A Comparison of the Accuracy and Reliability of the Wahoo KICKR and SRM Power Meter

The Wahoo KICKR cycling trainer is a new direct-drive electromagnetically braked bike-trainer that allows cyclists to use their own bicycles as ergometer. It is purported to provide ±3% accuracy in power, despite costing considerably less than other cycling ergometers. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of several KICKR units against the more established SRM power meter using a first-principles based dynamic calibration rig (CALRIG).Five KICKRs and one SRM unit were assessed by a CALRIG-driven incremental test. Following a 15 min warm-up and ‘calibration’ as per manufacturer instructions, power was increased (starting at 50 W) by 50 W every 2 min up to 400 W. Each unit was tested twice non-consecutively, in random order. Data was recorded at 1 Hz, with the last 10 s of each stage being averaged for analysis. The mean error (%) and coefficient of determination (R2) versus CALRIG; as well as the change in mean error and Typical Error of Measurement (TEM) (expressed as a % coefficient of variation) between trials was calculated for each device.The mean error across all KICKR units was -1.5% (range: -3.1% to 0.0%) compared to -1.6% reported by the SRM. R2 >0.999 was found for all KICKR units and SRM compared to the CALRIG. The mean TEM for the KICKRs was 1.5% (range: 1.1% to 1.9%), whereas the SRM reported 0.7%. For test-retest reproducibility, two KICKRs had statistically significant changes in mean error, with an average 1.3% change across all KICKRs. Comparatively, the SRM reported a 0.4% change between trials. The Wahoo KICKR trainer measures power to a similar level of accuracy to the more reputable SRM power meter during an incremental exercise test. Although not as reproducible, the KICKR still demonstrates an acceptable level of reliability for assessing cycling performance

Service provision and barriers to care for homeless people with mental health problems across 14 European capital cities

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Unexpected depletion in plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations in a pregnant woman with bipolar affective disorder being treated with lithuim, haloperidol and benztropine: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Patients with bipolar affective disorder can be effectively managed with pharmacological intervention. This case report describes a pregnant woman with a ten-year history of bipolar affective disorder that was being treated with lithium, haloperidol and benztropine.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>The patient had a normal pregnancy, but developed an elevated blood pressure and started to lose weight at 36 weeks of gestation. During pregnancy, plasma concentrations of choline and phosphatidylcholine are increased to meet the demands of the foetus. However, our findings in this case included depletion of plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations. Other unusual outcomes included low placental weight and low infant birth weight.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This report suggests that the pharmacological management of this patient could possibly account for the findings.</p

Mammography screening: views from women and primary care physicians in Crete

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women and a leading cause of death from cancer in women in Europe. Although breast cancer incidence is on the rise worldwide, breast cancer mortality over the past 25 years has been stable or decreasing in some countries and a fall in breast cancer mortality rates in most European countries in the 1990s was reported by several studies, in contrast, in Greece have not reported these favourable trends. In Greece, the age-standardised incidence and mortality rate for breast cancer per 100.000 in 2006 was 81,8 and 21,7 and although it is lower than most other countries in Europe, the fall in breast cancer mortality that observed has not been as great as in other European countries. There is no national strategy for screening in this country. This study reports on the use of mammography among middleaged women in rural Crete and investigates barriers to mammography screening encountered by women and their primary care physicians. Methods: Design: Semi-structured individual interviews. Setting and participants: Thirty women between 45–65 years of age, with a mean age of 54,6 years, and standard deviation 6,8 from rural areas of Crete and 28 qualified primary care physicians, with a mean age of 44,7 years and standard deviation 7,0 serving this rural population. Main outcome measure: Qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Most women identified several reasons for not using mammography. These included poor knowledge of the benefits and indications for mammography screening, fear of pain during the procedure, fear of a serious diagnosis, embarrassment, stress while anticipating the results, cost and lack of physician recommendation. Physicians identified difficulties in scheduling an appointment as one reason women did not use mammography and both women and physicians identified distance from the screening site, transportation problems and the absence of symptoms as reasons for non-use. Conclusion: Women are inhibited from participating in mammography screening in rural Crete. The provision of more accessible screening services may improve this. However physician recommendation is important in overcoming women's inhibitions. Primary care physicians serving rural areas need to be aware of barriers preventing women from attending mammography screening and provide women with information and advice in a sensitive way so women can make informed decisions regarding breast caner screening

