Walking on five legs: investigating tail use during slow gait in kangaroos and wallabies

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah S. Dawson ◽  
Natalie M. Warburton ◽  
Hazel L. Richards ◽  
Nick Milne
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Swing Phase ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Relative Movement ◽  
Joint Angles ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Constant Height ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Tail Use

Pentapedal locomotion is the use of the tail as a fifth leg during the slow gait of kangaroos. Although previous studies have informally noted that some smaller species of macropodines do not engage in pentapedal locomotion, a systematic comparative analysis of tail use during slow gait across a wide range of species in this group has not been done. Analysis of relative movement of the pelvis, tail, and joint angles of the lower limbs during slow gait, using 2D landmark techniques on video recordings, was carried out on 16 species of Macropodinae. We also compared the relative lengthening of the tibia using crural index (CI) to test whether hindlimb morphology was associated with pentapedal locomotion. Pentapedal locomotion was characterised by three features: the presence of the ‘tail repositioning phase’, the constant height of the pelvis and the stationary placement of the distal tail on the ground during the hindlimb swing phase. The mean CI of pentapedal species was significantly greater than that of non-pentapedal species (1.71 versus 1.36; P < 0.001). This lends support to the hypothesis that the use of pentapedal locomotion is associated with the relative lengthening of the hindlimb, which in turn is associated with body size and habitat preference within the Macropodinae.

scholarly journals Validation of phlebotomy performance metrics developed as part of a proficiency-based progression initiative to mitigate wrong blood in tube

2020 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2019-137254
Author(s):  
Noirin O’Herlihy ◽  
Sarah Griffin ◽  
Patrick Henn ◽  
Robert Gaffney ◽  
Mary Rose Cahill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construct Validity ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Performance Metric ◽  
Large Teaching Hospital ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
A Performance

AimsThe purpose of this study was to (1) characterise the procedure of phlebotomy, deconstruct it into its constituent parts and develop a performance metric for the purpose of training healthcare professionals in a large teaching hospital and to (2) evaluate the construct validity of the phlebotomy metric and establish a proficiency benchmark.MethodBy engaging with a multidisciplinary team with a wide range of experience of preanalytical errors in phlebotomy and observing video recordings of the procedure performed in the actual working environment, we defined a performance metric. This was brought to a modified Delphi meeting, where consensus was reached by an expert panel. To demonstrate construct validity, we used the metric to objectively assess the performance of novices and expert practitioners.ResultsA phlebotomy metric consisting of 11 phases and 77 steps was developed. The mean inter-rater reliability was 0.91 (min 0.83, max 0.95). The expert group completed more steps of the procedure (72 vs 69), made fewer errors (19 vs 13, p=0.014) and fewer critical errors (1 Vs 4, p=0.002) than the novice group.ConclusionsThe metrics demonstrated construct validity and the proficiency benchmark was established with a minimum observation of 69 steps, with no critical errors and no more than 13 errors in total.

scholarly journals Influence of Load and Phase of Contraction on Lateral Symmetries in Flywheel Squats

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Darjan Smajla ◽  
Darjan Spudić ◽  
Nejc Šarabon
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Reference Point ◽  
Peak Force ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Functional Movements

Assessment of lateral symmetries (LS) of lower limbs has been widely investigated. However, there are no studies about LS during exposure to high eccentric and concentric loads during flywheel (FW) squats. A total of 422 young, physically active participants performed squats on an FW device with different equidistant loads (0.05, 0.125 and 0.2 kg∙m2). The mean and peak force of the left and right leg were assessed for the concentric and eccentric contaction phase. LS values were calculated for each load and phase of squat. Our results showed that the absolute mean and peak force of the concentric and eccentric phase of contraction had excellent reliability, while LS values were more reliable when eccentric force was used for their calculation. Mean and peak forces were increased with the higher FW load. In general, we found a decrease in LS values in the concentric phase of contraction with the higher load. Moreover, values of LS are similar to a wide range of other functional movements. Nevertheless, symmetrical force application during squatting on a FW device should be satisfied regardless of the FW load. Due to the large sample size, our results are valuable as a reference point when athletes are evaluated during training.

