Mean Paired Difference Research Articles

Assessing Soil Properties and Landforms in the Mai-Negus Catchment, Northern Ethiopia

Soil degradation is a serious environmental problem in Ethiopia. However, little information is documented on indicators such as variations in soil properties across different landforms in a catchment. This study was aimed to assess soil properties and their changes across sites with different erosion statuses, and identify landscape positions that require prior management attention in the Mai-Negus catchment, northern Ethiopia. Three types of erosion-status sites (stable, eroding and aggrading) were identified using reconnaissance surveys, and then the corresponding soil samples were collected and analyzed. The major soil properties were significantly varied (P ≤ 0.05) among the three erosion-status sites. The highest soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, iron and zinc were recorded from the aggrading sites in the reservoir and valley landforms of the study catchment. A higher bulk density was generally recorded in the eroding sites, whereas a lower value was observed in the aggrading sites. The highest sand content was observed in the eroding sites of the mountain followed by the central ridge landform. The paired mean difference and the correlation matrix of most soil properties between the different erosion statuses also showed significant differences. About 95% of the erosion-status sites were correctly classified by the discriminant function, indicating that the field survey-based classification was acceptable for decision making. On the basis of this study, suitable interventions should thus be introduced to the prioritized landforms, which are the mountain and central ridge, and eroding sites with severely degraded soil properties across the catchment.

Osteochondral Autograft Transfer Versus Microfracture in the Knee: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Comparative Studies at Midterm

To compare microfracture (MFX) and osteochondral autograft transfer (OAT) surgical techniques to determine (1) postoperative activity level, (2) subjective patient outcomes, (3) failure rates, and (4) assess if any lesion characteristics favored one technique over the other. A comprehensive review of literature was performed of all studies comparing MFX and OAT. Studies included were all prospective studies that reported on activity-based outcome measures such as Tegner activity scores and subjective outcomes such as the International Knee Documentation Committee score. Failure rates, as determined by the publishing authors, were recorded for each study. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model. Paired standardized mean differences (Hedges's g to account for small sample bias) were used for continuous outcome measures, and risk ratios (Mantel-Haenszel method for small sample bias) for dichotomous outcome measures. Six prospective studies satisfied the eligibility criteria and included 249 patients (186 male, 120 female) with an average age of 26.4years and follow-up of 67.2months. Tegner scores were superior in patients treated with OAT compared with MFX (ΔOAT-MFX for pre-post scores= 0.94 Tegner points, standardized mean difference [SMD]= 0.469, P= .005). Failure rates of MFX were higher than OAT (OAT= 11%, MFX= 32%, risk ratio= 2.42, P < .036). OAT was superior to MFX at 3years in relation to subjective outcome scores (SMD= 0.404, P= .008). When assessing OAT lesions larger than 3cm2, OAT was superior to MFX with respect to activity level (SMD= 0.506, P= .001). OAT may achieve higher activity levels and lower risk of failure when compared with MFX for cartilage lesions greater than 3cm2 in the knee, although there was no significant difference for lesions less than 3cm2 at midterm. However, because of variability in patient-specific factors such as age, preinjury activity level, lesion location and size, the superiority of OAT over MFX cannot be generalized to all patient populations and therefore requires individualized patient care. Level II, meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Using automatically extracted information from mammography reports for decision-support

ObjectiveTo evaluate a system we developed that connects natural language processing (NLP) for information extraction from narrative text mammography reports with a Bayesian network for decision-support about breast cancer diagnosis. The ultimate goal of this system is to provide decision support as part of the workflow of producing the radiology report. Materials and methodsWe built a system that uses an NLP information extraction system (which extract BI-RADS descriptors and clinical information from mammography reports) to provide the necessary inputs to a Bayesian network (BN) decision support system (DSS) that estimates lesion malignancy from BI-RADS descriptors. We used this integrated system to predict diagnosis of breast cancer from radiology text reports and evaluated it with a reference standard of 300 mammography reports. We collected two different outputs from the DSS: (1) the probability of malignancy and (2) the BI-RADS final assessment category. Since NLP may produce imperfect inputs to the DSS, we compared the difference between using perfect (“reference standard”) structured inputs to the DSS (“RS-DSS”) vs NLP-derived inputs (“NLP-DSS”) on the output of the DSS using the concordance correlation coefficient. We measured the classification accuracy of the BI-RADS final assessment category when using NLP-DSS, compared with the ground truth category established by the radiologist. ResultsThe NLP-DSS and RS-DSS had closely matched probabilities, with a mean paired difference of 0.004±0.025. The concordance correlation of these paired measures was 0.95. The accuracy of the NLP-DSS to predict the correct BI-RADS final assessment category was 97.58%. ConclusionThe accuracy of the information extracted from mammography reports using the NLP system was sufficient to provide accurate DSS results. We believe our system could ultimately reduce the variation in practice in mammography related to assessment of malignant lesions and improve management decisions.

