-
American Journal of Cardiovascular... 2019Physical activity could be an effective way to prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease.
UNLABELLED
Physical activity could be an effective way to prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to evaluate physical performance in Chinese university students to offer a basis for preventing obesity.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted for evaluate physical performance, including the standing long jump, 50-meter dash, and pull-up/sit-up test.
RESULTS
The overall mean time of the 50-meter dash, standing long jump distance, and mean number of pull-ups was 7.98 seconds, 2.2773 meters, and 4.1041, respectively. For female students, the overall mean time for the 50-meter dash, standing long jump distance, and mean number of sit-ups was 9.89 seconds, 2.6191 meters, and 26.7997, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that physical performance in Chinese university students is poor; related departments should pay more attention to the physical health of university students.
PubMed: 31316861
DOI: No ID Found -
Heliyon Feb 2024As industrial technology continues to advance through integration, society's demand for electricity is rapidly increasing. To meet the requirements of refined grid...
As industrial technology continues to advance through integration, society's demand for electricity is rapidly increasing. To meet the requirements of refined grid management and address the elevated challenges arising from the increased electrical load, this paper delves into the investigation of distribution vehicle scheduling for the practical scenario of batch rotation of smart meters. Initially, based on the practical distribution task requirements of a provincial metrology verification center, a multi-level optimization model is constructed for the batch rotation and distribution vehicle scheduling of smart meters. The primary objective is to maximize the enhancement of smart meter distribution efficiency while minimizing the overall distribution cost. Moreover, this paper introduces a refined Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm (OLC-GWO) based on Opposition-based Learning, Levy flight strategy, and Cauchy mutation to solve the model. By generating an opposite population to improve the quality of initial feasible solutions and further harnessing the global search capabilities of Levy flight and Cauchy mutation operators, the algorithm's effectiveness is enhanced. The algorithm is subjected to testing using multiple benchmark functions and its performance is compared with variants of GWO, as well as several cutting-edge intelligent optimization algorithms including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO), and Honey Bee Algorithm (HBA). The results indicate that OLC-GWO exhibits excellent performance in terms of convergence speed and optimization capability. Finally, the improved algorithm is subjected to simulation experiments by incorporating order data from the practical distribution operations of a provincial metrology verification center. The outcomes verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, reinforcing the practical significance of the established model in addressing the real-world challenge of batch rotation and distribution vehicle scheduling for smart meters.
PubMed: 38434065
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26516 -
Journal of Diabetes Science and... Sep 2017Many governments and insurers are driving down the cost of medical devices, including glucose meters, by the central management of purchasing decisions. We report...
BACKGROUND
Many governments and insurers are driving down the cost of medical devices, including glucose meters, by the central management of purchasing decisions. We report patients' responses to an "enforced" change in brand of glucose meter, one year after the introduction of a national sole supplier arrangement for funded glucose meters and strips.
METHOD
Specialist diabetes clinic attendees from two geographical locations completed a questionnaire one year after the final meter changeover date. In the first location, consecutive patients were asked to complete a glucose meter satisfaction questionnaire during their clinic visit. In the second location, this questionnaire was mailed to clinic attendees. Responses to open questions were analyzed thematically.
RESULTS
Response rates were 85% and 31% from the first and second locations, respectively and 378 questionnaires were suitable for analysis, 309 from the first and 69 from the second location. Insulin users composed 90% of participants. Results from the two locations were broadly similar. Most participants adapted well to the changeover, however 36% reported ongoing dissatisfaction with their "new" meter. The commonest concern, expressed by 23% of participants, related to meter accuracy and precision.
CONCLUSIONS
One year after glucose meter changeover, a third of participants expressed dissatisfaction with their meter, with many participants describing a failure to adapt to the sole supplier arrangement. Providing a choice of meters and strips, ideally from two or more brands that have demonstrable differences in technical and ergonomic features, is likely to produce higher overall patient satisfaction than is a sole supplier arrangement.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; Diabetes Mellitus; Female; Government Regulation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; New Zealand; Patient Satisfaction
PubMed: 28617624
DOI: 10.1177/1932296817693016 -
The Review of Scientific Instruments Feb 2012An ultrasonic flow meter for small pipes is presented. For metal pipe diameter smaller than 10 mm, clamp-on ultrasonic contrapropagation flow meters may encounter...
An ultrasonic flow meter for small pipes is presented. For metal pipe diameter smaller than 10 mm, clamp-on ultrasonic contrapropagation flow meters may encounter difficulties if cross talk or the short acoustic path contributes to large uncertainty in transit time measurement. Axial inline flow meters can avoid these problems, but they may introduce other problems if the transducer port is not properly positioned. Three types of pipe connecting tees are compared using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. CFD shows the 45° tee has more uniform velocity distribution over the measuring section. A prototype flow meter using the 45° tee was designed and tested. The zero flow experiment shows the flow meter has a maximum of 0.002 m∕s shift over 24 h. The flow meter is calibrated by only 1 meter factor. After calibration, inaccuracy lower than 0.1% of reading was achieved in the laboratory, for a measuring range from 15 to 150 g∕s (0.29 to 2.99 m∕s; Re = 2688 to 26,876).
