Physical Instruments Research Articles

The Physical Resilience Instrument for Older Adults (PRIFOR) in Surgical Inpatients: Further Evidence for Its Factor Structure and Validity.

The Physical Resilience Instrument for Older Adults (PRIFOR) is a questionnaire for assessing physical resilience in older adults suffering from acute health stressors. Prior psychometric evidence of the PRIFOR showed that it has good criterion-related validity, known-group validity, predictive validity, and internal consistency. However, it is unclear whether the PRIFOR can be replicated in older adults suffering after surgical treatment. This study aimed at evaluating whether the three-factor structure of the PRIFOR can be replicated in older adults suffering after surgical treatment. Moreover, the concurrent validity of the PRIFOR was examined using the association between the PRIFOR and measures of depression, cognition, activities of daily living, and frailty. A longitudinal study was adopted in a tertiary-care medical center in Taiwan. A total of 207 patients aged 65 years old and older who underwent surgery and if they were able to communicate independently. The PRIFOR, the 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale, the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living and Clinical Frailty Scale were all assessed after surgery. The three-factor structure (positive thinking, cope and adjust lifestyle, and belief and hopeful mindset) was supported by the CFA results in the present sample. In addition, the PRIFOR showed good concurrent validity with depression (r = -0.470 to -0.542), cognition (r = 0.358 to 0.409), activities of daily living (r = 0.209 to 0.310), and frailty (r =-0.161 to -0.237). The PRIFOR can be recommended to measure physical resilience in older adults suffering after surgical treatment. For the adequate estimation of older adults' level of physical resilience postoperatively and to guide the implementation of individualized interventions, it is important to provide appropriate care for older adults to recover after surgery.

3D-Printed Musical Instruments: Lessons Learned from Five Case Studies

The music field is lively and creative, and innovation in the final product is a leading force in the sector. However, the physical instruments used by musicians to produce their craft are highly conservative and have developed little over the last centuries. Computers, audio software, and electronic musical instruments have been integrated into musical practice, but acoustic instrument design has remained virtually frozen. Although mass production methods are frequently applied to musical instrument production nowadays, the designs have changed minimally, which makes the musical landscape unique. Additive manufacturing (AM) provides novel possibilities that can be of interest in music and musical research. In this article, we present the results of five case studies on AM use within specific musical niches. Each niche represents a unique market space and cultural background that is critical in tradition-oriented environments. Starting from the analysis of these five case studies, we extract lessons on AM application to unique environments. From these, we discuss the potential for AM-driven innovation in design and production in general and propose a holistic evaluation matrix for identifying suitable market niches.

The Cloud FIBER-FIT Model for Physical Fitness Check-Up.

Physical fitness refers to the ability of the body to perform tasks or do one of the physical activities well without being tired quickly. The objective of this research is to develop a physical fitness instrument for measuring oneself heart rate, grip strength, and reaction time that could develop a model for a self-check-up on physical fitness which helps to plan the improvement for health which is called the "FIBER-FIT" model. The physical fitness measuring instrument is composed of three modules; (1) heart rate meter module using a green light emitting diode and a photosensor, (2) grip strength meter module using a load cell transducer, and (3) reaction time meter module using a computer graphical function. All modules are controlled by computer programming, LabVIEW. The program could measure the physical fitness parameters in real-time and display the results in graphs, values on a computer monitor. The data could be recorded on cloud storage and could be retrieved for viewing and analyzing from anywhere via the internet. Getting the "FIBER-FIT" model, a physical fitness measuring instrument to evaluate and analyze the results in real time. Overall performance test results were comparable to the standard commonly used instruments. The satisfaction survey scores from the participants were 33.33% and 66.67% for the highest level and the high level, respectively. The Cloud "FIBER-FIT" model is recommended for physical fitness applications for health improvement.

