Blood pressure in Germany 2008–2011

High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. It is a main determinant of morbidity and mortality in Germany. In the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1) the blood pressure of 7,096 adults aged 18–79 years was measured in a standardised way using oscillometric blood pressure devices (Datascope Accutorr Plus). The average of the second and third measurements was used for analysis. The mean systolic blood pressure was 120.8 mmHg in women and 127.4 mmHg in men, while the mean diastolic blood pressure was 71.2 mmHg in women and 75.3 mmHg in men. Blood pressure values were hypertensive (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg) in 12.7% of women and in 18.1% of men. Hypertension (defined as having hypertensive blood pressure or taking antihypertensive medication in known cases of hypertension) was present in 29.9% of women and 33.3% of men. Almost 75% of the survey’s highest age group, 70–79, had hypertension. DEGS1 demonstrates that high blood pressure remains a highly prevalent risk factor in the population at large. The methodology employed in measuring blood pressure has been improved as compared to that of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998 (GNHIES98) and it will be possible to draw comparisons soon, once a procedure for calibrating the 1998 data has been finalised

2011-2012 No Strings Attached

This concert features the students of the Wind, Brass, and Percussion Departments

Measuring adolescents' HRQoL via self reports and parent proxy reports: an evaluation of the psychometric properties of both versions of the KINDL-R instrument

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several instruments are available to assess children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) based on self reports as well as proxy reports from parents. Previous studies have found only low-to-moderate agreement between self and proxy reports, but few studies have explicitly compared the psychometric qualities of both. This study compares the reliability, factorial validity and convergent and known group validity of the self-report and parent-report versions of the HRQoL KINDL-R questionnaire for children and adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Within the nationally representative cross-sectional German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), 6,813 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 years completed the KINDL-R generic HRQoL instrument while their parents answered the KINDL proxy version (both in paper-and-pencil versions). Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor-analysis models (linear structural equation model) were obtained. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed by calculating the Pearson's correlation coefficient for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Known-groups differences were examined (ANOVA) for obese children and children with a lower familial socio-economic status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The parent reports achieved slightly higher Cronbach's alpha values for the total score (0.86 vs. 0.83) and most sub-scores. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of the six-dimensional measurement model of the KINDL for the parent (RMSEA = 0.07) and child reports (RMSEA = 0.06). Factorial invariance across the two versions did not hold with regards to the pattern of loadings, the item errors and the covariation between latent concepts. However the magnitude of the differences was rather small. The parent report version achieved slightly higher convergent validity (r = 0.44 – 0.63 vs. r = 0.33 – 0.59) in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. No clear differences were observed for known-groups validity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study showed that parent proxy reports and child self reports on the child's HRQoL slightly differ with regards to how the perceptions, evaluations and possibly the affective resonance of each group are structured and internally consistent. Overall, the parent reports achieved slightly higher reliability and thus are favoured for the examination of small samples. No version was universally superior with regards to the validity of the measurements. Whenever possible, children's HRQoL should be measured via both sources of information.</p

Revealing microcanonical phase diagrams of strongly correlated systems via time-averaged classical shadows

Quantum computers and simulators promise to enable the study of strongly correlated quantum systems. Yet surprisingly, it is hard for them to compute ground states[Kitaev]. They can, however, efficiently compute the dynamics of closed quantum systems. We introduce time-average classical shadows(TACS) and machine learning(ML) methods to take advantage of this efficiency to study microcanonical quantum thermodynamics. Using the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model(1DTFIM), we first validate the unsupervised ML method of diffusion maps on classical shadows data from ground state calculations on 100 qubit systems. We then show that diffusion maps applied to TACS data from quantum dynamics simulations beginning from cat states show distinct phase-defining features and correctly identifies the quantum phase transition. Finally, we introduce a Bayesian inference method to compute the second Renyi entropy, a stand in for entropy, the primary thermodynamic potential of microcanonical ensemble. Our results provide evidence that quantum simulators and computers capable of outperforming classical computers at dynamics simulations can also produce quantum thermodynamic data with quantum advantage

2011-2012 General Meeting and Concert

The concert features the students of the winds, brass, and percussion studios.https://spiral.lynn.edu/foc-events/1009/thumbnail.jp

2013-2014 Chamber Music Palm Beach No. 3

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_otherseasonalconcerts/1011/thumbnail.jp

2013-2014 Mostly Music: Beethoven

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_mostlymusic/1019/thumbnail.jp

2013-2014 Chamber Music Palm Beach No. 2

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_otherseasonalconcerts/1013/thumbnail.jp

2013-2014 Chamber Music Palm Beach No. 1

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_otherseasonalconcerts/1014/thumbnail.jp