Accuracy of Fitbit Activity Trackers During Walking in a Controlled Setting

Activity trackers are widely used to measure daily physical activity. Many devices have been shown to measure steps more accurately at higher intensities, however, it is also important to determine the accuracy of these new devices at measuring steps while walking at a pace similar to that used during most daily activities. PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of 6 popular activity trackers at measuring steps while walking on a treadmill. METHODS: Twenty-six college students (Mean±SD; 22.1±3.7yrs; 25.1±4.0kg/m2; 13 male) walked 500 steps at 3mph on a treadmill while wearing 6 different activity trackers (Pedometer, Fitbit Blaze, Charge HR, Alta, Flex, Zip, One). The Charge HR was placed two fingers above the right wrist while the Flex was next to the wrist bone. The Blaze was placed two fingers above the left wrist while the Alta was next to the wrist bone. The Fitbit Zip and the One were aligned with the hipbone on the left and right waistband respectively. Steps were counted by a trained researcher using a hand tally counter. Missing values were replaced with the mean value for that device. Step counts were correlated between Fitbit devices and the pedometer and tally counter using Pearson correlations. Significance was set at p\u3c0.05. Mean bias scores were calculated between the step counts for each device and the tally counter. Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) values were also calculated for each device relative to the tally counter. RESULTS: Fitbit Zip and One were significantly correlated with the tally counter (r=0.50, p\u3c0.05; r=0.68, p\u3c0.01, respectively) while the other devices were not significantly correlated. Mean bias and MAPE values were as follows: Device (Mean Bias/MAPE) Pedometer (-0.2±39.2/3.8±6.8), Blaze (34.5±67.1/9.9±11.3), Charge HR (-12.6±61.5/7.0±10.3), Alta (-85.0±70.8/17.1±14.1), Flex (49.5±242.4/19.7±45.3), Zip (1.8±3.4/0.4±0.6), One (0.2±2.1/0.3±0.3). Fitbit Zip and One were within one half percent of actual steps while wrist-worn Fitbits ranged from 7.0-19.7% from actual step counts. CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous research, activity trackers worn at the waist provide the most accurate step counts compared to wrist-worn models. Differences found in wrist-worn models may result in significant over- or underestimation of activity levels when worn for long periods of time

Comparison of Smartphone Pedometer Apps on a Treadmill versus Outdoors

Previous research has focused on the accuracy of smartphone pedometer apps in laboratory settings, however less information is available in outdoor (free living) environments. PURPOSE: Determine the accuracy of 5 smartphone apps at recording steps at a walking speed in a laboratory versus an outdoor setting. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy college students consented (Mean±SD; 22±3.8yrs; BMI 24.9±4.13kg/m2) to participate in 2 separate visits. During the first visit participants walked 500 steps at 3mph on a treadmill while wearing a pedometer and a smartphone placed in the pocket using 5 pedometer apps concurrently (Moves, Google Fit (G-Fit), Runtastic, Accupedo, S-Health). During the second visit, participants walked 400 meters at 3mph on a sidewalk outside. Actual steps for each visit were recorded using a hand tally counter device. Zero and negative values were replaced with the mean value for that trial. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 23.0. Mean bias scores were calculated between the step count for each app and the respective tally count for each trial. Mean bias scores were correlated between trials for each app using Pearson correlations and significance was set at p\u3c0.05. Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE) values were also calculated for each app for both trials. RESULTS: G-Fit recorded 2 zero values and 2 negative values and Moves recorded 1 zero value. Mean bias scores were significantly correlated between the indoor and outdoor protocols for the pedometer (r=0.67, p\u3c0.01) and S-Health (r=0.46, p\u3c0.5). The remaining apps were not correlated between protocols. The outdoor protocol producing a greater mean bias for the outdoor protocol for G-Fit, Runtastic, and Accupedo (mean bias ± SD indoor, outdoor; -4.3±53.1, -19.3±120.0; -10.7±63.3, -33.4±118.7; 16.0±143.6, 79.0±75.0; respectively) and a greater mean bias for the indoor protocol for the pedometer, Moves, and S-Health (mean bias indoor, outdoor; -1.4±41.5, 0.0±34.1; -117.4±196.7, -42.2±209.6; 11.3±28.4, 0.0±58.7; respectively). MAPE was below 5% for the pedometer and S-Health for both trials. CONCLUSION: Apps with the lowest error in a controlled setting may be less affected when used in other settings, while apps with greater variation in a controlled setting may be affected when used in a different environment

