The Interplay Between Affect, Dog's Physical Activity and Dog-Owner Relationship

Leaving a dog home alone is part of everyday life for most dog owners. Previous research shows that dog-owner relationship has multifarious effects on dog behavior. However, little is known about the interplay between dog-owner relationship, physical activity of the dog, and affective experiences at the time of the owner leaving home and reunion when the owner comes home. In this paper, we explored how the general (daily, home alone, and over the 2-week study period) physical activity of the dog, and owner's perceptions of the dog's affective state were correlated at those particular moments. Nineteen volunteer dog owners had their dogs (N = 19) wear two activity trackers (ActiGraph wGT2X-GT and FitBark2) for 2 weeks 24 h/day. Prior to the 2-week continuous physical activity measurement period, the owners filled in questionnaires about the dog-owner relationship and the dog behavior. In daily questionnaires, owners described and assessed their own and their perception of the emotion-related experiences of their dog and behavior of the dog at the moment of separation and reunion. The results indicated that the dog-owner relationship has an interplay with the mean daily and weekly physical activity levels of the dog. An indication of strong emotional dog-owner relationship (especially related to the attentiveness of the dog, continuous companionship, and time spent together when relaxing) correlated positively with the mean daily activity levels of the dog during the first measurement week of the study. Results also suggest that the mean daily and over the 2-week measurement period physical activity of the dog correlated the affective experiences of the dog and owner as reported by the owner when the dog was left home alone. More research is needed to understand the interplay between affect, physical activity of the dog, dog-owner relationship, and the effects of these factors on, and their interplay with, the welfare of dogs.Peer reviewe

Bioeconomic analysis of the Mauritanian cephalopods fishery*

Abstract Cephalopods represent a very significant fishing resource in Mauritania. In particular, Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier 1797) whose value increases according to weight is the most valuable species. The resource shows significant inter annual variations in abundance related to the varying environmental conditions off Mauritania and the previously conducted species stock assessments indicate a state of overexploitation and growth over fishing. A bioeconomic single species population dynamics model is developed to estimate the combined impact of fishing closure duration and timing and minimum size at capture in various hypothetical exploitation scenarios to the yearly yield, value of yield and spawning stock biomass. Applying monthly cohort analysis in a Bayesian framework using MCMC sampling enabled us to implement the model with the variability observed in seasonal and inter annual environmental conditions and the uncertainty related to different aspects of the species biology. The currently applied management measure, a two-month closing season in September-October with a minimum size at capture of 500 g, is used as the reference point. The results indicate that the current timing of the closed season is optimal and no considerable gains in value of yield are obtained using other timings. However, increasing the minimum size at capture seems to be profitable. For example, minimum size of 1000 g with a two-month closing season in September-October yields a mean relative gain of 16 % in yearly value of yield. The findings of this study will contribute to the sustainable use of cephalopod fishery resources in Mauritania by providing indicators for the economically optimal harvest of the species. The methodology applied in this study aims to be applicable also to other cephalopods fisheries. This paper was prepared as part of E U 6 th framework programme project "Probabilistic assessment, management and advice model for fishery management in the case of poor data availability" (POORFISH), contract no. 22745

The effects on mortality of brief interventions for problem drinking: a meta-analysis.

Aims Brief interventions for problem drinking may result in decreased mortality rates. Long-term follow-up studies of brief interventions do not produce a clear answer to the question as to whether these interventions reduce mortality or not. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized studies comparing brief interventions with a control group, using the fixed-effects model. A systematic literature search produced four studies in which the mortality status of subjects was verified at follow-up. Six more studies reported some deaths at follow-up but did not verify mortality in death registers, and 22 further studies did not report the mortality status of the included subjects. Findings The pooled relative risk (RR) of dying was 0.47 for the four studies with verified mortality rates (95% CI: 0.25, 0.89). The pooled RR of all 32 studies was comparable (RR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.84), as were the RRs of several other subsamples of studies. The prevented fraction was 0.33 in the studies with verified mortality rates. Conclusions Although the overall death rate was low in the population of problem drinkers, brief interventions do appear to reduce mortality

Effects of acute substance use and pre-injury substance abuse on traumatic brain injury severity in adults admitted to a trauma centre

