Course Of Adaptation Research Articles

Cloud based Dynamic Course Selection Framework using Network Graphs with Term Difficulty Estimation

The system developed in this paper uses a cloud based technology to implement and design a software as a service (SAAS) application for adaptive course selection and term difficulty estimation for a networked curriculum. The choice of courses in every term is completely in the hands of the students who enroll for a particular program in Universities. The order of courses taken in every term is ad hoc due to different factors like student interests, uncertainty about the student pass rates, frequent changes in admission policies and curriculum requirements. However, this choice of course plays a vital role in students graduating in time from the university. In this paper, we analyze student success ratios in terms of time to graduation. To illustrate the designed models, data from different colleges of the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait, is used. Graph-based complex networks are used for analyzing the courses and how crucial they are. The difficulty levels of courses are estimated based on the institutional data from spring 2013 to fall 2016 and term difficulties are estimated based on the courses chosen. This work presents a robust framework which is adaptable to the courses chosen by the students and the ease of flow of students through the curriculum with the aim of improving the university’s graduation rate.

Leading factors wich influence the features of the course of the psychophysiological adaptation of students of modern medical education in the dynamics of educational year, and their complex assessment

The assessment of the peculiarities of the processes of psychophysiological adaptation of students involves the implementation of a comprehensive analysis of a number of indicators of the functional state of the organism and of the personality traits of girls and youth on the basis of the application of methods of statistical analysis, one of the main tools of which is factor analysis. The aim of the work is to determine the leading factors influencing the peculiarities of the course of psychophysiological adaptation of students of modern institutions of higher medical education in the dynamics of the academic year. Determination of the level of development of psychophysiological functions of students was carried out with the use of the licensed computer complex “Efecton Studio”, peculiarities of the person were evaluated on the basis of psychodiagnostic studies, statistical processing of the received materials was carried out using a package of programs of multidimensional statistical analysis “Statistica 6.1” on the basic procedures of factor analysis. It is determined that as the main factors in the analysis of the physiologically-determined correlates of the success of the processes of psychophysiological adaptation, the following factors should be noted: “peculiarities of dynamic efficiency” and “peculiarities of the balance of nervous processes”, as well as at the beginning of the training time, the factor “peculiarities of mobility of nerve processes” and in the end it is a factor “the peculiarities of the mobility of the nervous processes and the speed of the visual-motor reactions”. The main factors that were identified during the analysis of the mentally-determined correlates of the success of the processes of psycho-physiological adaptation are the following factors: “features of temperament and anxiety”, “features of character properties”, “features of the level of subjective control of personality”, “peculiarities aggressive manifestations of personality”, as well as “features of emotional burnout”, which at the beginning of the training period was associated with a number of features of the mechanisms of psychological protection, at the end of it – with a number of features asthenic and depressive states.

Features of psychophysiological adaptation of students of higher medical education in the dynamics of academic year obtained by cluster analysis

In the course of the conducted researches, features of the course of psychophysiological adaptation of students of higher medical education in the dynamics of the academic year obtained by data of cluster analysis are determined. Evaluating the peculiarities of the data obtained when determining the cluster structure of physiologically-significant correlates of psychophysiological adaptation, it should be noted that their structures consisted of the following cluster groups: cluster associated with the characteristics of the speed of a simple and differentiated visual-motor reaction, simple audio-motor reaction and dynamic performance in conditions of monotony, cluster associated with the parameters of mobility of nerve processes, cluster associated with the leading characteristics of tepping-test during the observation period, cluster associated with generalized and individual (the number of premature reactions, delayed reactions and exact reactions) indices of the balance of nervous processes. However, analyzing the psychologically-significant correlates of psychophysiological adaptation, it was necessary to emphasize that their structures consisted of the following cluster groups: cluster associated with the characteristics of emotional burnout, and above all the characteristics of its main phases: phases of stress, resistance and exhaustion, cluster associated with the indicators of asthenic and depressive states, cluster associated with the characteristics of the leading properties of temperament and, above all, indicators of neuroticism, cluster associated with the indicators of the mechanisms of psychological protection, the cluster associated with the characteristics of the level of subjective control of the individual, primarily the characteristics of the general internality, the level of subjective control in the field of educational relations and attitudes to health, cluster associated with the indicators of the properties of anxiety and character, and, ultimately, a cluster associated with the leading characteristics of aggressive manifestations, first of all, indicators of irritability, negativity, indirect aggression, indices of aggression and hostility.

