Actual Activity Levels Research Articles

Comprehensive economic analysis of innovation activity of the enterprise

Subject. The article deals with scientific and methodological approach to the complex economic analysis of innovation activity of enterprises. Objectives. The aim is to determine the vector of management decisions regarding the increase in the level of enterprise’s innovation activity. Methods. The study employs methods of scientific abstraction, analysis, synthesis, systematization and generalization, complex integrated assessment, statistical analysis, and matrix methods. Results. To perform the comprehensive economic analysis of innovation activity, we developed a system of indicators and a structural and logical scheme. The results of the analysis of innovation activity of enterprises operating in the food industry of the Donetsk People's Republic show positive trend in the introduction of different kinds of innovations in different aspects of activity. At the same time, the level of innovation activity of most enterprises (60%) is assessed as average, and of 40% - as satisfactory. This requires to develop directions for innovative renewal of existing business models of food industry enterprises, and actively introduce innovations. Conclusions. The practical value of our structural and logical scheme of integrated economic analysis of enterprises’ innovation activity consists in the possibility of integrating into a single cyclical process of a sequence of actions to determine the actual level of innovation activity. The scientific and methodological approach, presented in the study, rests on a multi-criteria system of evaluation indicators, takes into account innovation performance criteria, and enables to reasonably determine management responses to innovation renewal of the current business model of the enterprise.

The Select Council of Philip I: A Spanish Institution in Tudor England, 1555–1558

Abstract Traditional interpretations of the reign of Philip and Mary in England and Ireland (1554–58) have tended to investigate this short-lived episode from a strongly Anglocentric perspective. Such an approach has often hindered interpretations of crucial aspects of the reign that have wider implications for the study of Britain, Spain and Europe in an increasingly globalised world. Philip’s creation of a new consultative body in 1555, the select council (consejo escogido), is a case in point. Conventionally viewed as a superfluous body that only worsened the alleged ungovernability of Mary’s privy council—from which, it was claimed, it was never truly separate—it has been assumed that the select council was allowed to function nominally for a while to sustain Philip’s ego. In fact, the creation of the select council responded to the deeply rooted conciliar traditions of Spain and England (based on Aristotelian notions of ‘political friendship’) and its actual level of activity disproves previous assumptions about its role and viability. The diplomatic negotiations undertaken by the English select councillors and their Spanish and Flemish counterparts place England firmly within the conciliar framework of the Spanish Monarchy and provide an invaluable window from which to explore the role of England as a fully integrated member of a composite monarchy extending from Naples and Oran to Lima and Mexico City.

Innovative Predictive Approach towards a Personalized Oxygen Dosing System.

Despite the large impact chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that has on the population, the implementation of new technologies for diagnosis and treatment remains limited. Current practices in ambulatory oxygen therapy used in COPD rely on fixed doses overlooking the diverse activities which patients engage in. To address this challenge, we propose a software architecture aimed at delivering patient-personalized edge-based artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted models that are built upon data collected from patients' previous experiences along with an evaluation function. The main objectives reside in proactively administering precise oxygen dosages in real time to the patient (the edge), leveraging individual patient data, previous experiences, and actual activity levels, thereby representing a substantial advancement over conventional oxygen dosing. Through a pilot test using vital sign data from a cohort of five patients, the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach are demonstrated, thus highlighting the need for personalized treatment strategies. This study underscores the importance of adopting advanced technological approaches for ambulatory oxygen therapy.

