The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between both the characteristic of the residents and the nursing home and the changes of the ADLs of the residents. Descriptive study was designed. 35 nursing homes and theirs residents in Kaoshiung City were be the sample and 34 questionnaires of the nursing home were returned. Residents¡¦ questionnaire were interviewed by trained personnel twice (pre and post), on June and December 2001 respectively. 310 residents including 141 male, 169 female, average age 72.94 were interviewed. Structural questionnaire was used as the tool, organization¡¦s questionnaire consists of the type of organization, size, admission rate , resignation rate. Resident¡¦s questionnaire including demographic data, Katz Index of ADLs, health status, pressure sore etc. Data analysis including descriptive analysis, T-test, Anova, Pearson relation analysis and linear regression analysis. The result shown that 86.2% of the residents¡¦ ADLs severely dependent on others help. T-Test shown that male has better ADLs than female, widow has better ADLs than couple ¡]P¡Õ0.05¡^. but shown no significant of changes of ADLs. Age, sickness and ADLs and changes of ADLs shown no significant results. On the other hand, the relationship between the characteristic the nursing home and the changes of the ADLs of the residents shown the government aided and ¤½¥ßor°]¹Îªk¤Hnursing home has better changes of ADLs¡]P¡Õ0.01¡^. The greater the size of the organization the better of the ADLs changes, private sector and affliated nursing home shown no significant results of the ADLs changes. Pressure sore is the important index of the quality care of the long term care organization, research sectors always take it as the routine surveillance. This study consisted of 31 cases of pressure sore (10%),¤½¥ßor°]¹Îªk¤Hnursing home has a low incidence of pressure sore, the higher the bed using rate, the worse of the ADLs changes, the higher of the high incidence of the pressure sore, but there is no difference between the resignation rate and the incidence of the pressure sore. The results of this study may help the clinical care-taker to design different care targets in order to help to recover and to improve the ability of ADLs by the characteristic of the residents. Moreover, study of the characteristic of nursing home and effects of the changes of the ADLs of the residents may act as suggestion to the manager and the administrator who may take the different characteristic of the organization into consideration when making policy to improve or to further investment and expansion of the organization.

Near-fall detection is important for medical research since it can help doctors diagnose fall-related diseases and also help alert both doctors and patients of possible falls. However, in people’s daily life, there are lots of similarities between near-falls and other Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), which makes near-falls particularly difficult to detect. In order to find the subtle difference between ADLs and near-fall and accurately identify the latter, the movement of whole human body needs to be captured and displayed by a computer generated avatar. In this thesis, a wireless inertial motion capture system consisting of a central control host and ten sensor nodes is used to capture human body movements. Each of the ten sensor nodes in the system has a tri-axis accelerometer and a tri-axis gyroscope. They are attached to separate locations of a human body to record both angular and acceleration data with which body movements can be captured by applying Euler angle based algorithms, specifically, single rotation order algorithm and the optimal rotation order algorithm. According to the experiment results of capturing ten ADLs, both the single rotation order algorithm and the optimal rotation order algorithm can track normal human body movements without significantly distortion and the latter shows higher accuracy and lower data shifting. Compared to previous inertial systems with magnetometers, this system reduces hardware complexity and software computation while ensures a reasonable accuracy in capturing human body movements.

No description available.

Cognitive functioning, particularly executive functioning, is a strong predictor of everyday action impairments in schizophrenia. However, it is unclear if remediating cognitive deficits can lead to meaningful gains in adaptive functioning. Approaches that attempt to improve everyday action performance through bypassing or compensating for cognitive deficits are promising ways to address functional impairments. This study examined whether standardized environmental interventions can compensate for cognitive difficulties and improve action performance in schizophrenia. Forty two individuals were administered two versions of the Naturalistic Action Test (NAT)--a standard version (ST-NAT), and a user-centered version (UC-NAT) that incorporated interventions aimed at streamlining action performance. Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated enhanced performance on the UC-NAT, demonstrating the beneficial effects of environmental interventions on everyday action. Results indicated that the interventions likely exerted their effect through compensating for global cognitive dysfunction. Additionally, the NAT's reliability and validity for schizophrenia populations, as well as the UC-NAT's utility for addressing the cognitive impairments of a variety of neurological populations were examined. / Psychology

