Effectiveness of slow motion video compared to real time video in improving the accuracy and consistency of subjective gait analysis in dogs

Objective measures of canine gait quality via force plates, pressure mats or kinematic analysis are considered superior to subjective gait assessment (SGA). Despite research demonstrating that SGA does not accurately detect subtle lameness, it remains the most commonly performed diagnostic test for detecting lameness in dogs. This is largely because the financial, temporal and spatial requirements for existing objective gait analysis equipment makes this technology impractical for use in general practice. The utility of slow motion video as a potential tool to augment SGA is currently untested. To evaluate a more accessible way to overcome the limitations of SGA, a slow motion video study was undertaken. Three experienced veterinarians reviewed video footage of 30 dogs, 15 with a diagnosis of primary limb lameness based on history and physical examination, and 15 with no indication of limb lameness based on history and physical examination. Four different videos were made for each dog, demonstrating each dog walking and trotting in real time, and then again walking and trotting in 50% slow motion. For each video, the veterinary raters assessed both the degree of lameness, and which limb(s) they felt represented the source of the lameness. Spearman’s rho, Cramer’s V, and t-tests were performed to determine if slow motion video increased either the accuracy or consistency of raters’ SGA relative to real time video. Raters demonstrated no significant increase in consistency or accuracy in their SGA of slow motion video relative to real time video. Based on these findings, slow motion video does not increase the consistency or accuracy of SGA values. Further research is required to determine if slow motion video will benefit SGA in other ways

A comparative study of the characteristics and physical behaviour of different packing materials commonly used in biofiltration

[Abstract] In this study, the characteristics and physical behaviour of 8 different packing materials were compared. The materials were selected according to previous works in the field of biofiltration including organic and inorganic or synthetic materials. Results pre-selected those more acceptable support materials for the main function they have to perform in the biological system: high surface contact, rugosity to immobilize the biomass, low pressure drop, nutrients supply, water retentivity or a commitment among them. Otherwise, pressure drop have been described by means of the respective mathematic expressions in order to include phenomena in the classical biofiltration models.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia; CTQ2006 – 14997-C02-0

Ecocardiografía: estudio longitudinal, relación con el rendimiento en atletas de elite de mediofondo y fondo

Los objetivos del presente trabajo es el de establecer la relación entre las variables ecocardiográficas y la marca realizada a lo largo del seguimiento de varios años, y el de determinar la relación entre el grado de dilatación y de hipertrofia cardíaca. Se realizó un análisis ecocardiográfico en 12 hombres y 12 mujeres que entrenaron para competir al máximo nivel en pruebas de mediofondo y/o fondo. Cada atleta fue medido al menos durante 4 veces. El estudio ecocardiográfico se realizó para cada atleta una vez cada temporada. La mejor marca realizada por cada atleta en cada una de las temporadas fue registrada El VTD/SC mantiene una estrecha relación con el registro deportivo, encontrándose correlaciones significativas (r > 0,80) en varios deportistas, y coincidiendo el valor más alto registrado muy próximo a la mejor marca obtenida en casi todos los atletas. Nuestros resultados demuestran relación negativa entre la evolución de la hipertrofia (PP y SIV) y la mejora de la velocidad de competición (r > -0,70) en algunos de los atletas

Calibration of a simplified model describing an urban waste water treatment pilot plant based on N/D and BEPR criteria

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Calorimetric and acoustic study of binary mixtures containing an isomeric chlorobutane and butyl ethyl ether or methyl tert-butyl ether

Densities and speeds of sound in the temperature range 283.15-313.15 K have been measured for the binary mixtures formed by an isomeric chlorobutane (1-chlorobutane, 2-chlorobutane, 1-chloro-2-methylpropane, or 2-chloro-2-methylpropane) and butyl ethyl ether or methyl tert-butyl ether. Excess isentropic compressibilities were calculated from the experimental data. Excess enthalpies at T = 298.15 K are also included for the same binary mixtures. All these properties provide an insight into the nature of interactions operating on the present systems. Finally, the Prigogine-Flory-Patterson theory has been used to analyze the H E results and to estimate the isentropic compressibility values of the mixtures at T = 298.15 K

Density functional theory for nearest-neighbor exclusion lattice gasses in two and three dimensions

