The purpose of this work is to define fiducial points in the seismocardiogram (SCG) and to correlate them with physiological events identified in ultrasound images. For 45 healthy subjects the SCG ...and the electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded simultaneously at rest. Immediately following the SCG and ECG recordings ultrasound images of the heart were also obtained at rest. For all subjects a mean SCG signal was calculated and all fiducial points (peaks and valleys) were identified and labeled in the same way across all signals. Eight physiologic events, including the valve openings and closings, were annotated from ultrasound as well and the fiducial points were correlated with those physiologic events. A total of 42 SCG signals were used in the data analysis. The smallest mean differences (±SD) between the eight events found in the ultrasound images and the fiducial points, together with their correlation coefficients (r) were: atrial systolic onset: -2 (±16) ms, r = 0.75 (p < 0.001); peak atrial inflow: 13 (±19) ms, r = 0.63 (p < 0.001); mitral valve closure: 4 (±11) ms, r = 0.71 (p < 0.01); aortic valve opening: -3 (±11) ms, r = 0.60 (p < 0.001); peak systolic inflow: 13 (±23) ms, r = 0.42 (p < 0.01); aortic valve closure: -5 (±12) ms, r = 0.94 (p < 0.001); mitral valve opening: -7 (±19) ms, r = 0.87 (p < 0.001) and peak early ventricular filling: -18 (±28 ms), r = 0.79 (p < 0.001). In conclusion eight physiologic events characterizeing the cardiac cycle, are associated with reproducible, well-defined fiducial points in the SCG.
A
bstract
We explore how the colour of any new TeV-scale resonances that decay into top quark pairs can be identified by studying the dependence of the observed cross-section on a central jet veto. ...To facilitate this study, colour octet resonance production was implemented in Pythia8 and colour singlet resonance production is simulated after minor modifications. We find that the colour of a 2 TeV resonance can be identified with 10 fb
−1
of data at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV for a wide range of couplings, but only if the uncertainty in the theoretical prediction is dramatically reduced from its current level.
Much of the seismic activity of northern Sweden consists of micro-earthquakes occurring near postglacial faults. However, larger magnitude earthquakes do occur in Sweden, and earthquake statistics ...indicate that a magnitude 5 event is likely to occur once every century. This paper presents dynamic analyses of the effects of larger earthquakes on an upstream tailings dam at the Aitik copper mine in northern Sweden. The analyses were performed to evaluate the potential for liquefaction and to assess stability of the dam under two specific earthquakes: a commonly occurring magnitude 3.6 event and a more extreme earthquake of magnitude 5.8. The dynamic analyses were carried out with the finite element program PLAXIS using a recently implemented constitutive model called UBCSAND. The results indicate that the magnitude 5.8 earthquake would likely induce liquefaction in a limited zone located below the ground surface near the embankment dikes. It is interpreted that stability of the dam may not be affected due to the limited extent of the liquefied zone. Both types of earthquakes are predicted to induce tolerable magnitudes of displacements. The results of the postseismic slope stability analysis, performed for a state after a seismic event, suggest that the dam is stable during both the earthquakes.
Social inequalities in health are a major and even growing problem in all European countries.
The aim of the present study was to describe 1) differences in dietary habits among Norwegian adolescents ...by gender and socioeconomic status; 2) differences in self-reported knowledge of dietary guidelines among their parents according to socioeconomic status.
In 2012, a cross-sectional study where students filled in a web-based food frequency questionnaire at school was conducted in nine lower secondary schools in Vest-Agder County, Norway. Socioeconomic status (SES) and knowledge of dietary guidelines were obtained from the parents using a web-based questionnaire. In total, 517 ninth-grade students (mean age 13.9) out of 742 invited students participated in the study, giving a participation rate of 69.7%. The total number of dyads with information on both parents and students was 308 (41.5%).