Well-being of university students during the Covid-19 pandemic: An Indonesian case study

The spread of COVID-19 worldwide challenged the foundations of many people's lives. This research aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic and its associated lockdown restrictions on the physical activity behaviours and attitudes of a small group of sports science students in a provincial state university in Indonesia. The study results showed that most of the respondents (93%) believed in the importance of maintaining their physical activity during lockdown. However, the actual activity levels practised failed to match the international guidelines considered necessary for this age group. Only 23% practised daily physical activity, and 40% were active for three days or less. The intensity of the physical activity was only classified as light in over 80% of the cases, and 26% reported that their activity was less than 30 minutes. A further concern about mental health was identified in the finding that over 73% of the participants reported suffering significant boredom during the lockdown conditions imposed. Students reported carrying out exercise and a range of other activities aimed to reduce boredom and avoid more potentially dangerous feelings of stress and depression. Recommendations include maintaining and improving fitness through physical activity and participating in moderate activity between 70 - 80% with a maximum pulse rate of 150 - 300 minutes per week to high intensity between 80 - 90% maximum pulse with a frequency of at least 3 days or more per week, 75-150 minutes per week. All physical activities can be done gradually over time with the principle of progressive exercise. Meanwhile, to reduce boredom, apart from doing physical activity in the form of sports and exercise, other active daily physical activities such as washing vehicles, gardening, cleaning the house and environment, and pursuing hobbies may be considered.

Adherence to rehabilitation and home exercise after myocardial infarction: a qualitative study of expectations, barriers and drivers

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation is a key component of secondary prevention, but uptake is often low, and motivation to pursue exercise and lifestyle changes may be lacking in patients who have suffered from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We explored the intentions of patients hospitalized for AMI regarding attendance at cardiac rehabilitation and the future pursuit of regular physical exercise at home.MethodsWe performed a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Eligible patients were those hospitalized for AMI in the cardiology unit of a large university hospital in Eastern France between 10/11/2021 and 7/3/2022, and who were deemed eligible for rehabilitation by the treating physician. Patients were interviewed before discharge. Interviews were transcribed and analysed by thematic analysis. We administered the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) questionnaire to all participants.ResultsOf 17 eligible patients, 15 were interviewed, at which point saturation was reached. The majority were males (n = 13, 86%), median age 54 years (41–61). Three key themes emerged: Firstly, there is a mismatch between patients’ perceptions of their physical activity and actual level of activity as assessed by objective tools. Second, cardiac rehabilitation is seen as a vector for information about the return to home after AMI. Third, regarding the intention to change lifestyle, there are persisting obstacles, drivers, fears and expectations.ConclusionPatients with AMI often overestimate how physically active they are. Even close to discharge, patients have persisting informational needs, and many see cardiac rehabilitation as a means to obtain this information, rather than as a therapeutic intervention.

Community-Dwelling Adults' Perceived Versus Actual Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Body Mass Index, and Physical Activity Levels and Related Factors.

The difference between actual and perceived risk levels shows distorted risk perception. Unrealistic perceptions of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and insufficient knowledge about CVD risk factors can not only hinder the adoption of a positive lifestyle change but also obstruct preventive efforts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between perceived and actual risks, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity levels. This descriptive study included 522 community-dwelling adults in 2 different regions of Antalya/Turkey. The actual CVD risk level of the participants was determined using the "HeartScore program," actual body weight was determined according to BMI, and actual activity levels were found using the "International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF)." The perceived risks were measured with the CVD Risk and Risk Factors Perception Determination Questionnaire. CVD Risk Factors Knowledge Level (CARRF-KL) Scale was used to calculate the participants' level of knowledge about the risk factors. There was no concordance between the participants' actual and perceived CVD risks. A below-average agreement was found between the participants' actual and perceived BMI levels. In terms of actual measurements, it was seen that slightly obese individuals have a realistic perception. There was a weak agreement between the actual and perceived physical activity levels of the adults. Knowledge about the CVD risk factors of adults does not affect the perception of CVD risk and BMI and physical activity. Adults have an optimistic risk perception regarding CVD risk, BMI, and physical activity levels. It may be beneficial to periodically assess actual risks to change skewed perceptions of CVD and risk factors. These findings will inform the development of tailored intervention strategies and policies for these adults.