Abstract TP35: Eptifibatide is Safe and May Improve Outcomes in Stroke Patients Undergoing Thrombectomy After Receiving IVtPA

Introduction: Recent trials have shown significant improvement in outcome for patients suffering from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) when mechanical thrombectomy is added to the standard of care of IV tPA. In addition to the acute anti-platelet properties eptifibatide may also reduce acute inflammatory response following neurovascular intervention. Our goal was to evaluate the potential benefit of adding IV eptifibatide to mechanical thrombectomy and IV tPA. Methods: Patients who presented to a community based university affiliated comprehensive stroke center from 2012-2015 with AIS over a 2 year period were included in the study. Only patients who received thrombectomy after IV tPA were included. A subgroup of those patients also received IV eptifibatide as a continuous drip during and after the procedure. Details of bolus dosing and duration of treatment were documented. The initial NIH Stroke Score (NIHSS) and 24-hour NIHSS were compared between the two groups with paired samples t-test using SPSS Version 22. Results: A total of 866 patients were evaluated, and 139 met the study criteria. All patients received mechanical thrombectomy after IV tPA, but 70 also received a bolus dose of 135 mcg/kg of eptifibatide followed by 0.5 mcg/kg/min continuous drip. The mean duration of the drip was 23.8 minutes (SD 14.13). There were no significant differences in complication or hemorrhage rates between groups. The mean initial minus 24-hour NIHSS (Initial-24) for the patients receiving only IV tPA/thrombectomy was 1.6. Patients who also received eptifibatide had a mean Initial-24 of 3.6. The paired mean difference was 2 (95% CI .19-3.8; p=.03), favoring the addition of eptifibatide. Conclusion: The addition of eptifibatide bolus followed by a continuous drip for a mean of 24-hours to IV tPA/thrombectomy was associated with a significantly better 24-hour post-procedure outcome. The mechanism of action may be related to the suppression of inflammation and potential prevention of rethrombosis after treatment. No additional complications were noted with eptifibatide and patients tolerated it well. A larger prospective trial is warranted to corroborate our findings.

Comparison of Reliability in Diabetic Macular Edema Estimates between Two Image Analysis Algorithms

Purpose: To evaluate segmentation reliability in diabetic macular edema (DME) estimates between a Cirrus HD-OCT image analysis algorithm and an Iowa reference algorithm, which are an automatic segmentation software. Methods: Thirty eyes from 23 patients diagnosed with DME were included and underwent spectral-domain optical coherence scans (Cirrus HD-OCT). Central foveal thickness (CFT) and ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer segmentation data were compared with those produced by the Cirrus HD-OCT segmentation algorithm and Iowa reference algorithm. Measurement agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation (ICC) and segmentation errors were confirmed by 2 ophthalmologists. Results: The mean CFT in the 1-mm central area determined by the manufacturer-supplied Cirrus software and Iowa reference algorithm was 512.07 ± 182.35 μm and 476.53 ± 32.36 μm, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean paired difference was 35.53 ± 92.46 μm (ICC, 0.929). Segmentation errors were demonstrated in eyes with a CFT less than 400 μm, specifically for 45% of scans obtained by the Cirrus algorithm and 9% from the Iowa algorithm; in eyes with a CFT equal to or higher than 400 μm, the error rates were 95% and 42%, respectively. Conclusions: CFT measurement in eyes with diabetic macular edema using the Cirrus algorithm and Iowa algorithm showed relatively high degrees of agreement and significant correlation. In eyes with a CFT equal to or higher than 400 μm, the Iowa algorithm showed higher reliability in retinal segmentation than the Cirrus algorithm. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2016;57(5):772-778

Echocardiographic assessment of aortic valve annular and left ventricular outflow tract diameter in conscious and anesthetized adult sheep prior to prosthetic aortic valve implantation.