PubMed: 22380141
DOI: 10.1063/1.3687780 -
AAPS PharmSciTech Apr 2014Pressurized metered dose inhalers (MDIs) were first introduced in the 1950s and they are currently widely prescribed as portable systems to treat pulmonary conditions.... (Review)
Review
Pressurized metered dose inhalers (MDIs) were first introduced in the 1950s and they are currently widely prescribed as portable systems to treat pulmonary conditions. MDIs consist of a formulation containing dissolved or suspended drug and hardware needed to contain the formulation and enable efficient and consistent dose delivery to the patient. The device hardware includes a canister that is appropriately sized to contain sufficient formulation for the required number of doses, a metering valve capable of delivering a consistent amount of drug with each dose delivered, an actuator mouthpiece that atomizes the formulation and serves as a conduit to deliver the aerosol to the patient, and often an indicating mechanism that provides information to the patient on the number of doses remaining. This review focuses on the current state-of-the-art of MDI hardware and includes discussion of enhancements made to the device's core subsystems. In addition, technologies that aid the correct use of MDIs will be discussed. These include spacers, valved holding chambers, and breath-actuated devices. Many of the improvements discussed in this article increase the ability of MDI systems to meet regulatory specifications. Innovations that enhance the functionality of MDIs continue to be balanced by the fact that a key advantage of MDI systems is their low cost per dose. The expansion of the health care market in developing countries and the increased focus on health care costs in many developed countries will ensure that MDIs remain a cost-effective crucial delivery system for treating pulmonary conditions for many years to come.
Topics: Equipment Design; Metered Dose Inhalers
PubMed: 24357110
DOI: 10.1208/s12249-013-0062-y -
PloS One 2022Past work has suggested that perception of object distances in natural scenes depends on the environmental surroundings, even when the physical object distance remains...
Past work has suggested that perception of object distances in natural scenes depends on the environmental surroundings, even when the physical object distance remains constant. The cue bases for such effects remain unclear and are difficult to study systematically in real-world settings, given the challenges in manipulating large environmental features reliably and efficiently. Here, we used rendered scenes and crowdsourced data collection to address these challenges. In 4 experiments involving 452 participants, we investigated the effect of room width and depth on egocentric distance judgments. Targets were placed at distances of 2-37 meters in rendered rooms that varied in width (1.5-40 meters) and depth (6-40 meters). We found large and reliable effects of room width: Average judgments for the farthest targets in a 40-meter-wide room were between 16-33% larger than for the same target distances seen in a 1.5-meter-wide hallway. Egocentric distance cues and focal length were constant across room widths, highlighting the role of environmental context in judging distances in natural scenes. Obscuring the fine-grained ground texture, per se, is not primarily responsible for the width effect, nor does linear perspective play a strong role. However, distance judgments tended to decrease when doors and/or walls obscured more distant regions of the scene. We discuss how environmental features may be used to calibrate relative distance cues for egocentric distance judgments.
Topics: Cues; Distance Perception; Environment; Female; Humans; Judgment; Male
PubMed: 35143537
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263497 -
Clinical evaluation of an acetaminophen meter for the rapid diagnosis of acetaminophen intoxication.Annals of Emergency Medicine Oct 1990To test the accuracy of a newly developed meter that determines serum acetaminophen concentration after a 30-second analysis of one drop of whole blood. (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
STUDY OBJECTIVES
To test the accuracy of a newly developed meter that determines serum acetaminophen concentration after a 30-second analysis of one drop of whole blood.
DESIGN
Sixty-six blood samples from patients with known or suspected drug overdose were analyzed for the presence of acetaminophen. In all cases determination of serum acetaminophen concentration was performed simultaneously with the meter and by a reference laboratory.
SETTING
Eligible patients were those who presented during a nine-month period to the emergency departments of two tertiary care hospitals (including a pediatric hospital).
RESULTS
Thirty-one specimens had a laboratory-confirmed detectable acetaminophen concentration. The meter identified these toxic specimens in all cases; there were no false-negatives (sensitivity, 100%). Among the 35 specimens not containing acetaminophen, the meter invariably confirmed a nondetectable serum acetaminophen concentration (specificity, 100%). Acetaminophen measurements by the meter correlated strongly with laboratory determinations (r = .985, P less than .001). Repeated testing of one specimen documented the precision and reproducibility of the meter's analysis; mean coefficient of variation was .08 in measuring toxic acetaminophen concentrations. Drug coingestion had no significant effect on the accuracy of the meter. Instrument accuracy was maintained after more than 100 uses without recalibration.
CONCLUSIONS
This meter identifies the possibility of rapid and accurate determinations of serum acetaminophen concentration. The instrument is ideally suited for patients with acetaminophen poisoning in whom expeditious and appropriate administration of antidotal therapy is desired.
