Search results for "variance"
showing 10 items of 2030 documents
Randomized Controlled Trials and real life studies. Approaches and methodologies: a clinical point of view.
2014
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are the "gold standard" for evaluating treatment outcomes providing information on treatments "efficacy". They are designed to test a therapeutic hypothesis under optimal setting in the absence of confounding factors. For this reason they have high internal validity. The strict and controlled conditions in which they are conducted, leads to low generalizability because they are performed in conditions very different from real life usual care. Conversely, real life studies inform on the "effectiveness" of a treatment, that is, the measure of the extent to which an intervention does what is intended to do in routine circumstances. At variance to RCTs, real …
Reduced apoptosis of CD8+ T-Lymphocytes in the airways of smokers with mild/moderate COPD
2011
SummaryChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by chronic inflammation in airways and lung parenchyma. CD8+ T-lymphocytes, crucial effector and regulatory cells in inflammation, are increased in the central and peripheral airways in COPD. The aim of this study was to assess the role of apoptosis in the accumulation of CD8+ T-lymphocytes within the airway wall in COPD. We examined the submucosa of transverse sections of central and peripheral airways from post-operative tissues from non-smokers (n = 16), smokers with normal lung function (n = 16), smokers with mild/moderate COPD (n = 16), and smokers with severe/very severe COPD (n = 9). TUNEL and immunohistochemistry t…
Physical inactivity in patients with COPD, a controlled multi-center pilot-study
2010
Physical activity (PA) has been reported to be reduced in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies in moderate COPD are currently scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate physical activity in daily life in patients with COPD (n=70) and controls (n=30).A multi-center controlled study was conducted. PA was assessed using a multisensor armband device (SenseWear, BodyMedia, Pittsburgh, PA) and is reported as the average number of steps per day, and the time spent in mild and moderate physical activity.Patients suffered from mild (n=9), moderate (n=28), severe (n=23) and very severe (n=10) COPD. The time spent in activities with mild (80 + or - 69 min vs 160 + …
Oral N-acetylcysteine attenuates the rat pulmonary inflammatory response to antigen.
2003
Oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory airway diseases including asthma; therefore, antioxidants might be of clinical benefit in asthma treatment. In the present study, the effects of N-acetylcysteine on sensitised brown Norway rats were examined. N-Acetylcysteine (3 mmol kg body weight(-1) administered orally) was given daily for 1 week before challenge and various antigen-induced pulmonary responses were studied. Antigen exposure increased lipid peroxidation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and oxidised glutathione levels in lung tissue 2 h after challenge. Lung nuclear transcription factor-KB-binding activity was increased 2 h after challenge, and BALF …
Modular Calabi-Yau threefolds of level eight
2005
In the studies on the modularity conjecture for rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds several examples with the unique level 8 cusp form were constructed. According to the Tate Conjecture correspondences inducing isomorphisms on the middle cohomologies should exist between these varieties. In the paper we construct several examples of such correspondences. In the constructions elliptic fibrations play a crucial role. In fact we show that all but three examples are in some sense built upon two modular curves from the Beauville list.
Effects of heavy barbell hip thrust vs back squat on subsequent sprint performance in rugby players
2020
The objective of this research was to compare the effect of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE) exerted on the back squat (BS) versus the barbell hip thrust (HT) on the sprint performance (5- and 10-m). 17 male amateur rugby players participated in the study (age 22.14 ± 2.52 years; body mass 81.06 ± 9.6 kg; height 1.78 ± 0.05 m). All participants performed a dynamic maximum strength test (3RM) in BS and HT at maximum speed. Two randomized sessions were performed inducing PAPE using BS or HT trough three series with three repetitions at 85% 1RM eight minutes before the sprint tests. An ANOVA of repeated measurement, found no differences in the time for 5-m (F = 0.398, P = 0.537, …
A Quasilinear Parabolic Equation with Quadratic Growth of the Gradient modeling Incomplete Financial Markets
2004
We consider a quasilinear parabolic equation with quadratic gradient terms. It arises in the modeling of an optimal portfolio which maximizes the expected utility from terminal wealth in incomplete markets consisting of risky assets and non-tradable state variables. The existence of solutions is shown by extending the monotonicity method of Frehse. Furthermore, we prove the uniqueness of weak solutions under a smallness condition on the derivatives of the covariance matrices with respect to the solution. The in influence of the non-tradable state variables on the optimal value function is illustrated by a numerical example.
Parameter Sensitivity and the Quality of Model Predictions
1994
Using SIM-PEL, a comprehensive model for the pelagic compartment of lake ecosystems, we analyse synergistic toxicant effects in lake ecosystems. We show, that — even for a rather simple model — model predictions may be strongly dependent on the time horizon of the prediction and on the quality of input parameters. For longer time spans, small errors in parameter estimation may lead to qualitatively wrong prediction of toxicant effects. Monte Carlo simulations allow to take errors in parameter estimation into account, but they need rather good estimates of parameter variance.
Carotenoids and Color of Fruit Juice and Milk Beverage Mixtures
2007
Seventeen commercially available, "ready to drink" fortified beverages consisting of mixtures of fruit juices and milk were analyzed to evaluate their carotenoid profile (including their Z/E stereoisomers) and color during their commercial shelf life. Lightness (L*) was found to be correlated with the content of milk in the mixtures (r= 0.649) whereas red-yellow colors were correlated with the contents of alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta-carotene supplied by the fruit. The beverages stored under refrigeration (4 +/- 2 degrees C) showed higher luminosity (L*) and higher saturation of color (C*) and yellowness (b*). Differences (P < 0.05) in the levels of carotenoids were found am…
Efecto moderador de la institucionalización en las actividades de la vida diaria y bienestar en el envejecimiento
2012
OBJETIVO: El envejecimiento con éxito es un concepto multidimensional que se puede evaluar a partir de componentes objetivos y subjetivos como el funcionamiento físico, psicológico y social. El objetivo de este trabajo es comparar el funcionamiento en variables relacionadas con el envejecimiento exitoso en ancianos institucionalizados y no institucionalizados. MÉTODO: Se realizó un diseño de dos grupos independientes, institucionalizados (N=242) y no institucionalizados (N=607), todos de más de 65 años, evaluándose sus actividades de la vida diaria (AVD) y el bienestar psicológico. RESULTADOS: El Índice de Barthel mostró diferencias significativas, siendo inferior la media de los institucio…