ◽

Adriana Flores-Mendoza ◽

Gerardo Ramírez-Pérez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Episodic Memory ◽

Life Span ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Life Stage ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Adult Life ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Daily Consumption ◽

Adult Life Span

The aim of the study was to identify nutrients that have the ability to impact brain functioning and, as a consequence, influence episodic memory. In particular, we examined recollection, the ability to recall details of previous experiences, which is the episodic memory process most affected as age advances. A sample of 1,550 healthy participants between 21 and 80 years old participated in the study. Nutritional intake was examined through a food frequency questionnaire and software developed to determine the daily consumption of 64 nutrients based on food intake during the last year. Recollection was measured through a computerized source memory paradigm. First, we identified which nutrients influence recollection across the entire adult life span. Then, moderator analyses were conducted by dividing the sample into young (21–40 years old), middle-aged (41–60 years old) and older (61–80 years old) adults to establish in which life stage nutrients influence episodic memory. Across the adult life span, recollection accuracy was shown to benefit from the intake of sodium, heme, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin B6, cholesterol, alcohol, fat, protein, and palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, oleic, gadoleic, alpha-linoleic and linoleic acid. The effects of energy, maltose, lactose, calcium and several saturated fatty acids on recollection were modulated by age; in older adults, the consumption of these nutrients negatively influenced episodic memory performance, and in middle-aged adults, only lactose had negative effects. Several brain mechanisms that support episodic memory were influenced by specific nutrients, demonstrating the ability of food to enhance or deteriorate episodic memory.

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THE IMPACT OF FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON CHILDREN’S ANXIETY LEVEL/ ŠEIMOS APLINKOS POVEIKIS VAIKO NERIMO LYGIUI

SPECIALUSIS UGDYMAS / SPECIAL EDUCATION ◽

10.21277/se.v1i38.395 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (38) ◽

pp. 191

Author(s):

Mieczysław Dudek ◽

Eva Dolinská ◽

Vladimir Klein ◽

Viera Šilonová

Keyword(s):

Family Environment ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Developmental Disorders ◽

Great Influence ◽

Adult Life ◽

Anxiety Level ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Children’S Anxiety ◽

The Impact

Family and emotional relationships governing its functioning have a great influence upon the development of a person and his/her adult life. The specificity of a family environment is believed to be the key factor which either protects against, or contributes to, the emergence of developmental disorders during adolescence. Research results presented in this paper aim at highlighting the relationships between traits of family environment and children’s anxiety level. The research was conducted from 2015 to 2016 among 180 students of Polish junior high schools located in both: rural and urban areas. Šeima ir emociniai ryšiai daro didelę įtaką vaiko raidai ir suaugusiojo gyvenimui. Manoma, kad šeimos aplinkos specifika yra esminis veiksnys, kuris arba apsaugo nuo vystymosi sutrikimų paauglystės laikotarpiu atsiradimo, arba juos sukelia. Straipsnyje pateikiami tyrimų rezultatai siekia pabrėžti ryšį tarp šeimos aplinkos ypatybių ir vaikų nerimo lygio. Tyrimas buvo atliekamas 2015 m., apklausiant 180 Lenkijos aukštesniųjų klasių mokinių iš kaimiškųjų vietovių ir miestų

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A Proposed Adaptive Bitrate Scheme Based on Bandwidth Prediction Algorithm for Smoothly Video Streaming

Journal of Engineering ◽

10.31026/10.31026/j.eng.2021.01.08 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 112-129

Author(s):

Saba Qasim Jabbar ◽

Dheyaa Jasim Kadhim

Keyword(s):

Video Streaming ◽

Video Quality ◽

Prediction Algorithm ◽

Buffer Size ◽

Video Playback ◽

Buffer Occupancy ◽

Simulation Results ◽

Streaming Technology ◽

The Impact ◽

Buffer Structure

A robust video-bitrate adaptive scheme at client-aspect plays a significant role in keeping a good quality of video streaming technology experience. Video quality affects the amount of time the video has turned off playing due to the unfilled buffer state. Therefore to maintain a video streaming continuously with smooth bandwidth fluctuation, a video buffer structure based on adapting the video bitrate is considered in this work. Initially, the video buffer structure is formulated as an optimal control-theoretic problem that combines both video bitrate and video buffer feedback signals. While protecting the video buffer occupancy from exceeding the limited operating level can provide continuous video streaming, it may also cause a video bitrate oscillation. So the video buffer structure is adjusted by adding two thresholds as operating points for overflow and underflow states to filter the impact of throughput fluctuation on video buffer occupancy level. Then a bandwidth prediction algorithm is proposed for enhancing the performance of video bitrate adaptation. This algorithm's work depends on the current video buffer level, video bitrate of the previous segment, and iterative throughput measurements to predict the best video bitrate for the next segment. Simulation results show that reserving a bandwidth margin is better in adapting the video bitrate under bandwidth variation and then reducing the risk of video playback freezing. Simulation results proved that the playback freezing happens two times: firstly, when there is no bandwidth margin used and secondly, when the bandwidth margin is high while smooth video bitrate is obtained with moderate value. The proposed scheme is compared with other two schemes such as smoothed throughput rate (STR) and Buffer Based Rate (BBR) in terms of prediction error, QoE preferences, buffer size, and startup delay time, then the proposed scheme outperforms these schemes in attaining smooth video bitrates and continuous video playback.

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