Topics: Acetaminophen; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Emergencies; Equipment Design; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Middle Aged; Poisoning
PubMed: 2221519
DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(05)81517-3 -
Journal of Diabetes Science and... Nov 2011Off-meter dosed photometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters have been reported to be susceptible to interference by hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfecting agents. The...
BACKGROUND
Off-meter dosed photometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters have been reported to be susceptible to interference by hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfecting agents. The objective of this study was to determine if a single application of hydrogen-peroxide-containing Accel® wipe to disinfect an on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meter will influence its performance.
METHOD
The performance of five on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters was determined before and after disinfecting the devices with a single application of either CaviWipes® (14.3% isopropanol and 0.23% diisobutyl-phenoxy-ethoxyethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride) or Accel (0.5% hydrogen peroxide) wipes. Replicate glucose measurements were conducted before disinfecting the devices, immediately after disinfecting, and then 1 and 2 min postdisinfecting, with measurements in triplicate. Analysis was sequentially completed for five different meters. Results were analyzed by a two-way analysis of variance (Analyze-it software).
RESULTS
No clinical (<0.3 mmol/liter) or statistical differences (p > .05) in glucose concentration were detected when the on-meter dosed amperometric glucose-oxidase-based glucose meters were disinfected with either CaviWipes or Accel wipes and measured immediately or 1 or 2 min postdisinfecting. No clinically significant difference in glucose concentration was detected between meters (<0.3 mmol/liter).
CONCLUSION
The on-meter dosed glucose oxidase amperometric-based glucose meters are not analytically susceptible to interference by a single application of hydrogen-peroxide-containing Accel disinfectant wipes.
Topics: Blood Chemical Analysis; Blood Glucose; Disinfectants; Disinfection; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Oxidoreductases
PubMed: 22226263
DOI: 10.1177/193229681100500617 -
Scientific Reports May 2024This study addresses the drawbacks of traditional methods used in meter coefficient analysis, which are low accuracy and long processing time. A new method based on...
This study addresses the drawbacks of traditional methods used in meter coefficient analysis, which are low accuracy and long processing time. A new method based on non-parametric analysis using the Back Propagation (BP) neural network is proposed to overcome these limitations. The study explores the classification and pattern recognition capabilities of the BP neural network by analyzing its non-parametric model and optimization methods. For model construction, the study uses the United Kingdom Domestic Appliance-Level Electricity dataset's meter readings and related data for training and testing the proposed model. The non-parametric analysis model is used for data pre-processing, feature extraction, and normalization to obtain the training and testing datasets. Experimental tests compare the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network with the traditional Least Squares Method (LSM). The results demonstrate that the proposed model significantly improves the accuracy indicators such as mean absolute error (MAE) and mean relative error (MRE) when compared with the LSM method. The proposed model achieves an MAE of 0.025 and an MRE of 1.32% in the testing dataset, while the LSM method has an MAE of 0.043 and an MRE of 2.56% in the same dataset. Therefore, the proposed non-parametric analysis model based on the BP neural network can achieve higher accuracy in meter coefficient analysis when compared with the traditional LSM method. This study provides a novel non-parametric analysis method with practical reference value for the electricity industry in energy metering and load forecasting.
PubMed: 38769323
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61702-2 -
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology :... Aug 2019Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Women undergoing caesarean section (CS) are at particular risk, and improvements in the...
Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Women undergoing caesarean section (CS) are at particular risk, and improvements in the management of PPH during CS are required. We investigated the use of a tissue hardness metre to quantify uterine contractions during CS with a view to its application for obstetric bleeding management. Fifty pregnant women at term who underwent elective CS were recruited. Using a tissue hardness metre, we measured uterine hardness twice during CS: after placental removal and before peritoneum closure. Each measurement was conducted at two standardised points: fundus and corpus uteri. Concurrently, obstetricians subjectively graded uterine contractions as weak, medium, or strong. The hardness metre accurately quantified the degree of uterine contraction assessed by the obstetricians, and could be an effective clinical tool for early recognition of intra-operative massive bleeding. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Maintaining adequate uterine contraction leads to prevention of excessive blood loss, which decreases the incidence and severity of PPH. However, the assessment of uterine contraction is currently judged by obstetricians, who manually and subjectively evaluate uterine contraction according to uterine hardness. Therefore, uterine atony remains a clinical diagnosis without a universal definition. What do the results of this study add? The present study investigated the use of a tissue hardness metre to quantify uterine contractions during CS with a view to its application for obstetric bleeding management. The hardness metre was able to quantify the degree of uterine contraction perceived by obstetricians. Quantifying uterine hardness during CS correlates with the amount of intra-operative bleeding and is useful for early recognition of massive haemorrhage. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? To improve the management of atonic PPH and avoid serious complications, the tissue hardness metre should be considered as a potential clinical tool during CS.
Topics: Adult; Biomechanical Phenomena; Cesarean Section; Feasibility Studies; Female; Hardness Tests; Humans; Middle Aged; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Pregnancy; Uterine Contraction; Uterus
PubMed: 31020886
DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2019.1581748