2,777 research outputs found
Evaluating Active U: an Internet-mediated physical activity program.
Background:
Engaging in regular physical activity can be challenging, particularly during the winter months. To promote physical activity at the University of Michigan during the winter months, an eight-week Internet-mediated program (Active U) was developed providing participants with an online physical activity log, goal setting, motivational emails, and optional team participation and competition.
Methods:
This study is a program evaluation of Active U. Approximately 47,000 faculty, staff, and graduate students were invited to participate in the online Active U intervention in the winter of 2007. Participants were assigned a physical activity goal and were asked to record each physical activity episode into the activity log for eight weeks. Statistics for program reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation were calculated using the Re-Aim framework. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess the decline in rates of data entry and goal attainment during the program, to assess the likelihood of joining a team by demographic characteristics, to test the association between various predictors and the number of weeks an individual met his or her goal, and to analyze server load.
Results:
Overall, 7,483 individuals registered with the Active U website (≈16% of eligible), and 79% participated in the program by logging valid data at least once. Staff members, older participants, and those with a BMI < 25 were more likely to meet their weekly physical activity goals, and average rate of meeting goals was higher among participants who joined a competitive team compared to those who participated individually (IRR = 1.28, P < .001).
Conclusion:
Internet-mediated physical activity interventions that focus on physical activity logging and goal setting while incorporating team competition may help a significant percentage of the target population maintain their physical activity during the winter months
A randomized trial comparing structured and lifestyle goals in an internet-mediated walking program for people with type 2 diabetes
Abstract
Background
The majority of individuals with type 2 diabetes do not exercise regularly. Pedometer-based walking interventions can help; however, pedometer-based interventions targeting only total daily accumulated steps might not yield the same health benefits as physical activity programs specifying a minimum duration and intensity of physical activity bouts.
Methods
This pilot randomized trial compared two goal-setting strategies: 1) lifestyle goals targeting total daily accumulated step counts and 2) structured goals targeting bout steps defined as walking that lasts for 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute. We sought to determine which goal-setting strategy was more effective at increasing bout steps. Participants were sedentary adults with type 2 diabetes. All participants: wore enhanced pedometers with embedded USB ports; uploaded detailed, time-stamped step-count data to a website called Stepping Up to Health; and received automated step-count feedback, automatically calculated goals, and tailored motivational messages throughout the six-week intervention. Only the automated goal calculations and step-count feedback differed between the two groups. The primary outcome of interest was increase in steps taken during the previously defined bouts of walking (lasting at least 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute) between baseline and end of the intervention.
Results
Thirty-five participants were randomized and 30 (86%) completed the pilot study. Both groups significantly increased bout steps, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Among study completers, bout steps increased by 1921 ± 2729 steps a day. Those who received lifestyle goals were more satisfied with the intervention (p = 0.006) and wore the pedometer more often (p < 0.001) than those who received structured goals.
Conclusion
In this six-week intervention, Lifestyle Goals group participants achieved increases in bout steps comparable to the increases seen in the Structured Goals group, representing almost a mile a day of additional moderate intensity bout activity. Pedometer-based walking programs that emphasize total accumulated step counts are more acceptable to participants and are as effective at increasing moderate intensity bouts of physical activity as programs that use structured goals.