The Problem of Social and Professional Adaptation of University Graduates in Higher Education Development

Some problems of socialization of youth in the conditions of transformation of the social and economic relations, crisis situations in various spheres of life of society have been studied in the paper. The socio-economic conditions of modern Russian society defining bachelors’ professional socialization have been investigated. Domestic researches of graduates’ social and professional adaptation have been analyzed. Main difficulties which university graduates meet in the course of professional social adaptation have been revealed. The attention on social institute of professional education exerting a great influence on process of socialization of an individual has been focused. Professional focused training in higher education institution; technologies creating imitating actions during the educational or work practice of students have been presented as a condition of reduction of professional adaptation terms. The authors pay attention to the question of university graduate’s employment which is one of criteria of overall performance on bachelor’s training for modern high school education and, at the same time, starts process of adaptation of a university graduate to modern conditions of labor market which result will be a mastering professional and personal qualities for increase in competitiveness in constantly changing production conditions. The great value to ability to adapt quickly to variability of social living conditions, ability to react flexibly to modern calls in the conditions of work and public life of society have been emphasized.

Efficient assessment of the time course of perceptual sensitivity change

Perceptual sensitivity is usually estimated over trials and time intervals, which results in imprecise and biased estimates when it changes rapidly over time. We develop a novel procedure, the quick Change-Detection (qCD) method, to accurately, precisely, and efficiently assess the trial-by-trial time course of perceptual sensitivity change. Based on Bayesian adaptive testing, qCD selects the optimal stimulus, and updates, trial by trial, a joint probability distribution of the parameters that quantify perceptual sensitivity change over time. We demonstrate the utility of the method in measuring the time course of dark adaptation. Simulations showed that the accuracy and precision of the estimated dark adaptation curve after one qCD run (root mean squared error (RMSE): 0.002; the half width of the 68.2% credible interval (HWCI): 0.016; standard deviation (SD): 0.020; all in log10 units) was higher than those obtained by ten runs of the quick Forced-Choice (qFC) procedure (RMSE: 0.020; HWCI: 0.032; SD: 0.031) and ten runs of a weighted up-down staircase procedure (RMSE: 0.026; SD: 0.031). Further, the dark adaptation curve obtained from one qCD run in a psychophysics experiment was highly consistent with the average of four qFC runs (RMSE = 0.076 log10 units). Overall, qCD provides a procedure to characterize the detailed time course of perceptual sensitivity change in both basic research and clinical applications.

Recovery and Adaptation after Weight Training Sessions with Different Number of Sets to Failure

Increases in strength and muscle mass can be achieved with weight training and adequate recovery (including nutrition and sleep). The time course of recovery and adaptation (super-compensation) for different number of sets has not been adequately investigated in the literature. A 40-year-old well-trained male exercised the chest with (a) 3 sets of bench press, (b) 5 sets of bench press, (c) 5 sets of bench press and 4 sets of dips, all to momentary concentric muscular failure during a 6 months body split program. The recovery was assessed by comparing the number of repetitions of the first bench press set to the previous training session. The results showed that with 3 and 5 sets to failure adaptation (+1 repetition) took place after 5 days. 9 sets needed 7 days for recovery and no adaptation took place. The adaptation was faster when exercising the chest without trainings the back and/or legs, indicating that Selye’s adaptation energy (resources potential) might be applicable to weight training as well. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and motivation (mood) were found to be useful indexes of recovery. Implications on training volume and frequency and how the findings can be applied in practice are discussed.