Construção e validação de instrumento de avaliação fisioterapêutica e de classificação funcional no modelo biopsicossocial da Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde (CIF) para pacientes HIV hospitalizados

ABSTRACT The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for the compromise of the immune system and a high number of hospitalizations. Considering the biopsychosocial (BPS) context of the individual, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides the maximum description of a health condition and the impact of interventions and service delivery for the physiotherapeutic process. The aim of this study was to build and validate a physical therapy assessment and functional classification instrument based on the ICF for hospitalized members of the HIV community. This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study based on the analysis of demand, elaboration, and improvement of the instrument and its validation with the consensus of a experts committee of physical therapists; they evaluated 58 items and the classification codes resulted in 0.858 overall Kappa value=strong agreement between assessments, all statistically significant (p-value<0.05). The final version of the instrument included 36 items, all with Kappa coefficient >0.80. The constructed instrument is valid for the evaluation and functional classification in the ICF model for hospitalized members of the HIV community, contributing to the physical therapy clinical practice in the hospital environment.

Методика определения эффективности тренировочного процесса хоккеистов с особенностями антропометрических данных

Importance. Methods of analyzing the effectiveness of the training process in game sports always impose certain requirements to the studied components: the quality of tasks performed by athletes, quantitative indicators of correctly accepted in accordance with the coach’s instructions solutions to situational problems in game episodes. A great importance is also the efficiency of the received information, the speed of statistical processing for making operational and strategic coaching decisions. In this regard, the most common information document designed for analytical activities to determine the effectiveness of training or game process in amateur hockey teams is a statistical list, where statisticians mark with icons game interactions of athletes, the degree of their success, the choice of playing position and technical parameters of receiving and passing the puck, won and lost combat sports, strength building, maintaining dynamic balance, etc. At the end of the procedure the results for each hockey player and five players are calculated in order to determine the effectiveness of game interaction, as well as to develop further strategic line of the training process. The inconvenience of this methods is the definition of evaluation tasks (in particular, we are talking about the intensified saturation component within the research topic) for each training process that has a certain target orientation, as well as the low speed of statistical processing of the obtained data. The purpose of the research: to analyze the game interaction of athletes of the hockey team “Derzhava” based on the use of instrumental methods to assess the game actions of representatives of groups of athletes differentiated by anthropometric indicators. Research Methods. Analysis of scientific and methodological literature on the research problem, systematization, pedagogical observation, instrumental diagnostic method “Physical Education Teacher Assessment Instrument”, methods of mathematical statistics, generalization. Results and Discussion. The results of game adaptation of hockey players, referred to different groups of athletes with special anthropometric data at the end of the preparatory period on the basis of individual indicators of game interaction in control games are analyzed. Conclusion. Research results can be used as information for game sports trainers when evaluating competitive game activity in selected sports.

The Witch in Flight

The Witch in Flight

Virtual Infrastructure Twin for Computing-Instrument Ecosystems: Software and Measurements

Advanced science workflows are orchestrated over complex ecosystems consisting of computing platforms and physical instruments connected over wide-area networks. The availability of physical facilities of these ecosystems may be limited during typically long software development periods, due to the expense, disruption risk and limited readiness during the design and construction stages. We present a Virtual Infrastructure Twin (VIT) of such an ecosystem to support the software development and testing for multi-site computing-instrument ecosystems. A VIT is implemented using virtual hosts connected over emulated local-area networks at sites, which are in turn connected over an emulated wide-area network. We describe the design and implementation details of a VIT including: (i) host and network emulations and the incorporation of instrument simulators, (ii) services for remote instrument steering, and (iii) performance analytics based on network throughput and disk input/output measurements. We illustrate a use case by emulating an ecosystem of four geographically distributed laboratory sites with services for accessing and steering instruments and estimating throughput profiles using physical testbed measurements.