A Comparison of Physiological Demand between Self-Propelled and Motorized Treadmill Exercise

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-21
Author(s):  
Todd Backes ◽  
Charlene Takacs
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Exchange Ratio ◽  
Treadmill Exercise ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
The Self ◽  
Mixing Chamber ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Computer Controlled

There are a wide range of options for individuals to choose from in order to engage in aerobic exercise; from outdoor running to computer controlled and self-propelled treadmills. Recently, self-propelled treadmills have increased in popularity and provide an alternative to a motorized treadmill. Twenty subjects (10 men, 10 women) ranging in age from 19-23 with a mean of 20.4 ± 0.8 SD were participants in this study. The subjects visited the laboratory on three occasions. The purpose of the first visit was to familiarize the subject with the self-propelled treadmill (Woodway Curve 3.0). The second visit, subjects were instructed to run on the self-propelled treadmill for 3km at a self-determined pace. Speed data were collected directly from the self-propelled treadmill. The third visit used speed data collected during the self-propelled treadmill run to create an identically paced 3km run for the subjects to perform on a motorized treadmill (COSMED T150). During both the second and third visit, oxygen consumption (VO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (R) data were collected with COSMED’s Quark cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) metabolic mixing chamber system. The VO2 mean value for the self-propelled treadmill (44.90 ± 1.65 SE ml/kg/min) was significantly greater than the motorized treadmill (34.38 ± 1.39 SE ml/kg/min). The mean R value for the self-propelled treadmill (0.91 ± 0.01 SE) was significantly greater than the motorized treadmill (0.86 ± 0.01 SE). Our study demonstrated that a 3km run on a self-propelled treadmill does elicit a greater physiological response than a 3km run at on a standard motorized treadmill. Self-propelled treadmills provide a mode of exercise that offers increased training loads and should be considered as an alternative to motorized treadmills.

The way of value of Correlation of genomic DNA microsatellite loci and live weight of Chukchi reindeer

2020 ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
V. Dodokhov ◽  
N. Pavlova ◽  
T. Rumyantseva ◽  
L. Kalashnikova
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Tribal Community ◽  
High Germination ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Level ◽  
Dna Microsatellite

The article presents the genetic characteristic of the Chukchi reindeer breed. The object of the study was of the Chukchi reindeer. In recent years, the number of reindeer of the Chukchi breed has declined sharply. Reduced reindeer numbers could lead to biodiversity loss. The Chukchi breed of deer has good meat qualities, has high germination viability and is adapted in adverse tundra conditions of Yakutia. Herding of the Chukchi breed of deer in Yakutia are engaged only in the Nizhnekolymsky district. There are four generic communities and the largest of which is the agricultural production cooperative of nomadic tribal community «Turvaurgin», which was chosen to assess the genetic processes of breed using microsatellite markers: Rt6, BMS1788, Rt 30, Rt1, Rt9, FCB193, Rt7, BMS745, C 143, Rt24, OheQ, C217, C32, NVHRT16, T40, C276. It was found that microsatellite markers have a wide range of alleles and generally have a high informative value for identifying of genetic differences between animals and groups of animal. The number of identified alleles is one of the indicators of the genetic diversity of the population. The total number of detected alleles was 127. The Chukchi breed of deer is characterized by a high level of heterozygosity, and the random crossing system prevails over inbreeding in the population. On average, there were 7.9 alleles (Na) per locus, and the mean number of effective alleles (Ne) was 4.1. The index of fixation averaged 0.001. The polymorphism index (PIC) ranged from 0.217 to 0.946, with an average of 0.695.

