Showing papers by "Coventry University published in 2003"

Tradeoffs and the evolution of thermal reaction norms

Abstract: Tradeoffs have played a prominent role in the development of theories describing the evolution of reaction norms Different classes of tradeoffs are known to constrain the evolution of phenotypes, but current theories incorporate only a subset of these tradeoffs Consequently, these theories cannot account for some of the variation in reaction norms that has been observed within and among species Empirical studies of thermal reaction norms for physiological and life historical traits have shown that different proximate mechanisms can produce similar reaction norms As a consequence, certain tradeoffs can be circumvented when the fitness costs imposed by these tradeoffs are severe We argue that a unified theory that includes all classes of tradeoffs would provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that drive the evolution of reaction norms

Gender differences in pressure pain threshold in healthy humans

Abstract: Aims of investigation: To quantify the magnitude of putative gender differences in experimental pressure pain threshold (PPT), and to establish the relevance of repeated measurements to any such differences. Methods: Two separate studies were undertaken. A pressure algometer was used in both studies to assess PPT in the first dorsal interosseous muscle. Force was increased at a rate of 5 N /s. In study 1, two measurements were taken from 240 healthy volunteers (120 males, 120 females; mean age 25 years) giving a power for statistical analysis of β =0.80 at α =0.01. In study two, 30 subjects (15 males, 15 females mean age 28 years) were randomly selected from study one. Fourteen repeated PPT measurements were recorded at seven, 10 min intervals. Mean PPT data for gender groups, from both studies, were analysed using analysis of covariance with repeated measures, and age as the covariate. Results: The mean PPT for each of the two measurements in study one showed a difference between gender of 12.2 N ( f =30.5 N, m =42.7 N) and 12.8 N ( f =29.5 N, m =42.3 N), respectively, representing a difference of 28% with females exhibiting a lower threshold. In study two, the mean difference calculated from 14 PPT repeated measurements over a 1 h period was comparable to that in study one at 12.3 N (range 10.4–14.4 N) again females exhibited the lower threshold. The differences in mean PPT values between gender were found to be significant in both study one, at ( P F =37.8, df=1) and study two ( P =0.01, F =7.6, df=1). No significant differences were found in either study with repeated measurement ( P =0.892 and P =0.280), or on the interaction of gender and repeated measurement after controlling for age ( P =0.36 and P =0.62). Conclusion: Healthy females exhibited significantly lower mean PPTs in the first dorsal interosseous muscle than males, which was maintained for fourteen repeated measures within a 1 h period. This difference is likely to be above clinically relevant levels of change, and it has clear implications for the use of different gender subjects in laboratory based experimental designs utilising PPT as an outcome measure.

Risk Factors for Falling in Home-Dwelling Older Women With Stroke The Women’s Health and Aging Study

Abstract: Background and Purpose— Much of our knowledge of risk factors for falls comes from studies of the general population. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of falling associated with commonly accepted and stroke-specific factors in a home-dwelling stroke population. Methods— This study included an analysis of prospective fall reports in 124 women with confirmed stroke over 1 year. Variables relating to physical and mental health, history of falls, stroke symptoms, self-reported difficulties in activities of daily living, and physical performance tests were collected during home assessments. Results— Risk factors for falling commonly reported in the general population, including performance tests of balance, incontinence, previous falls, and sedative/hypnotic medications, did not predict falls in multivariate analyses. Frequent balance problems while dressing were the strongest risk factor for falls (odds ratio, 7.0). Residual balance, dizziness, or spinning stroke symptoms were also a strong risk factor for falling (odds ratio, 5.2). Residual motor symptoms were not associated with an increased risk of falling. Conclusions— Interventions to reduce the frequency of balance problems during complex tasks may play a significant role in reducing falls in stroke. Clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of falling in women with residual balance, dizziness, or spinning stroke symptoms and recognize that risk assessments developed for use in the general population may not be appropriate for stroke patients.

Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Street Dusts and Soils of an Industrial City in Northern Spain

Abstract: This study characterizes the elemental composition of street dust and soils in Aviles (N. Spain), a medium-size city of approximately eighty thousand inhabitants, where industrial activities and traffic strongly affect heavy metal distribution. A total of 112 samples of street dust were collected within a 7-km2 area, encompassing residential and industrial sites (ferrous and non-ferrous plants). Elevated geometric mean concentrations of zinc (4,892 μg · g−1), cadmium (22.3 μg · g−1), and mercury (2.56 μg · g−1) in street dust were found in samples located near industrial areas. Two types of anthropic influence were distinguishable: the first and most important one is that related to metallurgical activity and transportation of raw materials for local industries. Secondly, exhaust emissions from traffic are an important source of lead concentration in areas with high vehicular density (geometric mean: 514 μg · g−1). The zinc content in the dust samples decreased with the distance from a zinc smelter located in the northern part of the city. The same trend was found for other elements in association with zinc in the raw materials used by the smelter, such as cadmium and mercury. A simultaneous research campaign of urban soils, that involved the collection of 40 samples from a 10-km2 area, revealed geometric mean concentrations of 376 μg · g−1 Zn, 2.16 μg · g−1 Cd, 0.57 μg · g−1 Hg, and 149 μg · g−1 Pb, and distribution patterns almost identical to those found for street dust.

Effects of TENS frequency, intensity and stimulation site parameter manipulation on pressure pain thresholds in healthy human subjects

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of varying frequency, intensity and stimulation site, of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in an experimental model of pain. In a double-blind design 240 volunteers were randomised to one of six experimental TENS groups, a sham TENS or control ( n =30 per group; gender balanced). Two TENS frequencies (110 or 4 Hz) and two intensities (strong but comfortable or highest tolerable) at a fixed pulse duration (200 μs) were applied at three sites relative to the measurement site (segmentally, extrasegmentally or a combination of these), for 30 min. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were measured using a pressure algometer, in the first dorsal interosseous muscle, every 10 min, during stimulation and for a further 30 min. The high frequency, high intensity segmental, and combined stimulation groups, showed rapid onset and significant hypoalgesic effects. This effect was sustained for 20 min post-stimulation in the high frequency segmental group. All other TENS intervention groups showed hypoalgesic responses similar to the sham TENS group, and none of these groups reached a clinically significant hypoalgesic level. Conclusions: The role of TENS frequency, intensity and site are pivotal to achieving optimal hypoalgesic effects, during and after stimulation. Clinical applications of these parameter combinations require further investigations.

Superficial dry needling and active stretching in the treatment of myofascial pain – a randomised controlled trial

Abstract: Summary A pragmatic, single blind, randomised, controlled trial was conducted to test the hypothesis that superficial dry needling (SDN) together with active stretching is more effective than stretching alone, or no treatment, in deactivating trigger points (TrPs) and reducing myofascial pain. Forty patients with musculoskeletal pain, referred by GPs for physiotherapy, fulfilled inclusion / exclusion criteria for active TrPs. Subjects were randomised into three groups: group 1 (n=14) received superficial dry needling (SDN) and active stretching exercises (G1); group 2 (n=13) received stretching exercises alone (G2); and group 3 (n=13) were no treatment controls (G3). During the three-week intervention period for G1 and G2, the number of treatments varied according to the severity of the condition and subject/clinician availability. Assessment was carried out pre-intervention (M1), postintervention (M2), and at a three-week follow up (M3). Outcome measures were the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SFMPQ) and Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) of the primary TrP, using a Fischer algometer. Ninety-one per cent of assessments were blind to grouping. At M2 there were no significant inter-group differences, but at M3, G1 demonstrated significantly improved SFMPQ versus G3 (p=0.043) and significantly improved PPT versus G2 (p=0.011). There were no differences between G2 and G3. The mean PPT and SFMPQ scores correlated significantly in G1 only, though no significant inter-group differences were demonstrated. Numbers of patients requiring further treatment following the trial were: 6 (G1); 12 (G2); 9 (G3). Conclusion: SDN followed by active stretching is more effective than stretching alone in deactivating TrPs (reducing their sensitivity to pressure), and more effective than no treatment in reducing subjective pain. Stretching without prior deactivation may increase TrP sensitivity.

