The Dawn of a New, New International Economic Order

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether being overweight or obese is associated with significant health outcomes in an 85-year-old population. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanDESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanSETTING: Linkoping, Sweden. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanPARTICIPANTS: Three hundred thirty-eight people born in 1922 were identified using the local authoritys register. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMEASUREMENTS: Data related to sociodemographic characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), assistance use, and the presence of diseases were collected using a postal questionnaire. Anthropometry and functional status were assessed during home and geriatric clinic visits. Diseases were double-checked in the electronic medical records, and information about health service consumption was obtained from the local healthcare register. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanRESULTS: Overweight (body mass index (BMI) 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI andgt;= 30.0 kg/m(2)) participants perceived more difficulty performing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and had more comorbidity than their normal-weight counterparts (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), but their overall HRQoL and health service costs did not differ from those of normal-weight participants. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, being overweight did not influence IADLs or any comorbidity, but obese participants were more likely to perceive greater difficulty in performing outdoor activities (odds ratio (OR) = 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-4) and cleaning (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.2-4.2) than their normal-weight counterparts. Although obesity was also associated with multimorbidity (OR = 3, 95% CI = 1.2-8), the health service cost of each case of multimorbidity (n = 251) was highest in normalweight participants and nearly three times as much as in obese participants (ratio: 2.9, 95% CI = 1.1-8.1). less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanCONCLUSION: For 85-year-olds, being obese, as opposed to overweight, is associated with self-reported activity limitations and comorbidities. Overweight older adults living in their own homes in this population had well-being similar to that of those with normal weight.Funding Agencies|Health Research Council of the South-East of Sweden||County of Ostergotland||Janne Elgqvist Family Foundation||</p

The diversity of mind wandering : The role of individual differences and cognitive factors

Many individuals spend a substantial portion of their waking time thinking about topics unrelated to current activities and surroundings (mind wandering). This dissertation sought to contribute to our knowledge of why some people mind wander more than others. Mind wandering in cognitive tasks is more common in individuals with poor executive cognitive control (working memory updating, inhibiting task-inappropriate response, shifting between tasks), but these studies have paid little attention to the variety of contents of mind wandering and individual differences moderators. Individuals vary in how much they find their mind wandering enjoyable or helpful (a positive mind wandering style) or dysphoric and anguished (a negative style). Paper I tested whether positive or negative styles of mind wandering moderated the relation between executive control and mind wandering, which could help reconcile two cognitive hypotheses of mind wandering. The control-failure hypothesis suggests that mind wandering occurs because of disruptions in executive control, whereas the global availability hypothesis suggests that the availability of executive resources fosters mind wandering. The results indicated that the relation between working memory capacity and mind wandering depended on a negative mind wandering style: Those individuals with a high-negative mind wandering style exhibited a negative relation between working memory and mind wandering (consistent with the control-failure hypothesis), whereas the relation was positive in those with a low-negative style (consistent with the global availability hypothesis). Paper II evaluated affect and cognitive variables by relating mind wandering during a signal detection task to individual differences in negative affectivity (neuroticism) and self-regulatory abilities. Mind wandering was associated with neuroticism and low effortful control, but not with shifting ability. Regression analyses indicated that effortful control predicted lower neutral mind wandering whereas neuroticism predicted negative mind wandering. The subsequent two papers extended this research by examining mind wandering, affect, and control in selected populations. A trait relevant to attentional control and negative affect is dissociation, which includes amnesia and experiential disconnectedness from self/others (detachment). Paper III evaluated everyday mentation in people scoring high or low in dissociation and in hypnotic suggestibility (hypnotizability). Mind wandering episodes were characterized by a reduced sense of control/awareness of mentations, especially in those scoring high on both hypnotizability and dissociation. Paper IV applied attachment theory to study everyday mentations in adults with childhood exposures to traumatizing events. A negative mind wandering style and everyday experiences of dissociation, negative affect, and low control/awareness were associated with a self-report, but not a discourse, measure of unresolved/disorganized attachment. The latter construct did not predict overall amount of mind wandering. The results of this dissertation help integrate cognitive hypotheses of mind wandering within broader cognitive, affective, and developmental frameworks. I suggest that mind wandering consists of different subtypes that operate through different cognitive processes in which one is characterized by neutral or negative affect, poor working memory monitoring, and low effortful control, and appears more often in high dissociative/ high hypnotizable individuals, whereas another subtype is characterized by positive affect but is less clear in its relation to executive functioning

Implementation of the Gamma Gaussian Inverse Wishart Trajectory Probability Hypothesis Density Filter

This report contains equations used in the Gamma Gaussian Inverse Wishart Trajectory Probability Hypothesis Density (GGIWTPHD) filter

Why advertise the obvious? Learning outcomes from analyzing advertisements for recruitment of Swedish IS/IT project managers

When Swedish employers advertise for IS/IT project managers they tend to list almost obvious qualification requirements instead of describing those that are unique for their companies’ competitiveness, or more precisely, instead of expressing those that really matters. The research behind this paper studied job advertisements during four years (2010–2013). The findings point to an inadequate ability to understand and/or express the requirements that should be decisive for the appointment in order to grasp the essence of what the job actually involves, which brings on problems for both the applicants and the employers. The practical implications of the study pursue a need for employers to stop advertising mostly general requirements for the benefit of more specified ones, that take the sector’s, the organization’s and the project’s requirements into consideration. By doing so, the prospect applicants have a better opportunity to understand what a certain job entails and the employers have a better chance to appoint the right individual. The research implications point to a need for acknowledging, and set about solving, problems concerning qualification requirements in advertisements for IS/IT project managers

Teaching Legal Ethics: Exploring the Continuum

Spaeth et al assert that the only reason to teach legal ethics, or professional responsibility, is to try to make the legal profession more worthy of its stated ideals. The University of Pennsylvania Law School Center on Professionalism\u27s efforts to achieve this are discussed

Why advertise the obvious? Learning outcomes from analyzing advertisements for recruitment of Swedish IS/IT project managers

When Swedish employers advertise for IS/IT project managers they tend to list almost obvious qualification requirements instead of describing those that are unique for their companies’ competitiveness, or more precisely, instead of expressing those that really matters. The research behind this paper studied job advertisements during four years (2010–2013). The findings point to an inadequate ability to understand and/or express the requirements that should be decisive for the appointment in order to grasp the essence of what the job actually involves, which brings on problems for both the applicants and the employers. The practical implications of the study pursue a need for employers to stop advertising mostly general requirements for the benefit of more specified ones, that take the sector’s, the organization’s and the project’s requirements into consideration. By doing so, the prospect applicants have a better opportunity to understand what a certain job entails and the employers have a better chance to appoint the right individual. The research implications point to a need for acknowledging, and set about solving, problems concerning qualification requirements in advertisements for IS/IT project managers

“Who cares about fireworks?” – A Study on Digital Coaching, Gamification and Exercise Motivation

Digital coaching systems offer users support in their physical training through insights and advice based on the individual’s activity data. Often these systems utilize gamification mechanisms to motivate users. In this study we conduct interviews with digital coaching users to understand how digital coaching systems are used to motivate physical activity, what kind of a role gamification plays, and how digital coaching systems should be developed further to better motivate users. We find that data itself is more motivating than gamification mechanisms, that players use data to play their own, internal games; and that data is also used for social purposes. We find that the benefits from digital coaches today are limited and mainly related to accurate exercise tracking and visualization of user data. Gamified elements are used on a low level and not perceived as value-adding by the users; deeper understanding of motivation theory and promoting intrinsic motivation is needed

Meso Scale Discovery and Luminex Comparative Analysis of Calbindin D28K

The sensitivity of different renal regions to xenobiotics requires the development of a multiplex immunoassay for the simultaneous analysis of kidney biomarkers. Calbindin D28K is a distal tubule-specific protein that can be detected in urine under pathological conditions. In this study, a pair of anti-calbindin D28K antibodies was used in an immunoassay for the detection of calbindin D28K expression in rat and human kidney and urine. Comparative analysis of the immunoassay was performed on the Meso Scale Development (MSD) and Luminex platforms. Analysis on both platforms detected calbindin D28K concentrations between 100 ng/mL and 100 pg/mL. Luminex detected 10-fold the amount of calbindin D28K in samples analyzed as compared to MSD, whereas calbindin D28K level in rat and human urine was below detection limit in both platforms. The application of the immunoassays described herein may be useful in toxicological and pathological studies of distal tubular damage in rats and human

