Inter-rater reliability of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX): comparative data from non-clinician respondents – all raters are not equal

Primary objective: The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) is used to obtain information about executive and emotional problems after neuropathology. The DEX is self-completed by the patient (DEX-S) and an independent rater such as a family member (DEX-I). This study examined the level of inter-rater agreement between either two or three non-clinician raters on the DEX-I in order to establish the reliability of DEX-I ratings. Methods and procedures: Family members and/or carers of 60 people with mixed neuropathology completed the DEX-I. For each patient, DEX-I ratings were obtained from either two or three raters who knew the person well prior to brain injury. Main outcomes and results: We obtained two independent-ratings for 60 patients and three independent-ratings for 36 patients. Intra-class correlations revealed that there was only a modest level of agreement for items, subscale and total DEX scores between raters for their particular family member. Several individual DEX items had low reliability and ratings for the emotion sub-scale had the lowest level of agreement. Conclusions: Independent DEX ratings completed by two or more non-clinician raters show only moderate correlation. Suggestions are made for improving the reliability of DEX-I ratings.</p

Two Earth-sized planets orbiting Kepler-20

Since the discovery of the first extrasolar giant planets around Sun-like stars, evolving observational capabilities have brought us closer to the detection of true Earth analogues. The size of an exoplanet can be determined when it periodically passes in front of (transits) its parent star, causing a decrease in starlight proportional to its radius. The smallest exoplanet hitherto discovered has a radius 1.42 times that of the Earth's radius (R Earth), and hence has 2.9 times its volume. Here we report the discovery of two planets, one Earth-sized (1.03R Earth) and the other smaller than the Earth (0.87R Earth), orbiting the star Kepler-20, which is already known to host three other, larger, transiting planets. The gravitational pull of the new planets on the parent star is too small to measure with current instrumentation. We apply a statistical method to show that the likelihood of the planetary interpretation of the transit signals is more than three orders of magnitude larger than that of the alternative hypothesis that the signals result from an eclipsing binary star. Theoretical considerations imply that these planets are rocky, with a composition of iron and silicate. The outer planet could have developed a thick water vapour atmosphere.Comment: Letter to Nature; Received 8 November; accepted 13 December 2011; Published online 20 December 201

P2P Web service based system for supporting decision-making in cellular manufacturing scheduling

With the increase of the Internet and Virtual Enterprises (VEs), interfaces for web systems and automated services are becoming an emergent necessity. In this paper we propose a Peer-to-peer (P2P) web-based decision-support system for enabling access to different manufacturing scheduling methods, which can be remotely available and accessible from a distributed knowledge base. The XML-based modeling and communication is applied to manufacturing scheduling. Therefore, manufacturing scheduling problems and methods are modeled using XML. The proposed P2P web-based system works as web services, under the SOAP protocol. The system’s distributed knowledge base enables sharing information about scheduling problems and corresponding solving methods in a widened search space, through a scheduling community, integrating a VE. Running several methods enables different results for a given problem, consequently, contributing for a better decision-making. An important aspect is that this knowledge base can be easily and continuously updated by any contributor through the VE. Moreover, through this system once suitable available methods, for a given problem, are identified, it enables running one or more of them, for enabling a better manufacturing scheduling support, enhanced though incorporated fuzzy decision-making proceduresAichi Science and Technology Foundation(PTDC/EME-GIN/102143/2008)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

21st Century drought-related fires counteract the decline of Amazon deforestation carbon emissions

Tropical carbon emissions are largely derived from direct forest clearing processes. Yet, emissions from drought-induced forest fires are, usually, not included in national-level carbon emission inventories. Here we examine Brazilian Amazon drought impacts on fire incidence and associated forest fire carbon emissions over the period 2003–2015. We show that despite a 76% decline in deforestation rates over the past 13 years, fire incidence increased by 36% during the 2015 drought compared to the preceding 12 years. The 2015 drought had the largest ever ratio of active fire counts to deforestation, with active fires occurring over an area of 799,293 km2. Gross emissions from forest fires (989 ± 504 Tg CO2 year−1) alone are more than half as great as those from old-growth forest deforestation during drought years. We conclude that carbon emission inventories intended for accounting and developing policies need to take account of substantial forest fire emissions not associated to the deforestation process