A sensitive method for determining UDP-glucose: ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG) activity in biological samples using deuterated glucosylceramide as acceptor substrate.

Glucosylceramide synthase (UGCG) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of glycosphingolipids and its activity is related to the resistance to anticancer drugs and is involved in the derangement of metabolism in various diseases. Moreover, UGCG acts as a major controller of the balanced levels of individual brain sphingolipids that may trigger neurodegeneration in Gaucher disease and in Parkinson disease associated to pathogenic variants in the glucocerebrosidase-encoding gene GBA. We have developed an effective method for determining UGCG activity in vitro using deuterated ceramide as an acceptor, and quantitation of the formed deuterated glucosylceramide by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The method enabled us to determine the kinetic parameters of UGGC and the effect of the inhibitor GZ667161 on the enzyme activity expressed in model cells, as well as to measure UGCG specific activity in human fibroblasts using a simple crude cell homogenate. This novel approach may be useful in determining the actual UGCG activity levels in patient cells and tissues of animal models of diseases, and to study novel drugs targeting glycosphingolipid metabolism.

Detection of Pyrophosphate and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Based on PolyT Single Stranded DNA - Copper Nanoclusters

The determination of pyrophosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity plays a significant role in medical diagnosis. In this work, a label-free "ON-OFF-ON" fluorescence strategy is developed for the analysis of pyrophosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity. Using PolyT single strand DNA as templates to synthesize fluorescent copper nanoparticles, the coordination effect of pyrophosphoric acid on Cu2+ inhibited the generation of fluorescence. Afterwards, the addition of alkaline phosphatase into hydrolyze pyrophosphoric acid resulted in the release of Cu2+, whereby the fluorescence intensity could be recovered. Thereupon enhanced-sensitivity for alkaline phosphatase was obtained (0.1 mU/L), much better than previously reported methods. Meanwhile, it could be performed directly in homogeneous solution, which was very close to the actual activity level of alkaline phosphatase under physiological conditions. Likewise, satisfactory results were also obtained in specificity assessment, which demonstrated its potential application in clinical diagnosis. Notably, a new, sensitive, low-cost, short-time, and high-sensitivity platform for alkaline phosphatase detection was constructed, and the design of biosensor using DNA-templated Copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) was instructed in this study.

Text Messages and Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity in Adolescents With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Web-Based Group Interviews to Inform Intervention Design.

BackgroundPhysical activity is a major component of treatment for adolescents with obesity and prediabetes or type 2 diabetes; however, sedentary behavior remains pervasive. An SMS text message–based intervention paired with financial incentives may be an effective way to promote physical activity in this population.ObjectiveThis study aims to obtain end-user feedback on SMS text message content and assess the acceptability of a planned SMS text messaging intervention with financial incentives to motivate youth with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes to increase physical activity.MethodsAdolescents with overweight or obesity and prediabetes or type 2 diabetes who attended a large academic pediatric endocrinology clinic were recruited to participate in group interviews (2-4/group) via videoconferencing. Participants were asked to share their thoughts on the use of SMS text messages and financial incentives to remind and motivate them to be more physically active. They rated and provided feedback on specific messages to be used in clinical trials. Participants were also asked about their personal experience with rewards to motivate behavior change and their anticipated reactions to rewards provided for goal attainment (gain-framing) versus those provided and then taken away if a goal was not met (loss-framing). The interviews were conducted by 2 trained interviewers and a note-taker. Content analysis was used to explore themes.ResultsGroup interviews were completed with 20 participants (11/20, 55% women; 15/20, 75% with type 2 diabetes; 5/20, 25% with prediabetes) with a mean age of 15 (SD 1; range 12-18) years and a mean BMI of 41 (SD 5) kg/m2 (all >95th percentile for age and sex). Most participants were non-Hispanic Black (14/20, 70%) and 10% (2/20) were Hispanics. Participants frequently cited near-continuous smartphone use and agreed that SMS text messages would serve as good reminders to be physically active, but the consensus about the need for short messages was strong. Favorable content included references to what they were likely to be doing when messages were sent (eg, homework or watching television) and messages that were upbeat or informative. Specific physical activity suggestions were rated favorably. Attitudes toward financial incentives varied, with differing opinions about whether loss-framed incentives would be motivating or discouraging. Many participants highlighted the role of intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, motivation in achieving and sustaining behavior change.ConclusionsThe engagement of adolescents with obesity and diabetes or prediabetes allowed for the refinement of SMS text messages for our planned intervention, with an emphasis on short, upbeat, relatable, and informative messages. Although an SMS text messaging intervention using financial incentives to motivate youth with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes to be more physically active is theoretically acceptable, the impact on actual activity levels in this population requires prospective evaluation in a clinical trial.