The Zri-Rab: A New String Instrument from the Ancient Frescos of Sri Lanka

Inside the ancient temple of Thivanka Pilimage (Thivanka Image House), which was built in Polonnaruwa between the 12th-13th centuries AD, several frescoes were depicted based on Buddha’s life events and the Jataka tales. Before all these frescoes faded, draftsmen working for the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon copied them. Among the frescoes the draftsman P. G. Perera copied is one that depicts a man or woman holding a long-necked lute. The purpose of the present research is to interpret this string instrument and reconstruct a physical string instrument that is consistent in form. This study involves experimental research and falls under the music discipline of organology. The study uses iconographic analyses and morphological analogues to discover how to organize the structure and elements needed to design and build a musical instrument that is consistent with the ancient form of the long-necked lute. The tar (long-necked lute) and sgra-snyan (7-string long-necked lute, also known as dramyin) are string instruments used in modern times that have also been identified as morphologically similar to the string instrument depicted in the Thivanka Pilimage. The tar used in the Middle East provides information on how to organize the structure and elements needed to reconstruct a string instrument that can be used in modern music without changing the ancient form. In this way, the merging of antiquity and modernism has led to the revival of the string instrument called the zri-rab.

Portuguese Physical Literacy Assessment - Observation (PPLA-O) for adolescents (15-18 years) from grades 10-12: Development and initial validation through item response theory.

Aims of these studies were to develop the Portuguese Physical Literacy Assessment Observation instrument (PPLA-O) to assess the physical and part of the cognitive domain of Physical Literacy (PL) through data collected routinely by Physical Education (PE) teachers; and to assess the construct validity (dimensionality, measurement invariance, and convergent and discriminant validity) and score reliability of one of its modules [Movement Competence, Rules, and Tactics (MCRT)]. Content analysis of the Portuguese PE syllabus and literature review were used for PPLA-O domain identification. Multidimensional Item Response Theory (MIRT) models were used to assess construct validity and reliability, along with bivariate correlations in a sample of 515 Portuguese grade 10-12 students (M age = 16, SD = 1). PPLA-O development resulted in an instrument with two modules: MCRT (22 physical activities) and Health-Related Fitness (HRF; 5 protocols); both assessed with teacher-reported data entered in a spreadsheet. A two correlated dimensions Graded Response Model (Manipulative-based Activities [MA], and Stability-based Activities [SA]) showed best fit to the MCRT data, suggesting measurement invariance across sexes, and adequate to good score reliabilities (MA = .89, and SA = .73). There was a moderate to high correlation (r = .68) between dimensions, and boys had higher scores in both dimensions. Correlations among MCRT scores and HRF variables were similar in magnitude to previous reports in meta-analysis and systematic reviews. PPLA-O is composed of two modules that integrate observational data collected by PE teachers into a common frame of criterion-referenced PL assessment. The HRF module uses data collected through widely validated FITescola® assessment protocols. The MCRT makes use of teacher-reported data collected in a wide range of activities and movement pursuits to measure movement competence and inherent cognitive skills (Tactics and Rules). We also gathered initial evidence supporting construct validity and score reliability of the MCRT module. This highly feasible instrument can provide Portuguese grade 10-12 (15-18 years) PE students with feedback on their PL journey, along with the other instrument of PPLA (PPLA-Questionnaire). Further studies should assess inter and intra-rater reliability and criterion-related validity of its two modules.

Differences of physical literacy perception of kindergarten teachers: Seen from demographic information

Physical Literacy must be instilled in Early Childhood Education teachers have a very crucial role in this. The aim of this study is to reveal Early Childhood Education teachers' Physical Literacy perceptions in terms of demographic information. The survey research was conducted with a population of 74 teachers in West Java with convenience sampling. The Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (PPLI) was used as an instrument to measure it. This instrument was distributed through a google form and filled out voluntarily by the participants. Analysis of the data used is descriptive analysis. The results of this study reveal that teachers with a younger age, teaching experience of 11-20 years, coming from Bachelor's graduates, and teaching in urban areas have a high perception of Physical Literacy compared to the demographic status of other teachers. There is a need for special education and training programs for Early Childhood Education teachers in designing learning scenes that are adapted to the concept of Physical Literacy and are able to harmonize it according to the level of growth and development of children, so that teachers can be formed from an early age. The unrepresentative sample in this study is a limitation that can be used as a recommendation for further research to reveal the perception of early childhood education teachers on physical literacy in Indonesia.