Trial registration
NCT00151021http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112366/1/12966_2007_Article_136.pd
A randomized trial comparing structured and lifestyle goals in an internet-mediated walking program for people with type 2 diabetes
BACKGROUND: The majority of individuals with type 2 diabetes do not exercise regularly. Pedometer-based walking interventions can help; however, pedometer-based interventions targeting only total daily accumulated steps might not yield the same health benefits as physical activity programs specifying a minimum duration and intensity of physical activity bouts. METHODS: This pilot randomized trial compared two goal-setting strategies: 1) lifestyle goals targeting total daily accumulated step counts and 2) structured goals targeting bout steps defined as walking that lasts for 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute. We sought to determine which goal-setting strategy was more effective at increasing bout steps. Participants were sedentary adults with type 2 diabetes. All participants: wore enhanced pedometers with embedded USB ports; uploaded detailed, time-stamped step-count data to a website called Stepping Up to Health; and received automated step-count feedback, automatically calculated goals, and tailored motivational messages throughout the six-week intervention. Only the automated goal calculations and step-count feedback differed between the two groups. The primary outcome of interest was increase in steps taken during the previously defined bouts of walking (lasting at least 10 minutes or longer at a pace of at least 60 steps per minute) between baseline and end of the intervention. RESULTS: Thirty-five participants were randomized and 30 (86%) completed the pilot study. Both groups significantly increased bout steps, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Among study completers, bout steps increased by 1921 ± 2729 steps a day. Those who received lifestyle goals were more satisfied with the intervention (p = 0.006) and wore the pedometer more often (p < 0.001) than those who received structured goals. CONCLUSION: In this six-week intervention, Lifestyle Goals group participants achieved increases in bout steps comparable to the increases seen in the Structured Goals group, representing almost a mile a day of additional moderate intensity bout activity. Pedometer-based walking programs that emphasize total accumulated step counts are more acceptable to participants and are as effective at increasing moderate intensity bouts of physical activity as programs that use structured goals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT0015102
Ground state of one-dimensional bosons with delta interaction: link to the BCS model
The Bethe roots describing the ground state energy of the integrable 1D model
of interacting bosons with weakly repulsive two-body delta interactions are
seen to satisfy the set of Richardson equations appearing in the strong
coupling limit of an integrable BCS pairing model. The BCS model describes
boson-boson interactions with zero centre of mass momentum of pairs. It follows
that the Bethe roots of the weakly interacting boson model are given by the
zeros of Laguerre polynomials. The ground state energy and the lowest
excitation are obtained explicitly via the Bethe roots. A direct link has thus
been established, in the context of integrable 1D models, between bosons
interacting via weakly repulsive two-body delta-interactions and strongly
interacting Cooper pairs of bosons.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. This revised version makes contact with earlier
work of Gaudin and clarifies the link to the BCS pairing mode
Can we distinguish between h^{SM} and h^0 in split supersymmetry?
We investigate the possibility to distinguish between the Standard Model
Higgs boson and the lightest Higgs boson in Split Supersymmetry. We point out
that the best way to distinguish between these two Higgs bosons is through the
decay into two photons. It is shown that there are large differences of several
percent between the predictions for \Gamma(h\to\gamma\gamma) in the two models,
making possible the discrimination at future photon-photon colliders. Once the
charginos are discovered at the next generation of collider experiments, the
well defined predictions for the Higgs decay into two photons will become a
cross check to identify the light Higgs boson in Split Supersymmetry.Comment: 8 pages, 3 Figures, typos fixed, version published in J.Phys. G31
(2005) 563-56
Compromise Between Incommensurable Ethical Values
In this chapter I will concentrate on compromise in ethical conflict and disagreement. I will discuss compromises related to disagreement with respect to public decisions between options that represent conflicting incommensurable human values. The central question will be whether in those cases a principled compromise is possible. A ‘principled compromise’ can be defined as a rational way to achieve a trade-off or balance between conflicting values, for instance, by rational assignment of relative weights. I will argue that in some cases incommensurability will prevent a principled compromise in the defined sense. I will show why phrases used by some philosophers, such as ‘making a rational trade-off’, ‘striking the right balance’, ‘finding the Aristotelian Mean’ or ‘splitting the difference’, are based on misunderstandings about the characteristics of incommensurable values that are usually at stake in the pursuit of a compromise. I will show that incommensurable values lack an equivalence relation and how this prevents a determinate trade-off or balance between them. This is especially important with respect to the pursuit of compromises in ethical conflicts, including conflicts of justice, where we need a rational and ethical justification for the final decision. I will argue that the model of deliberative democracy presents a promising procedure for making the final decision legitimate but that, in the relevant cases, it cannot avoid an ethical deficit
