Study of Spiritual Intelligence and Adjustment Among Arts and Science College Students.

PubMed

Devi, R Kalpana; Rajesh, Nakulan V; Devi, M Anisha

2017-06-01

A study to evaluate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence and adjustment among the college students was conducted on a sample of 250 students in six various colleges of Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India. Gender, religion, community, major subject, educational qualification of father and mother, student locality, college type, father and mother's occupation and monthly family income (n = 11 variables) were chosen for the study. Test of significance for spiritual intelligence and adjustment was studied and found them nonsignificant except student locality, found to be significant. Two valid and reliable instruments were used to assess student's spiritual intelligence and adjustment. Correlation and Chi-square analysis using structural equation model were used to analyze these data. Correlation analysis showed significant relationship between the variables among the college students (n = 250). Chi-square analysis of association between adjustments of college students showed that most variables are nonsignificant unlike father's educational qualification and mother's occupation. The results disclosed the significant positive relationship with spiritual intelligence and adjustment among adolescents.

A Simple and Computationally Efficient Sampling Approach to Covariate Adjustment for Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction Analysis of Epistasis

PubMed Central

Gui, Jiang; Andrew, Angeline S.; Andrews, Peter; Nelson, Heather M.; Kelsey, Karl T.; Karagas, Margaret R.; Moore, Jason H.

2010-01-01

Epistasis or gene-gene interaction is a fundamental component of the genetic architecture of complex traits such as disease susceptibility. Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was developed as a nonparametric and model-free method to detect epistasis when there are no significant marginal genetic effects. However, in many studies of complex disease, other covariates like age of onset and smoking status could have a strong main effect and may potentially interfere with MDR's ability to achieve its goal. In this paper, we present a simple and computationally efficient sampling method to adjust for covariate effects in MDR. We use simulation to show that after adjustment, MDR has sufficient power to detect true gene-gene interactions. We also compare our method with the state-of-art technique in covariate adjustment. The results suggest that our proposed method performs similarly, but is more computationally efficient. We then apply this new method to an analysis of a population-based bladder cancer study in New Hampshire. PMID:20924193

A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M.

2012-01-01

Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne’s asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler’s mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler’s statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby’s study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic. PMID:23144511

A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M

2012-01-01

Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne's asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler's mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler's statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby's study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic.

Differential Adjustment Among Rural Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence

PubMed Central

Sianko, Natallia; Hedge, Jasmine M.; McDonell, James R.

2016-01-01

This study examines differences in psychological adjustment in a sample of rural adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 580 adolescents and their primary caregivers. The results revealed that over two thirds of the study participants (68.8%) had been exposed to violence in their families. As hypothesized, cluster analysis identified several profiles among adolescents, distinguished by their psychological and emotional functioning: well adjusted (46.2%), moderately adjusted (44.3%), and struggling (9.5%). Discriminant function analysis confirmed the groupings and revealed that family functioning was among the most influential factors explaining adjustment differences. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) further showed that adolescents from each of the three adjustment profiles reported significantly different levels of family social support, parental involvement, and perceived neighborhood safety. Overall, the results confirm heterogeneity of adolescent adaptation in the aftermath of family violence and provide insights into family and neighborhood factors that account for variability in adolescents’ reactions to violence. Implications for future research and practical interventions are discussed. PMID:27106255

Differential Adjustment Among Rural Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence.

PubMed

Sianko, Natallia; Hedge, Jasmine M; McDonell, James R

2016-04-22

This study examines differences in psychological adjustment in a sample of rural adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 580 adolescents and their primary caregivers. The results revealed that over two thirds of the study participants (68.8%) had been exposed to violence in their families. As hypothesized, cluster analysis identified several profiles among adolescents, distinguished by their psychological and emotional functioning: well adjusted (46.2%), moderately adjusted (44.3%), and struggling (9.5%). Discriminant function analysis confirmed the groupings and revealed that family functioning was among the most influential factors explaining adjustment differences. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) further showed that adolescents from each of the three adjustment profiles reported significantly different levels of family social support, parental involvement, and perceived neighborhood safety. Overall, the results confirm heterogeneity of adolescent adaptation in the aftermath of family violence and provide insights into family and neighborhood factors that account for variability in adolescents' reactions to violence. Implications for future research and practical interventions are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

A demand-side view of risk adjustment.

