18 research outputs found
Self-management of vascular risk factors
No full textSummary The aim of this thesis was to provide insight into the potential of a self-management approach in treatment of vascular risk factors and to develop a self-management intervention. Furthermore to examine if this intervention, based on self-efficacy promoting theory, is effective in reducing vascular risk factors in patients with established vascular diseases. Patients with different manifestations of vascular diseases appeared to have high levels of self-efficacy concerning the self-management tasks necessary for adequate vascular risk reduction. When those patients had diabetes, overweight (BMI > 30 kg/m2) or were actually smoking, their self-efficacy was significantly lower. In a randomized controlled study measuring self-efficacy at the start and after one year, we found self-efficacy levels concerning healthy food choices and exercise increased, while other self-efficacy scores were not influenced by the intervention. Changes in self-efficacy between baseline and follow up were not associated to changes in vascular risk factors during the study. Because of the small differences between the intervention and control group in the randomized controlled trial concerning self-efficacy score at follow up, we hypothesized that the intervention needs more strongly theory based. Therefore we further developed a self-management intervention, based on Bandura’s social cognitive approach of behavioral change and Wagner’s cooperative problem definition. In evaluating this intervention we saw that cholesterol and blood pressure reduced more in the self-management group compared to the usual care group. Quality of life improved more in the self-management group. To better understand the underlying process we also analyzed the association between self-efficacy and health behavior according to guidelines for vascular risk reduction. Again we found changes in self-efficacy, especially concerning healthy food and exercise between baseline and follow up. The self-efficacy changes were associated to changes in behavior concerning food choices and to exercise behavior. Baseline level of self-efficacy was not associated to any behavioral change. But developing or continuing healthy behavior was associated to higher levels follow up self-efficacy. Self-efficacy and self-management are influenced by social support. Social support is known to be influential in morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. We measured social support in our vascular population to clarify the influence in vascular risk management. We found associations between social support from having a partner and reduction of BMI and some association between social support and blood glucose. No other associations between social support and vascular risk management were found. Although the changes in risk factors achieved with the self-management intervention were in the right direction, the absolute effect was relatively small. Optimal self-management of vascular risk factors might be too difficult with too little short-term health benefit to compensate for patients’ effort. The achieved behavioural changes are worthwhile in reducing cardiovascular risk on the long term
Maximin Designs for Computer Experiments.
No full textDecision processes are nowadays often facilitated by simulation tools. In the field of engineering, for example, such tools are used to simulate the behavior of products and processes. Simulation runs, however, are often very time-consuming, and, hence, the number of simulation runs allowed is limited in practice. The problem then is to determine which simulation runs to perform such that the maximal amount of information about the product or process is obtained. This problem is addressed in the first part of the thesis. It is proposed to use so-called maximin Latin hypercube designs and many new results for this class of designs are obtained. In the second part, the case of multiple interrelated simulation tools is considered and a framework to deal with such tools is introduced. Important steps in this framework are the construction and the use of coordination methods and of nested designs in order to control the dependencies present between the various simulation tools
Draft-tube-baffle crystallizers: A study of stationary and dynamicly-behaving crystal-size distributions
No full textMechanical, Maritime and Materials EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin
Derivation, Implementation, and Validation of Computer Simulation Models for Gas-Solid Fluidized Beds
No full textApplied Science
P160 Awareness, risk perception and behavioural intention in patients with a myocardial infarction
No full textA coupled solver approach for multiphase flow calculations on collocated grids
No full textBecause of increasing computer speed and memory, the numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations by a fully coupled approach is an attractive and emerging trend in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations. The main advantage of this approach is an increased robustness due to the implicit treatment of the pressure velocity coupling (Schneider and Raw, 1987; Deng et al., 2001). Although the equations describing multiphase flows appear similar to single-phase flow equations, their nature is often much more difficult due to the presence of volume fractions, large source terms, and gradients of these as well as density. This makes the requirement for a robust solving approach even more desirable. Almost all multiphase CFD solvers today are based upon standard decoupled approaches (e.g. SIMPLE, SIMPLER, PISO, fractional step, and other pressure projection methods (Ferziger and Peric, 2002)) and most often employ a staggered variable arrangement. In this paper, momentum weighted interpolation is used to determine analytical expressions for the cell face velocities which are employed in the multiphase continu- ity equation in a collocated variable arrangement. A special approach is adopted for the momentum weighted interpolation to handle large source terms, volume fractions, and gradients of these. The resulting linearized equations are solved in a fully coupled manner. The fully coupled method is demonstrated on two practical multiphase cases. Firstly, the method is demonstrated simulating volume of fluid (VOF) computations of a gas-liquid flow case. Secondly, the method is demonstrated on solving the continuous part of an Euler-Lagrange gas-solid flow problem. The difficulties in the first case are large source terms and gradients of density, and in the second case the presence of volume fraction and gradients hereof, as well as source terms. The results are in accordance with results from the staggered segregated approach. Moreover, due to the collocated variable arrangement, complex geometries can be easily handeled. Both robustness and computational efficiency of this fully coupled approach are shown