Prosthetic heart valve implantation is commonly performed in patients that have valvular heart disease. Prior to clinical evaluation of newly developed prostheses, preclinical animal studies are performed for the assessment of both acute and chronic valvular function. Commonly, one size of valve is used in these preclinical studies, which can present difficulties with the implantation procedure and assessing valve function. Due to these potential problems, we developed a preoperative screening assessment in potential ovine candidates for prosthetic aortic valve implantation. By determining if there is a correlation between conscious and anesthetized echocardiographic examinations, an improvement in surgical confidence can predict that the animal is deemed a suitable candidate for a particular size of prosthetic valve for implantation prior to subjecting the animal to anesthesia and surgery. A total of 53 crossbred sheep (Ovis aries), male and female, 10-37 months of age, weighing between 41 and 77 kg, underwent conscious echocardiography and a subset of 29 of these animals underwent echocardiographic assessment under anesthesia for a preoperative valve size comparison in these animals prior to surgical prosthetic aortic valve implantation. Using 2D echocardiographic assessment, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) dimensions were assessed. The mean paired difference between anesthetized and conscious LVOT diameter measurement was -0.87 mm (p = 0.0066, standard deviation 1.598, 95% confidence interval, -0.4796, -0.26378, n = 29). This pilot study evaluation revealed that conscious echocardiographic assessment can play a role preoperatively in selecting potential candidates for surgical prosthetic aortic valve implantation, thereby minimizing the potential in prosthetic-native annular mismatching, which can contribute to altered LVOT function.

Radiographic measurement of the posterior femoral offset is not precise.

The posterior femoral offset may significantly impact the final flexion range after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of the present study was to compare a conventional, radiologic-based technique with an intra-operative, surgical navigation-based technique for the measurement of posterior femoral offset. The tested hypothesis was that the two measurement techniques produce different results both before and after TKA. One-hundred consecutive cases referred for end-stage knee osteoarthritis have been studied. Posterior femoral offsets, measured pre- and post-TKA from radiographs, as well as those measured from a navigation system intra-operatively, were analysed. The pre-TKA measured offsets, post-TKA measured offsets and the changes (pre- vs. post-TKA) in the offsets were statistically compared between the radiologic and the navigated measurement techniques at a 0.05 level of significance. The mean paired difference between pre-TKA radiologic and navigated measurement was 4±4mm (p<0.001). There was a significant and moderate positive correlation with a good coherence between the two measurements. The mean paired difference between post-TKA radiologic and navigated measurement was 6±5mm (p<0.001). There was a significant and moderate positive correlation but a poor coherence between the two measurements. The conventional radiologic technique for the measurement of the posterior femoral offset cannot be reliably used either for pre-TKA planning of the posterior femoral resection and antero-posterior sizing of the femoral component, or for post-TKA quality control of the reconstruction of the posterior femoral offset. Level IV.

Automatic aortic root landmark detection in CTA images for preprocedural planning of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is currently a well-established minimal invasive treatment option for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis. CT Angiography is used for the pre-operative planning and sizing of the prosthesis. To reduce the inconsistency in sizing due to interobserver variability, we introduce and evaluate an automatic aortic root landmarks detection method to determine the sizing parameters. The proposed algorithm detects the sinotubular junction, two coronary ostia, and three valvular hinge points on a segmented aortic root surface. Using these aortic root landmarks, the automated method determines annulus radius, annulus orientation, and distance from annulus plane to right and left coronary ostia. Validation is performed by the comparison with manual measurements of two observers for 40 CTA image datasets. Detection of landmarks showed high accuracy where the mean distance between the automatically detected and reference landmarks was 2.81 ± 2.08 mm, comparable to the interobserver variation of 2.67 ± 2.52 mm. The mean annulus to coronary ostium distance was 16.9 ± 3.3 and 17.1 ± 3.3 mm for the automated and the reference manual measurements, respectively, with a mean paired difference of 1.89 ± 1.71 mm and interobserver mean paired difference of 1.38 ± 1.52 mm. Automated detection of aortic root landmarks enables automated sizing with good agreement with manual measurements, which suggests applicability of the presented method in current clinical practice.

A meta-analysis of clinical and radiographic outcomes of posterior horn medial meniscus root repairs.

