Active Control of Acoustic Field-of-View in a Biosonar System

Echolocating bats can actively change the area scanned by their biosonar sensory system (“field of view”), and they do so according to the complexity of the environment and depending on the distance to the target

Listening carefully: increased perceptual acuity for species discrimination in multispecies signalling assemblages

Communication is a fundamental component of evolutionary change because of its role in mate choice and sexual selection. Acoustic signals are a vital element of animal communication and sympatric species may use private frequency bands to facilitate intraspecific communication and identification of conspecifics (acoustic communication hypothesis, ACH). If so, animals should show increasing rates of misclassification with increasing overlap in frequency between their own calls and those used by sympatric heterospecifics. We tested this on the echolocation of the horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus capensis, using a classical habituation-dishabituation experiment in which we exposed R. capensis from two phonetic populations to echolocation calls of sympatric and allopatric horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophus clivosus and Rhinolophus damarensis) and different phonetic populations of R. capensis. As predicted by the ACH, R. capensis from both test populations were able to discriminate between their own calls and calls of the respective sympatric horseshoe bat species. However, only bats from one test population were able to discriminate between calls of allopatric heterospecifics and their own population when both were using the same frequency. The local acoustic signalling assemblages (ensemble of signals from sympatric conspecifics and heterospecifics) of the two populations differed in complexity as a result of contact with other phonetic populations and sympatric heterospecifics. We therefore propose that a hierarchy of discrimination ability has evolved within the same species. Frequency alone may be sufficient to assess species membership in relatively simple acoustic assemblages but the ability to use additional acoustic cues may have evolved in more complex acoustic assemblages to circumvent misidentifications as a result of the use of overlapping signals. When the acoustic signal design is under strong constraints as a result of dual functions and the available acoustic space is limited because of co-occurring species, species discrimination is mediated through improved sensory acuity in the receiver

A Systematic Review of Fitness Apps and Their Potential Clinical and Sports Utility for Objective and Remote Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Key Points The validity and reliability of existing and/or underdevelopment fitness apps should be further investigated. Physiological signals should be incorporated into fitness apps, such as heart rate measures using a smartphone camera, during or after exercise testing. There is a need to develop interoperable fitness apps (e.g., different languages, apps integrated into both app markets, data that is device-independent). Fitness apps should incorporate evidence-based cutpoints of CRF, allowing interpretation of fitness testing resultsWe are grateful to Ms Carmen Sainz-Quinn for assistance with the English language.Background Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessment provides key information regarding general health status that has high clinical utility. In addition, in the sports setting, CRF testing is needed to establish a baseline level, prescribe an individualized training program and monitor improvement in athletic performance. As such, the assessment of CRF has both clinical and sports utility. Technological advancements have led to increased digitization within healthcare and athletics. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to enhance the validity and reliability of existing fitness apps for CRF assessment in both contexts. Objectives The present review aimed to (1) systematically review the scientific literature, examining the validity and reliability of apps designed for CRF assessment; and (2) systematically review and qualitatively score available fitness apps in the two main app markets. Lastly, this systematic review outlines evidence-based practical recommendations for developing future apps that measure CRF. Data Sources The following sources were searched for relevant studies: PubMed, Web of Science®, ScopusTM, and SPORTDiscus, and data was also found within app markets (Google Play and the App Store). Study Eligibility Criteria Eligible scientific studies examined the validity and/or reliability of apps for assessing CRF through a field-based fitness test. Criteria for the app markets involved apps that estimated CRF. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods The scientific literature search included four major electronic databases and the timeframe was set between 01 January 2000 and 31 October 2018. A total of 2796 articles were identified using a set of fitness-related terms, of which five articles were finally selected and included in this review. The app market search was undertaken by introducing keywords into the search engine of each app market without specified search categories. A total of 691 apps were identified using a set of fitness-related terms, of which 88 apps were finally included in the quantitative and qualitative synthesis. Results Five studies focused on the scientific validity of fitness tests with apps, while only two of these focused on reliability. Four studies used a sub-maximal fitness test via apps. Out of the scientific apps reviewed, the SA-6MWTapp showed the best validity against a criterion measure (r = 0.88), whilst the InterWalk app showed the highest test–retest reliability (ICC range 0.85–0.86). Limitations Levels of evidence based on scientific validity/reliability of apps and on commercial apps could not be robustly determined due to the limited number of studies identified in the literature and the low-to-moderate quality of commercial apps. Conclusions The results from this scientific review showed that few apps have been empirically tested, and among those that have, not all were valid or reliable. In addition, commercial apps were of low-to-moderate quality, suggesting that their potential for assessing CRF has yet to be realized. Lastly, this manuscript has identified evidence-based practical recommendations that apps might potentially offer to objectively and remotely assess CRF as a complementary tool to traditional methods in the clinical and sports settings

Anonymous data for primary and secondary outcomes

This is an anonymous data set (no transaction key available - is deleted) for the primary and secondary outcomes. The data set is made ready for Stata 13 (Statacorp, College station, TX USA