PubMed

Feldman, R; Dowd, B E; Maciejewski, M

2001-01-01

This paper analyzes the efficient allocation of consumers to health plans. Specifically, we address the question of why employers that offer multiple health plans often make larger contributions to the premiums of the high-cost plans. Our perspective is that the subsidy for high-cost plans represents a form of demand-side risk adjustment that improves efficiency. Without such subsidies (and in the absence of formal risk adjustment), too few employees would choose the high-cost plans preferred by high-risk workers. We test the theory by estimating a model of the employer premium subsidy, using data from a survey of large public employers in 1994. Our empirical analysis shows that employers are more likely to subsidize high-cost plans when the benefits of risk adjustment are greater. The findings suggest that the premium subsidy can accomplish some of the benefits of formal risk adjustment.

Difficulties with Regression Analysis of Age-Adjusted Rates.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

variables used in those analyses, such as death rates in various states, have been age adjusted, whereas the predictor variables have not been age adjusted...The use of crude state death rates as the outcome variable with crude covariates and age as predictors can avoid the problem, at least under some...should be regressed on age-adjusted exposure Z+B+ Although age-specific death rates , Yas+’ may be available, it is often difficult to obtain age

Adjustment patterns of the Arab internal refugees in Israel.

PubMed

Al-haj, M

1986-09-01

This analysis is pursued in the framework of an interrelated multidimensional model which includes 5 main components: 1) dimensions of adjustment, 2) range of adjustment, 3) levels of adjustment, 4) typology of aggregate adjustment, and 5) indicators of mobility and variation in the refugee adjustment. Arab internal refugees in Israel, including their characteristics and patterns of adjustment in the host communities as well as in Israeli society, are studied. Social, psychological, and socioeconomic adjustments are separated out and show the importance of the linkage between adjustment patterns at both the communal and the societal levels. The findings indicate that processes of adjustment at the communal and the societal levels are not necessarily conjunctive and symmetric. At the societal level, socioeconomic adjustment occurs relatively more rapidly than social adjustment. At the communal level, inter-marriage with locals lags behind friendship relationships and mutual visits. Psychological adjustment rates in between these 2. Cultural and linguistic compatibility with the host community are crucial positive factors for refugee adjustment. Cultural, linguistic, and national compatibility with the host community may have paradoxically indirect negative effects on the refugee psychological adjustment. High background compatibility generates high expectations among the refugees, which may be easily transferred into alienation, when faced with a different situation than expected; the greater the gap between the expected and the actual, the more the alienation.

How fast do stock prices adjust to market efficiency? Evidence from a detrended fluctuation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reboredo, Juan C.; Rivera-Castro, Miguel A.; Miranda, José G. V.; García-Rubio, Raquel

2013-04-01

In this paper we analyse price fluctuations with the aim of measuring how long the market takes to adjust prices to weak-form efficiency, i.e., how long it takes for prices to adjust to a fractional Brownian motion with a Hurst exponent of 0.5. The Hurst exponent is estimated for different time horizons using detrended fluctuation analysis-a method suitable for non-stationary series with trends-in order to identify at which time scale the Hurst exponent is consistent with the efficient market hypothesis. Using high-frequency share price, exchange rate and stock data, we show how price dynamics exhibited important deviations from efficiency for time periods of up to 15 min; thereafter, price dynamics was consistent with a geometric Brownian motion. The intraday behaviour of the series also indicated that price dynamics at trade opening and close was hardly consistent with efficiency, which would enable investors to exploit price deviations from fundamental values. This result is consistent with intraday volume, volatility and transaction time duration patterns.

Directional variance adjustment: bias reduction in covariance matrices based on factor analysis with an application to portfolio optimization.