Objective(s): The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of fatigue on quality of life (QOL), physical function, and participation in social, recreational, and daily living activities (ADLs) in women living with HIV. Methods: HIV-infected women (n=15; age 44±8 years) were recruited from the Clinical Immunological Outpatient Clinic (CIOC) and the HIV/AIDS Regional Services (HARS) in Kingston. Four questionnaires were completed to obtain information on demographics, fatigue (HIV-Related Fatigue Scale, HRFS), QOL (Medical Outcomes Survey HIV Healthy Survey (MOS-HIV), and valued social, recreational and daily living activities. Participants then performed the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) to assess their physical function. Assessments were conducted in the CIOC or in a gymnasium at another location. Results: Mean length of HIV infection was 12±5 years and 14 of the 15 women were on anti-retroviral therapy. Seven of the 15 women did not have significant issues with fatigue on the HRFS. The other 8 reported that fatigue severely interfered with ADLs, socialization and mental functioning. QOL scores were significantly lower in the fatigued group compared with the non-fatigued group in 8 of 11 sub-scales of the MOS-HIV; the values being approximately 50% of those in the non-fatigued group. Socializing with friends, walking, grocery shopping and cleaning were listed as activities in which participants experienced limitations. No significant differences were found between the fatigued and non-fatigued groups for the distance walked in the 6MWT or for the percent of predicted distance walked. Conclusions: Half of the women with HIV in this study reported that fatigue interfered with daily functioning and participation in day to day activities, impacting their QOL. These findings suggest that fatigue can be a major issue impacting QOL in this population; therefore, fatigue reduction should be one of the priorities of HIV-related medical management. / Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-29 13:51:52.993

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:13:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 YulaPSFM.pdf: 708367 bytes, checksum: 584063c3482009b3938988852969467d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-13 / High carotid artery resistance indices in the elderly arise mainly as a result of harmful daily lifestyle behavior and poor eating habits. The aim of this multidisciplinary study was to assess and correlate carotid artery resistance and functional autonomy in elderly women. A descriptive, exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample comprising 27 women, enrolled in pastoral programs in the city of Teresina, Brazil. Carotid artery resistance was assessed by a high-resolution Doppler ultrasound device and functional autonomy was evaluated through five protocol tests of the Latin American Development Group for the Elderly (GDLAM), simulating activities of daily life. The data were analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test and the correlation by Spearman s test, considering a p-value of <0.05. The sample consisted of women with mean age and standard deviation of (68.67 ? 4.52) years, respectively and carotid resistance index of (0.71 ? 0.07). The general index value of functional autonomy classified the elderly of the study group as weak in the performance of activities of daily living (30.46 ? 6.31). The general index of functional autonomy showed a high level of sedentary behavior in the group studied (p < 0.01). The sample was classified as weak in the performance of activities of daily life. The correlation coefficient between the carotid resistance index and the general GDLAM index was r = 0.998 and p = 0.000, showing a significant correlation. The elderly women assessed had a high carotid artery resistance index and low functional autonomy; a positive correlation was found between the dependent variables studied. To perform this study we formed a team composed of a nurse, who helped in organizing the sample and performing the examinations; a radiologist, who conducted the Doppler examinations; an angiologist, who collaborated in interpreting examination data; in addition to two physical education professors and two physical therapists, who applied the functional autonomy tests and conducted the 34 research along elderly health lines, contributing thus to the multidisciplinary character, fundamental for carrying out the study / Altos ?ndices de resistividade na car?tida em pessoas idosas, surgem em conseq??ncia, principalmente, dos maus h?bitos de vida relacionados ?s atividades desempenhadas no dia-a-dia e ? alimenta??o. Este estudo multidisciplinar teve por objetivo avaliar e correlacionar a resist?ncia da art?ria car?tida e a autonomia funcional em mulheres idosas. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo explorat?rio de corte transversal sendo a amostra composta por 27 senhoras, advindas de projetos sociais de pastorais de igreja da cidade de Teresina Pi. Foi aplicado o question?rio de libera??o para a atividade f?sica (PAR-Q). A resist?ncia das art?rias car?tidas foi avaliada por aparelho de ultra-som de alta resolu??o com Doppler e a autonomia funcional atrav?s de cinco testes do protocolo do Grupo de Desenvolvimento Latino-americano da Maturidade (GDLAM), simulando atividades da vida di?ria. Os dados foram analisados pelo teste Shapiro-Wilk e a correla??o pelo teste de Spearman, considerando-se um valor de p<0,05. Caracterizando a amostra, encontraram-se mulheres com faixa et?ria de m?dia e desvio-padr?o, respectivamente (68,67?4,52) e ?ndice de resistividade da car?tida (0,71?0,07). O valor do ?ndice geral de autonomia funcional classificou as idosas do grupo estudado como fracas no desempenho das atividades da vida di?ria (30,40?6,31), admitindo p<0,01. Houve correla??o positiva entre o ?ndice de resistividade da car?tida interna direita e todos os testes de autonomia funcional realizados. O coeficiente de correla??o entre o ?ndice de resistividade da car?tida e o ?ndice geral do protocolo GDLAM foi de r=0,998 e p=0,000, demonstrando correla??o significativa. As idosas avaliadas possuem um alto ?ndice de resistividade da art?ria car?tida e uma baixa autonomia funcional, constatando-se correla??o positiva entre as vari?veis dependentes estudadas. Para a realiza??o desta pesquisa, foi necess?ria uma equipe formada por uma enfermeira, que auxiliou na organiza??o da amostra e realiza??o dos exames; uma m?dica radiologista, que realizou os exames de Doopler; um angiologista como colaborador na interpreta??o dos dados do exame; dois educadores f?sicos e dois fisioterapeutas para a realiza??o dos testes de autonomia funcional e a orienta??o da pesquisa na linha de Sa?de do Idoso, contribuindo assim, para o car?ter multidisciplinar fundamental na realiza??o de estudos cient?ficos

