Validity of Garmin Devices while Ascending and Descending Flights of Stairs

The use of wearable technology to track physical activity is popular among fitness enthusiasts and the general public. There are many brands that offer a variety of devices. One popular brand is Garmin. The validity of Garmin’s wrist-worn devices in measuring step counts in various settings, such as walking up and down a staircase, is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to determine if two devices, the Garmin fēnix 5 and Garmin vívosmart HR record valid measures of step count when ascending and descending flights of stairs at three different speeds. METHODS: Twenty participants (n=20) were tested individually. The Garmin fēnix 5 and Garmin vívosmart HR were worn on separate wrists (placement was randomly selected). Participants climbed up then down one, two, and three flights of stairs (19, 39, and 59 steps, respectively [manual count]) at speeds of 50, 75, and 100, beats per minute (bpm) for a total of 18 trials. The step counts provided by both devices were recorded before and after each up and down trial. Each trial was separated by 2-3 minutes of rest. Mean absolute percent error (MAPE, ≤10%) and Lin’s Concordance (CCC, ≥0.7) were used to validate the device step counts with the actual number of steps. Dependent T-tests determined differences (p≤0.05). RESULTS: The only condition that was considered valid was descending stairs at 100 bpm using the Garmin vívosmart (see table). CONCLUSION: Individuals who ascend and descend numerous stairs during their day may wish to consider the implications of these findings

Discrepancies among Pre-trained Deep Neural Networks: A New Threat to Model Zoo Reliability

Training deep neural networks (DNNs) takes significant time and resources. A practice for expedited deployment is to use pre-trained deep neural networks (PTNNs), often from model zoos.collections of PTNNs; yet, the reliability of model zoos remains unexamined. In the absence of an industry standard for the implementation and performance of PTNNs, engineers cannot confidently incorporate them into production systems. As a first step, discovering potential discrepancies between PTNNs across model zoos would reveal a threat to model zoo reliability. Prior works indicated existing variances in deep learning systems in terms of accuracy. However, broader measures of reliability for PTNNs from model zoos are unexplored. This work measures notable discrepancies between accuracy, latency, and architecture of 36 PTNNs across four model zoos. Among the top 10 discrepancies, we find differences of 1.23%-2.62% in accuracy and 9%ś131% in latency. We also find mismatches in architecture for well-known DNN architectures (e.g., ResNet and AlexNet). Our findings call for future works on empirical validation, automated tools for measurement, and best practices for implementation

Open learning recognition in traditional universities

En la actualidad existe un gran interés sobre los materiales educativos en abierto, en todas sus modalidades: repositorios institucionales OCW, recursos sueltos, o incluso más recientemente como cursos masivos abiertos (los también llamados MOOC). Todo este panorama ha generado un importante debate acerca de su efectividad en términos de aprendizaje, sostenibilidad y sobre todo el papel que en este contexto las instituciones de educación superior desempeñan. Entendemos que serán los propios alumnos interesados en sacar el máximo provecho a sus estudios (formales e informales) los que demandarán a las universidades que se les reconozcan sus competencias y habilidades. En este artículo nos ponemos desde el punto de vista de la universidad que se plantea actuar como entidad certificadora de cursos basados en OER, y describimos los distintos escenarios. Ante todo la institución debe saber a qué se enfrenta y cuáles son las casuísticas existentes. Desde la experiencia del proyecto europeo OERtest, en el que cinco instituciones de educación superior han realizado una experiencia piloto, podemos ofrecer unas conclusiones en cuanto a la viabilidad de certificar y reconocer créditos cuando un alumno de la propia institución (o bien externo) solicita a la universidad este servicio.At present, there is great interest over the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) in all of its forms: OpenCourseware repositories OCW, spare open resources, or even more recently as Massive Online Open Courses (also called MOOC). This panorama has generated considerable debate about their effectiveness in terms of learning, sustainability and especially the role that higher education institutions play in this context. We understand that most of the students are interested in making the most of their education (formal and informal), and that will require universities to recognize their skills and abilities. In this article we start from the point of view of the university as a certifying OER-based institution, and we describe the different scenarios that arises. First of all the institution should know what is facing and what are the existing scenarios. From the experience of the European project OERtest, in which five higher education institutions have conducted a pilot on this issue, we can offer some conclusions regarding the feasibility of certifying and award credits to a student (internal or external to the institution when this service is requested.Este proyecto ha sido parcialmente financiado con el proyecto Europeo de EACEA Lifelong Learning Program OERtest: Testing an Open Education Resource Framework for Europe (agreement 510718-LLP-2010-ES-ERASMUS-EVC)

The Effects of Sitting and Walking in Green Space on State Mindfulness and Connectedness to Nature