Physical functioning assessment tools in critical care: a wide national survey in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic

Physical functioning evaluation in intensive care units (ICUs) identifies rehabilitation requirements and response to interventions. To identify the usage rate of physical functioning measurement instruments in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. Lead physiotherapists representing different national ICUs were invited to answer a National online survey at the onset (T1) and at the first year of COVID-19 pandemic (T2). The usage rate (defined as "always"/"almost always"/"almost never"/"never") of instruments assessing muscle strength, muscle mass, mobility, and physical performance was surveyed. Also, the reasons for selecting these instruments were requested. We received responses from 94 and 93 ICUs at T1 and T2, respectively, of 111 eligible ICUs (55% public). Compared with T2, the usage rate of instruments was lower at T1, and significant only for Medical Research Sum-Score (MRC-SS) (p = 0.04) and handgrip dynamometry (p = 0.05). Considering the answers "always", "almost always" and "almost never", between 89% and 91% of the ICUs reported the use of the MRC-SS; between 70% and 73% reported the use of the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit; between 5% and 35% of the ICUs reported the use of the rest of mobility scales; and between 44%-45% of ICUs reported that muscle ultrasound was "almost never" used. The main reasons reported for selecting instruments were quick use and clinimetric properties. The usage rate of muscle strength assessments was frequent, while the use of mobility and muscle mass instruments recommended by the literature was poorly reported, which was lower at the onset of the pandemic.

Advanced tendencies and practically oriented approach to training specialists in applied physics

The existing system of training specialists in the field of applied physics in domestic universities doesn’t allow to fully meet the needs of employers. One of the main drawbacks of the educational process in higher education institution in training future engineers is insufficient use of practice-oriented educational technologies, well-organized internships and independent work of students, real design. It does not give students an opportunity to demonstrate the competences they have acquired while studying individual disciplines of the educational program. According to experts, one of the ways to improve the quality of specialists’ training, capable of eliminating this contradiction to a certain extent, is the introduction and wider spread of practice-oriented educational technologies in engineering universities. The objective of the applied physics course is to develop skills in applying the provisions of fundamental physics to competent scientific analysis of situations which an engineer has to deal with when creating new equipment and new technologies, as well as to develop students’ natural-science worldview and familiarize them with the history of physics development and its main discoveries. As a result of mastering the course of applied physics the student should learn the basic physical phenomena and basic laws of physics; limits of their applicability, application of laws in the most important practical applications; become familiar with the basic physical quantities, know their definition, meaning, methods and units of their measurement; imagine fundamental physical experiments and their role in the development of science; know the purpose and operating principles of the most important physical instruments.

Underground muography with portable gaseous detectors

Muography is a novel imaging technology based on particle physics instrumentation to reveal density structure of hill-sized objects. The cosmic muon flux is attenuated while penetrating into the ground, thus the differential local flux correlates with the overburden density-length. Underground muography exploits the close-to-zenith flux, while main challenges became portability, low power consumption, and robustness against the out-of-the-laboratory environment. Various fields could benefit from this non-invasive imaging, eg. speleology, mining, archeology, or industry. Portable gaseous tracking detector systems have been designed, built, and successfully used in several underground locations. This paper presents the designed portable muography systems, the main requirements, and measurement campaigns for calibration, natural caves, and cultural heritage.