The findings indicate that there is a tendency for girls to have a healthier diet than boys, with greater intake of fruits and vegetables (girls intake in median 3.5 units per day and boys 2.9 units per day), and lower intake of soft drinks (girls 0.25 l in median versus boys 0.5 l per week). Students from families with higher SES reported a significant higher intake of vegetables and fish, and lower intake of soft drinks and fast food than those from lower SES. Parents with higher SES reported a significantly better knowledge of dietary guidelines compared to those with lower SES.
Differences in dietary habits were found between groups of students by gender and SES. Differences were also found in parents' self-reported knowledge of dietary guidelines. This social patterning should be recognized in public health interventions.
Children with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHAD) have a defect in the degradation of long-chain fatty acids and are at risk of hypoketotic hypoglycemia and insufficient ...energy production as well as accumulation of toxic fatty acid intermediates. Knowledge on substrate metabolism in children with LCHAD deficiency during fasting is limited. Treatment guidelines differ between centers, both as far as length of fasting periods and need for night feeds are concerned. To increase the understanding of fasting intolerance and improve treatment recommendations, children with LCHAD deficiency were investigated with stable isotope technique, microdialysis, and indirect calometry, in order to assess lipolysis and glucose production during 6 h of fasting. We found an early and increased lipolysis and accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines after 4 h of fasting, albeit no patients developed hypoglycemia. The rate of glycerol production, reflecting lipolysis, averaged 7.7 ± 1.6 µmol/kg/min, which is higher compared to that of peers. The rate of glucose production was normal for age; 19.6 ± 3.4 µmol/kg/min (3.5 ± 0.6 mg/kg/min). Resting energy expenditure was also normal, even though the respiratory quotient was increased indicating mainly glucose oxidation. The results show that lipolysis and accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines occurs before hypoglycemia in fasting children with LCHAD, which may indicate more limited fasting tolerance than previously suggested.
Models with large extra dimensions as well as unparticle models could give rise to new phenomena at collider experiments due to real emission or virtual exchange of gravitons or unparticles. In this ...paper we present the common implementation of these processes in the Monte Carlo generator
Pythia8, using relations between the parameters of the two models. The program offers several options related to the treatment of the UV region of the effective theories, including the possibility of using a form factor for the running gravitational coupling. Characteristic results obtained with
Pythia8 have been used to validate the implementations as well as to illustrate the key features and effects of the model parameters. The results presented in this paper are focused on mono-jet, di-photon and di-lepton final states at the LHC.
Few studies on impact of meals served in school have been published. However, implications of school meals are an actual issue of both public and political concern in several countries. The objective ...of this study was to evaluate if breakfast served in a lower secondary school could improve dietary habits and school performance among the students.
All students in 10th grade in a lower secondary school, consisting of two school classes, were invited to participate in a controlled study. The students in one class were offered a free breakfast at the beginning of each school day for 4 months, while the students in the second class were controls. Both classes were educated in the importance of healthy eating, and a data program enabling them to evaluate dietary intake was introduced. The students answered two questionnaires, one on school performance and one short food frequency questionnaire, four weeks before study start and one week after. Body weight and height were measured by the school nurse at the beginning and end of the study. Because of few students in each group, non-parametrical statistic analyses were used.
All students in the intervention group had breakfast at school during the intervention. One week after the intervention the students in the class who received breakfast had returned to their normal breakfast pattern. In the control group the frequency of a lunch intake had increase, as compared to before study start (p < 0.01). An improved food pattern was seen among the male students in the intervention group, as measured by a healthy eating index after the intervention (p < 0.01). Body Mass Index increased statistically significant in both males and females in the control group (p < 0,01 for males and p < 0.05 for females), but not in the intervention group. Improvement in school performance following school breakfast was not found, but the males in the intervention group reported a significant increase in school contentment (p < 0.05).
In a lower secondary school class served breakfast for 4 months, dietary intake changed to a more healthy profile and weight gain was reduced.
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