Spermatozoal ultrastructure: Evolution and congruence with a holomorphological phylogeny of the oligochaeta (Annelida)
No full textPlesiomorph characters for the oligochaete spermatozoon are proposed. The chief trends from these plesiomorphies have been elongation of the acrosome and its tube; withdrawal of the primary acrosome vesicle and the axial rod into the acrosome tube and development of a capitulum; development of connectives, from the secondary tube to the axial rod (though there is some possibility that the reverse, absence of connectives, is plesiomorph); detorting and shortening of the midpiece (or possibly, again, the reverse) with an increase in numbers of mitochrondria from the plesiomorph four to eight; modification of the base of the tube to form a limen of variable form; and, in one line (lumbricids) flattening of the tip of the nucleus and correspondingly of the limen. Sperm ultrastructure, examined for 9 oligochaete families, corresponds well with taxonomic and phylogenetic groupings recently recognized by the author. However, convergent similarity of the phreodrilid sperm to that of the Lumbricina suggests a corresponding alteration of fertilization biology in the phreodrilids. The results indicate that the Haplotaxidae lie at the base of the opisthopores, though they do not unequivocally contraindicate acceptance of a Haplotaxis-like form as a stem form of the Haplotaxida (opisthopores and Haplotaxidae) and Tubificida. An even more basal position for prosopores, now represented by the Lumbriculida, cannot yet be dismissed
Coastal zone management around the southern North Sea
No full textThe Southern North Sea is bordered by Great-Britain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The North Sea basin and its adjacent shorelines are intensively used. Management of the basin and the coastal zone is therefore essential. Because of the small scale of the area, the dense population and the big scale of the interactions, international cooperation is vital. In this paper an overview is given of both the morphologic-physical interactions and the administrative interactions between the bordering governments. A complicating factor in Coastal Zone Management around the Southern North Sea is that CZM is highly connected to national spatial planning and to sea defence policy. In several of the bordering countries this is not a subject of the national government, but is handled on a regional level. This makes that we are dealing with more authorities involved. At this moment international agreement exists on most aspects of active use of the North Sea basin itself (navigation, oil and gas mining, fishery, cables, etc) and its major coastal shallow areas (like the Waddensea). However in the field of passive use (pollution by inflowing rivers, air contamination by heavy industry, risk by transport and processing of hazardous goods) still much has to be done. International agreement on the recreation along the coastal strip does not yet exist. Also the standards for coastal protection against flooding by storm surges and against chronic erosion vary in each country.Hydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience
РЕКОМЕНДАЦИИ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО ОБЩЕСТВА КАРДИОЛОГОВ ПО ДИАГНОСТИКЕ И ЛЕЧЕНИЮ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ ПЕРИФЕРИЧЕСКИХ АРТЕРИЙ
No full textЧлены комитета по практическим рекомендациям: J. Bax (председатель, Нидерланды), A. Auricchio (Швейцария), H. Baumgartner (Германия), C. Ceconi (Италия), V. Dean (Франция), C. Deaton (Великобритания), R. Fagard (Бельгия), C. Funck-Brentano (Франция), D. Hasdai (Израиль), A. Hoes (Нидерланды), J. Knuuti (Финляндия), P . Kolh (Бельгия), T. McDonagh (Великобритания), C. Moulin (Франция), D. Poldermans (Нидерланды), B. Popescu (Румыния), Z. Reiner (Хорватия), U. Sechtem (Германия), P .A. Sirnes (Норвегия), A. Torbicki (Польша), A. Vahanian (Франция), S. Windecker (Швейцария).Рецензенты: P . Kolh (координатор, Бельгия), A. Torbicki (координатор, Польша), S. Agewall (Норвегия), A. Blinc (Словения), M. Bulvas (Чехия), F . Cosentino (Италия), T. De Backer (Бельгия), A. Gottsäter (Швеция), D. Gulba (Германия), T.J. Guzik (Польша), B. Jönsson (Швеция), G. Késmárky (Венгрия), A. Kitsiou (Греция), W. Kuczmik (Польша), M. L. Larsen (Дания), J. Madaric (Словакия), J-L. Mas†(Франция), J.J.V. Mc-Murray (Великобритания), A. Micari (Италия), M. Mosseri (Израиль), C. Müller (Швейцария), R. Naylor (Великобритания), B. Norrving (Швеция), O. Oto (Турция), T. Pasierski (Польша), P-F . Plouin (Франция), F . Ribichini (Италия), J-B. Ricco (Франция), L. Ruilope (Испания), J.-P . Schmid (Швейцария), U. Schwehr (Германия), B.G.M. Sol (Нидерланды), M. Sprynger (Бельгия), C. Tiefenbacher (Германия), C. Tsioufis (Греция), H. Van Damme (Бельгия)
Quasi-Phase Matched Second Harmonic Generation in Orientation-Patterned Gallium Phosphide Waveguides
No full textInternational audienceWe demonstrate continuous-wave second-harmonic generation from 1.5 µm lasers in orientation-patterned gallium phosphide waveguides with 200 %/W.cm2 efficiency, to our knowledge the highest reported conversion efficiency in this platform. © Optica Publishing Group 2022, © 2022 The Author(s