To speak about fundamental measure theory obliges to mention dimensional crossover. This feature, inherent to the systems themselves, was incorporated in the theory almost from the beginning. Although at first it was thought to be a consistency check for the theory, it rapidly became its fundamental pillar, thus becoming the only density functional theory which possesses such a property. It is straightforward that dimensional crossover connects, for instance, the parallel hard cube system (three-dimensional) with that of squares (two-dimensional) and rods (one-dimensional). We show here that there are many more connections which can be established in this way. Through them we deduce from the functional for parallel hard (hyper)cubes in the simple (hyper)cubic lattice the corresponding functionals for the nearest-neighbor exclusion lattice gases in the square, triangular, simple cubic, face-centered cubic, and body-centered cubic lattices. As an application, the bulk phase diagram for all these systems is obtained.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures; needs revtex

The NADES glyceline as a potential Green Solvent: A comprehensive study of its thermophysical properties and effect of water inclusion

In this paper, two Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, glyceline (Gly) and glyceline-water (GlyW), containing choline chloride as acceptor H-bond compound and glycerol as donor H-bond group are studied. For glyceline the mole relation is 1 (choline chloride): 2 (glycerol) and for glyceline-water the mole relation is 1 (choline chloride): 1.99 (glycerol): 1.02 water. The ternary NADES has been synthetized and characterized chemically by NMR techniques for this work. Several thermophysical properties in a wide range of temperature (278.15–338.15)¿K and at atmospheric pressure (0.1¿MPa) have been measured for both compounds: density, , speed of sound, , refractive index, , surface tension,, isobaric molar heat capacity, , kinematic viscosity, , and electric conductivity,. Furthermore, some related properties have been also calculated: isobaric expansibility, , isentropic compressibility, , molar refraction, , entropy and enthalpy of surface formationper unit surface area ( and ), and dynamic viscosity, , and viscous flow and electrical conductivity activation energies. The results have been discussed in terms of the effect of temperature and the inclusion of water. We conclude that the compound containing water into the structure has a higher molar volume and a higher fluidity. The binary NADES (Gly) is a more structured liquid than ternary one (GlyW)

Thermophysical characterization of the deep eutectic solvent choline chloride:ethylene glycol and one of its mixtures with water

The deep eutectic solvent ethaline, containing choline chloride as H-bond acceptor and ethylene glycol as H-bond donor and one of its mixture with water are studied in this work. Ethaline is anhydrous, with a 1:2 mol ratio. Hydrated ethaline, choline chloride:ethylene glycol:water, was studied in a 1:1.98:0.95 mol ratio. Several volumetric, acoustic, optical, thermal, surface, and transport properties were measured and calculated. The working temperature ranges from 278.15 to 338.15 K at pressure = 0.1 MPa. The effects of temperature, water inclusion, and the nature of the donor compound are evaluated. With regard to temperature, the system''s behaviour is as expected: a linear relation for the thermodynamic properties and agreement with the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation for the transport properties. The water molecules hardly modify the ethaline structure. The choline chloride – ethylene glycol interactions are weaker than those for choline chloride - glycerol

Lattice density-functional theory of surface melting: the effect of a square-gradient correction

I use the method of classical density-functional theory in the weighted-density approximation of Tarazona to investigate the phase diagram and the interface structure of a two-dimensional lattice-gas model with three phases -- vapour, liquid, and triangular solid. While a straightforward mean-field treatment of the interparticle attraction is unable to give a stable liquid phase, the correct phase diagram is obtained when including a suitably chosen square-gradient term in the system grand potential. Taken this theory for granted, I further examine the structure of the solid-vapour interface as the triple point is approached from low temperature. Surprisingly, a novel phase (rather than the liquid) is found to grow at the interface, exhibiting an unusually long modulation along the interface normal. The conventional surface-melting behaviour is recovered only by artificially restricting the symmetries being available to the density field.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Dense packing on uniform lattices

We study the Hard Core Model on the graphs ${\rm {\bf \scriptstyle G}}$ obtained from Archimedean tilings i.e. configurations in $\scriptstyle \{0,1\}^{{\rm {\bf G}}}$ with the nearest neighbor 1's forbidden. Our particular aim in choosing these graphs is to obtain insight to the geometry of the densest packings in a uniform discrete set-up. We establish density bounds, optimal configurations reaching them in all cases, and introduce a probabilistic cellular automaton that generates the legal configurations. Its rule involves a parameter which can be naturally characterized as packing pressure. It can have a critical value but from packing point of view just as interesting are the noncritical cases. These phenomena are related to the exponential size of the set of densest packings and more specifically whether these packings are maximally symmetric, simple laminated or essentially random packings.Comment: 18 page