Celiac Disease in Kosovar Albanian Children: Evaluation of Clinical Features and Diagnosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-247
Author(s):  
Atifete Ramosaj-Morina ◽  
Alije Keka-Sylaj ◽  
Arbana Baloku Zejnullahu ◽  
Lidvana Spahiu ◽  
Virgjina Hasbahta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Celiac Disease ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Dominant Mode ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Classical Form ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean

Background: Celiac disease is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by variable clinical manifestations, specific antibodies, HLA-DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes, and enteropathy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to present the clinical spectrum and patterns of celiac disease in Kosovar Albanian children. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed with Albanian children aged 0-18 years, treated for celiac disease in the Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo from 2005 to 2016. Results: During the study period, 63 children were treated for celiac disease. The mean age at diagnosis was 5.5 years (SD ± 3.31). The mean age at celiac disease onset was 3.3 years (SD ± 2.02), while the mean delay from the first symptoms indicative of celiac disease to diagnosis was 2.2 years (SD ± 2.09). More than 70% of the patients were diagnosed in the first 7 years of life, mainly presented with gastrointestinal symptoms, while primary school children and adolescents mostly showed atypical symptoms (p<0.001). The classical form of celiac disease occurred in 78% of the cases. Sixty (95%) patients carried HLA-DQ2.5, DQ2.2 and/or HLA-DQ8 heterodimers, and only three of them tested negative. Conclusions: Kosovo, as the majority of developing countries, is still facing the classical form of celiac disease as the dominant mode of presentation; as a result, most children with other forms of the celiac disease remain undiagnosed. : Physicians should be aware of the wide range of clinical presentations and utilize low testing thresholds in order to prevent potential long-term problems associated with untreated celiac disease.

scholarly journals Planetary Nebulae in M31: Abundances, and comparison with bright Planetary Nebulae in the LMC

1997 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 475-476
Author(s):  
M. G. Richer ◽  
G. Stasińska ◽  
M. L. McCall
Keyword(s):  
Planetary Nebula ◽  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Wavelength Region ◽  
Planetary Nebulae ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Population Synthesis ◽  
Abundance Distribution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean

We have obtained spectra of 28 planetary nebulae in the bulge of M31 using the MOS spectrograph at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Typically, we observed the [O II] λ3727 to He I λ5876 wavelength region at a resolution of approximately 1.6 å/pixel. For 19 of the 21 planetary nebulae whose [OIII]λ5007 luminosities are within 1 mag of the peak of the planetary nebula luminosity function, our oxygen abundances are based upon a measured [OIII]λ4363 intensity, so they are based upon a measured electron temperature. The oxygen abundances cover a wide range, 7.85 dex < 12 + log(O/H) < 9.09 dex, but the mean abundance is surprisingly low, 12 + log(O/H)–8.64 ± 0.32 dex, i.e., roughly half the solar value (Anders & Grevesse 1989). The distribution of oxygen abundances is shown in Figure 1, where the ordinate indicates the number of planetary nebulae with abundances within ±0.1 dex of any point on the x-axis. The dashed line indicates the mean abundance, and the dotted lines indicate the ±1 σ points. The shape of this abundance distribution seems to indicate that the bulge of M31 does not contain a large population of bright, oxygen-rich planetary nebulae. This is a surprising result, for various population synthesis studies (e.g., Bica et al. 1990) have found a mean stellar metallicity approximately 0.2 dex above solar. This 0.5 dex discrepancy leads one to question whether the mean stellar metallicity is as high as the population synthesis results indicate or if such metal-rich stars produce bright planetary nebulae at all. This could be a clue concerning the mechanism responsible for the variation in the number of bright planetary nebulae observed per unit luminosity in different galaxies (e.g., Hui et al. 1993).

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Different Local Anesthetic Solutions Available in Market: An In Vitro and Clinical Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eisha Imran ◽  
Faisal Moeen ◽  
Beenish Abbas ◽  
Bakhtawar Yaqoob ◽  
Mehreen Wajahat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Local Anesthetic ◽  
Compositional Analysis ◽  
Bacterial Activity ◽  
Similar Composition ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Objectives The study aimed to evaluate and compare various commercially available local anesthetic solutions. Materials and Methods A total of 150 commercially available local anesthetic cartridges of similar composition (2% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000) were randomly collected and divided into 3 groups. The designations of groups were selected from their product names such that each group consisted of 60 cartridges. Group S (Septodont, France) Group M (Medicaine, Korea) and Group H (HD-Caine, Pakistan). The samples were divided into five sub-groups, each consisting of 10 cartridges from each group to investigate each parameter. Results The acquired data was statistically analyzed and compared (using SPSS version 12). Compositional analysis revealed a non-significant (P>0.05) difference when the three Groups were compared with standard lidocaine and epinephrine solutions. The mean pH values of samples from group S, M and H respectively fell within the range of pH values of commercially available solutions. Non-significant difference in EPT values of Group S and H was found when efficacy was compared (p = 0.3), however a significant difference (p < 0.01) was observed in contrast to Group M. Anti-bacterial activity was observed in all the group and a non-significant difference in cell viability values of Group S and M was found (p = 0.6), while the difference was significant in comparison to Group H. Conclusion Within the limitations of these investigations, it appears that the properties of different manufacturers fall within the recommended ranges as mentioned in literature and do not appear to be statistically different in the variables we have tested.