Problem-Based Learning Integrated Reading and Writing in Work and Energy Phenomena: Its Effectiveness on Problem-Solving Skills and Reading-Writing Literacy

Problem-solving Skills and Reading-Writing Literacy are two necessary things students must have to compete in the 21st century. This study aims at determining the effectiveness of Problem-based Learning with Integrated Reading and Writing tasks to improve students' problem-solving and reading-writing literacy skills. A quantitative method using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was employed in this study. The sampling technique used in this study was the purposive sampling technique. The sample used in this study was 36 students divided into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The instrument used in this study was a physics problem-solving skill test instrument and a reading-writing literacy instrument. The data analysis technique in this study was a quantitative analysis technique. The results showed that the N-gain value of the physics problem-solving skill test for the experimental group was 0.67 in the medium category, and the control group was 0.65 in the medium category. In the reading-writing literacy test, the N-gain value for the experimental group was 0.55 in the medium category and 0.29 in the low category for the control group. The Problem-based Learning model with Integrated Reading and Writing Tasks has little impact on improving students' problem-solving skills. However, it has a significant effect on increasing students' reading-writing literacy.

Physical Fitness as A Predictor of Elementary School Student Concentration

This study aims to determine the relationship between physical fitness and the concentration of upper-class students in State Elementary Schools throughout Sleman Yogyakarta. This type of research is quantitative with a correlational approach. The population in this study were high school students in State Elementary Schools throughout Sleman Yogyakarta, amounting to 256 students who were taken based on the purposive sampling technique. Physical fitness instruments use the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test for ages 10-12 years, while concentration uses the Grid Concentration Test. The data analysis technique used Pearson Correlation Product Moment analysis. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between physical fitness and the concentration of upper-class students in State Elementary Schools throughout Sleman Yogyakarta, with an r count of 0.396 and a significance value of 0.000 <0.05. These results indicate that if the physical fitness is getting better or fulfilled, the concentration will also be better. For other researchers, research with other independent variables can be carried out, so that more variables that affect physical fitness can be identified.

Cognitive Analysis Using Rasch Modeling As an Assessment for Physical Fitness Knowledge for College Students

Having good physical fitness is the foundation for carrying out daily activities. Maintaining physical fitness requires knowledge and understanding for performing meaningful physical activities. This study aimed to analyze the physical fitness knowledge test instrument for college students using the Rasch modelling data analysis technique. The design, development, and research method employed the product model and research tool that consisted of four stages, including analysis, design, development, and evaluation. The samples involved in the instrument trial were 67 students from one university in Indonesia. The analysis used was the content validity ratio for testing content validity and the item response theory/Rasch model test employing Winstep software to determine the validity and reliability of the test instrument. The results of the data analysis showed a match between the students and the test instruments with very good quality items. It concludes that the test instrument development using the Rasch model can detect student misconceptions on physical fitness knowledge material.

Macroeconomic co-benefits of DRR investment: assessment using the Dynamic Model of Multi-hazard Mitigation CoBenefits (DYNAMMICs) model

PurposeThe authors present a dynamic macroeconomic model for assessment of disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies under multiple hazards. The model can be used to analyze and compare various potential policies in terms of their economic consequences. The decomposition of these effects into multiple benefits helps policy makers and other stakeholders better understand the ex ante and ex-post advantages of DRR investments. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachA dynamic real business cycle model is at the core of this research. In the model multiple natural hazards modeled stochastically cause shocks to the economy. Economic outcomes, most importantly, output can be assessed before and after disasters and under various DRR policies. The decomposition of benefits aims to quantify the concept of triple dividends.FindingsIn case study applications in Tanzania and Zambia, the authors find that investments into physical infrastructure and risk transfer instruments generate a variety of benefits even in the absence of disaster. A land use restriction with planned relocation for example reduces output in the short run but in the long run increases it. Overall, policy effects of various DRR interventions evolve in a nonmonotonic manner and should be evaluated over a long period of time using dynamic simulation.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study lies in the economic quantification of multiple benefits described in the triple dividends literature. This helps comparing ex ante, ex-post and volatility-related economic effects of multiple disasters and related physical and financial DRR investment options. As observed in the case studies, the model can also identify overlooked temporal heterogeneity of co-benefits of DRR investments.

