5,449 research outputs found
Health benefits of Tai Chi for older patients with type 2 diabetes: The “Move It for Diabetes Study” – A randomized controlled trial
No full textTracey Tsang1, Rhonda Orr1, Paul Lam2, Elizabeth J Comino3, Maria Fiatarone Singh11School of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia; 2School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 3The University of NSW Research Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaAbstract: Older adults with type 2 diabetes have mobility impairment and reduced fitness. This study aimed to test the efficacy of the “Tai Chi for Diabetes” form, developed to address health-related problems in diabetes, including mobility and physical function. Thirty-eight older adults with stable type 2 diabetes were randomized to Tai Chi or sham exercise, twice a week for 16 weeks. Outcomes included gait, balance, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular fitness, self-reported activity and quality of life. Static and dynamic balance index (−5.8 ± 14.2; p = 0.03) and maximal gait speed (6.2 ± 11.6%; p = 0.005) improved over time, with no significant group effects. There were no changes in other measures. Non-specific effects of exercise testing and/or study participation such as outcome expectation, socialization, the Hawthorne effect, or unmeasured changes in health status or compliance with medical treatment may underlie the modest improvements in gait and balance observed in this sham-exercise-controlled trial. This Tai Chi form, although developed specifically for diabetes, may not have been of sufficient intensity, frequency, or duration to effect positive changes in many aspects of physiology or health status relevant to older people with diabetes.Keywords: Tai Chi, Type 2 diabetes, physical functio
sj-docx-1-ict-10.1177_15347354211033352 – Supplemental material for Feasibility of Aerobic Exercise and Tai-Chi Interventions in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-ict-10.1177_15347354211033352 for Feasibility of Aerobic Exercise and Tai-Chi Interventions in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Denise Shuk Ting Cheung, Naomi Takemura, Tai Chung Lam, James Chung Man Ho, Wen Deng, Robert Smith, Yinxia Yan, Anne Wing Mui Lee and Chia Chin Lin in Integrative Cancer Therapies</p
The Selection of Pattern Features for Structural Damage Detection Using an Extended Bayesian ANN Algorithm
No full textPattern recognition is a promising approach for the detection of structural damage using measured dynamic data. Much research of pattern recognition has employed artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a systematic way of matching pattern features. When such methods are used, the ANN design becomes the most fundamental factor affecting performance and effectiveness of the pattern recognition process. The Bayesian ANN design algorithm is proposed in Lam et al. [Lam HF, Yuen KV, Beck JL. Structural health monitoring via measured Ritz vectors utilizing artificial neural networks. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering 2006;21:232-41] provides a mathematically rigorous way of determining the number of hidden neurons for a single-hidden-layer feedforward ANN. The first objective of this paper is to extend this Bayesian ANN design algorithm to cover the selection of activation (transfer) functions for neurons in the hidden layer. The proposed algorithm is found to be computationally efficient and is suitable for real-time design of an ANN. As most existing ANN design techniques require the ANN model class to be known before the training process, a technique that can automatically select an "optimal" ANN model class is essential. As modal parameters and Ritz vectors are commonly used pattern features in the literature, the second objective of this paper is to compare the performance of these two pattern features in structural damage detection using pattern recognition. To make a fair judgment between the features, the IASC-ASCE benchmark structure is employed in a case study. The results show that the performance of ANNs trained by modal parameters is slightly better than that of ANNs trained by Ritz vectors. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Heung Fai Lam, Ching Tai N
[[alternative]]The preliminary effects of health education and modified Tai Chi Chuan programs on health indicators among community-dwelling elders
No full text[[abstract]]The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of health education and modified Tai Chi Chuan programs on physical fitness, three high data (cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure), health promotion lifestyle and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling elders. Programs were implemented over a 4-month period.
A quasi-experimental design was employed in this study. Criteria for selecting subjects are based on purposive sampling. One group was assigned to be a controlled group (n=32) and the other was an experimental group (n=33).The subjects were measured by physical fitness, three-high data and structural questionnaires. Structured questionnaire included Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36).
The major findings of the study were as the followings:
1. The cardio-pulmonary fitness, flexibility and waist / hip ratio (WHR) were significantly improved.
2. The blood pressure was significantly decreased.
3. The performance improved in overall health promotion lifestyle, health responsibility, exercise, nutrition and interpersonal support.
4. The health-related quality of life did not significantly change.
Based on the results, this present study suggests that in the future the health promotion programs for the elders be feasible and promising. The health promotion practitioners can develop a series of health education programs, seed teachers for health education teaching and extend modified Tai Chi Chuan exercise training in order to promote the elder’s health.