Data from: Effect of ecological momentary assessment, goal-setting and personalized phone-calls on adherence to interval walking training using the InterWalk application among patients with type 2 diabetes – a pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives: The objective was to investigate the feasibility and usability of structured text-messages, goal-setting and phone-calls on adherence to a 12-week self-conducted interval walking training (IWT) program, delivered by the InterWalk smartphone among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: In a two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial (Denmark, March 2014 to February 2015), patients with T2D (18-80 years with a Body Mass Index of 18 and 40 kg/m2) were randomly allocated to 12 weeks of IWT with (intervention) or without additional support (control). The primary outcome was the difference between groups in accumulated time of interval walking training across 12 weeks. All patients were encouraged to use the InterWalk application to perform IWT for ≥90 minute/week. Patients in the intervention group made individual goals regarding lifestyle change, received automated text-messages once a week, inquiring about exercise adherence. In case of consistent non-adherence, the patients would receive a phone-call inquiring about the reason for non-adherence. The control group did not receive additional support. Information about training adherence was assessed objectively. Usability of structured text-messages was assessed based on response rates and self-reported satisfaction after 12-weeks. Results: Thirty-seven patients with T2D (66 years, 65% female, hemoglobin 1Ac 50.3 mmol/mol) where included (n=18 and n=19 in intervention and control group, respectively). The retention rate was 83%. The intervention group accumulated [95%CI] 345 -7, 698 minutes of IWT more than the control group. The response rate for the text-messages was 83% (68% for males and 90% for females). Forty-one percent of the intervention and 25% of the control group were very satisfied with their participation. Conclusion: The combination of structured text-messages, goal-setting with the possibility of follow-up phone calls are considered feasible interventions to attain training adherence when using the InterWalk app during a 12-week period in patients with T2D. Some uncertainty about the effect size of adherence remains

Implementation of interval walking training in patients with type 2 diabetes in Denmark:rationale, design, and baseline characteristics

Promoting physical activity is a first-line choice of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, there is a need for more effective tools and technologies to facilitate structured lifestyle interventions and to ensure a better compliance, sustainability, and health benefits of exercise training in patients with T2D. The InterWalk initiative and its innovative application (app) for smartphones described in this study were developed by the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in T2D aiming at implementing, testing, and validating interval walking in patients with T2D in Denmark. The interval walking training approach consists of repetitive 3-minute cycles of slow and fast walking with simultaneous intensity guiding, based on the exercise capacity of the user. The individual intensity during slow and fast walking is determined by a short initial self-conducted and audio-guided fitness test, which combined with automated audio instructions strives to motivate the individual to adjust the intensity to the predetermined individualized walking intensities. The InterWalk app data are collected prospectively from all users and will be linked to the unique Danish nationwide databases and administrative registries, allowing extensive epidemiological studies of exercise in patients with T2D, such as the level of adherence to InterWalk training and long-term effectiveness surveys of important health outcomes, including cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Currently, the InterWalk app has been downloaded by >30,000 persons, and the achieved epidemiological data quality is encouraging. Of the 9,466 persons providing personal information, 80% of the men and 62% women were overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25). The InterWalk project represents a contemporary technology-driven public health approach to monitor real-life exercise adherence and to propagate improved health through exercise intervention in T2D and in the general population

The effect of frequency of activity interruptions in prolonged sitting on postprandial glucose metabolism:A randomized crossover trial

Objective The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that increased frequency of interruptions in prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glycemia independent of energy intake and expenditure. Materials/Methods Healthy, sedentary, centrally obese men (n = 14; age*, 28.2 (23.4; 38.3) years; BMI, 31.9 ± 6.7 kg/m2; VO2max*, 39.5 (38.8; 40.9) ml/min/kg; HbA1c, 5.3 ± 0.4% (34.1 ± 4.2 mmol/mol); mean ± SD (*median (25th; 75th percentile)) completed four 8-h interventions in randomized order: 1) uninterrupted sitting (SIT), 2) sitting interrupted by 2 min of walking (~30% of VO2max) every 20th minute (INT20), 3) sitting interrupted by 6 min of walking every hour (INT60), and 4) sitting interrupted by 12 min of walking every second hour (INT120). A standardized test drink was served at the beginning of and 4 h into the intervention (total of 2310 ± 247 kcal; 50% energy from carbohydrate, 50% energy from fat). Outcomes included the difference in the 8-h total area under the curve (tAUC) for primarily plasma glucose, and secondarily plasma insulin and C-peptide during INT20, INT60, and INT120 compared to SIT. Results No difference [95% CI] was observed in the primary outcome, the 8-h tAUC for the plasma glucose, during INT20, INT60, and INT120 compared to SIT (−65.3 mmol/l∗min [−256.3; 125.7], +53.8 mmol/l∗min [−143.1; 250.8], and +18.6 mmol/l∗min [−172.4; 209.6], respectively). Conclusions Interrupting sitting with increasing frequency did not reduce the postprandial plasma glucose response to prolonged sitting in healthy, sedentary, centrally obese men