Persepsi Guru Pendidikan Khas Terhadap Persekitaran Fizikal Bilik Darjah Kelas Pendidikan Khas Pembelajaran

The physical environment is an important element to create a conducive classroom. This study was conducted to identify the perceptions of Special Education teachers towards aspects of the physical environment and the comfort level of the Special Education Class Learning Classroom. This study was also conducted to identify the relationship between aspects of the physical environment and the level of comfort in the classroom of the Special Education Class. This study is a quantitative design and uses a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. This study is based on Maslow's Theory of Needs and Universal Design Learning (UDL). This study has used instruments adapted from the Classroom Physical Environment Instrument (IPFBD) and the Classroom Physical Environment Impact Assessment Instrument on Students. This questionnaire was taken from previous studies and has Alpha Cronbranch reliability values ​​above 0.8 and 0.9. The study sample consisted of 37 Special Education teachers from three primary schools in Tuaran district. The findings of the study were analyzed in descriptive form and Pearson's correlation to see the relationship between the two study variables using the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) software version 26. The results of the study show that teachers' perceptions are at a moderate level. The findings of the study also show that there is a significant relationship between aspects of the physical environment and the level of comfort. This study is expected to provide information regarding the actual situation of the classroom environment in Special Education Classes.

Association Between Walking for Exercise and Symptomatic and Structural Progression in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative Cohort.

To assess the relationship between walking for exercise and symptomatic and structural disease progression in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We assessed a nested cohort of participants age 50 years or older within the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a community-based observational study in which subjects were enrolled between 2004 and 2006. We focused on 4 dichotomous outcomes from baseline to the 48-month visit, involving determination of the frequency of knee pain and radiographic severity of knee OA on posteroanterior semiflexed knee radiographs. The outcomes assessed included 1) new frequent knee pain, 2) worsening of radiographic severity of knee OA based on the Kellgren/Lawrence grade, 3) progression of medial joint space narrowing, and 4) improved frequent knee pain. We used a modified version of the Historical Physical Activity Survey Instrument to ascertain those subjects who reported walking for exercise after age 50 years. The survey was administered at the 96-month visit (2012-2014). Of 1,212 participants with knee OA, 45% were male and 73% reported walking for exercise. The mean ± SD age was 63.2 ± 7.9 years, and the mean ± SD body mass index was 29.4 ± 4.6 kg/m2 . The likelihood of new frequent knee pain was reduced in participants with knee OA who walked for exercise as compared to those who were non-walkers (odds ratio [OR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.4-0.8), and progression of medial joint space narrowing was less common in walkers compared to non-walkers (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0). In individuals with knee OA who were age 50 years or older, walking for exercise was associated with less frequent development of knee pain. These findings support the notion that walking for exercise should be encouraged for people with knee OA. Furthermore, we offer a proof of concept that walking for exercise could be disease modifying, which warrants further study.

Research on the Legal Regulation Path of Digital Currency Electronic Payment and Its Improvement from Anti-Money Laundering Perspective

With the rapid development of Internet information payment technology, digital currencies are widely used, and digital currencies with blockchain as the underlying technology can be used as a monetary policy tool to serve national economic policies. Under the principle of adhering to steady development, operational safety and risk control, China has launched digital currency electronic payment with equivalence and legalization with traditional legal currency, featuring controlled anonymity, loose coupling of accounts and support for dual offline payments, which combines the advantages of both physical RMB and electronic payment instruments. However, precisely for this reason, China’s existing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legal system, which mainly regulates and protects traditional currencies, can hardly adapt to the changes of money laundering crimes in the Internet environment in terms of the subject scope, object standards, subjective mentality and behavioral patterns. Taking into account the existing legal norms and the needs of AML regulation of digital currency, money laundering crimes should be incorporated into the section of “obstruction of justice”, the scope of predicate crimes of money laundering crimes should be expanded, the AML obligations of specific non-financial institutions should be improved, and international cooperation should be strengthened, so as to promote the healthy development of China’s digital economy.