Development and Validation of a New Method to Measure Walking Speed in Free-Living Environments Using the Actibelt? Platform

Walking speed is a fundamental indicator for human well-being. In a clinical setting, walking speed is typically measured by means of walking tests using different protocols. However, walking speed obtained in this way is unlikely to be representative of the conditions in a free-living environment. Recently, mobile accelerometry has opened up the possibility to extract walking speed from long-time observations in free-living individuals, but the validity of these measurements needs to be determined. In this investigation, we have developed algorithms for walking speed prediction based on 3D accelerometry data (actibelt®) and created a framework using a standardized data set with gold standard annotations to facilitate the validation and comparison of these algorithms. For this purpose 17 healthy subjects operated a newly developed mobile gold standard while walking/running on an indoor track. Subsequently, the validity of 12 candidate algorithms for walking speed prediction ranging from well-known simple approaches like combining step length with frequency to more sophisticated algorithms such as linear and non-linear models was assessed using statistical measures. As a result, a novel algorithm employing support vector regression was found to perform best with a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.93 (95%CI 0.92–0.94) and a coverage probability CP1 of 0.46 (95%CI 0.12–0.70) for a deviation of 0.1 m/s (CP2 0.78, CP3 0.94) when compared to the mobile gold standard while walking indoors. A smaller outdoor experiment confirmed those results with even better coverage probability. We conclude that walking speed thus obtained has the potential to help establish walking speed in free-living environments as a patient-oriented outcome measure.     

The biological effects in animals related to the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station. 1. The experimental model. The radiation loads on animals kept continuously under external and internal radiation exposure in the area of the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station]

Irradiation conditions in which laboratory animals were kept in experimental laboratories of Chernobyl and Kiev after the accident at the Chernobyl A.P.S. are described. The data are presented on the spectral structural and activity of radionuclides in the diet as well as in the organs and tissues of the animals. The radiation loads have been estimated with regard to an external gamma component and the internal one contributed by the incorporated radionuclides. It has been shown that radiation doses received by the animals during their lifetime due to these contributions do not exceed units of cGy.     

The biological action of low-level radiation

On the basis of their own data and the literature the authors have analyzed the mechanism of biological action of low-level radiation on cells. In studying the harmful effect of gamma-radiation (10-40 cGy) on HeLa cells it was shown that damages occurred in 12 postirradiation generations. Analysis of cell distribution within the colonies has demonstrated that the share of colonies with low cell content and the number of giant cell increase. These data indicate that low-level radiation causes reproductive cell death that can occur not immediately but in later generations.     

Comparison of two techniques for quantifying environmental contaminants in human serum

Peak area matching and linear regression were used to quantify eight chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (as Aroclor 1260) in human serum. There are no statistically significant differences in data obtained by these two quantifying techniques which were indicated by the paired t-test. For chlorinated pesticides, p = 0.053-0.62, and for polychlorinated biphenyls (as Aroclor 1260), p = 0.64. Analyte residues for the chlorinated pesticides ranged from 0.5 ppb for hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to 186 ppb for dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). Analyte residues for the polychlorinated biphenyls (as Aroclor 1260) ranged from 5-114 ppb. The absolute mean percent difference between the two quantifying techniques ranged from 0.06% for DDE to 8.06% for dieldrin (HEOD) among the chlorinated pesticides. The absolute mean percent difference between the two quantifying techniques for the polychlorinated biphenyls (as Aroclor 1260) was 3.4%. Peak area matching and linear regression were found to be comparable for quantifying these environmental residues in serum when the following conditions apply: 1) the concentration of the chlorinated pesticides is greater than or equal to 0.5 ppb (e.g., HCB, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCCH), oxychlordane (OC), heptachlor epoxide (HE), transnonachlor (TN), HEOD, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); 2) the concentration of the chlorinated pesticide is greater than or equal to 3 ppb (e.g., DDE); and 3) the total concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (e.g., as Aroclor 1260) is greater than or equal to 5 ppb.     

In vivo protein synthesis from 14C-substrates in porcine tissues during the transition to postnatal development

[2-14C] leucine, [1-14C] alanine, [1-14C] glucose, [1-14C] lactate and [1-14C] pyruvate utilization in the protein synthesis has been studied in vivo at early stages of postnatal development of piglets. It has been established, that during the first 24 hours after birth the protein synthesis intensity, judging by [2-14C] leucine incorporation, in liver, skeletal muscle, duodenal wall and subcutaneous tissue of piglets increases 5, 7, 6.5 and 2.1 times respectively. At the age of 1-2 h the radioactive carbon incorporation from [1-14C] glucose into the brain proteins is more pronounced than into the proteins of liver and skeletal muscle. During the first days of life the intensity of the label incorporation from [1-14C] glucose into liver and skeletal muscle proteins of piglets is enhanced, whereas in brain it remains at the same level. The degree of 14C carbon incorporation from [1-14C]-alanine, [1-14C] pyruvate and [1-14C] lactate into the liver and skeletal muscle proteins of 5-days-old piglets is approximately the same, 14C substrates of protein synthesis in brain and subcutaneous adipose tissue having some peculiarities.     

Isolation of Actinomycetes synthesizing proteases with thrombolytic activity

Proteases with the thrombolytic activity were studied in 212 strains of actinomycetes isolated from different soils of the Soviet Union. The cultures belonged to the genera Micromonospora, Nocardia and Streptomyces. Proteases were synthesized by 41% of the studied actinomycetes and some of their strains completely dissolved in vitro artificially obtained blood thrombi within 120-240 min. In the Streptomyces genus, more active strains were found in the groups Flavus, Fradia and Globisporus. The groups Olivaceus, Violaceus and Viridis had less active strains.     

Effect of nitroammofoska on the aldolase activity of the normal hemolymph in the mollusk Planorbarius banaticus and in trematode invasion

The infection of Planorbarius banaticus with sporocysts of Cotylurus cornutus is accompanied by an increase in aldolase activity of molluscs' haemolymph of 1.2 fold. In solutions of nitroammofoska (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/1) the activity of this ferment in infected individuals increases much higher than in non-infected ones. This results in fast carbohydrate expenditures by molluscs, intermediate hosts of trematodes, and their death from exhaustion.     

X-ray semeiotics of sclerosis of the prostate

Infravesical obstruction in 300 male patients was determined by prostatic sclerosis (PS). PS is a polyetiological disease developing more frequently as a result of prostatitis, autoimmune, allergic and congestive factors. Sclerosis and shriveling of the gland cause topographo-anatomic changes in the infravesical area, well revealed during a combined roentgeno-urological study. Direct signs of PS are the following: stenosis, deformity and shortening of the prostatic part of the urethra, a high position of the lower outline of the bladder resembling braces over the public symphysis; indirect signs: change of the bladder shape, megacyst, trabecular mucosa and diverticulosis, congestion in the upper urinary tracts, uni- or bilateral urethero-hydronephrosis.