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aims of this study were to describe the occurrence of substance use at the time of injury and pre-injury substance abuse in patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Effects of acute substance use and pre-injury substance abuse on TBI severity were also investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective study of 111 patients, aged 16-55 years, injured from May 2005 to May 2007 and hospitalised at the Trauma Referral Centre in Eastern Norway with acute TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale 3-12). Based on structural brain damages shown on a computed tomography (CT) scan, TBI severity was defined by modified Marshall classification as less severe (score <3) and more severe (score ≥3). Clinical definition of substance use (alcohol and/or other psychoactive substances) was applied when hospital admission records reflected blood alcohol levels or a positive drug screen, or when a physician verified influence by examining the patient. Pre-injury substance abuse (alcohol and drug problems) was screened by using the CAGE questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Forty-seven percent of patients were positive for substance use on admission to hospital. Significant pre-injury substance abuse was reported by 26% of patients. Substance use at the time of injury was more frequent in the less severe group (p = 0.01). The frequency of pre-injury substance abuse was higher in the more severe group (30% vs. 23%). In a logistic regression model, acute substance use at time of injury tended to decrease the probability of more severe intracranial injury, but the effect was not statistically significant after adjusting for age, gender, education, cause of injury and substance abuse, OR = 0.39; 95% CI 0.11-1.35, p = 0.14. Patients with positive screens for pre-injury substance abuse (CAGE ≥2) were more likely to have more severe TBI in the adjusted regression analyses, OR = 4.05; 95% CI 1.10-15.64, p = 0.04.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Acute <b>s</b>ubstance use was more frequent in patients with less severe TBI caused by low-energy events such as falls, violence and sport accidents. Pre-injury substance abuse increased the probability of more severe TBI caused by high-energy trauma such as motor vehicle accidents and falls from higher levels. Preventive efforts to reduce substance consumption and abuse in at-risk populations are needed.</p

Cardiotoxicity of Freon among refrigeration services workers: comparative cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Freon includes a number of gaseous, colorless chlorofluorocarbons. Although freon is generally considered to be a fluorocarbon of relatively low toxicity; significantly detrimental effects may occur upon over exposure. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether occupational exposure to fluorocarbons can induce arterial hypertension, myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias, elevated levels of plasma lipids and renal dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the cardiology clinic of the Suez Canal Authority Hospital (Egypt). The study included 23 apparently healthy male workers at the refrigeration services workshop who were exposed to fluorocarbons (FC 12 and FC 22) and 23 likewise apparently healthy male workers (unexposed), the control group. All the participants were interviewed using a pre-composed questionnaire and were subjected to a clinical examination and relevant laboratory investigations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no significant statistical differences between the groups studied regarding symptoms suggesting arterial hypertension and renal affection, although a significantly higher percentage of the studied refrigeration services workers had symptoms of arrhythmias. None of the workers had symptoms suggesting coronary artery disease. Clinical examination revealed that the refrigeration services workers had a significantly higher mean pulse rate compared to the controls, though no significant statistical differences were found in arterial blood pressure measurements between the two study groups. Exercise stress testing of the workers studied revealed normal heart reaction to the increased need for oxygen, while sinus tachycardia was detected in all the participants. The results of Holter monitoring revealed significant differences within subject and group regarding the number of abnormal beats detected throughout the day of monitoring (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences detected in the average heart rate during the monitoring period within subject or group. Most laboratory investigations revealed absence of significant statistical differences for lipid profile markers, serum electrolyte levels and glomerular lesion markers between the groups except for cholesterol and urinary β2-microglobulin (tubular lesion markers) levels which were significantly elevated in freon exposed workers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Unprotected occupational exposure to chlorofluorocarbons can induce cardiotoxicity in the form of cardiac arrhythmias. The role of chlorofluorocarbons in inducing arterial hypertension and coronary artery diseases is unclear, although significantly elevated serum cholesterol and urinary β2-microglobulin levels raise a concern.</p

Patients with Alcohol Problems in the Emergency Department, Part 1: Improving Detection *

Medical and social problems related to alcohol use are frequently seen in the ED. Often, the tempo of emergency medicine practice seems to preclude assessment beyond that required by the acute complaint. However, detection of ED patients with alcohol problems can occur using brief screening tools. This article was developed by members of the SAEM Substance Abuse Task Force, and describes screening tools that have been used successfully to identify atrisk and dependent drinkers. Their brevity, reproducibility, and accuracy vary somewhat, but screening can be realistically performed in the busy ED setting. The early detection of patients with alcohol problems would provide the opportunity for early intervention, and may reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality in this patient population.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72559/1/j.1553-2712.1998.tb02696.x.pd

