Group Differences in Balance between Individuals with and without Intellectual Disabilities Following a Progressive Overload Powerlifting Program

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a core-lifting program on functional balance in persons with intellectual disabilities (ages 27 - 43). This study compared balance results from a group of young adults with intellectual disabilities to a comparison group made up of college aged, typically developing peers (ages 21-27). The intervention lasted six weeks and included one day of progressive powerlifting using three sets of six to eight repetitions as outlined by the Special Olympics Powerlifting Coaches Guide (Special Olympics, 2011). An important research question for this study was to determine if strength improvements in the target population were linked to balance. Results included a lack of association between task analysis scores and balance as measured by force plates (p \u3e .05). Further posttest strength findings resulted in the comparison group significantly outscoring the experimental group on maximum squat rate of force development (ROFD), average squat ROFD, and squat maximum force, F(1, 15) = 5.19, p \u3c .05, F(1, 15) = 21.99, p \u3c .05, F(1, 15) = 28.02, p \u3c .05 respectively. With respect to strength changes over the intervention, the experimental group did not improve in strength over the six week intervention (p \u3e .05). Finally, no relationship was found between balance and strength during pre or posttesting which contradicts the notion that strength gains are associated with balance in these participants with intellectual disabilities. In summary, the intervention length was targeted as too short to achieve the desired strength changes

Mechanical and GWP Assessment of Concrete Using Blast Furnace Slag, Silica Fume and Recycled Aggregate

Demolition waste and cement production is responsible for 36% of total waste produced on earth and 8% of the worlds CO2 emissions, respectively. Due to limited research on concrete mixes containing ternary cementitious mixes (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) and Silica Fume (SF)) and demolition waste, the paper reviewed the mechanical properties of concrete, and structural performance of reinforced beams. Thereafter, life cycle analysis (LCA) was investigated to understand the true environmental impact, focusing on Global Warming Potential (GWP). Results show that recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) had no significant negative impact on the compressive strength, tensile strength, and modulus of rupture of concrete. The inclusion of GGBS and SF in mixes containing RCA eliminated any negative impact and for all mixes produced greater strengths in comparison to the control mix, due to the secondary reaction of Ca (OH)2 and pore refinement. The flexural behavior of the concrete beams with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% RCA, 25% GGBS and 5% SF is similar. LCA results showed that replacing NA with 25%, 50% or 100% RCA has no significant impact on the GWP emissions. This is because of the similar emissions associated with manufacturing and processing of recycled and natural aggregates. However, replacing cement with 5% SF and 25% GGBS improves the GWP environmental response of concrete significantly. Additionally, natural aggregates have a higher GWP contribution than that of recycled concrete aggregates by almost 80% since the process of NA required quarry operation and transportation while the RCA are produced on site from an existing building waste

Assessment of Natural Resources Use for Sustainable Development - DPSIR Framework for Case Studies in Portsmouth and Thames Gateway, U.K.

This chapter reports on the uses of the DPSIR framework to assess the sustainability of the intertidal environments within the two UK case study areas, Portsmouth and Thames Gateway. It focuses on statutory conservation areas dominated by intertidal habitats. Two are located in Portsmouth (Portsmouth and Langstone Harbours) and four in the Thames Gateway (Benfleet Marshes, South Thames Estuary, Medway Estuary and the Swale in the Thames Gateway). Based on the reduction of a number of pressures and impacts observed in recent decades and the improvement of overall environmental quality, all six SSSIs are considered to be sustainable in the short and medium term. In the future, it is possible that the impacts of climate change, especially sea-level rise, might result in further reduction in the area and/or quality of intertidal habitats. Further integration between conservation and planning objectives (both for urban development and management of flood risk) at local level is needed to support the long-term sustainability of intertidal habitats

Biomarkers in Early Response to Brolucizumab on Pigment Epithelium Detachment Associated with Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

The purpose of this study was to describe early changes in the morphology of pigment epithelium detachments (PED) after an intravitreal injection of Brolucizumab into eyes with macular neovascularization secondary to exudative age-related macular degeneration (e-AMD). We included twelve eyes of 12 patients with PED secondary to e-AMD which were not responding to prior anti-VEGF treatments. An ophthalmic examination and an assessment of PED-horizontal maximal diameter (PED-HMD), PED-maximum high (PED-MH) and macular neovascularization (MNV) flow area (MNV-FA) by the means of structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT Angiography (OCT-A) were performed at baseline, as well as 1, 7, 14 and 30 days after the injection. The mean age of the population of study was 78.4 (SD ± 4.8). The mean number of previous Ranibizumab or Aflibercept injections was 13 (SD ± 8). At the last follow-up visit, the PED-HMD did not significantly change (p = 0.16; F(DF:1.94, 20,85) = 1.9), the PED-MH showed a significant reduction [p = 0.01; F(DF:1.31, 14.13) = 6.84.] and the MNV-FA did not significantly differ (p = 0.1; F(1.97, 21.67) = 2.54) from baseline. No signs of ocular inflammation were observed during follow-up. A single Brolucizumab injection was able to determine the short-term effects on PEDs' anatomical features of eyes with an unresponsive e-AMD

Choroidal Changes in Blood Flow in Patients with Intermediate AMD after Oral Dietary Supplement Based on Astaxanthin, Bromelain, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Lutein, and Antioxidants