People report feeling connected to nature while spending time in green space. The modulators of this relationship are unclear. One modulator may be state mindfulness, which is how mindful someone is in a specific moment. The first step of studying state mindfulness as a potential modulator is describing how state mindfulness and connectedness to nature respond to acute exposure to green space. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether sitting and walking in green space change state mindfulness and connectedness to nature in tandem. METHODS: Participants arrived at one of two green spaces: the Thunderbird Gardens Trailhead in Cedar City, UT, or the Clark County Wetlands Park in Las Vegas, NV. After giving verbal and written consent, the participants completed the State Mindfulness Scale (SMS) and Love and Care of Nature Scale (LCN). The participants then sat alone and undisturbed for 10 minutes near the trailhead and completed the SMS and LCN again. Next, the participants walked alone for 10 minutes on the trail and completed the SMS and LCN once more. The SMS and LCN scores were compared among pre-sit, post-sit, and post-walk via two separate one-way repeated-measures ANOVAs. Population effect sizes were estimated as partial omega squared (ωp2; large effect \u3e 0.14). After each ANOVA, the post hoc pairwise comparisons were dependent-samples t-tests with Bonferroni adjustments. The α-level was 0.05 for all the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Forty-two participants completed the study (22 females, 20 males, 0 intersex; 4 African American/Black, 4 Asian, 19 Caucasian/White, 9 Hispanic/Latino, 1 Mediterranean, 1 Middle Eastern, 3 Multi-Racial, 1 Polynesian; 26 ± 9 years, 170 ± 9 cm, 69 ± 16 kg, 24 ± 4 kg/m2). The SMS scores significantly increased from pre-sit to post-sit (+29 arbitrary units [AU], 95% CI: 20, 38; p \u3c 0.001) but not from post-sit to post-walk (p = 0.23). The LCN scores significantly increased from pre-sit to post-sit (+5 AU, 95% CI: 2, 8; p = 0.003) and from post-sit to post-walk (+4 AU, 95% CI: 1, 6; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Sitting for 10 minutes in green space increases state mindfulness and connectedness to nature. Walking for 10 minutes further increases connectedness to nature but not state mindfulness. The next step is determining whether state mindfulness predicts connectedness to nature while in green space

Comparison of Flights Climbed Between Garmin and Fitbit Devices

With exercise device technology and consumer interest in the field growing, it is important for users to be confident that their wearable fitness devices accurately track their flights climbed. Two manufacturers of devices that track flights climbed are Garmin and Fitbit. Comparing the measurements of flights climbed between devices from these two manufacturers is important to inform consumers as they decide which device to purchase for flight-related activities. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the measurements of flights climbed between the Garmin fēnix 5 and Fitbit Versa 2. METHODS: Eight participants were tested individually, and the two devices were assigned randomly to be worn on separate wrists. The participants climbed one, two, and three flights of stairs at a pace of 50, 75, and 100 steps per minute. Each device’s display of flights climbed was recorded at the beginning and end of each trial. A 2x9 repeated-measures ANOVA determined whether measurements of flights climbed per trial were significantly different. The α-level was 0.05 for the ANOVA and 0.006 for the post-hoc t-tests. RESULTS: Before adjusting the α-level, flights significantly differed between the devices in 4/9 trials. In every significant comparison, the fēnix 5 reported a lower mean number of flights climbed. However, after adjusting the α-level, flights climbed did not significantly differ between the devices for any trials. CONCLUSION: Depending on the speed of ascent and number of flights climbed, the fēnix 5 and Versa 2 may not provide the same number of flights.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/durep_posters/1065/thumbnail.jp

The First Extrasolar Planet Discovered with a New Generation High Throughput Doppler Instrument

We report the detection of the first extrasolar planet, ET-1 (HD 102195b), using the Exoplanet Tracker (ET), a new generation Doppler instrument. The planet orbits HD 102195, a young star with solar metallicity that may be part of the local association. The planet imparts radial velocity variability to the star with a semiamplitude of $63.4\pm2.0$ m s$^{-1}$ and a period of 4.11 days. The planetary minimum mass ($m \sin i$) is $0.488\pm0.015$ $M_J$.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figures and 5 tables, Accepted for publication in Ap

Connected Vehicle Information for Improving Safety Related to Unknown or Inadequate Truck Parking

69A3551747115Safety issues due to commercial truck parking shortages are a national concern. National hours-of-service (HOS) regulations limit drivers\u2019 time on the road to increase safety by limiting fatigue. This requires drivers to locate safe, secure, and legal parking wherever they are when or before they hit their limits. If drive time is exhausted with no nearby truck parking, drivers may park in unsafe or unauthorized locations to meet HOS requirements, or they may continue to drive while fatigued. As a result, there are intrinsic safety implications to all highway users due to large trucks parking in unsafe locations or truck drivers driving past their allotted hours. With the projected growth of truck traffic, the demand for adequate truck parking will continue to outpace the supply of public and private parking facilities. The current study will help transportation agencies develop solutions to the parking availability problem by identifying effective methods for using data to estimate truck parking demand and areas of parking opportunity, assessing available data sources for estimating truck parking demand and supply, and determining the safest solutions for distributing information on parking availability directly to drivers