PubMed

Bartz, Daniel; Hatrick, Kerr; Hesse, Christian W; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Lemm, Steven

2013-01-01

Robust and reliable covariance estimates play a decisive role in financial and many other applications. An important class of estimators is based on factor models. Here, we show by extensive Monte Carlo simulations that covariance matrices derived from the statistical Factor Analysis model exhibit a systematic error, which is similar to the well-known systematic error of the spectrum of the sample covariance matrix. Moreover, we introduce the Directional Variance Adjustment (DVA) algorithm, which diminishes the systematic error. In a thorough empirical study for the US, European, and Hong Kong stock market we show that our proposed method leads to improved portfolio allocation.

Observational intensity bias associated with illness adjustment: cross sectional analysis of insurance claims

PubMed Central

Staiger, Douglas O; Sharp, Sandra M; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Bevan, Gwyn; McPherson, Klim; Welch, H Gilbert

2013-01-01

Objective To determine the bias associated with frequency of visits by physicians in adjusting for illness, using diagnoses recorded in administrative databases. Setting Claims data from the US Medicare program for services provided in 2007 among 306 US hospital referral regions. Design Cross sectional analysis. Participants 20% sample of fee for service Medicare beneficiaries residing in the United States in 2007 (n=5 153 877). Main outcome measures The effect of illness adjustment on regional mortality and spending rates using standard and visit corrected illness methods for adjustment. The standard method adjusts using comorbidity measures based on diagnoses listed in administrative databases; the modified method corrects these measures for the frequency of visits by physicians. Three conventions for measuring comorbidity are used: the Charlson comorbidity index, Iezzoni chronic conditions, and hierarchical condition categories risk scores. Results The visit corrected Charlson comorbidity index explained more of the variation in age, sex, and race mortality across the 306 hospital referral regions than did the standard index (R2=0.21 v 0.11, P<0.001) and, compared with sex and race adjusted mortality, reduced regional variation, whereas adjustment using the standard Charlson comorbidity index increased it. Although visit corrected and age, sex, and race adjusted mortality rates were similar in hospital referral regions with the highest and lowest fifths of visits, adjustment using the standard index resulted in a rate that was 18% lower in the highest fifth (46.4 v 56.3 deaths per 1000, P<0.001). Age, sex, and race adjusted spending as well as visit corrected spending was more than 30% greater in the highest fifth of visits than in the lowest fifth, but only 12% greater after adjustment using the standard index. Similar results were obtained using the Iezzoni and the hierarchical condition categories conventions for measuring comorbidity. Conclusion The

Optical phantoms with adjustable subdiffusive scattering parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauter, Philipp; Nothelfer, Steffen; Bodenschatz, Nico; Simon, Emanuel; Stocker, Sabrina; Foschum, Florian; Kienle, Alwin

2015-10-01

A new epoxy-resin-based optical phantom system with adjustable subdiffusive scattering parameters is presented along with measurements of the intrinsic absorption, scattering, fluorescence, and refractive index of the matrix material. Both an aluminium oxide powder and a titanium dioxide dispersion were used as scattering agents and we present measurements of their scattering and reduced scattering coefficients. A method is theoretically described for a mixture of both scattering agents to obtain continuously adjustable anisotropy values g between 0.65 and 0.9 and values of the phase function parameter γ in the range of 1.4 to 2.2. Furthermore, we show absorption spectra for a set of pigments that can be added to achieve particular absorption characteristics. By additional analysis of the aging, a fully characterized phantom system is obtained with the novelty of g and γ parameter adjustment.

A SURVEY OF DEATH ADJUSTMENT IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad Samir; Irfan, Muhammad; Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh; Giasuddin, Noor Ahmed; Sultana, Syeda Naheed