Adaptive course control based on trajectory linearization control for unmanned surface vehicle with unmodeled dynamics and input saturation

This paper presents a novel course control strategy for unmanned surface vehicles (USV) subject to unmodeled dynamics and time-varying external disturbance. A practical adaptive course controller is proposed by trajectory linearization control (TLC) technology, neural network minimum learning parameter method (MLP), disturbance observer (DOB) and auxiliary design system. MLP and DOB are introduced to compensate for unmodeled dynamics and time-varying external disturbance, respectively. In addition, auxiliary design system is hired to deal with input saturation issue. By Lyapunov stability theory, it is proved that all the error signals in the course control system are uniform ultimate bounded. The advantages of the developed control strategy are that first, from the author’s point of view, TLC technology is applied to the field of USV motion control for the first time, which opens a new research direction of this algorithm; second, MLP with a smaller computational burden is used to replace radial basis function (RBF) neural network, which is more convenient for engineering implementation; third, the proposed scheme has strong anti-interference ability, which can compensate for the inherent defect that the USV with a smaller volume is susceptible to external disturbance. Finally, numerical simulations prove the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed control strategy.

Locomotor adaptations to prolonged step-by-step frontal plane trunk perturbations in young adults.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the magnitude and time course of dynamic balance control adaptations to prolonged step-by-step frontal plane forces applied to the trunk during walking. Healthy young participants (n = 10, 5 female) walked on an instrumented split-belt treadmill while an external cable-driven device applied frontal plane forces to the trunk. Two types of forces were applied: 1) forces which accentuated COM movement in the frontal plane (destabilizing) and 2) forces which resisted COM movement in the frontal plane (stabilizing). We quantified dynamic balance control using frontal plane measures of (1) the extent of center of mass (COM) movement over a gait cycle (COM sway), (2) the magnitude of base of support (step width), and (3) cadence. During destabilizing force conditions, COM sway, step width, and cadence increased. In response to stabilizing force conditions, COM sway decreased. In addition, during destabilizing balance conditions participants made quicker adaptations to their step width compared to the time to adapt to stabilizing forces. Taken together, these results provide important insight into differences in dynamic balance control strategies in response to stabilizing and destabilizing force fields.

Time course of neuromechanical and morphological adaptations to triceps surae isokinetic eccentric training

ObjectivesTo document the magnitude and the time course of neuromechanical and morphological adaptations in response to a triceps surae eccentric training program. MethodsTwenty healthy male subjects completed a control period followed by a 12-week isokinetic eccentric training program. Triceps surae neuromechanical and morphological evaluations were performed every 4 weeks. ResultsThe training program led to increases in: eccentric (32%), isometric (13%) and concentric (20%) torques; eccentric (32%) and isometric (24%) electromyographic activity; and, muscle thickness (14%). Torque and muscle thickness increased until the 8th training week. Eccentric and isometric activation increased until the 4th training week. No change was found in concentric activation. The angles of peak torque in eccentric and concentric tests shifted towards longer muscle lengths. While eccentric and isometric strength gains are explained by increased neural activation and muscle mass, changes in concentric torque are not related to neural effects. ConclusionsEccentric training led to increases in maximum eccentric and isometric force production due to adaptations in muscle activation and muscle mass. Among the advantages of the shift in the optimal length for force production towards longer lengths, are the increased total joint range of motion and a lower predisposition for muscle strain injuries.

Time course of interlimb strength transfer after unilateral handgrip training

"Cross-education" is the increase in strength or functional performance of an untrained limb after unilateral training. A major limitation for clinical translation from unilateral injury includes knowledge on the minimum time for the emergence of crossed effects. Therefore, the primary purpose was to characterize the time course of bilateral strength changes during both "traditional" ( n = 11) and "daily" ( n = 8) unilateral handgrip training in neurologically intact participants. Traditional training included five sets of five maximal voluntary handgrip contractions 3 times/wk for 6 wk whereas daily training included the same number of sessions and contractions but over 18 consecutive days. Three pre- and one posttest session evaluated strength, muscle activation, and reflex excitability bilaterally. Time course information was assessed by recording handgrip force for every contraction in the trained limb and from a single contraction on every third training session in the untrained limb. Six weeks of traditional training increased handgrip strength in the trained limb after the 9th session whereas the untrained limb was stronger after the 12th session. This was accompanied by increased peak muscle activation and bilateral alterations in Hoffmann reflex excitability. Daily training revealed a similar number of sessions (15) were required to induce significant strength gains in the untrained limb (7.8% compared with 12.5%) in approximately half the duration of traditional training. Therefore, minimizing rest days may improve the efficiency of unilateral training when the trained limb is not the focus. Establishing a "dose" for the time course of adaptation to strength training is paramount for effective translation to rehabilitative interventions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Unilateral handgrip training using a "traditional" protocol (3 times/wk; 6 wk) increased strength bilaterally after 9 (trained arm) and 12 (untrained arm) sessions. "Daily" training (18 consecutive days) increased strength in the untrained limb in a similar number of training sessions, which was accomplished in approximately half the time. Within clinical populations when the focus is on the untrained limb, reducing rest days may optimize the recovery of strength.