Will emergency and surgical patients participate in and complete alcohol interventions? A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the everyday surgical life, staff may experience that patients with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) seem reluctant to participate in alcohol intervention programs. The objective was therefore to assess acceptance of screening and intervention as well as adherence to the intervention program among emergency department (ED) and surgical patients with AUDs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature search was followed by extraction of acceptance and adherence rates in ED and surgical patients. Numbers needed to screen (NNS) were calculated. Subgroup analyses were carried out based on different study characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The literature search revealed 33 relevant studies. Of these, 31 were randomized trials, 28 were conducted in EDs and 31 evaluated the effect of brief alcohol intervention. Follow-up was mainly conducted after six and/or twelve months.</p> <p>Four in five ED patients accepted alcohol screening and two in three accepted participation in intervention. In surgical patients, two in three accepted screening and the intervention acceptance rate was almost 100%. The adherence rate was above 60% for up to twelve months in both ED and surgical patients. The NNS to identify one eligible AUD patient and to get one eligible patient to accept participation in alcohol intervention varied from a few up to 70 patients.</p> <p>The rates did not differ between randomized and non-randomized trials, brief and intensive interventions or validated and self-reported alcohol consumption. Adherence rates were not affected by patients' group allocation and type of follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Most emergency and surgical patients with AUD accept participation in alcohol screening and interventions and complete the intervention program.</p

Some Afterthoughts on Hopfield Networks

In the present paper four, relatively independent issues, each in one section, that complete our knowledge regarding the computational aspects of popular Hopfield nets [9] will be investigated. Namely, in Section 1 the computational equivalence of convergent asymmetric and Hopfield nets is proved with respect to the network size. In Section 2, the convergence time of Hopfield nets is analyzed in terms of bit representations. In Section 3, a polynomial time approximate algorithm for the minimum energy problem is shown. Finally, in Section 4, the Turing universality of analog Hopfield nets is studied. Keywords Hopfield networks, computational power, convergence time, minimum energy problem, analog networks 1 Department of Theoretical Computer Science, Institute of Computer Science, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Research supported by GA CR Grant No. 201/98/0717. 2 Department of Mathematics, University of Jyvaskyla, P. O. Box 35, FIN-40351 Jyvaskyla, Finland, e-mail: orpon..

Helsingin Matkailijan oppaan käännösprosessi

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan Helsinkiin saapuville matkailijoille suunnatun esitteen, Helsinki - Matkailijan oppaan, tuotanto- ja käännösprosessia. Helsinkiin suuntautuva matkailu on ollut kasvussa koko 2000-luvun ajan ja Helsingin kaupungin matkailu- ja kongressitoimisto tekee vahvaa markkinointia niin kotimaassa kuin ulkomaillakin. Matkailijan opas on toimiston pääjulkaisu, joka päivitetään vuosittain. Markkinointiviestintä on yksi matkailuyrityksen kilpailukeinoista ja sen tavoitteena on tiedottaa yrityksen tuotteista ja palveluista. Tehokkaan markkinointiviestinnän tarkoitus on tiedottaa, herättää lukijassa ostohalu ja aikaansaada myyntiä. Markkinoinnin tärkein työkalu puolestaan on matkailuesite. Matkailuesitettä, kuten Matkailijan opasta, voidaan pitää vientimarkkinointina, jonka tekemiseen kannattaa edelleen panostaa niin taloudellisesti kuin laadullisestikin, vaikka sähköiset mediat valtaavat alaa.Tutkimuksen taustan muodostaa katsaus markkinointiviestintään ja moderneihin käännösteorioihin, joiden mukaan kohdetekstin funktio muodostaa tekstin tuottamisen perustan. Ensisijaisesti tutkimuksessa nostetaan esille Vermeerin skoposteoria sekä tekstityyppien vaikutus matkaesitteiden kääntämiseen. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa tuodaan esille, mitä matkailuesitteen tuottamisessa ja kääntämisessä tulee erityisesti ottaa huomioon. Itse analyysiosa koostuu esitteen tuotanto- ja käännösprosessin kuvauksesta sekä esitteen kääntäjien ja oikolukijoiden kommenteista. Lopuksi käsitellään lyhyesti muutamia käännösratkaisuja, tarkastelussa on lähinnä englanninkielinen Visitor's Guide. Tutkimusaineistona on käytetty ensisijaisesti tutkimuspäiväkirjaa ja haastatteluja. Tutkimusta varten on haastateltu niin esitteen käsikirjoituksen kirjoittajaa kuin graafikkoa, oikolukijoita ja kääntäjiäkin. Haastattelut on tehty henkilökohtaisesti ja sähköpostin välityksellä. Tutkimuksen lähtökohtana on ollut perehtyä esitteen tuotantoon prosessina ja kuvata sitä mahdollisimman tarkasti. Tutkimuspäiväkirjaan on kirjattu havaintoja ja johtopäätöksiä prosessista, ja niitä pyritään tuomaan esille siten, että niistä voisi olla apua seuraavalla kerralla, kun esitteen tuotantoprosessi käynnistetään. Tarkoituksena on luoda työkaluja prosessin ja sen laadun parantamiseksi ja työskentelytapojen kehittämiseksi. Avainsanat: käännösprosessi, kääntäjä, matkailuesite, markkinointiviestint