2015-01-01

The Death Adjustment Hypothesis (DAH) postulates two key themes. Its first part postulates that death should not be considered the end of existence and the second part emphasizes that the belief in immortal pattern of human existence can only be adopted in a morally rich life with the attitude towards morality and materialism balanced mutually. We wanted to explore Death Adjustment in the Indian subcontinent and the differences among, Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. We also wanted to find the relationship between death adjustment (i.e., adaptation to death), materialistic thoughts and death adjustment thoughts. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted from May 2010 to June 2013. Using a purposive sampling strategy, a sample of 296 participants from the Indian subcontinent [Pakistan (n=100), Bangladesh (n=98) and India (n=98)] was selected. Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS) was used to measure death adjustment. The rest of the variables were measured using lists of respective thoughts, described in elaborated DAH. Analyses were carried out using SPSSv13. The mean death adjustment score for Pakistani, Indian and Bangaldeshi population were 115.26 +/- 26.4, 125.87 +/- 24.3 and 114.91 +/- 21.2, respectively. Death adjustment was better with older age (r=0.20) and with lower scores on materialistic thoughts (r = -0.26). However, this was a weak relation. The three nationalities were compared with each other by using Analysis of variance. Death adjustment thoughts and death adjustment were significantly different when Indians were compared with Bangladeshis (p=0.00) and Pakistanis (p=0.006) but comparison between Bangladeshis and Pakistanis showed no significant difference. Subjects with lesser materialistic thoughts showed better death adjustment. There are differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in adjusting to death.

Nuclear Cataract Shows Significant Familial Aggregation in an Older Population after Adjustment for Possible Shared Environmental Factors

PubMed Central

Congdon, Nathan; Broman, Karl W.; Lai, Hong; Munoz, Beatriz; Bowie, Heidi; Gilber, Donna; Wojciechowski, Robert; Alston, Christine; West, Sheila K.

2011-01-01

Purpose To quantify the association between siblings in age-related nuclear cataract, after adjusting for known environmental and personal risk factors. Methods All participants (probands) in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) project and their locally resident siblings underwent digital slit lamp photography and were administered a questionnaire to assess risk factors for cataract including: age, gender, lifetime sun exposure, smoking and diabetes history, and use of alcohol and medications such as estrogens and steroids. In addition, blood pressure, body mass index, and serum antioxidants were measured in all participants. Lens photographs were graded by trained observers masked to the subjects' identity, using the Wilmer Cataract Grading System. The odds ratio for siblings for affectedness with nuclear cataract and the sibling correlation of nuclear cataract grade, after adjusting for covariates, were estimated with generalized estimating equations. Results Among 307 probands (mean age, 77.6 ± 4.5 years) and 434 full siblings (mean age, 72.4 ± 7.4 years), the average sibship size was 2.7 per family. After adjustment for covariates, the probability of development of nuclear cataract was significantly increased (odds ratio [OR] = 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–3.30) among individuals with a sibling with nuclear cataract (nuclear grade ≥ 3.0). The final fitted model indicated a magnitude of heritability for nuclear cataract of 35.6% (95% CI: 21.0%–50.3%) after adjustment for the covariates. Conclusions Findings in this study are consistent with a genetic effect for age-related nuclear cataract, a common and clinically significant form of lens opacity. PMID:15223793

Directional Variance Adjustment: Bias Reduction in Covariance Matrices Based on Factor Analysis with an Application to Portfolio Optimization

PubMed Central

Bartz, Daniel; Hatrick, Kerr; Hesse, Christian W.; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Lemm, Steven

2013-01-01

Robust and reliable covariance estimates play a decisive role in financial and many other applications. An important class of estimators is based on factor models. Here, we show by extensive Monte Carlo simulations that covariance matrices derived from the statistical Factor Analysis model exhibit a systematic error, which is similar to the well-known systematic error of the spectrum of the sample covariance matrix. Moreover, we introduce the Directional Variance Adjustment (DVA) algorithm, which diminishes the systematic error. In a thorough empirical study for the US, European, and Hong Kong stock market we show that our proposed method leads to improved portfolio allocation. PMID:23844016

The effect of accuracy motivation on anchoring and adjustment: do people adjust from provided anchors?