Influence of Parents’ Awareness on Preschool Children’s Daily Life and Physical Activities during COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to determine young children’s opportunities for physical activities at daycare centers and at home and to identify the relationship between these opportunities and parents’ perceptions regarding the status of young children’s physical activities by comparing the conditions at different periods in 2020. The results indicated no difference in the amount and duration of physical activity during childcare between June and October. However, parents were more concerned about their children’s lack of physical activity in June than in October. Moreover, physical activity at home was higher in June than in October. The actual activity level of the preschool children did not increase from June to October, and there was no change in their daily life from June when they were aware of the “disorder and collapse” as a crisis. In addition, the mood of the preschoolers was lower in October than in June, suggesting that changes in social conditions, whether good or bad, alter the behavior and perceptions of adults and that these fluid changes may be “a restless situation in which the environment surrounding them is changing further” for the children. Thus, contrary to social trends and adult perceptions, the children’s situation did not show a recovery trend.

A framework to foster analysis skill for self-directed activities in data-rich environment

Self-direction skill is considered a vital skill for twenty-first-century learners in both the learning context and physical activity context. Analysis skill for self-directed activities requires the students to analyze their own activity data for understanding their status in that activity. It is an important phase that determines whether an appropriate plan can be set or not. This research presents a framework designed to foster students’ analysis skill in self-directed activities, which aims (1) to build a technology-enabled learning system allowing students to practice analyzing data from their own daily contexts, (2) to propose an approach to model student’s analysis skill acquisition level and process, and (3) to provide automated support and feedback for analysis skill development tasks. The analysis module based on the proposed framework was implemented in the GOAL system which synchronized data from learners’ physical and reading activities. A study was conducted with 51 undergraduate students to find reliable indicators for the model to then measure students’ analysis skills. By further analyzing students’ actual usage of the GOAL system, we found the actual activity levels and their preferences regarding analysis varied for the chosen contexts (learning and physical activity). The different context preference groups were almost equal, highlighting the utility of a system that integrates data from multiple contexts. Such a system can potentially respond to students’ individual preferences to execute and acquire self-direction skill.

Emission inventory research of typical agricultural machinery in Beijing, China

Non-road mobile machinery, especially agricultural machinery, has increasingly become an important source of air pollution in China. Hence, it is important to study these emissions. In this study, Beijing is used as an example, and the emission characteristics of 22 types of agricultural machinery (tractors, combine harvesters, and micro-tillers) in idling mode, moving mode, and working mode were tested using a portable emission measurement system (PEMS). The results indicate that the net power-based emission factor in working mode was larger than that in the idling and moving modes. Based on information from actual emission factors, ownership and activity levels, a typical agricultural machinery emission inventory for Beijing from 2006 to 2016 is established using the complex method from the Technical Guidelines for Compiling Non-Road Mobile Source Emission Inventory. In addition, the spatial distribution of the emission inventory is analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS). Typical agricultural machinery in Beijing emitted carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and the total, and these decreased by 63.11%, 62.93%, 72.07%, 74.67%, and 68.66%, respectively, from 2006 to 2016, which proved the validity of emission control technologies and relevant regulations in China. In addition, the emission intensities of the different agricultural machines and different regions differed significantly. In 2016, the overall contribution of tractor emissions accounted for more than 80%. In the Yanqing District, Shunyi District, and Miyun District, the total emissions reached nearly 50%. The Chaoyang District was less than 1%. Therefore, in the future, government should pay more attention to high emission intensity agricultural machinery and its regional impacts.