Although interest in medial meniscus posterior root tear (MMPRT) repair has increased, few case series have been reported. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the clinical and radiological effects of MMPRT repair by pooling pre- and post-operative data from case-series reports. A literature search was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE databases. Pre- and post-operative data were pooled to investigate the effects of MMPRT repair, including the Lysholm score improvement, meniscal extrusion (mm) reduction, progression of the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade, and cartilage status according to the Outerbridge classification. Treatment effects included paired standardized mean differences (difference in the pre- and post-operative mean outcomes divided by the standard deviation) for the Lysholm score and meniscal extrusion, as well as the pooled event rates of progression of K-L grade and cartilage status. As treatment effects, the Lysholm score increased by as much as 3.675 (P<0.001), whereas meniscus extrusion was not reduced (n.s.). The overall pooled event rates of progression of K-L grade and cartilage status were 10.6 and 17.3% (P<0.001), respectively. According to the current literature, MMPRT repair resulted in significant improvements in the post-operative clinical subjective scores compared with the preoperative status. However, meniscus extrusion was not reduced. Considering the occurrence of progression of K-L grade and cartilage status, it did not prevent the progression of arthrosis completely. Based on these results, repair results in favourable outcomes for MMPRT. Meta-analysis, Level IV.

Information and Training Sources Used by Rice Farmers in North Central Nigeria

The study investigated the information and training sources used by rice farmers in North central, Nigeria. A total of 320 respondents were selected and interviewed using structured interview schedule. The respondents were of two categories, the participants and non-participants of the intervention programme. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, ranking and chi square. Majority (80.6%) of the non-participants had been cultivating rice for more than 20 years and it was only few (10%) of the participants that had been cultivating rice for more than 20 years, majority (91.3%) of the participants had above 2.5 ha and only about 33.1% of the non-participants had rice farm size above 2.5 ha. Many of the non-participants (57.5%) had up to 3 different plots of rice farm, while the majority of the participants (51.3%) had up to 2 different plots for rice farming. Non-participants and participants claimed that other farmers (93.1%) and USAID/Market field officers (100%) respectively were their main sources of information. Training perception indicates that selection of high yielding varieties with the mean score of 3.95 ranked 1st, selection of healthy seeds with a mean score of 3.92 ranked 2nd and fertilizer use ranked 3rd as the most relevant improved technologies on which training was received. The study also reveals that training was positively associated with adoption, the result of the paired mean difference between the output (35.863 ) and income (149113.8) of participants and non-participants showed clearly significant mean deference. Implying that training and adoption of improved rice package had a positive and significant effect on output and income. It was recommended that frequent training of the rice farmers in the study area should be given top-most priority so that the farmers can obtain adequate information and, consequently, obtain optimum yield from the adoption of improved rice packages.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Effects of Alendronate on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Remodelling in Perimenopausal Women With Low Bone Mineral Density

BackgroundPerimenopausal women can experience rapid bone loss at skeletal sites with both cortical and cancellous bone, increasing the prevalence of osteoporosis following menopause. MethodsWe conducted a 12-month randomized placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effects of alendronate 70mg with 2800IU cholecalciferol administered once per week for 12months in comparison with placebo and cholecalciferol. The primary end-point was the percentage change in the lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) from baseline to 12months. Secondary end-points were the change in BMD at the femoral neck and changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover. ResultsForty-five women were recruited to participate in the study. Five subjects withdrew from the study before randomization for unrelated reasons. Forty subjects were randomly allocated to the alendronate and placebo groups. The mean lumbar spine BMD in women treated with alendronate increased by 3.66% (mean paired difference, d¯=0.032;±0.008SE) at 12months, compared with a reduction of 3.33% d¯=−0.030;±0.008SE in the control group (P<0.001). In the femoral neck, the mean BMD in the alendronate group increased by 2.07% d¯=0.014;±0.009SE at 12months, compared with a reduction of 1.87% d¯=−0.014;±0.008SE in the control group (P=0.046). There were no differences in BMD between the alendronate and placebo groups at the total hip sites after 12months. At 12months, both bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and urinary N-telopeptide were significantly reduced, by 37.79% d¯=−9.90;±1.92SE and 27.21% d¯=−11.68;±4.80SE respectively, in the alendronate group; in the control group, these levels increased (P<0.001). ConclusionWeekly treatment with alendronate 70mg and cholecalciferol 2800IU increases BMD and decreases bone turnover in perimenopausal women.