PubMed

Simmons, Joseph P; LeBoeuf, Robyn A; Nelson, Leif D

2010-12-01

Increasing accuracy motivation (e.g., by providing monetary incentives for accuracy) often fails to increase adjustment away from provided anchors, a result that has led researchers to conclude that people do not effortfully adjust away from such anchors. We challenge this conclusion. First, we show that people are typically uncertain about which way to adjust from provided anchors and that this uncertainty often causes people to believe that they have initially adjusted too far away from such anchors (Studies 1a and 1b). Then, we show that although accuracy motivation fails to increase the gap between anchors and final estimates when people are uncertain about the direction of adjustment, accuracy motivation does increase anchor-estimate gaps when people are certain about the direction of adjustment, and that this is true regardless of whether the anchors are provided or self-generated (Studies 2, 3a, 3b, and 5). These results suggest that people do effortfully adjust away from provided anchors but that uncertainty about the direction of adjustment makes that adjustment harder to detect than previously assumed. This conclusion has important theoretical implications, suggesting that currently emphasized distinctions between anchor types (self-generated vs. provided) are not fundamental and that ostensibly competing theories of anchoring (selective accessibility and anchoring-and-adjustment) are complementary. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Analysis of Tube Free Hydroforming using an Inverse Approach with FLD-based Adjustment of Process Parameters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Ba Nghiep; Johnson, Kenneth I.; Khaleel, Mohammad A.

2003-04-01

This paper employs an inverse approach (IA) formulation for the analysis of tubes under free hydroforming conditions. The IA formulation is derived from that of Guo et al. established for flat sheet hydroforming analysis using constant strain triangular membrane elements. At first, an incremental analysis of free hydroforming for a hot-dip galvanized (HG/Z140) DP600 tube is performed using the finite element Marc code. The deformed geometry obtained at the last converged increment is then used as the final configuration in the inverse analysis. This comparative study allows us to assess the predicting capability of the inverse analysis. The results willmore » be compared with the experimental values determined by Asnafi and Skogsgardh. After that, a procedure based on a forming limit diagram (FLD) is proposed to adjust the process parameters such as the axial feed and internal pressure. Finally, the adjustment process is illustrated through a re-analysis of the same tube using the inverse approach« less

Analysis of adjusting effects of mounting force on frequency conversion of mounted nonlinear optics.

PubMed

Su, Ruifeng; Liu, Haitao; Liang, Yingchun; Lu, Lihua

2014-01-10

Motivated by the need to increase the second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of nonlinear optics with large apertures, a novel mounting configuration with active adjusting function on the SHG efficiency is proposed and mechanically and optically studied. The adjusting effects of the mounting force on the distortion and stress are analyzed by the finite element methods (FEM), as well as the contribution of the distortion and stress to the change in phase mismatch, and the SHG efficiency are theoretically stated. Further on, the SHG efficiency is calculated as a function of the mounting force. The changing trends of the distortion, stress, and the SHG efficiency with the varying mounting force are obtained, and the optimal ones are figured out. Moreover, the mechanism of the occurrence of the optimal values is studied and the adjusting strategy is put forward. Numerical results show the robust adjustment of the mounting force, as well as the effectiveness of the mounting configuration, in increasing the SHG efficiency.

Cortical, but Not Posterior Subcapsular, Cataract Shows Significant Familial Aggregation in an Older Population after Adjustment for Possible Shared Environmental Factors

PubMed Central

Congdon, Nathan; Broman, Karl W.; Lai, Hong; Munoz, Beatriz; Bowie, Heidi; Gilbert, Donna; Wojciechowski, Robert; West, Sheila K.

2011-01-01

Purpose To quantify the risk for age-related cortical cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) associated with having an affected sibling after adjusting for known environmental and personal risk factors. Design Sibling cohort study. Participants Participants in the ongoing Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) study (n = 321; mean age, 78.1±4.2 years) and their locally resident siblings (n = 453; mean age, 72.6±7.4 years) were recruited at the time of Rounds 3 and 4 of the SEE study. Intervention/Testing Methods Retroillumination photographs of the lens were graded for the presence of cortical cataract and PSC with the Wilmer grading system. The residual correlation between siblings' cataract grades was estimated after adjustment for a number of factors (age; gender; race; lifetime exposure to ultraviolet-B light; cigarette, alcohol, estrogen, and steroid use; serum antioxidants; history of diabetes; blood pressure; and body mass index) suspected to be associated with the presence of cataract. Results The average sibship size was 2.7 per family. Multivariate analysis revealed the magnitude of heritability (h2) for cortical cataract to be 24% (95% CI, 6%–42%), whereas that for PSC was not statistically significant (h2 4%; 95% CI, 0%–11%) after adjustment for the covariates. The model revealed that increasing age, female gender, a history of diabetes, and black race increased the odds of cortical cataract, whereas higher levels of provitamin A were protective. A history of diabetes and steroid use increased the odds for PSC. Conclusions This study is consistent with a significant genetic effect for age-related cortical cataract but not PSC. PMID:15629823

On the geometric analysis and adjustment of optical satellite observations. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsimis, E.

1972-01-01

Satellite geodesy methods were catagorized into three divisions: geometric, dynamic, and mixed. These catagories furnish the basis for distinction between geometric and dynamic satellite geodesy. The dual adjustment, geometric analysis, and Cartesian coodinate determination are examined for two observing stations. Similar illustrations are given when more than two observing stations are used.

Double-adjustment in propensity score matching analysis: choosing a threshold for considering residual imbalance.

PubMed

Nguyen, Tri-Long; Collins, Gary S; Spence, Jessica; Daurès, Jean-Pierre; Devereaux, P J; Landais, Paul; Le Manach, Yannick

2017-04-28

Double-adjustment can be used to remove confounding if imbalance exists after propensity score (PS) matching. However, it is not always possible to include all covariates in adjustment. We aimed to find the optimal imbalance threshold for entering covariates into regression. We conducted a series of Monte Carlo simulations on virtual populations of 5,000 subjects. We performed PS 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching on each sample. We calculated standardized mean differences across groups to detect any remaining imbalance in the matched samples. We examined 25 thresholds (from 0.01 to 0.25, stepwise 0.01) for considering residual imbalance. The treatment effect was estimated using logistic regression that contained only those covariates considered to be unbalanced by these thresholds. We showed that regression adjustment could dramatically remove residual confounding bias when it included all of the covariates with a standardized difference greater than 0.10. The additional benefit was negligible when we also adjusted for covariates with less imbalance. We found that the mean squared error of the estimates was minimized under the same conditions. If covariate balance is not achieved, we recommend reiterating PS modeling until standardized differences below 0.10 are achieved on most covariates. In case of remaining imbalance, a double adjustment might be worth considering.

Parental bonding in males with adjustment disorder and hyperventilation syndrome.

PubMed

Lung, For-Wey; Lee, Ting-Hsuan; Huang, Mei-Feng

2012-06-06

The purpose of the study was to identify the style of parental bonding and the personality characteristics that might increase the risk of hyperventilation and adjustment disorder. A total of 917 males were recruited, 156 with adjustment disorder and hyperventilation syndrome (AD + HY), 273 with adjustment disorder without hyperventilation syndrome (AD-HY), and 488 healthy controls. All participants completed the Parental Bonding Instrument, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Chinese Health Questionnaire. Analysis using structural equation models identified a pathway relationship in which parental bonding affected personality characteristics, personality characteristics affected mental health condition, and mental health condition affected the development of hyperventilation or adjustment disorder. Males with AD-HY perceived less paternal care, and those with AD + HY perceived more maternal protection than those with adjustment disorder and those in the control group. Participants with AD-HY were more neurotic and less extroverted than those with AD + HY. Both groups showed poorer mental health than the controls. Although some patients with hyperventilation syndrome demonstrated symptoms of adjustment disorder, there were different predisposing factors between the two groups in terms of parental bonding and personality characteristics. This finding is important for the early intervention and prevention of hyperventilation and adjustment disorder.