Improved Measurement of the Pseudoscalar Decay Constant fDsf_{D_{s}}

We present a new determination of the Ds decay constant, f_{Ds} using 5 million continuum charm events obtained with the CLEO II detector. Our value is derived from our new measured ratio of widths for Ds -> mu nu/Ds -> phi pi of 0.173+/- 0.021 +/- 0.031. Taking the branching ratio for Ds -> phi pi as (3.6 +/- 0.9)% from the PDG, we extract f_{Ds} = (280 +/- 17 +/- 25 +/- 34){MeV}. We compare this result with various model calculations.Comment: 23 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

First Observation of τ→3πηντ\tau\to 3\pi\eta\nu_{\tau} and τ→f1πντ\tau\to f_{1}\pi\nu_{\tau} Decays

We have observed new channels for $\tau$ decays with an $\eta$ in the final state. We study 3-prong tau decays, using the $\eta\to\gamma\gamma$ and \eta\to 3\piz decay modes and 1-prong decays with two \piz's using the $\eta\to\gamma\gamma$ channel. The measured branching fractions are \B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}\pi^{-}\pi^{+}\eta\nu_{\tau}) =(3.4^{+0.6}_{-0.5}\pm0.6)\times10^{-4} and \B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}2\piz\eta\nu_{\tau} =(1.4\pm0.6\pm0.3)\times10^{-4}. We observe clear evidence for $f_1\to\eta\pi\pi$ substructure and measure \B(\tau^{-}\to f_1\pi^{-}\nu_{\tau})=(5.8^{+1.4}_{-1.3}\pm1.8)\times10^{-4}. We have also searched for $\eta'(958)$ production and obtain 90% CL upper limits \B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}\eta'\nu_\tau)<7.4\times10^{-5} and \B(\tau^{-}\to \pi^{-}\piz\eta'\nu_\tau)<8.0\times10^{-5}.Comment: 11 page postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Search for the Decays B^0 -> D^{(*)+} D^{(*)-}

Using the CLEO-II data set we have searched for the Cabibbo-suppressed decays B^0 -> D^{(*)+} D^{(*)-}. For the decay B^0 -> D^{*+} D^{*-}, we observe one candidate signal event, with an expected background of 0.022 +/- 0.011 events. This yield corresponds to a branching fraction of Br(B^0 -> D^{*+} D^{*-}) = (5.3^{+7.1}_{-3.7}(stat) +/- 1.0(syst)) x 10^{-4} and an upper limit of Br(B^0 -> D^{*+} D^{*-}) D^{*\pm} D^\mp and B^0 -> D^+ D^-, no significant excess of signal above the expected background level is seen, and we calculate the 90% CL upper limits on the branching fractions to be Br(B^0 -> D^{*\pm} D^\mp) D^+ D^-) < 1.2 x 10^{-3}.Comment: 12 page postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to Physical Review Letter

ΛΛˉ\Lambda\bar{\Lambda} Production in Two-Photon Interactions at CLEO

Using the CLEO detector at the Cornell $e^+e^-$ storage ring, CESR, we study the two-photon production of $\Lambda \bar{\Lambda}$, making the first observation of $\gamma \gamma \to \Lambda \bar{\Lambda}$. We present the cross-section for $\gamma \gamma \to \Lambda \bar{\Lambda}$ as a function of the $\gamma \gamma$ center of mass energy and compare it to that predicted by the quark-diquark model.Comment: 10 pages, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN