Generalized retarded integral inequalities

We prove some new retarded integral inequalities. The results generalize those in [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 301 (2005), no. 2, 265--275].Comment: Changes suggested by the referee don

Self-report personality tests and medical school selection

Background: There has been a growing interest on the assessment of personality when selecting medical students. However, how faking may affect its usefulness has been poorly addressed. Therefore, we aimed to assess the faking effect on self-report personality tests in the selection process of graduates to a medical school. Methods: Sixty-seven graduates admitted as medical students completed the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability short-form scale at the stage of applying (baseline assessment) and after they had already been admitted (follow-up assessment). Reliability was assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient and means of the personality traits compared by two paired sample t tests. Results: At baseline assessment, the participants showed higher scores on the conscientiousness and lower scores on the neuroticism traits, respectively, 40.3 vs. 38.5 (p = 0.026) and 17.0 vs. 18.5 (p = 0.089). Also, at the follow-up assessment, the participants with low social desirability scored higher on the traits of openness to experience (−1.63 vs. 1.12, p = 0.036), conscientiousness (−3.09 vs. 0.03, p = 0.022), and neuroticism (3.88 vs. −0. 69, p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study does not suggest the use of self-report personality assessment in medical student’s selection as it can be faked particularly among applicants with low social desirability. Research is required to evaluate the faking effect on indirect personality assessment, namely through the tools that aim to select non-academic characteristics. © The Author(s). 2016

GENDER DIFFERENCES ON LOWER LIMB COORDINATION DURING ELITEPLAYERS JUMP

The results from an experimental analysis of the jump in basketball female and male players are presented. Coordination of seventeen lower limb is analyzed in a high risk movement frequently performed by athletes during jump It is showed that on the sample studied several differences on relative phase are found entailing particularly transverse movement plane of knee. These results show that during some core moments of the jump, gender can influence the lower limb joint coordination. The comparison of relative phase shows a female propensity for moving in less synergy on jump reception. Such findings highlight the need for including on preparation program of athletes a prevention plan that is not necessarily identical on both genders

Do reciprocal relationships between academic workload and self-regulated learning predict medical freshmen's achievement? A longitudinal study on the educational transition from secondary school to medical school

One of the most important factors that makes the transition from secondary school to medical school challenging is the inability to put in the study time that a medical school curriculum demands. The implementation of regulated learning is essential for students to cope with medical course environment and succeed. This study aimed to investigate the reciprocal relationships between self-regulated learning skills (SRLS) and academic workload (AW) across secondary school to medical school transition. Freshmen enrolled in medical school (N = 102) completed questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of their academic year, assessing AW (measured as study time hours and perceived workload), SRLS (planning and strategies for learning assessment, motivation and action to learning and self-directedness) and academic achievement. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a longitudinal path analysis were performed. According to the EFA, study time and perceived workload revealed two factors of AW: students who had a high perceived workload also demonstrated increased study time (tandem AW); and those who had a low perceived workload also demonstrated increased study time (inverse AW). Only a longitudinal relationship between SRLS and AW was found in the path analysis: prior self-directedness was related to later tandem AW. Moreover, success during the first year of medical school is dependent on exposure to motivation, self-directedness and high study time without overload during secondary school and medical school, and prior academic achievement. By better understanding these relationships, teachers can create conditions that support academic success during the first year medical school

Testing stock market convergence: a non-linear factor approach

This paper applies the Phillips and Sul (Econometrica 75(6):1771–1855, 2007) method to test for convergence in stock returns to an extensive dataset including monthly stock price indices for five EU countries (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK) as well as the US between 1973 and 2008. We carry out the analysis on both sectors and individual industries within sectors. As a first step, we use the Stock and Watson (J Am Stat Assoc 93(441):349–358, 1998) procedure to filter the data in order to extract the long-run component of the series; then, following Phillips and Sul (Econometrica 75(6):1771–1855, 2007), we estimate the relative transition parameters. In the case of sectoral indices we find convergence in the middle of the sample period, followed by divergence, and detect four (two large and two small) clusters. The analysis at a disaggregate, industry level again points to convergence in the middle of the sample, and subsequent divergence, but a much larger number of clusters is now found. Splitting the cross-section into two subgroups including euro area countries, the UK and the US respectively, provides evidence of a global convergence/divergence process not obviously influenced by EU policies