The course and predictors of perceived unsupportive responses by family and friends among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers.

Perceived unsupportive responses from close others play an important role in psychological adaptation of patients with cancer. Little is known about whether these negative responses change after someone experiences a serious life event, and even less is known about the individual characteristics and related factors that might contribute to both the levels of and changes in perceived unsupportive responses over the course of adaptation to an experience. This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate changes in perceived unsupportive behavior from family and friends among women newly with gynecologic cancer as well as initial demographic, disease, and psychological factors that predict the course of perceived unsupportive behavior over time. Women (N = 125) assigned to the usual care arm of a randomized clinical trial comparing a coping and communication intervention with a supportive counseling intervention to usual care completed six surveys over an 18 month period. Growth models using multilevel modeling were used to predict unsupportive responses over time. Average levels of perceived unsupportive responses from family and friends were low. Unsupportive responses varied from patient to patient, but patients did not report a systematic change in perceived unsupportive responses over time. Cultivating meaning and peace and coping efficacy were associated with fewer perceived unsupportive responses as well as reductions in perceived unsupportive responses over time. Emotional distress, cancer concerns, functional impairment, holding back sharing concerns, and cognitive and behavioral avoidance predicted higher perceived unsupportive responses over time. The findings are discussed in terms of the self-presentation theory and social network responses to persons undergoing difficult life events.

The impact of an adaptation course on health-related quality of life and functional capacity of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a substantial impact on patients health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In this study, we examined the impact of adaptation courses on HRQoL, psychological well-being, depression and number of sick-leave days of IBD patients.Methods: The study recruited 142 IBD patients attending an adaptation course of 5–12 days. The courses were specially designed for IBD patients and included multidisciplinary information about IBD, peer support, group activities and encouragement for adequate physical exercise. The participants completed the study questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the course and after six and 12 months of follow-up. HRQoL was assessed with the generic 15-dimensional (15D) tool and depression with Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI). Utilization of health care services and work absenteeism was also assessed. Visual analog scales were used for assessing psychological functioning.Results: 15D, BDI scores and scores describing psychological well-being were significantly better at the end of the course when compared to baseline (15D 0.82 vs. 0.84, p < .001; BDI 11.8 vs. 8.5, p < .001). Positive results were maintained during follow up. The percentage of patients receiving peer support rose from 32 to 70% and those with peer support had better HRQoL at the 12-month follow-up (p = .01). No significant change in health care utilization or number of sick-leave days was observed.Conclusion: Adaptation training appears to have a positive impact on the psychological well-being of IBD patients. Peer support appears to be an important factor.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ АДАПТАЦИИ К ОБЩЕОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЙ ШКОЛЕ ПЕРВОКЛАССНИКОВ, ПОСЕЩАЮЩИХ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ДОПОЛНИТЕЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

The aim of the article was to study the peculiarities of the adaptation process to a comprehensive school in first grade pupils, at the same time started to study in organizations of additional education. Assessment of the course of adaptation carried out according to methodical recommendations of Ivanovo research Institute of maternity and childhood. The following indicators were studied: the level of emotional and behavioral reactions, «success» in the development of the school curriculum, the presence of neurotic reactions, the dynamics of body weight, the number of acute diseases, a comprehensive assessment of health status. The completeness of adaptation was judged by the following criteria: the absence of diseases and other health disorders, stabilization of emotional and behavioral reactions at a high positive level, the successful development of the school curriculum. Significant differences in indicators characterizing the course and completion of adaptation during the first year of study in children engaged in additional compared with students without extracurricular activities are revealed. Determined that training in institutions of additional education reduces the probability of successful learning curriculum and completion of adaptation to secondary school.