Contact angle adjustment in equation-of-state-based pseudopotential model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Anjie; Li, Longjian; Uddin, Rizwan; Liu, Dong

2016-05-01

The single component pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann model has been widely applied in multiphase simulation due to its simplicity and stability. In many studies, it has been claimed that this model can be stable for density ratios larger than 1000. However, the application of the model is still limited to small density ratios when the contact angle is considered. The reason is that the original contact angle adjustment method influences the stability of the model. Moreover, simulation results in the present work show that, by applying the original contact angle adjustment method, the density distribution near the wall is artificially changed, and the contact angle is dependent on the surface tension. Hence, it is very inconvenient to apply this method with a fixed contact angle, and the accuracy of the model cannot be guaranteed. To solve these problems, a contact angle adjustment method based on the geometry analysis is proposed and numerically compared with the original method. Simulation results show that, with our contact angle adjustment method, the stability of the model is highly improved when the density ratio is relatively large, and it is independent of the surface tension.

Contact angle adjustment in equation-of-state-based pseudopotential model.

PubMed

Hu, Anjie; Li, Longjian; Uddin, Rizwan; Liu, Dong

2016-05-01

The single component pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann model has been widely applied in multiphase simulation due to its simplicity and stability. In many studies, it has been claimed that this model can be stable for density ratios larger than 1000. However, the application of the model is still limited to small density ratios when the contact angle is considered. The reason is that the original contact angle adjustment method influences the stability of the model. Moreover, simulation results in the present work show that, by applying the original contact angle adjustment method, the density distribution near the wall is artificially changed, and the contact angle is dependent on the surface tension. Hence, it is very inconvenient to apply this method with a fixed contact angle, and the accuracy of the model cannot be guaranteed. To solve these problems, a contact angle adjustment method based on the geometry analysis is proposed and numerically compared with the original method. Simulation results show that, with our contact angle adjustment method, the stability of the model is highly improved when the density ratio is relatively large, and it is independent of the surface tension.

Bayes linear covariance matrix adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkinson, Darren J.

1995-12-01

In this thesis, a Bayes linear methodology for the adjustment of covariance matrices is presented and discussed. A geometric framework for quantifying uncertainties about covariance matrices is set up, and an inner-product for spaces of random matrices is motivated and constructed. The inner-product on this space captures aspects of our beliefs about the relationship between covariance matrices of interest to us, providing a structure rich enough for us to adjust beliefs about unknown matrices in the light of data such as sample covariance matrices, exploiting second-order exchangeability and related specifications to obtain representations allowing analysis. Adjustment is associated with orthogonal projection, and illustrated with examples of adjustments for some common problems. The problem of adjusting the covariance matrices underlying exchangeable random vectors is tackled and discussed. Learning about the covariance matrices associated with multivariate time series dynamic linear models is shown to be amenable to a similar approach. Diagnostics for matrix adjustments are also discussed.

Weighted triangulation adjustment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Walter L.

1969-01-01

The variation of coordinates method is employed to perform a weighted least squares adjustment of horizontal survey networks. Geodetic coordinates are required for each fixed and adjustable station. A preliminary inverse geodetic position computation is made for each observed line. Weights associated with each observed equation for direction, azimuth, and distance are applied in the formation of the normal equations in-the least squares adjustment. The number of normal equations that may be solved is twice the number of new stations and less than 150. When the normal equations are solved, shifts are produced at adjustable stations. Previously computed correction factors are applied to the shifts and a most probable geodetic position is found for each adjustable station. Pinal azimuths and distances are computed. These may be written onto magnetic tape for subsequent computation of state plane or grid coordinates. Input consists of punch cards containing project identification, program options, and position and observation information. Results listed include preliminary and final positions, residuals, observation equations, solution of the normal equations showing magnitudes of shifts, and a plot of each adjusted and fixed station. During processing, data sets containing irrecoverable errors are rejected and the type of error is listed. The computer resumes processing of additional data sets.. Other conditions cause warning-errors to be issued, and processing continues with the current data set.

Applied Behavior Analysis Programs for Autism: Sibling Psychosocial Adjustment during and Following Intervention Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cebula, Katie R.