Arresting frailty and sarcopenia in cirrhosis: Future prospects.

Arresting frailty and sarcopenia in cirrhosis: Future prospects.

Development of a Non-Road Mobile Source Emissions Inventory for Tianjin

Based on the collected data of activity level in 2015, a non-road mobile source emissions inventory for Tianjin was developed following the recommended method from the Compilation Guide for a Vehicle Emissions Inventory (trial edition) released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. In 2015, the emissions of CO, hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and SO2 from non-road mobile sources in Tianjin were 6.15×103 t, 2.45×103 t, 2.90×104 t, 1.45×103 t, and 1.37×104 t, respectively. Marine sources were identified as the largest non-road mobile source contributor accounting for 73.66% of total emissions, followed by non-road mobile machinery (21.66%). Emissions from civil aircraft and locomotives were relatively lower. Generally, emissions from non-road mobile sources increase from March (spring) to November and decrease from the beginning and the end of the year (winter). Emissions are mainly distributed in suburban districts where there is flourishing agriculture, downtown areas with dense populations, urban construction areas, ports, railway lines, and airports. Uncertainty in the inventory results is mainly due to the lack of key data, such as local emission factors and actual activity levels.

Total Joint Replacement and Return to Sports

Background: An increasing number of physically active patients not only need to know if they will basically be able to engage in sports after undergoing arthroplasty. They also would like to know whether or not they will be able to resume their preoperative activity levels. This article aims to provide an overview of recent data regarding the following questions on hip, knee and shoulder arthroplasty: (1) What is the impact of physical activity on an endoprosthesis? (2) What level of sports can be achieved after an arthroplasty procedure? (3) What types of sport are recommended for patients with an endoprosthesis? Methods: PubMed-based review of the literature. Narrative review focusing on current data from the years 2010 to 2016. Results: The commonly known recommendation to exercise low-impact sports such as hiking, swimming, cycling or golf at a moderate intensity remains valid for all types of prostheses in all joints. There is broad consensus that the benefits of these sports outweigh the negative effects. Having undergone total hip or knee arthroplasty, most patients with a high preoperative activity level return to sports after 3-6 months, albeit with a clear tendency to lower intensity and a shift from high-impact to low-impact sports. Some key questions have to be answered regarding the effects of low-impact sports that are exercised with high intensity, the effects resulting from high-impact sports, effects specific to different types of sport, and possibilities provided by different prosthesis types. In this context, a lot remains to be done to investigate the limits between positive and negative effects resulting from physical activity of varying intensity. New data suggests that generally a higher physical performance level may be achieved than has been traditionally recommended. Early results of unicondylar knee prostheses are far better than those achieved with bicondylar prostheses. In contrast to expert recommendations, shoulder endoprostheses show the highest postoperative activity levels after inverted arthroplasty, followed by anatomic arthroplasty, and the lowest activity level after the implantation of a hemiprosthesis. Conclusion: There is a significant discrepancy between previous expert recommendations and the actual activity levels that may be achieved after the implantation of a joint prosthesis. Future studies have to define the sports level, the type of sports and the type of prosthesis that provide a positive benefit-risk ratio using state-of-the-art low-abrasion bearing surfaces and prosthesis designs.