Adaptation strategy on regulated markets of power companies in Poland

Electric utilities (power companies), which include production, transmission, distribution, and trade of electricity play an important role in a national economy. Many scientific institutions undertook the research concerning the issues of the power sector. The main reason was to find an answer to the question: Which of the developed strategies that ensure energy security of the country concerning with energy distribution and resources management should be taken into consideration? Should the companies adopt the strategy of adaptation or perhaps the strategy of breakthrough? If they follow the adaptation course, should it be a passive or active adaptation, and which circumstances are the most important? These questions were constantly analyzed by the author in his research realized among the power companies.

Endocrine Apparatus of the Rat Testes in the Adaptation Dynamics to Low Temperatures

Within the framework of the experimental study, new data were obtained on the endocrine apparatus of rat testicles represented by interstitial endocrinocytes, or Leydig cells (CL), in the dynamics of adaptation of the animal body to low temperatures. Using methods of morphological analysis, including both routine and modern methods, it was found that in the early stages of adaptation the ratio of the main morphofunctional types of CL is violated, the index of CL activity decreases, their sizes decrease, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of testosterone in the blood serum. In the course of further adaptation the relative amount of CL reduces, increasing the number of degenerating CL. In the later stages of adaptation, the relative amount of CL remains reduced, the activity index of endocrinocytes increases, compensatory hypertrophy of CL develops, which leads to an increase in the level of testosterone in the blood serum

Spontaneous recovery and time course of biological motion adaptation

Adaptation to changes of the environment is an essential function of the visual system. Recent studies have revealed that prolonged viewing of a point-light display of a human walker can produce the perception of a point-light walker facing in the opposite direction in a subsequent ambiguous test. Similar effects of biological motion adaptation have been documented for various properties of the point-light walkers. However, the time course and controlling mechanisms for biological motion adaptation have not yet been examined. The present study investigated whether a single mechanism or multiple mechanisms controlled biological motion adaptation. In Experiment 1, a relatively long duration of initial adaptation to one facing direction of a point-light walker was followed by a relatively short duration of deadaptation in which the adapter was a point-light walker of the opposite facing direction. Chimeric ambiguous walkers were used to test the aftereffect in a top-up manner. We observed spontaneous recovery of the adaptation effects in the post-test period. The Experiment 2 further delineated the build-up and decay of biological motion adaptation that accorded well with the duration scaling law (i.e., effects of adaptation become stronger and longer-lasting as adaptation duration increases). Further analysis indicated that the slower but not the faster component of the adaptation effects complied with the law. These findings suggest that biological motion adaptation is controlled by the multiple mechanisms tuned to differing timescales.

Effects of high loading by eccentric triceps surae training on Achilles tendon properties in humans.

To document the magnitude and time course of human Achilles tendon adaptations (i.e. changes in tendon morphological and mechanical properties) during a 12-week high-load plantar flexion training program. Ultrasound was used to determine Achilles tendon cross-sectional area (CSA), length and elongation as a function of plantar flexion torque during voluntary plantar flexion. Tendon force-elongation and stress-strain relationships were determined before the start of training (pre-training) and after 4 (post-4), 8 (post-8) and 12 (post-12) training weeks. At the end of the training program, maximum isometric force had increased by 49% and tendon CSA by 17%, but tendon length, maximal tendon elongation and maximal strain were unchanged. Hence, tendon stiffness had increased by 82%, and so had Young's modulus, by 86%. Significant changes were first detected at post-4 in stiffness (51% increase) and Young's modulus (87% increase), and at post-8 in CSA (15% increase). Achilles tendon material properties already improved after 4weeks of high-load training: stiffness increased while CSA remained unchanged. Tendon hypertrophy (increased CSA) was observed after 8 training weeks and contributed to a further increase in Achilles tendon stiffness, but tendon stiffness increases were mostly caused by adaptations in tissue properties.