Assessing tsunami vulnerability, an example from Herakleio, Crete

Abstract: . Recent tsunami have caused massive loss of life, destruction of coastal infrastructures and disruption to economic activity. To date, tsunami hazard studies have concentrated on determining the frequency and magnitude of events and in the production of simplistic flood maps. In general, such maps appear to have assumed a uniform vulnerability of population, infrastructure and business. In reality however, a complex set of factors interact to produce a pattern of vulnerability that varies spatially and temporally. A new vulnerability assessment approach is described, that incorporates multiple factors (e.g. parameters relating to the natural and built environments and socio-demographics) that contribute to tsunami vulnerability. The new methodology is applied on a coastal segment in Greece and, in particular, in Crete, westof the city of Herakleio. The results are presented within a Geographic Information System (GIS). The application of GIS ensures the approach is novel for tsunami studies, since it permits interrogation of the primary database by several different end-users. For example, the GIS may be used: (1) to determine immediate post-tsunami disaster response needs by the emergency services; (2) to preplan tsunami mitigation measures by disaster planners; (3) as a tool for local planning by the municipal authorities or; (4) as a basis for catastrophe modelling by insurance companies. We show that population density varies markedly with the time of the year and that 30% of buildings within the inundation zone are only single story thus increasing the vulnerability of their occupants. Within the high inundation depth zone, 11% of buildings are identified as in need of reinforcement and this figure rises to 50% within the medium inundation depth zone. 10% of businesses are located within the high inundation depth zone and these may need to consider their level of insurance cover to protect against primary building damage, contents loss and business interruption losses.

Sediment sources and transport pathways in a rural catchment, Herefordshire, UK

Abstract: The relative significance of primary and secondary suspended sediment sources has been identified in a small (15 km2) agricultural catchment through the application of a linear unmixing model using mineral magnetic, geochemical and radionuclide signatures of fine sediments. Roads appear to be important as a secondary source of suspended sediment and in the conveyance of topsoils to the river channel. Roads also alter the source signatures of sediment in transport, especially that derived from agricultural topsoils. Modelling suggests that c. 30% of the suspended sediment collected from suspended sediment traps in the River Leadon were derived from, or transported via, roads. Relative contributions from primary sources of c. 43% and c. 27% were estimated from a combined (subsoil and channel bank) subsurface source, and a combined (arable and grassland) topsoil source, respectively.

A reference model approach to stability analysis of neural networks

Abstract: In this paper, a novel methodology called a reference model approach to stability analysis of neural networks is proposed. The core of the new approach is to study a neural network model with reference to other related models, so that different modeling approaches can be combinatively used and powerfully cross-fertilized. Focused on two representative neural network modeling approaches (the neuron state modeling approach and the local field modeling approach), we establish a rigorous theoretical basis on the feasibility and efficiency of the reference model approach. The new approach has been used to develop a series of new, generic stability theories for various neural network models. These results have been applied to several typical neural network systems including the Hopfield-type neural networks, the recurrent back-propagation neural networks, the BSB-type neural networks, the bound-constraints optimization neural networks, and the cellular neural networks. The results obtained unify, sharpen or generalize most of the existing stability assertions, and illustrate the feasibility and power of the new method.