Postoperative day one serum alanine aminotransferase does not predict patient morbidity and mortality after elective liver resection in non-cirrhotic patients
No full textSerum aminotransferases have been used as surrogate markers for liver ischemia-reperfusion injury that follows liver surgery. Some studies have suggested that rises in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) correlate with patient outcome after liver resection. We assessed whether postoperative day 1 (POD 1) ALT could be used to predict patient morbidity and mortality following liver resection. We reviewed our prospectively held database and included consecutive adult patients undergoing elective liver resection in our institution between January 2013 and December 2014. Primary outcome assessed was correlation of POD 1 ALT with patient's morbidity and mortality. We also assessed whether concurrent radiofrequency ablation, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and use of the Pringle maneuver significantly affected the level of POD 1 ALT. A total of 110 liver resections were included in the study. The overall in-hospital patient morbidity and mortality were 31.8% and 0.9%, respectively. The median level of POD 1 ALT was 275 IU/L. No correlation was found between POD 1 serum ALT levels and patient morbidity after elective liver resection, whilst correlation with mortality was not possible because of the low number of mortalities. Patients undergoing concurrent radiofrequency ablation were noted to have an increased level of POD 1 serum ALT but not those given neoadjuvant chemotherapy and those in whom the Pringle maneuver was used. Our study demonstrates POD 1 serum ALT does not correlate with patient morbidity after elective liver resection.</p
Smoking and the risk of upper aero digestive tract cancers for men and women in the Asia-Pacific region
No full textAlthough smoking is an established causal factor for upper aero digestive tract cancer (UADTC), most of the evidence originates from the West. Thus, we analysed data from 455,409 subjects in the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration. Over a median of around six years follow-up, 371 deaths from UADTC were observed. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for current smokers, compared with those who had never smoked, was 2.36 (1.76 – 3.16), adjusted for age and alcohol drinking. Tobacco control policies are urgently required in Asia to prevent millions of deaths from UADTC that smoking will otherwise cause.Alireza Ansary-Moghaddam, Alexandra Martiniuk, Tai-Hing Lam, Konrad Jamrozik, Akiko Tamakoshi, Xianghua Fang, Il Suh, Federica Barzi, Rachel Huxley and Mark Woodwar
Appendix – Supplemental material for Management of Domestic Violence by Primary Care Physicians in Hong Kong: Association With Barriers, Attitudes, Training, and Practice Background
No full textSupplemental material, Appendix for Management of Domestic Violence by Primary Care Physicians in Hong Kong: Association With Barriers, Attitudes, Training, and Practice Background by Kai Sing Sun, Tai Pong Lam, Leon Piterman, Kwok Fai Lam, Wai Sin Tang, Kit Wing Kwok, Hoi Yan Chan, Dan Wu and Agnes Tiwari in Journal of Interpersonal Violence</p
The meaning of classifier-noun phrases in Nung (Tai, Vietnam)
No full textNung [ISO 639-3: nut] (a Tai language spoken in the northeast of Vietnam) has the Classifier-Noun (CL-N) construction. Nung CL-N phrases have the kind-referring and generic interpretations ((1) and (2)); they can also be used in contexts that are generally considered to be indefinite and definite ((3) and (4)). Although this may suggest, at first glance, that the use of a CL-N phrase is possible in any context in Nung, there are linguistic contexts that disallow the use of a CL-N phrase, such as (5).
(1) tú má mī lái luắi, mī má Viet, má Tay
CL dog have much type, have dog Vietnamese, dog western
‘There are many types of dogs, there are Vietnamese dogs, western dogs...’
(2) tú mɛū kín pjá
CL cat eat fish
‘Cats eat fish.’
(3) kái mī tú nú tʰǎi jǎ
maybe have CL mouse die PFT
‘Perhaps a mouse died.’
(4) kī ɛŋ̄ dék pʌ́t dʌ̀ɪ tú pɯ́t jǎ
PL CL child catch get CL duck PFT
‘The children caught the duck.’‘The children caught the duck.’
(5) hʌ̄u pʌ́i ɬɯ́ (*tú) kʌ̄i
1SG go buy CL chicken
‘I am going to buy a chicken.’‘I am going to buy a chicken.’
In this dissertation, based on linguistic data I collected from my own fieldwork, I discuss the meaning of Nung CL-N phrases, so as to account for their pattern of use, as well as why they contrast with other types of nominal phrases in meaning.
Many languages spoken in Southeast Asia have the CL-N construction; thus, there is a body of
literature that discusses the meaning expressed by the CL-N constructions in the languages. In Chapter 3, I argue that the existing theories on the CL-N construction cannot account for the pattern of use of CL-N phrases in Nung. In Chapter 4, I argue that Nung CL-N phrases presuppose uniqueness without presupposing existence, and this semantic property of Nung CL-N phrases is consistent with their pattern of use in the language. The uniqueness presupposition accounts for why the use of Nung CL-N phrases is restricted to certain environments, viz. environments that allow the uniqueness presupposition to be
met. On the other hand, the claim that Nung CL-N phrases do not presuppose existence accounts for why CL-N phrases can be used in contexts that are generally considered indefinite. In such contexts, the existence of the referent is placed at issue, rather than presupposed.