Over-optimistic patient expectations of recovery and leisure activities after arthroscopic meniscus surgery

Background and purpose — Patients’ expectations of outcomes following arthroscopic meniscus surgery are largely unknown. We investigated patients’ expectations concerning recovery and participation in leisure-time activities after arthroscopic meniscus surgery and the postoperative fulfillment of these.Patients and methods — The study sample consisted of 491 consecutively recruited patients (mean age 50 (SD 13) years, 55% men) who were assigned for arthroscopy on suspicion of meniscus injury and later verified by arthroscopy. Before surgery, patients completed questionnaires regarding their expectations of recovery time and postoperative participation in leisure activities. 3 months after surgery, the patients completed questionnaires on their actual level of leisure activity and their degree of satisfaction with their current knee function. We analyzed differences between the expected outcome and the actual outcome, and between fulfilled/exceeded expectations and satisfaction with knee function.Results — 478 patients (97%) completed the follow-up. 91% had expected to be fully recovered within 3 months. We found differences between patients’ preoperative expectations of participation in leisure activities postoperatively and their actual participation in these, with 59% having unfulfilled expectations (p < 0.001). Satisfaction with current knee function was associated with expectations of leisure activities being fulfilled/exceeded.Interpretation — In general, patients undergoing arthroscopic meniscus surgery were too optimistic regarding their recovery time and postoperative participation in leisure activities. This highlights the need for shared decision making which should include giving the patient information on realistic expectations of recovery time and regarding participation in leisure-time activities after meniscal surgery.

Commentary: Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats.

Commentary: Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats.

Measuring active ageing among older adults in Singapore

ABSTRACTActive Ageing is conceptualised to measure the extent to which older people remain actively engaged with life. However, there is no evidence that the concept of Active Ageing is actually associated with the activity levels of older persons. Influences of age, ethnicity and spirituality on Active Ageing are also unexplored. Using the Active Ageing Index (AAI), this study examines whether the level of Active Ageing predicted the actual activity level of 120 Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay and Indians ethnicities, aged 55–64 years old or 65 years and above. Spirituality, measured by the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, was added to the AAI, to see if the predictive power of AAI improved. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that the AAI alone (controlling for age) did not significantly predict the activity level of older persons. The predictive power of the AAI improved significantly with spirituality included. Two-way between-groups Analysis of Variance revealed main effects of age and ethnicity, with higher AAI in those aged 55–64 and in Indian-Singaporeans. These findings suggest that the theoretical construct of Active Ageing needs further examination to identify the domains that distinguish it from chronological age, and support broadening the construct by including spirituality in Active Ageing.

It’s Not Me, It’s You: The Disconnect of Physical Education Teachers to Physical Activity in the Gym

American adults and an increasing number of children, are not meeting the recommended amounts of daily physical activity. Research has documented the effects of low activity on health and increasingly new research has shown that low activity levels now impact academic achievement. Physical education (PE) can play an important role if the children participating are obtaining enough physical activity while in class and the PE program has not been targeted with cutbacks. The purpose of this study was to identify the amount and intensity of activity in PE classes. The results indicate that on average students at all levels are not meeting the activity requirements. In addition, PE teachers’ perceptions of physical activity in their own class does not match actual activity levels. PE teachers must do a better job of increasing activity levels in their classrooms. Mounting research indicates students perform better academically if they are physically active. PE is the only subject where teachers can organize activities that meet both activity and intensity requirements.

Political organizations’ use of websites and Facebook

The Internet offers internal and external communication opportunities to political organizations but also adds new costs and social pressure to use it in an appropriate way. This study examines whether and which political and organizational context factors explain the usage of online media by political organizations. We content-analyzed the websites and Facebook pages of 116 German-based political organizations in the policy sectors environment and health and distinguished between different aspects of “ usage”; we investigated whether an organization was present on the World Wide Web and Facebook and then scrutinized the actual level of activity on both platforms—the overall activity and the activity in different communication dimensions. By drawing this distinction, the current study sheds light on relationships that have thus far not been the focus of political organizational Internet research. While there are no clear-cut differences regarding the overall activity, there are differences in terms of linking and mobilization behavior.