Tsunami vulnerability assessment and its implications for coastal hazard analysis and disaster management planning, Gulf of Corinth, Greece

Abstract: . We apply a new tsunami vulnerability assessment method to two coastal villages in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece using the 7th February 1963 tsunami as a worse case scenario. In Akoli, 46.5% of all buildings are classified highly vulnerable (BV). Approximately, 26.3% of all households are located within buildings with a High BV classification whereas 85% of all businesses are located within buildings with a High BV classification and 13.7% of the population is located within buildings with a High BV classification. In Selianitika, 28.8% of all buildings are classified with a High BV and 11% of all households are located within buildings with a High BV classification. Also 29.3% of all businesses and 33.4% of all services are located within buildings with a High BV classification and 6.7% of the population is located within buildings with a High BV classification. We estimate the minimum costs of a hypothetical tsunami with a wave run-up (H(m)max) of + 5 m. The results are considered significant because they have important implications for coastal risk assessment, resource allocation and disaster management planning.

Record-breaking height for 8000-year-old tsunami in the North Atlantic

Abstract: One of the largest Holocene sub-marine slides mapped on Earth is the Storegga slide offshore Norway [Bugge, 1987] (Figure 1). Approximately 3500 km3 material slid out and generated a huge tsunami dated to about 7300 14C yr BP [Bondevik et al., 1997a], or ca 8150 calendar years BP. The tsunami is known from onshore deposits in Norway [Bondevik et al., 1997a], on the Faroe Islands [Grauert et al., 2001], and in Scotland [Dawson et al., 1993]. Of these, the tsunami deposits in western Norway reaches the highest elevation, indicating a runup of 10–12 m. In this article, we demonstrate that at the Shetland Islands between Norway and Scotland (Figure 1), this tsunami reached onshore heights at least 20 m above the sea level of that time.

A fuzzy logic based-method for prognostic decision making in breast and prostate cancers

Abstract: Accurate and reliable decision making in oncological prognosis can help in the planning of suitable surgery and therapy, and generally, improve patient management through the different stages of the disease. In recent years, several prognostic markers have been used as indicators of disease progression in oncology. However, the rapid increase in the discovery of novel prognostic markers resulting from the development in medical technology, has dictated the need for developing reliable methods for extracting clinically significant markers where complex and nonlinear interactions between these markers naturally exist. The aim of this paper is to investigate the fuzzy k-nearest neighbor (FK-NN) classifier as a fuzzy logic method that provides a certainty degree for prognostic decision and assessment of the markers, and to compare it with: 1) logistic regression as a statistical method and 2) multilayer feedforward backpropagation neural networks an artificial neural-network tool, the latter two techniques having been widely used for oncological prognosis. In order to achieve this aim, breast and prostate cancer data sets are considered as benchmarks for this analysis. The overall results obtained indicate that the FK-NN-based method yields the highest predictive accuracy, and that it has produced a more reliable prognostic marker model than both the statistical and artificial neural-network-based methods.

Becoming professional: exploring the complexities of professional socialization in health and social care

Abstract: A search of the literature, focusing on professional socialization of health and social care professionals, indicates little contemporary research and therefore a paucity of current debate around what the process involves. Most of the research, including perspectives dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, portrays professional socialization as a deterministic process of moulding essentially passive recipients. A social constructionist perspective, however, encourages a more sceptical view of the ways in which student professionals identify with professional norms and discourses within the context of health and social care. While acknowledging the power of the professions to regulate professional practice and entry into practice, the scope for individuals to exercise personal agency within the professional socialization process is made explicit.

Effects of spinal cord lesion level upon thermoregulation during exercise in the heat.

