Comparing the content of instruments assessing environmental factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

Purpose: To describe and compare the content of instruments that assess environmental factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL and PEDro databases was conducted using a pre-determined search strategy. The identified instruments were screened independently by two investigators, and meaningful concepts were linked to the most precise ICF category according to published linking rules. Results: Six instruments were included, containing 526 meaningful concepts. Instruments had between 20% and 98% of items linked to categories in Chapter 1. The highest percentage of items from one instrument linked to categories in Chapters 2–5 varied between 9% and 50%. The presence or absence of environmental factors in a specific context is assessed in 3 instruments, while the other 3 assess the intensity of the impact of environmental factors. Discussion: Instruments differ in their content, type of assessment, and have several items linked to the same ICF category. Most instruments primarily assess products and technology (Chapter 1), highlighting the need to deepen the discussion on the theory that supports the measurement of environmental factors. This discussion should be thorough and lead to the development of methodologies and new tools that capture the underlying concepts of the ICF

Service evaluation of the GOALS family-based childhood obesity treatment intervention during the first 3 years of implementation.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the GOALS (Getting Our Active Lifestyles Started) family-based childhood obesity treatment intervention during the first 3 years of implementation. Design: Single-group repeated measures with qualitative questionnaires. Setting: Community venues in a socioeconomically deprived, urban location in the North-West of England. Participants: 70 overweight or obese children (mean age 10.5 years, 46% boys) and their parents/carers who completed GOALS between September 2006 and March 2009. Interventions: GOALS was a childhood obesity treatment intervention that drew on social cognitive theory to promote whole family lifestyle change. Sessions covered physical activity (PA), diet and behaviour change over 18 2 h weekly group sessions (lasting approximately 6 months). A Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist of intervention components is provided. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was child body mass index (BMI) z-score, collected at baseline, post-intervention and 12 months. Secondary outcome measures were child selfperceptions, parent/carer BMI and qualitative changes in family diet and PA (parent/carer questionnaire). Results: Child BMI z-score reduced by 0.07 from baseline to post-intervention (p<0.001) and was maintained at 12 months (p<0.05). There was no change in parent/carer BMI or child self-perceptions, other than an increase in perceived social acceptance from baseline to post-intervention (p<0.05). Parents/carers reported positive changes to family PA and dietary behaviours after completing GOALS. Conclusions: GOALS completion was associated with small improvements in child BMI z-score and improved family PA and dietary behaviours. Several intervention modifications were necessary during the implementation period and it is suggested childhood obesity treatment interventions need time to embed before a definitive evaluation is conducted. Researchers are urged to use the TIDieR checklist to ensure transparent reporting of interventions and facilitate the translation of evidence to practice

Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes of First Year Third-Level Students: An Empirical Study of Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Finnish, and Irish Students

The contemporary skillset of undergraduates includes a degree of sophistication in the application of ICT within their daily lives as well as within the higher education environment. The assumption of the student as a digital native, with the ability to cognitively process information in an ICT focused educational environment, is omnipresent in higher education. It has been suggested this assumption does not aid learning and adds an additional burden on the student. This study investigated whether experiences and perceptions, of mathematics and online assessment, are common to students studying in different countries and their respective higher education systems. The purpose of the investigation was to determine what issues influence the attitudes of students in the application of ICT for the online assessment of mathematics in the first year of undergraduate programmes. The investigation was conducted online by means of a quantitative questionnaire, consisting of 16 survey items, using Google Forms to self-selecting students (n=374) across several academic disciplines including engineering, business studies, media, and tourism. The survey was delivered in English to the majority students and translated to Russian for the Russian students to enable each group to reply in their own native language. The questionnaire design utilized a 6-point Likert scale where students were asked to express their experiences and perceptions of mathematics and online assessment in their chosen programme of study. The data was exported to IBM SPSSv24 and regression analyses were conducted to ascertain possible associations and relationships between the two student groups in the case study. The results of the investigation reveal some peculiar features and the respective investigation outcomes of the investigation will be utilized in the design of learner-centered assessments and shared with international partners

A new fractional derivative without singular kernel: Application to the modelling of the steady heat flow

In this article we propose a new fractional derivative without singular kernel. We consider the potential application for modeling the steady heat-conduction problem. The analytical solution of the fractional-order heat flow is also obtained by means of the Laplace transform.Comment: 1 figur

Network Diversity Multiple Access in Rayleigh Fading Correlated Channels with Imperfect Channel and Collision Multiplicity Estimation

Network diversity multiple access or NDMA is the family of algorithms with the highest potential throughput in the literature of signal-processing-assisted random access. NDMA uses the concept of protocol-induced retransmissions to create an adaptive source of physical (PHY) layer diversity. This adaptive diversity is used to resolve packet collisions (via signal separation) without the explicit need (or as a complement) of a multiple antenna receiver. This paper proposes a further improvement on the modelling of NDMA by considering the effects of imperfect channel and collision multiplicity estimation. In addition, this work considers channel correlation between consecutive retransmissions (i.e., temporal correlation). Conventionally, the analysis of NDMA assumes that any error in the collision multiplicity estimation translates into the loss of all contending packets. This is an optimistic assumption because even when the multiplicity has been correctly estimated, errors can still occur. On the other hand, it is also pessimistic because correct reception can also occur when the multiplicity has been incorrectly estimated. This paper presents a more detailed study of the performance of the protocol considering these more specific reception cases

Facile synthesis of freestanding Si nanowire arrays by one-step template-free electro-deoxidation of SiO2 in molten salt