Effects of protein–carbohydrate supplementation on immunity and resistance training outcomes: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial

Purpose: To examine the impact of ingesting hydrolyzed beef protein, whey protein, and carbohydrate on resistance training outcomes, body composition, muscle thickness, blood indices of health and salivary human neutrophil peptides (HNP1-3), as reference of humoral immunity followed an 8-week resistance training program in college athletes. Methods: Twenty-seven recreationally physically active males and females (n = 9 per treatment) were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: hydrolyzed beef protein, whey protein, or non-protein isoenergetic carbohydrate. Treatment consisted of ingesting 20 g of supplement, mixed with orange juice, once a day immediately post-workout or before breakfast on non-training days. Measurements were performed pre- and post-intervention on total load (kg) lifted at the first and last workout, body composition (via plethysmography) vastus medialis thickness (mm) (via ultrasonography), and blood indices of health. Salivary HNP1-3 were determined before and after performing the first and last workout. Results: Salivary concentration and secretion rates of the HNP1-3 decreased in the beef condition only from pre-first-workout (1.90 ± 0.83 μg/mL; 2.95 ± 2.83 μg/min, respectively) to pre-last-workout (0.92 ± 0.63 μg/mL, p = 0.025, d = 1.03; 0.76 ± 0.74 μg/min, p = 0.049, d = 0.95), and post-last-workout (0.95 ± 0.60 μg/mL, p = 0.032, d = 1.00; 0.59 ± 0.52 μg/min, p = 0.027, d = 1.02). No other significant differences between groups were observed. Conclusions: Supplementation with a carbohydrate–protein beverage may support resistance training outcomes in a comparable way as the ingestion of only carbohydrate. Furthermore, the ingestion of 20 g of hydrolyzed beef protein resulted in a decreased level and secretion rates of the HNP1-3 from baseline with no negative effect on blood indices of health

Acceptability of early childhood obesity prediction models to New Zealand families.

OBJECTIVE: While prediction models can estimate an infant's risk of developing obesity at a later point in early childhood, caregiver receptiveness to such information is largely unknown. We aimed to assess the acceptability of these models to New Zealand caregivers. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed online. The questionnaire consisted of multiple choice and Likert scale questions. Respondents were parents, caregivers, and grandparents of children aged ≤5 years. RESULTS: 1,934 questionnaires were analysed. Responses were received from caregivers of various ethnicities and levels of education. Nearly two-thirds (62.1%) of respondents would "definitely" or "probably" want to hear if their infant was at risk of early childhood obesity, although "worried" (77.0%) and "upset" (53.0%) were the most frequently anticipated responses to such information. With lower mean scores reflecting higher levels of acceptance, grandparents (mean score = 1.67) were more receptive than parents (2.10; p = 0.0002) and other caregivers (2.13; p = 0.021); males (1.83) were more receptive than females (2.11; p = 0.005); and Asian respondents (1.68) were more receptive than those of European (2.05; p = 0.003), Māori (2.11; p = 0.002), or Pacific (2.03; p = 0.042) ethnicities. There were no differences in acceptance according to socioeconomic status, levels of education, or other ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS: Almost two-thirds of respondents were receptive to communication regarding their infant's risk of childhood obesity. While our results must be interpreted with some caution due to their hypothetical nature, findings suggest that if delivered in a sensitive manner to minimise caregiver distress, early childhood obesity risk prediction could be a useful tool to inform interventions to reduce childhood obesity in New Zealand

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Deception on Pacing Strategy and Performance: A Review

