Body postural allocation during daily life is important for health, and can be assessed with thigh-worn accelerometers. An algorithm based on sedentary bouts from the proprietary ActivePAL software ...can detect lying down from a single thigh-worn accelerometer using rotations of the thigh. However, it is not usable across brands of accelerometers. This algorithm has the potential to be refined.
: To refine and assess the validity of an algorithm to detect lying down from raw data of thigh-worn accelerometers. Axivity-AX3 accelerometers were placed on the thigh and upper back (reference) on adults in a development dataset (n = 50) and a validation dataset (n = 47) for 7 days. Sedentary time from the open Acti4-algorithm was used as input to the algorithm. In addition to the thigh-rotation criterion in the existing algorithm, two criteria based on standard deviation of acceleration and a time duration criterion of sedentary bouts were added. The mean difference (95% agreement-limits) between the total identified lying time/day, between the refined algorithm and the reference was +2.9 (-135,141) min in the development dataset and +6.5 (-145,159) min in the validation dataset. The refined algorithm can be used to estimate lying time in studies using different accelerometer brands.
The square halophilic archaeon Haloquadratum walsbyi dominates NaCl-saturated and MgCl2 enriched aquatic ecosystems, which imposes a serious desiccation stress, caused by the extremely low water ...activity. The genome sequence was analyzed and physiological and physical experiments were carried out in order to reveal how H. walsbyi has specialized into its narrow and hostile ecological niche and found ways to cope with the desiccation stress.
A rich repertoire of proteins involved in phosphate metabolism, phototrophic growth and extracellular protective polymers, including the largest archaeal protein (9159 amino acids), a homolog to eukaryotic mucins, are amongst the most outstanding features. A relatively low GC content (47.9%), 15-20% less than in other halophilic archaea, and one of the lowest coding densities (76.5%) known for prokaryotes might be an indication for the specialization in its unique environment
Although no direct genetic indication was found that can explain how this peculiar organism retains its square shape, the genome revealed several unique adaptive traits that allow this organism to thrive in its specific and extreme niche.
Haloquadratum walsbyi commonly dominates the microbial flora of hypersaline waters. Its cells are extremely fragile squares requiring >14%(w/v) salt for growth, properties that should limit its ...dispersal and promote geographical isolation and divergence. To assess this, the genome sequences of two isolates recovered from sites at near maximum distance on Earth, were compared.
Both chromosomes are 3.1 MB in size, and 84% of each sequence was highly similar to the other (98.6% identity), comprising the core sequence. ORFs of this shared sequence were completely synteneic (conserved in genomic orientation and order), without inversion or rearrangement. Strain-specific insertions/deletions could be precisely mapped, often allowing the genetic events to be inferred. Many inferred deletions were associated with short direct repeats (4-20 bp). Deletion-coupled insertions are frequent, producing different sequences at identical positions. In cases where the inserted and deleted sequences are homologous, this leads to variant genes in a common synteneic background (as already described by others). Cas/CRISPR systems are present in C23(T) but have been lost in HBSQ001 except for a few spacer remnants. Numerous types of mobile genetic elements occur in both strains, most of which appear to be active, and with some specifically targetting others. Strain C23(T) carries two ∼6 kb plasmids that show similarity to halovirus His1 and to sequences nearby halovirus/plasmid gene clusters commonly found in haloarchaea.
Deletion-coupled insertions show that Hqr. walsbyi evolves by uptake and precise integration of foreign DNA, probably originating from close relatives. Change is also driven by mobile genetic elements but these do not by themselves explain the atypically low gene coding density found in this species. The remarkable genome conservation despite the presence of active systems for genome rearrangement implies both an efficient global dispersal system, and a high selective fitness for this species.
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how the students perceive the cleaning of the university, from an in-house and outsourced perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on a ...survey conducted in the different university buildings with a total of 240 students. The survey was then analysed through an ordinal regression.
Findings
The ordinal regression indicates a statistically significant result were student are more satisfied with the cleaning performed by the outsourced service provider.
Research limitations/implications
The research in this paper is limited to one Swedish university. But, the overall strategies for how to organise the cleaning service at the university do address all universities. However, the research is limited and more research has to be performed.
Practical implications
The insight the paper provides regarding how the students perceive the cleaning service at the university gives direct implications to university in relation to how to consider the cleaning service as an important factor.
Originality/value
It provides the first study from a student perspective on the question of cleaning of the university, when previous studies have indicated cleaning as an important function not least to student’s performance and academic results.
The unexpected lysis of a large culture of
strain S9 was found to be caused by a novel myovirus, designated ChaoS9. Virus purification from the culture lysate revealed a homogeneous population of ...caudovirus-like particles. The viral genome is linear, dsDNA that is partially redundant and circularly permuted, has a unit length of 55,145 nt, a G + C% of 65.3, and has 85 predicted coding sequences (CDS) and one tRNA (Arg) gene. The left arm of the genome (0⁻28 kbp) encodes proteins similar in sequence to those from known caudoviruses and was most similar to myohaloviruses phiCh1 (host:
) and phiH1 (host:
). It carries a tail-fiber gene module similar to the invertible modules present in phiH1 and phiCh1. However, while the tail genes of ChaoS9 were similar to those of phiCh1 and phiH1, the Mcp of ChaoS9 was most similar (36% aa identity) to that of
tailed virus 1 (HHTV-1). Provirus elements related to ChaoS9 showed most similarity to tail/assembly proteins but varied in their similarity with head/assembly proteins. The right arm (29⁻55 kbp) of ChaoS9 encoded proteins involved in DNA replication (ParA, RepH, and Orc1) but the other proteins showed little similarity to those from phiH1, phiCh1, or provirus elements, and most of them could not be assigned a function. ChaoS9 is probably best classified within the genus
, as it shares many characteristics with phiH1 (and phiCh1), including many similar proteins. However, the head/assembly gene region appears to have undergone a recombination event, and the inferred proteins are different to those of phiH1 and phiCh1, including the major capsid protein. This makes the taxonomic classification of ChaoS9 more ambiguous. We also report a revised genome sequence and annotation of
virus phiCh1.