Helsingin Matkailijan oppaan käännösprosessi

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan Helsinkiin saapuville matkailijoille suunnatun esitteen, Helsinki - Matkailijan oppaan, tuotanto- ja käännösprosessia. Helsinkiin suuntautuva matkailu on ollut kasvussa koko 2000-luvun ajan ja Helsingin kaupungin matkailu- ja kongressitoimisto tekee vahvaa markkinointia niin kotimaassa kuin ulkomaillakin. Matkailijan opas on toimiston pääjulkaisu, joka päivitetään vuosittain. Markkinointiviestintä on yksi matkailuyrityksen kilpailukeinoista ja sen tavoitteena on tiedottaa yrityksen tuotteista ja palveluista. Tehokkaan markkinointiviestinnän tarkoitus on tiedottaa, herättää lukijassa ostohalu ja aikaansaada myyntiä. Markkinoinnin tärkein työkalu puolestaan on matkailuesite. Matkailuesitettä, kuten Matkailijan opasta, voidaan pitää vientimarkkinointina, jonka tekemiseen kannattaa edelleen panostaa niin taloudellisesti kuin laadullisestikin, vaikka sähköiset mediat valtaavat alaa.Tutkimuksen taustan muodostaa katsaus markkinointiviestintään ja moderneihin käännösteorioihin, joiden mukaan kohdetekstin funktio muodostaa tekstin tuottamisen perustan. Ensisijaisesti tutkimuksessa nostetaan esille Vermeerin skoposteoria sekä tekstityyppien vaikutus matkaesitteiden kääntämiseen. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa tuodaan esille, mitä matkailuesitteen tuottamisessa ja kääntämisessä tulee erityisesti ottaa huomioon. Itse analyysiosa koostuu esitteen tuotanto- ja käännösprosessin kuvauksesta sekä esitteen kääntäjien ja oikolukijoiden kommenteista. Lopuksi käsitellään lyhyesti muutamia käännösratkaisuja, tarkastelussa on lähinnä englanninkielinen Visitor's Guide. Tutkimusaineistona on käytetty ensisijaisesti tutkimuspäiväkirjaa ja haastatteluja. Tutkimusta varten on haastateltu niin esitteen käsikirjoituksen kirjoittajaa kuin graafikkoa, oikolukijoita ja kääntäjiäkin. Haastattelut on tehty henkilökohtaisesti ja sähköpostin välityksellä. Tutkimuksen lähtökohtana on ollut perehtyä esitteen tuotantoon prosessina ja kuvata sitä mahdollisimman tarkasti. Tutkimuspäiväkirjaan on kirjattu havaintoja ja johtopäätöksiä prosessista, ja niitä pyritään tuomaan esille siten, että niistä voisi olla apua seuraavalla kerralla, kun esitteen tuotantoprosessi käynnistetään. Tarkoituksena on luoda työkaluja prosessin ja sen laadun parantamiseksi ja työskentelytapojen kehittämiseksi. Avainsanat: käännösprosessi, kääntäjä, matkailuesite, markkinointiviestint