The aim of an optimal pacing strategy during exercise is to enhance performance whilst ensuring physiological limits are not surpassed, which has been shown to result in a metabolic reserve at the end of the exercise. There has been debate surrounding the theoretical models that have been proposed to explain how pace is regulated, with more recent research investigating a central control of exercise regulation. Deception has recently emerged as a common, practical approach to manipulate key variables during exercise. There are a number of ways in which deception interventions have been designed, each intending to gain particular insights into pacing behaviour and performance. Deception methodologies can be conceptualised according to a number of dimensions such as deception timing (prior to or during exercise), presentation frequency (blind, discontinuous or continuous) and type of deception (performance, biofeedback or environmental feedback). However, research evidence on the effects of deception has been perplexing and the use of complex designs and varied methodologies makes it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions about how pacing strategy and performance are affected by deception. This review examines existing research in the area of deception and pacing strategies, and provides a critical appraisal of the different methodological approaches used to date. It is hoped that this analysis will inform the direction and methodology of future investigations in this area by addressing the mechanisms through which deception impacts upon performance and by elucidating the potential application of deception techniques in training and competitive settings

Ranked Importance of Childhood Obesity Determinants: Parents' Views across Ethnicities in New Zealand.

Māori, Pacific, Indian, and New Zealand European pre-school children's caregivers' views on determinants of childhood obesity are needed to inform strategies that will reduce disparities in prevalence. Nineteen focus groups were conducted to explore the relative influence of factors contributing to body weight in children. Predetermined and participant-suggested factors were ranked. Discussion data were inductively analysed. The cost of healthy foods was the highest ranked factor across all groups. Ranked similarly were ease of access to takeaways and lack of time for food preparation. Cultural factors followed by screen time induced sedentariness in children and lack of time to ensure children exercised was next. Participant-raised factors included lack of familial, social, and health promotion support, and others' behaviour and attitudes negatively impacting what children ate. All groups rejected stereotyping that blamed culture for higher obesity rates. Compared to the Māori and NZ European groups, the Pacific Island and Indian participants spoke of losing culture, missing extended family support, and not having access to culturally appropriate nutrition education or social support and services. Public health policies need to mitigate the negative effects of economic deprivation on food insecurity. Complementary interventions that increase access to healthier meal choices more often are needed

Improving rates of overweight, obesity and extreme obesity in New Zealand 4-year-old children in 2010-2016.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of childhood obesity is high in developed countries, and there is a growing concern regarding increasing socio-economic disparities. OBJECTIVES: To assess trends in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and extreme obesity among New Zealand 4-year olds, and whether these differ by socio-economic and ethnic groupings. METHODS: A national screening programme, the B4 School Check, collected height and weight data for 75-92% of New Zealand 4-year-old children (n = 317 298) between July 2010 and June 2016. Children at, or above, the 85th, 95th and 99.7th percentile for age and sex adjusted body mass index (according to World Health Organization standards) were classified as overweight, obese and extremely obese, respectively. Prevalence rates across 6 years (2010/11 to 2015/16) were examined by sex, across quintiles of socio-economic deprivation, and by ethnicity. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight, obesity and extreme obesity decreased by 2.2 [95% CI, 1.8-2.5], 2.0 [1.8-2.2] and 0.6 [0.4-0.6] percentage points, respectively, between 2010/2011 and 2015/2016. The downward trends in overweight, obesity and extreme obesity in the population persisted after adjustment for sex, ethnicity, deprivation and urban/rural residence. Downward trends were also observed across sex, ethnicity and deprivation groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of obesity appears to be declining in 4-year-old children in New Zealand across all socio-economic and ethnic groups

A review of the distribution of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments and its application to considerations of risk

We review the evolution, state of the art and future lines of research on the sources, transport pathways, and sinks of particulate trace elements in urban terrestrial environments to include the atmosphere, soils, and street and indoor dusts. Such studies reveal reductions in the emissions of some elements of historical concern such as Pb, with interest consequently focusing on other toxic trace elements such as As, Cd, Hg, Zn, and Cu. While establishment of levels of these elements is important in assessing the potential impacts of human society on the urban environment, it is also necessary to apply this knowledge in conjunction with information on the toxicity of those trace elements and the degree of exposure of human receptors to an assessment of whether such contamination represents a real risk to the city’s inhabitants and therefore how this risk can be addressed