Les architectures logicielles ont un rôle important dans le développement de systèmes à logiciel prépondérant afin de permettre la satisfaction tant des exigences fonctionnelles que des exigences extra-fonctionnelles. En particulier, les architectures logicielles dynamiques ont émergé pour faire face aux caractéristiques des systèmes contemporains qui opèrent dans des environnements dynamiques et par conséquent susceptibles de changer en temps d’exécution. Les langages de description architecturale (ADLs) sont utilisés pour représenter les architectures logicielles en produisant des modèles qui peuvent être utilisés pendant la conception ainsi que l’exécution. Cependant, la plupart des ADLs existants sont limités sur plusieurs facettes : (i) ils ne décrivent que les aspects structurels, topologiques de l’architecture ; (ii) ils ne fournissent pas un support adéquat pour représenter les aspects comportementaux de l’architecture ; (iii) ils ne permettent pas de décrire des aspects avancés de la dynamique de l’architecture ; (iv) ils sont limités en ce qui concerne la vérification automatisée des propriétés et des contraintes architecturales ; et (v) ils sont déconnectés du niveau d’implémentation et entraînent souvent des incohérences entre l’architecture et l’implémentation. Pour faire face à ces problèmes, cette thèse propose un framework formel pour les architectures logicielles dynamiques. Ce framework comprend : (i) .-ADL, un langage formel pour décrire des architectures logicielles dynamiques sous les perspectives structurelles et comportementales ; (ii) la spécification des opérations de reconfiguration dynamique programmée ; (iii) la génération automatique de code source à partir des descriptions architecturales ; et (iv) une approche basée sur la vérification statistique pour exprimer et vérifier formellement des propriétés des architectures logicielles dynamiques. Les contributions principales apportées par le framework proposé sont quatre. Premièrement, le langage .-ADL a été doté de primitives de niveau architectural pour décrire des reconfigurations dynamiques programmées. Deuxièmement, les descriptions architecturales dans .-ADL sont transformées vers le code source d’implémentation dans le langage de programmation Go, en contribuant à minimiser les dérives architecturales. Troisièmement, une nouvelle logique appelée DynBLTL est utilisée pour exprimer formellement des propriétés dans les architectures logicielles dynamiques. Quatrièmement, un outil basé sur SMC a été développé pour automatiser la vérification des propriétés architecturales en cherchant à réduire l’effort, les ressources computationnelles, et le temps pour réaliser cette tâche. Dans ce travail, deux systèmes basés sur réseaux de capteurs sans fil sont utilisés pour valider les éléments du framework. / Software architectures play a significant role in the development of software-intensive systems in order to allow satisfying both functional and non-functional requirements. In particular, dynamic software architectures have emerged to address characteristics of the contemporary systems that operate on dynamic environments and consequently subjected to changes at runtime. Architecture description languages (ADLs) are used to represent software architectures, producing models that can be used at design time and/or runtime. However, most existing ADLs have limitations in several facets: (i) they are focused on structural, topological aspects of the architecture; (ii) they do not provide an adequate support for representing behavioral aspects of the architecture; (iii) they do not allow describing advanced aspects regarding the dynamics of the architecture; (iv) they are limited with respect to the automated verification of architectural properties and constraints; and (v) they are disconnected from the implementation level, thus entailing inconsistencies between architecture and implementation. In order to tackle these problems, this thesis proposes formally founded framework for dynamic software architectures. Such a framework comprises: (i) .-ADL, a formal language for describing software architectures under both structural and behavioral viewpoints; (ii) the specification of programmed dynamic reconfiguration operations; (iii) the automated generation of source code from architecture descriptions; and (iv) an approach based on statistical model checking (SMC) to formally express and verify properties in dynamic software architectures. The main contributions brought by the proposed framework are fourfold. First, the .-ADL language was endowed with architectural-level primitives for describing programmed dynamic reconfigurations. Second, architecture descriptions in .-ADL are translated towards implementation source code in the Go programming language, thereby contributing to minimize architectural drifts. Third, a novel logic, called DynBLTL, is used to formally express properties in dynamic software architectures. Fourth, a toolchain relying on SMC was built to automate the verification of architectural properties while striving to reduce effort, computational resources, and time for performing such a task. In this work, two wireless sensor network-based systems are used to validate the framework elements.