This communication presents a novel kind of silicon nanomaterial: freestanding Si nanowire arrays (Si NWAs), which are synthesized facilely by one-step template-free electro-deoxidation of SiO2 in molten CaCl2. The self-assembling growth process of this material is also investigated preliminarily

Uma abordagem à avaliação de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem

A avaliação de ambientes de aprendizagem é um tema complexo e multifatorial. No presente trabalho apresenta-se a proposta de avaliação de um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem utilizado para o ensino da farmacoterapia baseado em casos clínicos. Utilizou-se a versão portuguesa reduzida do WEBLEI assim como a Evaluative Assertion Analysis para a recolha de dados. Os resultados obtidos são abonatórios ao nível do acesso aos materiais, interação com os conteúdos e a plataforma, interação com o docente assim como na estruturação e design. Foram reveladas algumas fragilidades nomeadamente ao nível da interação entre estudantes e gestão de tempo. As inferências obtidas serão alvo de reflexão pela equipa de desenvolvimento da UC no processo contínuo de melhoria da iniciativa.The assessment of learning environments is a complex and multifatorial topic. In this paper we present a proposal for evaluating a virtual learning environment used for the teaching of pharmacotherapy based on clinical cases. We used the Portuguese reduced version of WEBLEI and Evaluative Assertion Analysis for data collection. The results are satisfatory in terms of access to materials, interaction with content and platform, interaction with the teacher as well as structuring and design.La evaluación de los ambientes de aprendizaje es un tema complejo y multifatorial. En este trabajo se presenta la propuesta de evaluación de un ambiente de aprendizaje virtual utilizado para enseñar la farmacoterapia basada en casos clínicos. Se utilizó la versión en Portugues de WEBLEI y el Evaluative Assertion Analysis para la recolección datos. Los resultados son satisfatorios en términos de acceso a los materiales, la interacción con el contenido y la plataforma, interacción con el profesor, así como la estructuración y diseño. Algunas debilidades fueron reveladas en particular, el nivel de interacción entre los estudiantes y el manejo del tiempo. Las inferencias obtenidas serán objeto de examen por el equipo de desarrollo para lo mejoramiento continuo de la iniciativa.Apoio e Financiamento: Este trabalho é financiado por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto PEst-OE/CED/UI1661/2011 do CIE

Step based physical activity guidelines for preschool-aged children

OBJECTIVE Public health organizations recommend that preschool-aged children accumulate at least 3h of physical activity (PA) daily. Objective monitoring using pedometers offers an opportunity to measure preschooler's PA and assess compliance with this recommendation. The purpose of this study was to derive step-based recommendations consistent with the 3h PA recommendation for preschool-aged children. METHOD The study sample comprised 916 preschool-aged children, aged 3 to 6years (mean age=5.0+/-0.8years). Children were recruited from kindergartens located in Portugal, between 2009 and 2013. Children wore an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer that measured PA intensity and steps per day simultaneously over a 7-day monitoring period. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the daily step count threshold associated with meeting the daily 3hour PA recommendation. RESULTS A significant correlation was observed between minutes of total PA and steps per day (r=0.76, p/=3h of total PA was 9099 steps per day (sensitivity (90%) and specificity (66%)) with area under the ROC curve=0.86 (95% CI: 0.84 to 0.88). CONCLUSION Preschool-aged children who accumulate less than 9000 steps per day may be considered Insufficiently Active

Interactive light and sound table: an EPS@ISEP project

Interactive products are appealing objects in a technology-driven society and the offer in the market is wide and varied. Most of the existing interactive products only provide either light or sound experiences. Therefore, the goal of this project was to develop a product aimed for children combining both features. This project was developed by a team of four thirdyear students with different engineering backgrounds and nationalities during the European Project Semester at ISEP (EPS@ISEP) in 2012. This paper presents the process that led to the development of an interactive sound table that combines nine identical interaction blocks, a control block and a sound block. Each interaction block works independently and is composed of four light emitting diodes (LED) and one infrared (IR) sensor. The control is performed by an Arduino microcontroller and the sound block includes a music shield and a pair of loud speakers. A number of tests were carried out to assess whether the controller, IR sensors, LED, music shield and speakers work together properly and if the ensemble was a viable interactive light and sound device for children

On the robustness of the slotine-Li and the FPT/SVD-based adaptive controllers

A comparative study concerning the robustness of a novel, Fixed Point Transformations/Singular Value Decomposition (FPT/SVD)-based adaptive controller and the Slotine-Li (S&L) approach is given by numerical simulations using a three degree of freedom paradigm of typical Classical Mechanical systems, the cart + double pendulum. The effects of the imprecision of the available dynamical model, presence of dynamic friction at the axles of the drives, and the existence of external disturbance forces unknown and not modeled by the controller are considered. While the Slotine-Li approach tries to identify the parameters of the formally precise, available analytical model of the controlled system with the implicit assumption that the generalized forces are precisely known, the novel one makes do with a very rough, affine form and a formally more precise approximate model of that system, and uses temporal observations of its desired vs. realized responses. Furthermore, it does not assume the lack of unknown perturbations caused either by internal friction and/or external disturbances. Its another advantage is that it needs the execution of the SVD as a relatively time-consuming operation on a grid of a rough system-model only one time, before the commencement of the control cycle within which it works only with simple computations. The simulation examples exemplify the superiority of the FPT/SVD-based control that otherwise has the deficiency that it can get out of the region of its convergence. Therefore its design and use needs preliminary simulation investigations. However, the simulations also exemplify that its convergence can be guaranteed for various practical purposes