In Nung, bare count nouns and bare mass nouns have different syntactic distributions. In Chapter 5, I argue that the contrast is associated with the claim that Nung CL-N phrases presuppose uniqueness. The contrast in distribution between bare count nouns and bare mass nouns is that bare mass nouns can be used in contexts where bare count nouns cannot. I draw on the principle of Maximaize Presupposition to account for the restricted usage of bare count nouns. I argue that the use of bare count nouns, which do not presuppose uniqueness, is blocked when the context allows the use of a CL-N phrase, i.e. when the uniqueness presupposition can be satisfied. On the other hand, the use of bare mass
noun phrases is not blocked by the presence of CL-N phrases. This is because CL-N phrases of mass nouns do not “presuppositionally dominate” their corresponding bare noun phrases, as the two types of phrases contrast in aspects of meaning besides the uniqueness presupposition. Given that presupposition dominance is a condition of Maximize Presupposition, the use of bare mass nouns is not blocked in contexts where the uniqueness presupposition of CL-N phrases can be satisfied.
In Chapter 6, I discuss the issue of whether there can be a unified analysis of CL-N phrases used in argument positions and copular clauses, as well as classifiers used in CL-N phrases and in numeral and demonstrative phrases. I argue that although the claim that CL-N phrases presuppose uniqueness is compatible with their occurrences in copular clauses, classifiers present in numeral phrases cannot presuppose uniqueness. Hence, I suggest that classifiers that occur in numeral phrases are semantically different from bare classifiers in Nung.
This dissertation has three theoretical implications. Firstly, by arguing that Nung CL-N phrases presuppose uniqueness without presupposing existence, this dissertation shows that the uniqueness presupposition does not hinge on the existence presupposition, and many contexts that are generally considered indefinite allow the uniqueness presupposition to be satisfied. Secondly, I show that the distributions of CL-N and bare noun phrases in Nung are different from those of Mandarin and Cantonese. This implies that even though the presence of CL-N phrases is possibly an areal phenomenon, the semantics of CL-N phrases are different in the languages. Thirdly, given that classifiers that occur in CL-N phrases and numeral phrases are not semantically identical, this implies that classifiers do not necessarily express a consistent meaning in a language
Tai Chi for Falls Prevention: A Student-led DNP Project
No full textabstract: Aim: To reduce the fear of falling in an elderly population by teaching ‘Tai Chi for Falls Prevention’ classes twice a week for 12 weeks.
Background & Significance: Falls continue to be the leading cause of injury-related deaths of Arizonans who are 65 years or older - well above the national average. It is predicted that by 2030, national medical spending for this population will total over $31 billion, yearly. Tai Chi is revered for being a beneficial form of simple, low-impact exercise, which the CDC endorses for its falls risk reduction benefits.
Methods: The intervention consisted of 60-minute classes occurring twice a week for 12 weeks. Participants were English-speaking, between 65-85 years old, and able to ambulate independently. Appropriate pre-screening tools were used before applicants consented. Their Fear of Falling (FoF) was measured using a fall risk perception tool at the beginning, middle, and the end of the project. This ordinal data was analyzed with Friedman ANOVA using SPSS 25
Outcomes/Results: After enrolling five total participants, only three completed the project. This severely limited data analysis of their FoF, resulting in a statistical significance (p = 0.68), deeming the intervention ineffective - Despite observable downwards trending FoF scores.
Conclusion: The acceptance of the null hypothesis is attributed to the low enrollment and high attrition rate. Also, the only data measured was quantifiable, subjective data. Future projects could add objective data to reinforce the benefits of Tai Chi. This might reinforce the validity of Tai Chi as a practical recommendation due to its cost-effective simple interventional design and effectiveness for prevention of accidental falls. Increased focus on improved recruitment & retainment strategies should be prioritized for similar projects in the future
Adult height and the risks of cardiovascular disease and major causes of death in the Asia-Pacific region: 21 000 deaths in 510 000 men and women
No full textCrystal Man Ying Lee, Federica Barzi, Mark Woodward, G David Batty, Graham G Giles, Jean Woo Wong, Konrad Jamrozik, Tai Hing Lam, Hirotsugu Ueshima, Hyeon Chang Kim, Dong Feng Gu, Mary Schooling and Rachel R Huxley; for The Asia Pacific Cohort Studie
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