Brillouin amplification in phase coherent transfer of optical frequencies over 480 km fiber

We describe the use of fiber Brillouin amplification (FBA) for the coherent transmission of optical frequencies over a 480 km long optical fiber link. FBA uses the transmission fiber itself for efficient, bi-directional coherent amplification of weak signals with pump powers around 30 mW. In a test setup we measured the gain and the achievable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of FBA and compared it to that of the widely used uni-directional Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) and to our recently built bi-directional EDFA. We measured also the phase noise introduced by the FBA and used a new and simple technique to stabilize the frequency of the FBA pump laser. We then transferred a stabilized laser frequency over a wide area network with a total fiber length of 480 km using only one intermediate FBA station. After compensating the noise induced by the fiber, the frequency is delivered to the user end with an uncertainty below 2x10-18 and an instability sigma(tau) = 2x10-14/(tau/second)

Relationship Between Bioimpedance-Determined Body Composition and Peritoneal Transport in Peritoneal Dialysis

PURPOSE: In peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, body fluid homeostasis is dependent on peritoneal elimination of water and solutes. Patients with less favorable peritoneal transport parameters should be more overhydrated. Despite this, the association between faster transport and overhydration (OH) is weak, and the factors that influence hydration status are still poorly characterized. Modified peritoneal equilibration tests (PET) offer us new parameters that might correlate better with hydration status, like free water transport (FWT). The aim of this study was thus to establish the relationships between new peritoneal transport parameters and body composition parameters estimated by bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). METHODS: Prospective observational study on incident PD patients with a baseline and 1-year follow-up evaluation. RESULTS: 61 patients were included in the baseline evaluation, 19 of whom had a 1-year follow-up evaluation; 67.2% were fluid overloaded. There was a negative correlation between D/P creatinine and FWT (r = -0.598, p = 0.000). The fraction of FWT was negatively correlated with OH (r = -0.302, p = 0.018). Peritoneal protein losses (PPL) were also correlated with OH (r = 0.287, p = 0.028). There were no significant differences in OH according to small-solute transport status or fluid output parameters. After 1 year, we observed a significant worsening of renal function and an improvement in 24-hour ultrafiltration (UF) and hydration status, but we detected no differences in peritoneal transport of water or solutes that could explain these changes. CONCLUSIONS: There is a poor relationship between kidney/peritoneal function parameters and body composition parameters. The fraction of FWT and PPL may be underestimated markers of peritoneal health and of its contribution to the hydration status.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aging Effects of Caenorhabditis elegans Ryanodine Receptor Variants Corresponding to Human Myopathic Mutations

Delaying the decline in skeletal muscle function will be critical to better maintenance of an active life-style in old age. The skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor, the major intracellular membrane channel through which calcium ions pass to elicit muscle contraction, is central to calcium ion balance, and is hypothesized to be a significant factor for age-related decline in muscle function. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a key model system for the study of human aging and strains with modified C. elegans ryanodine receptors corresponding to human myopathic variants linked with malignant hyperthermia and related conditions were generated. The altered response of these strains to pharmacological agents reflected results of human diagnostic tests for individuals with these pathogenic variants. Involvement of nerve cells in the C. elegans responses may relate to rare medical symptoms concerning the central nervous system that have been associated with ryanodine receptor variants. These single amino acid modifications in C. elegans also conferred a reduction in lifespan and an accelerated decline in muscle integrity with age, supporting the significance of ryanodine receptor function for human aging