Statistical consequences of using bone mineral density to pair cadaver femurs in comparative ex vivo hip fracture studies.

ObjectiveIn ex vivo hip fracture studies femoral pairs are split to create two comparable test groups. When more than two groups are required, or if paired femurs cannot be obtained, group allocation according to bone mineral density (BMD) is sometimes performed. In this statistical experiment we explore how this affects experimental results and sample size considerations.MethodsIn a hip fracture experiment, nine pairs of human cadaver femurs were tested in a paired study design. The femurs were then re-matched according to BMD, creating two new test groups. Intra-pair variance and paired correlations in fixation stability were calculated. A hypothetical power analysis was then performed to explore the required sample size for the two types of group allocation. ResultsThe standard deviation (sd) of the mean paired difference in fixation stability increased from 2 mm in donor pairs to 5 mm in BMD-matched pairs. Intra-pair correlation was 0.953 (Pearson’s r) in donor pairs and non-significant at -0.134 (Pearson’s r) in BMD-matched pairs. Required sample size to achieve a statistical power of 0.8 increased from ten pairs using donor pairs to 54 pairs using BMD-matched pairs.ConclusionBMD cannot be used to create comparable test groups unless sample size is increased substantially and paired statistics are no longer valid.Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:317–20.

Analysis of Muscular Endurance among Adolescent School Boys of North-Eastern States of India

In the present pushbutton era most of the adolescent are not participating in leisure activities and concentrate are on studies. Regular physical activity would be important for life’s quality even if it had no relationship to disease and longevity. Physical activity is a significant ingredient in the quality of life, because it increases energy and promotes, physical and mental well being in addition to conferring health benefits. Boys from various schools of [Tripura (TR), Meghalaya (ML), Assam (AS), Mizoram (MZ), Manipur (MN), Nagaland (NL) and Arunachal Pradesh (A.R.)] (N=21000) North-Eastern states of India were selected as subjects at random. Their age ranged from 13 to 15 years (studying from 7th to 10th standard). Muscular endurance was measured by the number of sit-ups in a one minute. The collected data were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA. Among the groups, if any significant difference, scheffe’s post hoc test was used to find out the paired mean difference (P ? 0.05). The results of the study show that the adolescent boys of North-Eastern states were differ on muscular endurance. Hence it was concluded that, age, geographical region, growth, social behaviour, food habits and level of physical activity may influence the muscular endurance of adolescent boys.

Isolation and stable nitrogen isotope analysis of ammonium ions in ammonium nitrate prills using sodium tetraphenylborate

Because of the threat of bombings using improvised explosives containing ammonium nitrate (AN), law enforcement and intelligence communities have been interested in stable isotope techniques for tracking and discriminating AN sources. Separate analysis of the AN component ions ammonium and nitrate would add discriminatory power to these techniques. Ammonium ions in dissolved AN solution were isolated from samples by precipitation using sodium tetraphenylborate solution. We tested the isolation of ammonium from nitrates using solutions of ammonium and nitrate salts with different (15)N/(14)N isotope ratios. Ammonium tetraphenylborate and AN were separately analyzed for their (15)N/(14)N isotope ratios using EA-ConFlo-IRMS, and the (15)N/(14)N isotope ratios of the nitrate ions were calculated using mass balance. Ammonium and nitrate nitrogen isotope ratios were plotted as two separate variables. Isolation of ammonium precipitate from solutions containing dissolved nitrates did not influence the nitrogen isotope ratios of test ammonium salts. A survey set of 42 AN samples showed that the ammonium and nitrate (15)N/(14)N isotope ratios were not significantly correlated, and the paired mean differences were not statistically significant. Both ammonium and nitrate were depleted in (15)N relative to their theoretical atmospheric sources. Isolation of the ammonium ion from AN adds another dimension for the discrimination of forensic AN samples. This technique using sodium tetraphenylborate is robust and does not require specialized equipment. Our observations indicated that ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen have independent sources of isotopic variation.