As the average age of life expectancy continues to rise, so too has the number of elderly individuals seeking long-term care. Performing daily tasks becomes a struggle while those affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia risk their safety by living alone. Aged individuals lacking the means or faculties to live independently often seek assisted living and memory care facilities as the most viable options for the growing elderly population. Typical facilities are compact and sterile where residents are under watchful supervision to perform basic daily activities. As a result, aged individuals spend every day inside the facility with a structured, monotonous routine. A repetitive lifestyle within the same surroundings and with little autonomy can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, and disengagement from the same facility designed to care for the elderly population. My thesis aims to create an assisted living and memory care village, rather than a facility, that calls upon the comforts of home in a neighborhood setting. Within the village, residents are free to engage, explore, and take part in activities as self-sufficient human beings. Located in Frederick, Maryland, my objective is to design a small-town community that enables both on and off-site engagement. I analyzed architectural design methods that mitigate the struggles of daily activities while maintaining privacy and independence, and also researched a largely overlooked aspect of assisted living facilities: site development. This enabled me to curate a space where residents are free to explore and take part in various activities throughout the site. A monotonous routine leads to a stagnant mind. My thesis aims to create a space where exploration and independence are not only permitted but encouraged. Rather than aging in place, the goal is to live in place while the mind and body are in motion, making new memories and discoveries every day. / Master of Architecture / My aunt faced the challenge of her elderly mother experiencing white coat hypertension: an increase in blood pressure due to anxiety and stress during doctor visits. But it made a remarkable difference after she switched to a specialized geriatric office that emphasized a welcoming, homelike design. The warm ambiance, comforting decor, and personalized care reduced her anxiety, alleviating her white coat hypertension and resulting in regular blood pressure readings. This experience inspired me to emphasize the importance of geriatric-friendly design in assisted living and memory care facilities. In response to this issue, my thesis proposes the creation of an assisted living and memory care village instead of a traditional facility. The village aims to provide a homelike setting where residents can experience a sense of comfort and freedom. I have analyzed architectural design methods that address the struggles of daily activities while maintaining privacy and independence. Additionally, I have explored the often overlooked aspect of site development in assisted living facilities to curate the space thoughtfully where residents are encouraged to explore and engage in various activities throughout the village and evoke feelings of home, community, and comfort.