RING-Domain E3 Ligase-Mediated Host–Virus Interactions: Orchestrating Immune Responses by the Host and Antagonizing Immune Defense by Viruses

The RING-domain E3 ligases (RING E3s), a group of E3 ligases containing one or two RING finger domains, are involved in various cellular processes such as cell proliferation, immune regulation, apoptosis, among others. In the host, a substantial number of the RING E3s have been implicated to inhibit viral replication through regulating immune responses, including activation and inhibition of retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptors, toll-like receptors, and DNA receptor signaling pathways, modulation of cell-surface expression of major histocompatibility complex, and co-stimulatory molecules. During the course of evolution and adaptation, viruses encode RING E3s to antagonize host immune defense, such as the infected cell protein 0 of herpes simplex virus type 1, the non-structural protein 1 of rotavirus, and the K3 and K5 of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. In addition, recent studies suggest that viruses can hijack the host RING E3s to facilitate viral replication. Based on emerging and interesting discoveries, the RING E3s present novel links among the host and viruses. Herein, we focus on the latest research progresses in the RING E3s-mediated host–virus interactions and discuss the outlooks of the RING E3s for future research.

The effect of Nordic hamstring exercise training volume on biceps femoris long head architectural adaptation.

The aim of this study was to determine the time course of architectural adaptations in the biceps femoris long head (BFLH ) following high or low volume eccentric training. Twenty recreationally active males completed a two week standardized period of eccentric Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) training, followed by fourweeks of high (n=10) or low volume (n=10) training. Eccentric strength was assessed pre- and post intervention and following detraining. Architecture was assessed weekly during training and after two and fourweeks of detraining. After sixweeks of training, BFLH fascicles increased significantly in the high (23%±7%, P<.001, d=2.87) and low volume (24%±4%, P<.001, d=3.46) groups, but reversed following twoweeks of detraining (high volume: -17%±5%, P<.001, d=-2.04; low volume: -15%±3%, P<.001, d=-2.56) after completing the intervention. Both groups increased eccentric strength after sixweeks of training (high volume: 28%±20%, P=.009, d=1.55; low volume: 34%±14%, P<.001, d=2.09) and saw no change in strength following a four week period of detraining (high volume: -7%±7%, P=.97, d=-0.31; low volume: -2%±5%, P=.99, d=-0.20). Both low and high volume NHE training stimulate increases in BFLH fascicle length and eccentric knee flexor strength. Architectural adaptations reverted to baseline levels within twoweeks after ceasing training, but eccentric strength was maintained for at least fourweeks. These observations provide novel insight into the effects of training volume and detraining on BFLH architecture and may provide guidance for the implementation of NHE programs.

Sensory adaptation to electrical stimulation of the somatosensory nerves

Objective. Sensory systems adapt their sensitivity to ambient stimulation levels to improve their responsiveness to changes in stimulation. The sense of touch is also subject to adaptation, as evidenced by the desensitization produced by prolonged vibratory stimulation of the skin. Electrical stimulation of nerves elicits tactile sensations that can convey feedback for bionic limbs. In this study, we investigate whether artificial touch is also subject to adaptation, despite the fact that the peripheral mechanotransducers are bypassed. Approach. Using well-established psychophysical paradigms, we characterize the time course and magnitude of sensory adaptation caused by extended electrical stimulation of the residual somatosensory nerves in three human amputees implanted with cuff electrodes. Main results. We find that electrical stimulation of the nerve also induces perceptual adaptation that recovers after cessation of the stimulus. The time course and magnitude of electrically-induced adaptation are equivalent to their mechanically-induced counterparts. Significance. We conclude that, in natural touch, the process of mechanotransduction is not required for adaptation, and artificial touch naturally experiences adaptation-induced adjustments of the dynamic range of sensations. Further, as it does for native hands, adaptation confers to bionic hands enhanced sensitivity to changes in stimulation and thus a more natural sensory experience.