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Comparison of Flights Climbed Between Garmin and Fitbit Devices

With exercise device technology and consumer interest in the field growing, it is important for users to be confident that their wearable fitness devices accurately track their flights climbed. Two manufacturers of devices that track flights climbed are Garmin and Fitbit. Comparing the measurements of flights climbed between devices from these two manufacturers is important to inform consumers as they decide which device to purchase for flight-related activities. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the measurements of flights climbed between the Garmin fēnix 5 and Fitbit Versa 2. METHODS: Eight participants (6M, 2F, 29 ± 8 yrs, 178 ± 8 cm, 79 ± 15 kg) were tested individually, and the fēnix 5 and Versa 2 were assigned randomly to be worn on separate wrists. The participants climbed one, two, and three flights of stairs (19, 39, and 59 steps, respectively, as per manual counts) at a pace of 50, 75, and 100 steps per minute (spm; total trials = 9). Each device’s display of flights climbed was recorded at the beginning and end of each trial to calculate the difference (i.e., the flights climbed per trial). A 2x9 repeated-measures (RM) ANOVA determined whether measurements of flights climbed were significantly different between the fēnix 5 and Versa 2 during each trial: 2x9 = device: 1) fēnix 5, 2) Versa 2 x trial: 1) 1 flight 50 spm, 2) 1 flight 75 spm, 3) 1 flight 100 spm, 4) 2 flights 50 spm, 5) 2 flights 75 spm, 6) 2 flights 100 spm, 8) 3 flights 50 spm, 3 flights 75 spm, 9) 3 flights 100 spm). The α-level was 0.05 for the RM ANOVA and 0.006 for the post-hoc paired t-tests (adjustment = 0.05/9 comparisons). RESULTS: The device*trial interaction effect was significant; F(8, 56) = 4.273, p \u3c 0.001, ηp2 \u3c 0.379 (large effect). Before adjusting the α-level, flights climbed significantly differed between the devices in the following trials: 2 flights 75 spm (p = 0.045), 3 flights 50 spm (p = 0.009), 3 flights 75 spm (p = 0.006), and 3 flights 100 spm (p = 0.026). In every significant comparison, the fēnix 5 reported a lower mean number of flights climbed than the Versa 2. However, after adjusting the α-level, flights climbed did not significantly differ between the devices for any trials (all ≥ 0.006). CONCLUSION: Depending on the speed of ascent and number of flights actually climbed, the fēnix 5 and Versa 2 may not provide the same number of flights

Validity of Fitbit Devices while Ascending and Descending Flights of Stairs

With wearable technology becoming increasingly popular, devices that provide valid step counts during physical activities are important for people trying to accumulate a certain number of steps, as is a common goal when trying to become more active. One of the most popular manufacturers of wearable devices in the world is Fitbit. It is not clear if wrist-worn Fitbit devices provide valid step counts while ascending and descending flights of stairs at different speeds. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of step counts by the wrist-worn Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Versa 2 while walking up and down flights of stairs. METHODS: Eight participants (6M, 2F, 29 ± 8 yrs, 178 ± 8 cm, 79 ± 15 kg) walked up and then down one, two and three flights of stairs to a metronome set at 50, 75, and 100 beats per minute (BPM). A Fitbit device was randomly chosen for each arm. Steps were recorded at the bottom and top of each flight. The step data were analyzed using mean absolute percent error (MAPE), Lin’s concordance, and dependent t-tests. The criterion measure of steps was the actual number of steps through one flight (19 steps), two flights (39 steps = 19 steps in flight two + one step on the landing between flights one and two), and three flights (59 steps = 19 steps in flight three + one step on the landing between flights two and three). Prior to testing, the benchmark for validity was established as having both of the following: a MAPE \u3c 10%, and a Lin’s concordance ≥ 0.7. Significance on the dependent t-tests were accepted at the p\u3c 0.05. RESULTS: Neither of the devices were considered valid measures of step count when ascending or descending stairs when the walking speed was 50, 75, or 100 BPM (see table). Fitbit Charge Fitbit Versa 2 Up Down Up Down 50 BPM MAPE (%) 49.09 35.86 53.81 29.19 Lin’s Concordance 0.57 0.65 0.53 0.70 p-value 0.005 0.04 0.003 0.08 75 BPM MAPE (%) 22.75 10.65 16.42 9.45 Lin’s Concordance 0.052 0.96 0.89 0.95 p-value 0.74 0.47 0.26 0.54 100 BPM MAPE (%) 21.42 8.97 13.06 7.34 Lin’s Concordance 0.78 0.94 0.93 0.96 p-value 0.296 0.51 0.505 0.59 CONCLUSION: Our evidence suggests the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Versa 2 do not provide valid step counts while ascending or descending stairs, regardless of the speed. People who wish to utilize these devices for a valid measure of steps should understand this limitation