The contribution of smoking-attributable mortality to differences in mortality and life expectancy among US African-American and white adults, 2000-2019

Background: The role of smoking in racial disparities in mortality and life expectancy in the United States has been examined previously, but up-to-date estimates are generally unavailable, even though smoking prevalence has declined in recent decades. Objective: We estimate the contribution of smoking-attributable mortality to observed differences in mortality and life expectancy for US African-American and white adults from 2000-2019. Methods: The indirect Preston-Glei-Wilmoth method was used with national vital statistics and population data and nationally representative never-smoker lung cancer death rates to estimate the smoking-attributable fraction (SAF) of deaths in the United States by sex-race group from 2000-2019. Mortality rates without smoking-attributable mortality were used to estimate life expectancy at age 50 (e_50) by group during the period. Results: African-American men had the highest estimated SAF during the period, beginning at 26.4Š (95Š CI:25.0Š-27.8Š) in 2000 and ending at 12.1Š (95Š CI:11.4Š-12.8Š) in 2019. The proportion of the difference in e_50 for white and African-American men that was due to smoking decreased from 27.7Š to 14.8Š. For African-American and white women, the estimated differences in e_50 without smoking-attributable mortality were similar to observed differences. Conclusions: Smoking continues to contribute to racial disparities in mortality and life expectancy among men in the United States. Contribution: We present updated estimates of the contribution of smoking to mortality differences in the United States using nationally representative data sources

Antimicrobial Resistance among Campylobacter Strains, United States, 1997–2001

We summarize antimicrobial resistance surveillance data in human and chicken isolates of Campylobacter. Isolates were from a sentinel county study from 1989 through 1990 and from nine state health departments participating in National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for enteric bacteria (NARMS) from 1997 through 2001. None of the 297 C. jejuni or C. coli isolates tested from 1989 through 1990 was ciprofloxacin-resistant. From 1997 through 2001, a total of 1,553 human Campylobacter isolates were characterized: 1,471 (95%) were C. jejuni, 63 (4%) were C. coli, and 19 (1%) were other Campylobacter species. The prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter was 13% (28 of 217) in 1997 and 19% (75 of 384) in 2001; erythromycin resistance was 2% (4 of 217) in 1997 and 2% (8 of 384) in 2001. Ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter was isolated from 10% of 180 chicken products purchased from grocery stores in three states in 1999. Ciprofloxacin resistance has emerged among Campylobacter since 1990 and has increased in prevalence since 1997

METODOLOGÍA DE SELECCIÓN DE POZOS CANDIDATOS PARA TRATAMIENTOS DE CONFORMANCE QUÍMICO

La canalización generalmente es consecuencia de la heterogeneidad del yacimiento, especialmente por grandes variaciones de permeabilidad, ocasionando reducción en la eficiencia volumétrica como producto de la recirculación del fluido inyectado en procesos de recobro secundario y/o mejorado (EOR). Con el objetivo de mejorar el perfil vertical de inyección y reducir la recirculación de agua inyectada, en Colombia se han implementado, desde el año 2008 a 2020, 33 tratamientos de control de canalización y conformance químico profundo en nueve campos con el objetivo de aumentar la eficiencia de barrido volumétrico para incrementar el factor de recuperación de petróleo. El resultado de los tratamientos reportados es de hasta 3 barriles de petróleo incremental por cada barril de gel rígido inyectado. Sin embargo, la cantidad de tratamientos de conformance es baja en comparación con el número de pozos inyectores en el país de aproximadamente 1400). Por lo tanto, Ecopetrol adaptó una metodología de selección de pozos candidatos para tratamientos de conformance químico que tiene en cuenta continuidad de los yacimientos, determinación y caracterización de la heterogeneidad, estudio de movimiento de fluidos, determinación de conectividad del patrón de inyección, distribución vertical y areal de los fluidos inyectados y producidos, generación de gráficos diagnósticos en software Sahara para finalmente identificar los pozos candidatos y realizar el diseño del tratamiento de conformance. La generación de los gráficos diagnóstico base de la metodología tiene como punto de partida la distribución vertical de producción secundaria realizada por el método IWR de alocación de producciones de malla ponderando caudales, en el cual la producción de un pozo es distribuida entre los inyectores que lo afectan, y esta producción es asociada a cada inyector. Con respecto a la distribución areal se toman elementos de flujo creando mallas dinámicas centradas en inyector y se pondera utilizando la distribución angular. La distribución de producción secundaria tiene en cuenta los ILT/PLT realizados históricamente en los pozos inyectores/ productores, mallado y coeficientes de distribución de los patrones de inyección en el tiempo. En el presente trabajo se hace una descripción y aplicación de la metodología integrada que permite identificar la producción de petróleo y agua por yacimiento en cada patrón de inyección, así como la eficiencia del agua inyectada para mapear acciones de mejoramiento de la producción de petróleo y disminución de la producción de agua, con el objetivo de identificar los sectores con menor desempeño y que requieren optimización del proceso secundario y/o mejorado. La metodología se validó y complementó con información de trazadores interwell (IWTT) y simulación numérica en líneas de flujo (streamline). En ese sentido, se vienen aplicando tratamientos de conformance desde el año 2021 en 23 nuevos pozos con resultados prometedores de producción incremental de petróleo. La selección de pozos candidatos para tratamientos de conformance químico amplían las expectativas de masificación de estas tecnologías en diferentes campos del país y se convierten en pieza fundamental para apalancar la consecución de reservas y una disminución de la huella de carbono debido principalmente a que con el mismo caudal de fluido inyectado se incrementa la producción de petróleo y en algunos tratamientos puede disminuir la producción de agua, asegurando menor consumo de energía (CO2) por cada barril de petróleo extraído