iPhone ECG and atrial fibrillation in horses

Förmaksflimmer är en relativt vanlig prestationsnedsättande arytmi hos hästar. Arytmin kan antingen förekomma ensamt, så kallat ”lone atrial fibrillation” eller i samband med annan hjärtsjukdom. Förmaksflimmer kan vara svårdiagnosticerat om hästen är drabbad av ”lone atrial fibrillation” och arbetar inom sitt hjärtas reservkapacitet. Hos dessa individer behöver nämligen inte symtom på motionsintolerans ses och deras vilopuls behöver heller inte påverkas nämnvärt, vilket leder till att en ojämn rytm vid vila felaktigt kan avfärdas som ett andra gradens AV-block om man inte auskulterar noggrant eller tar EKG. Detta skulle i sin tur kunna betyda att ett stort mörkertal av hästar med förmaksflimmer förekommer. Standard EKG bedöms vara ”golden standard” gällande diagnosticering av förmaksflimmer, men detta är det få praktiker i fält som har direkt tillgång till och användningen av standard EKG kan även uppfattas som besvärlig. Detta då elektroderna behöver kopplas på ett särskilt sätt till hästen samt att apparatens användarinterface inte är självförklarande utan ofta kräver att man behöver använda en manual. Eftersom behandlingen av förmaksflimmer har en betydligt bättre prognos om den utförs i tidigt skede (< 4 månader efter uppkomst) så länge ingen underliggande hjärtsjukdom föreligger, så finns behov av en enkel och lättillgänglig screening-metod av hästar med misstänkta arytmier i fält. På så vis kan hästar med förmaksflimmer snabbare identifieras och omgående remitteras till djursjukhus för vidare diagnostik och behandling. Syftet med denna pilotstudie var att se om ett iPhone EKG skulle kunna identifiera hästar med förmaksflimmer lika väl som ett standard EKG. Enheten består av ett skal i plast med två metallelektroder vilken enkelt klickas på baksidan av en iPhone (4/4S eller 5/5S) och genom nedladdning av applikationen ”The Veterinary Alive ECG” ifrån Apple App Store fungerar telefonen sedan som en EKG-apparat med en avledning då skalet och applikationen i telefonen kommunicerar via blåtandsteknik. Skalet och applikationen är enligt företaget AliveCor Vet tänkt att användas för kontroll av hjärtfrekvens och rytm hos hund, katt och häst. Totalt undersöktes 27 stycken hästar i denna studie med både iPhone EKG och standard EKG. Alla EKG avlästes blindat utav examensarbetande student och handledare några veckor senare och respektive resultat jämfördes sinsemellan. 24 stycken hästar diagnosticerades som friska avseende sin hjärtrytm vid bedömning av standard EKG och samma resultat uppvisades vid bedömning av iPhone EKG (specificitet = 100 %, κ = 1,0). Tre stycken hästar diagnosticerades som sjuka då förmaksflimmer förelåg vid bedömning av standard EKG och även här uppvisades samma resultat vid bedömning av iPhone EKG (sensitivitet = 100 %, κ = 1,0). VVTI (Vasovagal tonus index) med formeln VVTI = ln(SDRR2) beräknades för alla iPhone EKG respektive standard EKG för att se om det fanns en signifikant skillnad i R-R intervall mellan friska hästar och hästar med förmaksflimmer. Alla VVTI-värden för iPhone EKG respektive standard EKG analyserades i var sitt ”Two sample t-test” och statistisk signifikans uppvisades för båda metoderna (p < 0,05). Resultaten i denna pilotstudie tyder på att iPhone EKG fungerar utmärkt som screening-metod för att identifiera hästar med förmaksflimmer. För att styrka detta resultat är det önskvärt med ytterligare studier där fler sjuka hästar deltar.Atrial fibrillation is a relatively common arrhythmia affecting performance in horses. It can either be presented as “lone atrial fibrillation” with no other signs of cardiac disease, or it can be found concurrently with an underlying cardiac disease. If horses suffering from “lone atrial fibrillation” are working within their reserve capacity the arrhythmia can be difficult to diagnose; considering that these horses may not show signs of exercise intolerance and often demonstrate normal resting heart rate. An irregular heart rate at rest can therefore by mistake be interpreted as a second-degree atrioventricular block if the practitioner does not listen carefully or use an ECG. This in turn could mean that there are a large number of undetected cases of horses with atrial fibrillation. Standard ECG is considered “golden standard” in terms of diagnosing this arrhythmia, but there are few veterinarians in the field who have direct access to ECG machines and the usage can sometimes be perceived as difficult; in part because the electrodes have to be positioned in a certain way and that the user interface of the ECG machine itself is not very self-explanatory and often requires the support of a manual. If treatment of the arrhythmia is initiated within four months of onset the prognosis for conversion is considered good as far as no underlying cardiac disease is present. Therefore, there is a need of an easy and usable screening method to identify horses with atrial fibrillation in field practice. These horses can then be transferred immediately to a horse clinic for further diagnostics and therapy. The aim of this pilot study was to assess if an iPhone ECG could identify horses with atrial fibrillation as accurate as a standard ECG. The devise consists of a plastic case with two metal electrodes that easily slides onto the back of an iPhone (4/4S or 5/5S). After downloading the application “The Veterinary Alive ECG” from Apple App Store the phone works as a one lead ECG machine because the case and application communicates through Bluetooth. According to the company AliveCor Vet this device is developed for assessment of heart rate and rhythm in dogs, cats and horses. 27 horses were included in this study and they were all examined with both iPhone ECG and standard ECG. A few weeks later the graduate working student and the supervisor read all ECGs blindly and the results were then compared between the two. After assessment of the standard ECGs, 24 horses were diagnosed as healthy in terms of their heart rhythm and the same result were seen with the iPhone ECG (specificity = 100 %, κ = 1,0). Three horses were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation both by standard ECG and iPhone ECG (sensitivity = 100 %, κ = 1,0). VVTI (Vasovagal tonus index) was measured for all standard and iPhone ECGs respectively, using the formula VVTI = ln(SDRR2), to see if each method could demonstrate statistical significant difference in R-R intervals between healthy horses and horses with atrial fibrillation. VVTI-values from both methods were analyzed in a “Two sample t-test” respectively, and the result revealed statistical significance (p < 0,05) regarding both methods. The results in this pilot study strongly suggest that iPhone ECG is an excellent screening method for identifying horses with atrial fibrillation. Further studies with an expanded number of cases are warranted to confirm this result