IntroductionThe Prospective Physical Activity Sitting and Sleep consortium (ProPASS) is an international collaboration platform committed to harmonise thigh-worn accelerometry data. The aim of this ...paper is to (1) outline observational thigh-worn accelerometry studies and (2) summarise key strategic directions arising from the inaugural ProPASS meeting.Methods(1) We performed a systematic scoping review for observational studies of thigh-worn triaxial accelerometers in free-living adults (n≥100, 24 hours monitoring protocols). (2)Attendees of the inaugural ProPASS meeting were sent a survey focused on areas related to developing ProPASS: important terminology (Q1); accelerometry constructs (Q2); advantages and distinct contribution of the consortium (Q3); data pooling and harmonisation (Q4); data access and sharing (Q5 and Q6).Results(1) Eighty eligible articles were identified (22 primary studies; n~17 685). The accelerometers used most often were the ActivPAL3 and ActiGraph GT3X. The most commonly collected health outcomes were cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal. (2) None of the survey questions elicited the predefined 60% agreement. Survey responses recommended that ProPASS: use the term physical behaviour or movement behaviour rather than ‘physical activity’ for the data we are collecting (Q1); make only minor changes to ProPASS’s accelerometry construct (Q2); prioritise developing standardised protocols/tools (Q4); facilitate flexible methods of data sharing and access (Q5 and Q6).ConclusionsThigh-worn accelerometry is an emerging method of capturing movement and posture across the 24 hours cycle. In 2020, the literature is limited to 22 primary studies from high-income western countries. This work identified ProPASS’s strategic directions—indicating areas where ProPASS can most benefit the field of research: use of clear terminology, refinement of the measured construct, standardised protocols/tools and flexible data sharing.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify factors on property management level for analysing incentives for an effective property management in an outsourced setting.
...Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on an interview study of a set of three real estate-owning companies and their contracted facility management companies’ property management teams.
Findings
The study concludes that the property manager within the facility management company is highly controlled by the contract between the real estate owner and the facility management company. However, this contract does risk the individual property manager to prioritise the wrong work tasks as she/he has to know exactly what to prioritise in each contract and consider in whose interest she/he performs each task, the real estate owner, her/him employer or the tenants.
Research limitations/implications
The research in this paper is limited to Swedish commercial real estate sector.
Practical implications
The insight in the paper is regarding how real estate owners create incentives for the facility management companies’ property management organisation and how that are perceived by the individual property manager.
Originality/value
It provides an insight regarding how the commercial real estate industry prioritises different work tasks and how incentives are created to enable effort.
PurposeThe authors investigate how prices of condominiums are affected by the size of the tenant-owner associations that they belong to.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use data of sold ...apartments in the Swedish municipality Malmö 2013–2018 and estimate hedonic price regressions. The authors also perform semi-structured interviews with three senior professionals in real estate companies.FindingsThe authors find significantly negative relationships between the prices of condominiums and the size of tenant-owner associations. Also, regression results indicate that associations should be no smaller than 6–10 apartments. The interviews support that associations should not be too small or too big. The lower and upper limit was suggested by the respondents to 40–50 and 80–150 apartments, respectively. In these ranges, economies of scale can be achieved, and residents will not lose the sense of community and responsibility.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors do not prove causality. Smaller associations may have relatively exclusive common amenities, about which we lack data. The same relationships may not exist in different market conditions.Originality/valueThe authors are not aware of previous studies with the same research question. The size of tenant-owner associations may affect the price through different channels. First, several of the banks in Sweden do not always grant mortgages for condominiums that belong to small associations. Second, larger associations may have better economies of scale and more efficient property management. Third, homeowners may prefer smaller tenant-owned associations, because they may feel less anonymous and provide more influence on common amenities.
PurposeReal estate is a capital-intensive industry for which the asset values tend to be highly volatile and uncertain. Transaction costs in the industry are therefore high, and transparency for ...investors may be low. The need to signal reliable estimates of property assets, in the communication to external stakeholders, can therefore be expected to be of extra importance in this sector. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how real estate firms use big four auditors to signal quality.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use Swedish firm level data containing all limited liability real estate companies in the country to determine the determinants of big four auditors. The data set consists of 34,306 observations and is analyzed through logit regressions.FindingsThe results show that big four companies are primarily contracted by large and mature companies, rather than new firms or firms with volatile financial records, although the latter could be expected to have a large need to signal quality. The authors also find that firms listed on the stock market and firms targeting public use real estate are more inclined to use big four companies.Originality/valueReal estate is a capital-intensive industry for which the asset values tend to be highly volatile and uncertain. Transaction costs in the industry are therefore high, and transparency for investors may be low. The need to signal reliable estimates of property assets, in the communication to external stakeholders, can therefore be expected to be of extra importance in this sector. No prior study of this area has been detected.
PDF