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Ecos de la academia: Revista de la Facultad de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología - FECYT Nro 6

Ecos de la academia, Revista de la Facultad de Educación Ciencia y Tecnología es una publicación científica de la Universidad Técnica del Norte, con revisión por pares a doble ciego que publica artículos en idioma español, quichua, portugués e inglés. Se edita con una frecuencia semestral con dos números por año.En ella se divulgan trabajos originales e inéditos generados por los investigadores, docentes y estudiantes de la FECYT, y contribuciones de profesionales de instituciones docentes e investigativas dentro y fuera del país, con calidad, originalidad y relevancia en las áreas de ciencias sociales y tecnología aplicada.Modelos multidimensionales del bienestar en contextos de enseñanza- aprendizaje: una revisión sistemática. Nuevas tendencias para el área académica de la Publicidad en la zona 1 del Ecuador. Propuesta de un curso de escritura académica bajo la base de modelos experienciales. Aproximación al estudio de las emociones. Seguimiento a egresados y graduados para actualizar el perfil de egreso y profesional. Impacto de la Gerencia de Calidad en el clima organizacional en Educación Básica. Comunicación efectiva del gerente educativo orientada al manejo de conflictos en el personal docente. Meritocracia: Democratización o exclusión en el acceso a la educación superior en Ecuador. Asertividad y desempeño académico en estudiantes universitarios. La creatividad en la formación profesional. Aspectos metodológicos en el proceso de enseñanza- aprendizaje de la gimnasia en estudiantes de Educación Física. English Language Learning Interaction through Web 2.0 Technologies. La sistematización de la práctica educativa y su relación con la metodología de la investigación. El ozono y la oxigenación hiperbárica: una vía para mejorar la recuperación en lesiones deportivas. La labor tutorial: Independencia del aprendizaje en el contexto universitario. Motivación hacia la profesión docente en la Enseñanza Secundaria. El uso académico de Facebook y WhatsApp en estudiantes universitarios... La educación superior en Ecuador: situación actual y factores de mejora de la calidad. El Proyecto de Investigación “Imbabura Étnica”

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Pliance Questionnaire -Children

Empirical research on pliance, a functional class of rule-governed behavior, has been scarce in children. This study aims to develop a children version of the Generalized Pliance Questionnaire (GPQ), a self-report developed for adults that has shown excellent psychometric properties, a one-factor structure, and criterion validity. In so doing, we adapted the vocabulary of some the GPQ items and eliminated the items with content typical of adult life. Afterwards, the GPQ for children (i.e., GPQ-C) was administered to a sample of 797 Colombian children from 8 to 13 years. All items of the GPQ-C showed good discrimination indexes and the whole questionnaire showed adequate internal consistency. A cross-validation study was conducted to analyze the factor structure of the questionnaire. The analysis showed that a one-factor structure showed a good fit to the data. The GPQ-C showed measurement invariance across gender and age group. Girls obtained higher scores than boys on the GPQ-C. Also, the GPQ-C scores seemed to decrease with age. The GPQ-C strongly correlated with measures of psychological inflexibility, repetitive negative thinking, pathological worry, and emotional symptoms. In conclusion, the GPQ-C seems to be a valid and reliable measure of generalized pliance for children