Abstract: PRICE, M. J., and I. G. CAMPBELL. Effects of Spinal Cord Lesion Level upon Thermoregulation during Exercise in the Heat. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 35, No. 7, pp. 1100–1107, 2003.PurposeThis study examined the effects of the level of spinal cord injury upon the thermoregulatory responses

Knowledge Organizations and Local Economic Development: The Cases of Oxford and Grenoble

Abstract: LAWTON SMITH H. (2003) Knowledge organizations and local economic development: the cases of Oxford and Grenoble, Reg. Studies 37, 899– 909. In Europe, European Union and individual countries' knowledge institutions are expected to stimulate regional or local economic development. This paper explores the increasingly important role of universities and national laboratories (knowledge institutions) as territorial actors. It reports on a recently completed study in which surveys were conducted with academics in scientific departments and technology transfer units in Oxford and Grenoble's universities and national laboratories. It focuses on some of the rules of the game which national innovation systems construct to institutionalize and normalize this role. It compares similar and different outcomes of common priorities. LAWTON SMITH H. (2003) Des organisations basees sur la connaissance et le de veloppement economique local: etudes de cas d'Oxford et de Grenoble, Reg. Studies 37, 899–909. En Europe, les org...

Attitudes towards disability amongst Pakistani and Bangladeshi parents of disabled children in the UK: considerations for service providers and the disability movement.

Abstract: It has sometimes been assumed that religiously based explanations for and attitudes to having a disabled child have led to the low uptake of health and social services by ethnic minority families in the UK. A series of semi-structured interviews were held between 1999 and 2001 with 19 Pakistani and Bangladeshi families with a disabled child as part of an evaluation of an advocacy service. The families' understandings of the causes of their child's impairment, whether they felt shame and experienced stigma, and whether these factors influenced service uptake and their expectations of their child's future are reported. While religious beliefs did inform the ways in which some families conceptualised their experience, the families' attitudes were complex and varied. There was little evidence that religious beliefs and associated attitudes rather than institutional racism had resulted in the low levels of service provision which the families experienced prior to the advocacy service. There was also no evidence that the families' attitudes had been informed by the disability movement. The implications for service providers and the movement are considered.

Effects of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on prolonged intermittent exercise.

Abstract: PRICE, M., P. MOSS, and S. RANCE. Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Ingestion on Prolonged Intermittent Exercise. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 35, No. 8, pp. 1303–1308, 2003. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sodium bicarbonate ingestion on prolonged intermittent exercise and performance. Methods: Eight healthy male subjects (mean SD: age 25.4 6.4 yr, mass 70.9 5.1 kg, height 179 7 cm, V u O2max 4.21 0.51 L·min 1 ) volunteered for the study, which had received ethical approval. Subjects undertook two 30-min intermittent cycling trials (repeated 3-min blocks; 90 s at 40% V u O2max ,6 0 sa t 60% Vu O2max, 14-s maximal sprint, 16-s rest) after ingestion of either sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3; 0.3 g·kg 1 ) or sodium chloride (NaCl; 0.045 g·kg 1 ). Expired air, blood lactate (BLa), bicarbonate (HCO3 ), and pH were measured at rest, 30 and 60 min postingestion, and during the 40% V u O2max component of exercise (4, 10, 16, and 29 min). Results: After ingestion, pH increased from rest to 7.46 0.03 and 7.40 0.01 for NaHCO3 and NaCl, respectively (main effect for time and trial; P 0.05). Values decreased at 15 min of exercise to 7.30 0.07 and 7.21 0.06, respectively, remaining at similar levels until the end of exercise. BLa peaked at 15 min (12.03 4.31 and 10.00 2.58 mmol·L 1 , for NaHCO3 and NaCl, respectively; P 0.05) remaining elevated until the end of exercise (P 0.05). Peak power expressed relative to sprint 1 demonstrated a significant main effect between trials ( P 0.05). Sprint 2 increased by 11.5 5% and 1.8 9.5% for NaHCO3 and NaCl, respectively. During NaHCO3, sprint 8 remained similar to sprint 1 (0.2 17%), whereas a decrease was observed during NaCl (10.0 16.0%). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that ingestion of NaHCO3 improves sprint performance during prolonged intermittent cycling. Key Words: BLOOD LACTATE, PH, ALKALOSIS, PEAK POWER, PERFORMANCE, RPE