Hyponatremia in Peritoneal Dialysis: Epidemiology in a Single Center and Correlation with Clinical and Biochemical Parameters

Hyponatremia in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients has previously been associated with water overload and weight gain, or with malnutrition and intracellular potassium depletion. Although there is a sizable literature about transmembrane sodium and water removal in PD, there are few reports about the incidence and characteristics of hyponatremia in the clinical setting. We evaluated the incidence and factors associated with hyponatremia in PD patients in a single PD unit. We retrospectively evaluated the records of all patients (n = 198) who were treated with PD in the Home PD Unit of the University Health Network at Toronto General Hospital during 2010. We identified 166 patients who had a minimum follow-up of 60 days during 2010 and at least 2 consecutive sodium measurements at least a month apart. We examined baseline differences between patients who developed hyponatremia and those who did not, and clinical and biochemical factors that correlated with mean sodium values. In the 24 patients who developed hyponatremia, we examined paired differences between the normonatremic and hyponatremic periods. Finally, we investigated any possible correlations of change in serum sodium with clinical and biochemical characteristics before and during the hyponatremic period. The incidence of hyponatremia was 14.5%. In multivariate analysis, serum sodium correlated significantly and independently with residual renal function (RRF: r = 0.463, p = 0.0001) and negatively with the daily volume of instilled icodextrin (r = -0.476, p = 0.0001). Residual renal function was significantly lower in patients with hyponatremia than in those with normal serum sodium (1.97 ± 2.3 mL/min vs 4.31 ± 5.01 mL/min, p = 0.033). The mean paired difference in body weight was -1.113 kg and the median difference was -0.55 kg (range: -8.5 kg to +4.2 kg). Impressively, hyponatremia was not associated with an increase in body weight in most patients who developed this complication (13 of 16 for whom comparative weights were known). Moreover, the mean paired change in serum sodium (ΔNa) from normonatremia to hyponatremia was, contrary to our expectations, significantly correlated with a decrease in body weight (r = 0.584, p = 0.017). The ΔNa was also significantly correlated with serum potassium (r = 0.526, p = 0.008), the greatest drop in serum sodium being associated with lower serum potassium in the hyponatremic period, as predicted. Hyponatremia is seen more often than expected in a clinical setting. Serum sodium is strongly correlated with RRF, hyponatremia being associated with lower RRF. In patients who experienced hyponatremia, the fall in serum sodium was associated with a decrease, not an increase, in body weight and was correlated with serum potassium, suggesting that sodium and potassium depletion-and, by inference, malnutrition-may be important contributors in the clinical setting.

The effect of plyometric and speed training on kinetic energy and jumping performance of college level long jumpers

Plyometric is a conditioning technique used to increase performance in sports that require explosive speed and power along with quick change of pace–stop-and go movement. Depth Jump is the most popular and most effective method for the development of explosiveness. It is also the most effective method for developing the reactive ability of your neuromuscular system. The investigator selected 60 long jumpers of college level boys who participated in the college and inter college competition as subjects. The age group of the subjects was 18 to 25 years. there were divided in to 3 equal groups. One group was designed as control group, Experimental group I, and Experimental group II. The groups were equated on the basis of the mean and standard deviation of long jump performance. Experimental group I was applied with speed training (Wind Sprint, Harness running, interval training) Experimental group II was applied with plyometric training (Depth jump, Bounding drill, Squat jumps). In order to find out the improvement in kinetic energy and long jumping performance. ANACOVA technique used as suggested by Clark and Clarke, of the F ration was significant the scheffes post hoc test was used to find out the paired mean difference. In analysis of Co-variance, the final means were adjusted for difference in initial means and the adjusted means were tested for significance.

Efficacy of breathing exercises and walking exercises on resting heart rate among overweight college students

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of pranayama and walking exercise on resting heart rate among overweight college students. Thirty male overweight students (n = 30) from Govt. Degree College, Dharamnagar, North Tripura, India were randomly selected as subjects. The age of the subjects ranged from 17 to 23 years. The subjects divided into three equal groups of ten subjects each (n = 10). In which, group I underwent Pranayama or Breathing Exercise (BEG), group II underwent walking exercise (WEG) for six days per week for eight weeks and group III acted as control (CG) who did not undergo any special training programme apart from their regular activities. Resting heart rate was selected as a test variable and assessed before and after the training period. The collected data were statistically analyzed by using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Scheffe's test was applied as post hoc test to determine the paired mean difference. From the results of the study, it was found that there was a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in resting heart rate of training groups when compared to control group.