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of oral administration of the combination of astaxanthin (AXT), lutein, folic acid, vitamin D3, and bromelain with antioxidants on choroidal blood flow in patients with age-related intermediate macular degeneration (AMD). Materials and Methods: Patients affected by intermediate AMD and treated with daily oral nutritional supplement with AXT, bromelain, vitamin D3, folic acid, lutein, and antioxidants for a period of at least 6 months were included in this retrospective study. A control group homogenous for age and sex was also included in the analysis. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) evaluation. Outcome measures were choroidal thickness (CHT) and choriocapillary vessel density (CCVD) after six months of AXT assumption. Results: CCVD values showed statistically significant difference between cases and controls at baseline (p < 0.001) and in the cases during follow-up (p < 0.001). The CHT measurements showed statistically significant difference between cases and controls (p = 0.002) and in the cases during follow-up (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The combined use of structural OCT and OCTA allows for a detailed analysis in vivo of perfusion parameters of the choriocapillaris and choroid and evaluation of changes of choroidal blood flow after oral nutritional supplements that affect blood flow velocity

Mechanical and GWP assessment of concrete using Blast Furnace Slag, Silica Fume and recycled aggregate

Data Availability: Data will be made available on request.Demolition waste and cement production is responsible for 36 % of total waste produced on earth and 8 % of the worlds CO2 emissions, respectively. Due to limited research on concrete mixes containing ternary cementitious mixes (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) and Silica Fume (SF)) and demolition waste, the paper reviewed the mechanical properties of concrete, and structural performance of reinforced beams. Thereafter, life cycle analysis (LCA) was investigated to understand the true environmental impact, focusing on Global Warming Potential (GWP). Results show that recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) had no significant negative impact on the compressive strength, tensile strength, and modulus of rupture of concrete. The inclusion of GGBS and SF in mixes containing RCA eliminated any negative impact and for all mixes produced greater strengths in comparison to the control mix, due to the secondary reaction of Ca (OH)2 and pore refinement. The flexural behaviour of the concrete beams with 0 %, 25 %, 50 % and 100 % RCA, 25 % GGBS and 5 % SF is similar. LCA results showed that replacing NA with 25 %, 50 % or 100 % RCA has no significant impact on the GWP emissions. This is because of the similar emissions associated with manufacturing and processing of recycled and natural aggregates. However, replacing cement with 5 % SF and 25 % GGBS improves the GWP environmental response of concrete significantly. Additionally, natural aggregates have a higher GWP contribution than that of recycled concrete aggregates by almost 80 % since the process of NA required quarry operation and transportation while the RCA are produced on site from an existing building waste

Frailty assessment in an unselected population admitted to an intensive cardiac care unit

Abstract Background Although interest in frailty has expanded among cardiology experts over the past 2 decades, its integration, as part of cardiovascular disease management, is still lacking, above all in the acute cardiac care setting. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a brief guided tool to assess frailty in hospital settings without specialist equipment. Purpose Our objective was to test the performance of the CFS in an older, unselected population, admitted to an Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) during the year 2019. Methods The study sample included 431 patients ≥65 years old, admitted to an ICCU of a tertiary cardiac center in Italy. The CFS ranged from "very fit: 1" to "terminally ill: 9", but it was considered present at a score ≥5. Our primary endpoint was defined by a combination of severe complications requiring critical care and in-hospital death. The data were collected from the hospital discharge summary and the electronic chart records. Results 158 patients (36.7%) were frail. These individuals had greater comorbidity and higher in-hospital mortality (Table 1). After a multivariable logistic regression analysis, 4 predictors were identified: signs of congestive heart failure (OR: 8.51, 95% Confidence Interval-CI: 4.63–14.6; p<0,001), systolic blood pressure (OR per 1 mmHg increasing: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99; p<0,001), smoking habit (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.22–1.11; p=0.09) and the CFS ≥5 (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.08–3.23: p=0,026). Conclusions The CFS is a simple guided frailty tool that may enhance outcome prediction in the acute cardiac care setting. These findings merit evaluation in larger cohorts of unselected patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None

Analyzing non-equilibrium quantum states through snapshots with artificial neural networks

Current quantum simulation experiments are starting to explore non-equilibrium many-body dynamics in previously inaccessible regimes in terms of system sizes and time scales. Therefore, the question emerges which observables are best suited to study the dynamics in such quantum many-body systems. Using machine learning techniques, we investigate the dynamics and in particular the thermalization behavior of an interacting quantum system which undergoes a dynamical phase transition from an ergodic to a many-body localized phase. A neural network is trained to distinguish non-equilibrium from thermal equilibrium data, and the network performance serves as a probe for the thermalization behavior of the system. We test our methods with experimental snapshots of ultracold atoms taken with a quantum gas microscope. Our results provide a path to analyze highly-entangled large-scale quantum states for system sizes where numerical calculations of conventional observables become challenging.Comment: 4+3 pages, 3+6 figure

Temporal Control of the Host-Guest Properties of a Calix[6]arene Receptor by the Use of a Chemical Fuel

The host-guest interaction of a 1,3,5-trisaminocalix[6]arene receptor with N-methylisoquinolinium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Kassof 500 ± 30 M-1in CD2Cl2) can be dissipatively driven by means of 2-cyano-2-(4′-chloro)phenylpropanoic acid used as a convenient chemical fuel. When the fuel is added to a dichloromethane solution containing the above complex, the host is induced to immediately release the guest in the bulk solution. Consumption of the fuel allows the guest to be re-uptaken by the host. The operation can be satisfactorily reiterated with four subsequent additions of fuel, producing four successive release-reuptake cycles. The percentage of the guest temporarily released in the bulk solution by the host and the time required for the reuptake process can be finely regulated by varying the quantities of added fuel