Assessing the Ergonomic Benefits of a New Adjustable Forklift Backrest

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 976-980
Author(s):  
Pranav Madhav Kuber ◽  
Ehsan Rashedi
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Motion Capture ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Pressure Change ◽  
Motion Capture System ◽  
Design Features ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
The Mean

A new forklift backrest has been developed by incorporating adjustability concepts into the design to facilitate comfort to a wide range of users. We have conducted a comparative study between the new and original backrests to assess the effectiveness of design features. Using the phenomenon of restlessness, discomfort of the user was associated with the amount of body movement, where we have used a motion- capture system and a force platform to quantify the individuals’ movement for a wide range of body sizes. Meanwhile, subjective comfort and design feedback were collected using a questionnaire. Our results showed a reduction in the mean torso movement and the maximum center of pressure change of location by 300 and 6 mm, respectively, for the new design. Taking advantage of adjustability feature, the new backrest design exhibited enhanced comfort for longer durations and reduced magnitude of discomfort for a wide range of participants’ body sizes.

scholarly journals Correlation and Power Distribution of Intercore Crosstalk Field Components of Polarization-Coupled Weakly Coupled Single-Mode Multicore Fibres

Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
José A. P. Morgado ◽  
Adolfo V. T. Cartaxo
Keyword(s):  
Power Distribution ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Single Mode ◽  
Coupled Mode ◽  
Weakly Coupled ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Optical Communication Systems ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Distribution Of Power ◽  
Linear Propagation

The correlation and power distribution of intercore crosstalk (ICXT) field components of weakly coupled multicore fibers (WC-MCFs) are important properties that determine the statistics of the ICXT and ultimately impact the performance of WC-MCF optical communication systems. Using intensive numerical simulation of the coupled mode equations describing ICXT of a single-mode WC-MCF with intracore birefringence and linear propagation, we assess the mean, correlation, and power distribution of the four ICXT field components of unmodulated polarization-coupled homogeneous and quasi-homogeneous WC-MCFs with a single interfering core in a wide range of birefringence conditions and power distribution among the field components at the interfering core input. It is shown that, for homogeneous and quasi-homogeneous WC-MCFs, zero mean uncorrelated ICXT field components with similar power levels are observed for birefringence correlation length and birefringence beat length in the ranges of 0.5m,10m and 0.1m,10m, respectively, regardless of the distribution of power between the four field components at the interfering core input.

SET-VALUED PERFORMANCE APPROXIMATIONS FOR THE QUEUE GIVEN PARTIAL INFORMATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Yan Chen ◽  
Ward Whitt
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Decay Rate ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Partial Information ◽  
Upper And Lower Bounds ◽  
Interarrival Time ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Third Moment

In order to understand queueing performance given only partial information about the model, we propose determining intervals of likely values of performance measures given that limited information. We illustrate this approach for the mean steady-state waiting time in the $GI/GI/K$ queue. We start by specifying the first two moments of the interarrival-time and service-time distributions, and then consider additional information about these underlying distributions, in particular, a third moment and a Laplace transform value. As a theoretical basis, we apply extremal models yielding tight upper and lower bounds on the asymptotic decay rate of the steady-state waiting-time tail probability. We illustrate by constructing the theoretically justified intervals of values for the decay rate and the associated heuristically determined interval of values for the mean waiting times. Without extra information, the extremal models involve two-point distributions, which yield a wide range for the mean. Adding constraints on the third moment and a transform value produces three-point extremal distributions, which significantly reduce the range, producing practical levels of accuracy.

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