Comparison of leadership behavior psychological characteristics male and female wrestling players in mini Olympic state level competition Chhattisgarh

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the leadership preferences for the set of five dimensions of leader behavior i.e. training and instruction,democratic behavior, autocratic behavior, social support and positive feedback of state level and female wrestler players. Two hundred sixty four (Males=140, females =124)state levelwrestler players representing their respective university in state competitions and who volunteered their participate in this study, were selected to serve as subjects for this study. The subjects were in age group of 18 to 23 years. The subjects were selected from among the male and female Wrestler players taken part in State competitions The leadership scale for sports development and prepared by P. Chelladuri was used to measure the preferred leader behavior of State level male and female Wrestler players on five dimension of leader behavior i.e. training and instruction, democratic behavior, autocratic behavior, social support and positive feedback. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to see the significance of difference between means of male Wrestler players on various dimensions of preferred leadership behavior which resulted significant f-ratio (20.934). further application of Scheffe‟s test of post-hoc comparisons indicated that State level male Wrestler players of proffered their coaches more of training and instruction (4.352) followed by positive feedback (4.243), social support (3.813), democratic behavior (3.057), and autocratic behavior (3.643). as the paired mean difference between training and instruction – social support (.439) followed by positive feedback (.109), autocratic behavior (1.295) and democratic behavior (.709) : social support – positive feedback (.430) followed by autocratic behavior (.756), democratic behavior (.070) : positive feedback – autocratic behavior (.186) followed by democratic behavior (.600) and autocratic behavior – democratic behavior (.586) were higher than C.I. In case of female Wrestler players, ANOVA was also applied to see the difference between means of five dimensions of preferred leadership which resulted significant f-ration (112.603). the applications of Scheffe‟s rest of posthoc comparison indicated that State level female players of cross country also preferred in greater amount o training and instruction (4.441) followed by positive feedback (4.251),social support(3.823), democratic behavior (3.544), and autocratic behavior (2.857). as the paired mean difference between training and instruction – social support (.598) followed by positive feedback (.191), autocratic behavior (1.584) and democratic behavior (.898) : social support – positive feedback (.427) followed by autocratic behavior (.966), democratic behavior (.270) : positive feedback – autocratic behavior (.393) followed by democratic behavior (.707) and autocratic behavior – democratic behavior (.686) were higher than C.I. To find out the significance of difference between means scores of preferences on leader behavior dimension of male and female Wrestler players, t-ratio was computed. The State level male and female Wrestler players expressed significantly similar preferences on democratic behavior (1.10), autocratic behavior (1.877), social support (.154) and positive feedback (.111) but the State level male and female Wrestler players were significant difference in training and instruction (2.00).

No place to hide: two pilot studies assessing the effectiveness of adding a health warning to the cigarette stick

ObjectiveTo examine whether health warnings printed onto the cigarette stick would increase intentions to quit.MethodsTwo experiments with smokers were conducted. The first study was conducted in Scotland on 88 adult...

Imaging for approach selection of TAVI: assessment of the aorto-iliac tract diameter by computed tomography-angiography versus projection angiography

The choice of preferred access route for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is mainly guided by the minimal aorto-femoral tract diameter. Currently, projection angiography (XA) and CT-angiography (CTA) are used interchangeably to assess this diameter in the TAVI work-up. We aimed to assess the agreement of XA and CTA diameter measurements in TAVI candidates. Diameters of 700 aorta-iliac segments of 102 TAVI candidates were analyzed on both XA and CTA. The diameters on XA were measured manually, for the CTA-based analysis semi-automated segmentation software was used. Paired sample T test was used to evaluate differences in diameter measurements between the modalities. Disagreement on the suitability for a transfemoral (TF)-TAVI approach was identified. The interobserver agreement for both measurements was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The average diameters were 10.1 ± 1.8 mm and 8.4 ± 1.7 for XA and CTA respectively. The mean paired difference was 1.73 mm (p < 0.001). For 18 patients (17.6 %) diameters measured on CTA images, were bilaterally less than 6 mm, whilst XA indicated a minimum diameter exceeding 6 mm. For both modalities, the interobserver agreement was excellent (ICC 0.95). Diameters measured semi-automatically on CTA were statistically significantly smaller compared to XA. This should be acknowledged in the work-up for selecting the most appropriate approach for TAVI. In our population 17.6 % of patients would have been denied a transfemoral TAVI based on CTA measurements, whilst XA suggested diameters sufficient for a TF approach.