Recent studies have demonstrated that increases in dynamic strength after weight-training in healthy subjects were associated with reductions in heart rate (HR) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) during formal lifting of identical absolute loads (McCartney et al., 1989; Sale et al., 1990). This study investigated whether the effect could be transferred to strength-related activities of daily living in healthy older men. The effects of 10 weeks (30 sessions) of progressive dynamic weightlifting training on HR and ABP in 10 weight-trained (wttrain) subjects were compared with 5 control subjects. Before and after training intra-brachial artery pressure and HR were monitored continuously during: 10 repetitions of single-arm curl (SAC) and single-arm military press (SAMP) at 70 % of initial 1 repetition maximum (1 RM); 12 repetitions of single- (SLP) and double-leg press (DLP) exercise at 80% of initial 1 RM; 10 mins treadmill walking at 2.5 mph, carrying 20 and 30 pound loads between mins 4-6 and 8-10 respectively (T-10); 4 mins of treadmill walking at 3.0 mph up an incline of 8% (T-4); 12 flights of stairclimbing at 60 steps/min on a Stairmaster 6000 Ergometer (STR). In the wttrain group the 1 RM in SAC, SAMP, SLP and DLP increased overall by 61 (p < 0.007), 30 (p < 0.001), 27 (p<0.001) and 27 per cent (p < 0.001), respectively. After training the mean maximal systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and rate-pressure product (RPP; 10^3) values in all 4 weightlifting exercises were lower. The decreases were only significant however, for the DBP in the SAC (144.0 ± 14.9 to 110.0 ± 5.2 Torr; p < 0.001), SAMP (151.0 ± 5.9 to 144.0 ± 5.4 Torr; p < 0.007), the MAP for the DLP ( 154.0 ± 5.0 to 147.0 ±5.0 Torr; p < 0.021) and RPP for the SAC (22.7 ± 2.2 to 19.1 ± 1.4; p < 0.041). The same respective measurements in the control group were either unchanged or higher. After training, there were overall reductions in the SBP (p < 0.05, mins 8-10), DBP , MAP and RPP (P < 0.05, mins 1-4) responses during T-10 with consistently higher values found in the control group. Similar, but nonsignificant patterns emerged for T-4. In contrast, there was little or no reduction in any of the measured parameters during stairclimbing. It was concluded that improved strength in older subjects results in an attenuated HR and ABP response during weightlifting, and there is a modest transfer of this effect to certain activities of daily living which involve the trained muscles. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

L'architecture logicielle est un domaine récent du génie logiciel qui a reçu une attention particulière ces dix dernières années. Les éditeurs de logiciels ont pris conscience qu'une architecture est un facteur critique dans la réussite du développement et facilite la maintenance et l'évolution du logiciel. Elle contribue à la maîtrise des grands logiciels. L'architecture logicielle permet d'améliorer ces aspects grâce à l'étude des structures de haut niveau du logiciel. De nombreuses avancées ont été proposées au niveau de la formalisation par des Langages de Description d'Architecture (ADLs: Architecture Description Languages), du raisonnement et de l'analyse au niveau architectural. Bien que la communauté scientifique ait réalisé des progrès significatifs, les résultats restent essentiellement académiques. Les retombées de ces recherches ont du mal à pénétrer le milieu industriel. Ce rapport de thèse relate notre expérience avec Dassault Systèmes : répondre aux besoins de Dassault Systèmes pour le développement de ses logiciels en utilisant une approche basée sur l'architecture logicielle. Dassault Systèmes est le leader mondial de la Conception Assistée par Ordinateur (CAO) avec son logiciel phare CATIA V5 (~5 MLoc). Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons parcouru les principales approches pour la description d'une architecture logicielle et tenté de les appliquer dans notre contexte industriel. Nous expliquerons les difficultés que nous avons rencontrées pour les utiliser et montrerons pourquoi ces approches ne sont pas adaptées pour la maintenance et l'évolution d'un logiciel tel que CATIA V5. Nous décrirons notre démarche basée sur l'analyse des besoins architecturaux des différents acteurs de Dassault Systèmes qui a permis de fournir des solutions concrètes et exploitables. Enfin, nous expliciterons ces besoins architecturaux et présenterons les divers prototypes que nous avons développés pour y répondre.