Integrating an internet-mediated walking program into family medicine clinical practice: a pilot feasibility study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Regular participation in physical activity can prevent many chronic health conditions. Computerized self-management programs are effective clinical tools to support patient participation in physical activity. This pilot study sought to develop and evaluate an online interface for primary care providers to refer patients to an Internet-mediated walking program called Stepping Up to Health (SUH) and to monitor participant progress in the program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In Phase I of the study, we recruited six pairs of physicians and medical assistants from two family practice clinics to assist with the design of a clinical interface. During Phase II, providers used the developed interface to refer patients to a six-week pilot intervention. Provider perspectives were assessed regarding the feasibility of integrating the program into routine care. Assessment tools included quantitative and qualitative data gathered from semi-structured interviews, surveys, and online usage logs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In Phase I, 13 providers used SUH and participated in two interviews. Providers emphasized the need for alerts flagging patients who were not doing well and the ability to review participant progress. Additionally, providers asked for summary views of data across all enrolled clinic patients as well as advertising materials for intervention recruitment. In response to this input, an interface was developed containing three pages: 1) a recruitment page, 2) a summary page, and 3) a detailed patient page. In Phase II, providers used the interface to refer 139 patients to SUH and 37 (27%) enrolled in the intervention. Providers rarely used the interface to monitor enrolled patients. Barriers to regular use of the intervention included lack of integration with the medical record system, competing priorities, patient disinterest, and physician unease with exercise referrals. Intention-to-treat analyses showed that patients increased walking by an average of 1493 steps/day from pre- to post-intervention (<it>t </it>= (36) = 4.13, <it>p </it>< 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Providers successfully referred patients using the SUH provider interface, but were less willing to monitor patient compliance in the program. Patients who completed the program significantly increased their step counts. Future research is needed to test the effectiveness of integrating SUH with clinical information systems over a longer evaluation period.</p
Nuclear matter effects on production in asymmetric Cu+Au collisions at = 200 GeV
We report on production from asymmetric Cu+Au heavy-ion collisions
at =200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at both
forward (Cu-going direction) and backward (Au-going direction) rapidities. The
nuclear modification of yields in CuAu collisions in the Au-going
direction is found to be comparable to that in AuAu collisions when plotted
as a function of the number of participating nucleons. In the Cu-going
direction, production shows a stronger suppression. This difference is
comparable in magnitude and has the same sign as the difference expected from
shadowing effects due to stronger low- gluon suppression in the larger Au
nucleus. The relative suppression is opposite to that expected from hot nuclear
matter dissociation, since a higher energy density is expected in the Au-going
direction.Comment: 349 authors, 10 pages, 4 figures, and 4 tables. Submitted to Phys.
Rev. C. For v2, fixed LaTeX error in 3rd-to-last sentence. Plain text data
tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX
publications are (or will be) publicly available at
http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm
Inclusive cross section and double-helicity asymmetry for production at midrapidity in collisions at GeV
PHENIX measurements are presented for the cross section and double-helicity
asymmetry () in inclusive production at midrapidity from
collisions at ~GeV from data taken in 2012 and 2013 at
the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The next-to-leading-order
perturbative-quantum-chromodynamics theory calculation is in excellent
agreement with the presented cross section results. The calculation utilized
parton-to-pion fragmentation functions from the recent DSS14 global analysis,
which prefer a smaller gluon-to-pion fragmentation function. The
results follow an increasingly positive asymmetry trend with
and with respect to the predictions and are in excellent
agreement with the latest global analysis results. This analysis incorporated
earlier results on and jet , and suggested a positive
contribution of gluon polarization to the spin of the proton for the
gluon momentum fraction range . The data presented here extend to a
currently unexplored region, down to , and thus provide additional
constraints on the value of . The results confirm the evidence for
nonzero using a different production channel in a complementary
kinematic region.Comment: 413 authors, 8 pages, 4 figures. v2 is version accepted as PRD Rapid
Communication. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for
this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at
http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm
meson production in Au collisions at GeV
The PHENIX experiment has measured meson production in Au
collisions at GeV using the dimuon and dielectron decay
channels. The meson is measured in the forward (backward) -going
(Au-going) direction, () in the transverse-momentum
() range from 1--7 GeV/, and at midrapidity in the
range below 7 GeV/. The meson invariant yields and
nuclear-modification factors as a function of , rapidity, and centrality
are reported. An enhancement of meson production is observed in the
Au-going direction, while suppression is seen in the -going direction, and
no modification is observed at midrapidity relative to the yield in
collisions scaled by the number of binary collisions. Similar behavior was
previously observed for inclusive charged hadrons and open heavy flavor
indicating similar cold-nuclear-matter effects.Comment: 484 authors, 16 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables. v1 is the version
accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C. Data tables for the points plotted
in the figures are given in the paper itsel
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