2012-01-01

Psychosocial adjustment in siblings of children with autism whose families were using a home-based, applied behavior analysis (ABA) program was compared to that of siblings in families who were not using any intensive autism intervention. Data gathered from parents, siblings and teachers indicated that siblings in ABA families experienced neither…

Statistical Approaches to Adjusting Weights for Dependent Arms in Network Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Su, Yu-Xuan; Tu, Yu-Kang

2018-05-22

Network meta-analysis compares multiple treatments in terms of their efficacy and harm by including evidence from randomized controlled trials. Most clinical trials use parallel design, where patients are randomly allocated to different treatments and receive only one treatment. However, some trials use within person designs such as split-body, split-mouth and cross-over designs, where each patient may receive more than one treatment. Data from treatment arms within these trials are no longer independent, so the correlations between dependent arms need to be accounted for within the statistical analyses. Ignoring these correlations may result in incorrect conclusions. The main objective of this study is to develop statistical approaches to adjusting weights for dependent arms within special design trials. In this study, we demonstrate the following three approaches: the data augmentation approach, the adjusting variance approach, and the reducing weight approach. These three methods could be perfectly applied in current statistic tools such as R and STATA. An example of periodontal regeneration was used to demonstrate how these approaches could be undertaken and implemented within statistical software packages, and to compare results from different approaches. The adjusting variance approach can be implemented within the network package in STATA, while reducing weight approach requires computer software programming to set up the within-study variance-covariance matrix. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Measuring cancer-specific child adjustment difficulties: Development and validation of the Children's Oncology Child Adjustment Scale (ChOCs).

PubMed

Burke, Kylie; McCarthy, Maria; Lowe, Cherie; Sanders, Matthew R; Lloyd, Erin; Bowden, Madeleine; Williams, Lauren

2017-03-01

Childhood cancer is associated with child adjustment difficulties including, eating and sleep disturbance, and emotional and other behavioral difficulties. However, there is a lack of validated instruments to measure the specific child adjustment issues associated with pediatric cancer treatments. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of a parent-reported, child adjustment scale. One hundred thirty-two parents from two pediatric oncology centers who had children (aged 2-10 years) diagnosed with cancer completed the newly developed measure and additional measures of child behavior, sleep, diet, and quality of life. Children were more than 4 weeks postdiagnosis and less than 12 months postactive treatment. Factor structure, internal consistency, and construct (convergent) validity analyses were conducted. Principal component analysis revealed five distinct and theoretically coherent factors: Sleep Difficulties, Impact of Child's Illness, Eating Difficulties, Hospital-Related Behavior Difficulties, and General Behavior Difficulties. The final 25-item measure, the Children's Oncology Child Adjustment Scale (ChOCs), demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.79-0.91). Validity of the ChOCs was demonstrated by significant correlations between the subscales and measures of corresponding constructs. The ChOCs provides a new measure of child adjustment difficulties designed specifically for pediatric oncology. Preliminary analyses indicate strong theoretical and psychometric properties. Future studies are required to further examine reliability and validity of the scale, including test-retest reliability, discriminant validity, as well as change sensitivity and generalizability across different oncology samples and ages of children. The ChOCs shows promise as a measure of child adjustment relevant for oncology clinical settings and research purposes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An automatic step adjustment method for average power analysis technique used in fiber amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xue-Ming

2006-04-01

An automatic step adjustment (ASA) method for average power analysis (APA) technique used in fiber amplifiers is proposed in this paper for the first time. In comparison with the traditional APA technique, the proposed method has suggested two unique merits such as a higher order accuracy and an ASA mechanism, so that it can significantly shorten the computing time and improve the solution accuracy. A test example demonstrates that, by comparing to the APA technique, the proposed method increases the computing speed by more than a hundredfold under the same errors. By computing the model equations of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, the numerical results show that our method can improve the solution accuracy by over two orders of magnitude at the same amplifying section number. The proposed method has the capacity to rapidly and effectively compute the model equations of fiber Raman amplifiers and semiconductor lasers.

Parental bonding in males with adjustment disorder and hyperventilation syndrome

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The purpose of the study was to identify the style of parental bonding and the personality characteristics that might increase the risk of hyperventilation and adjustment disorder. Methods A total of 917 males were recruited, 156 with adjustment disorder and hyperventilation syndrome (AD + HY), 273 with adjustment disorder without hyperventilation syndrome (AD–HY), and 488 healthy controls. All participants completed the Parental Bonding Instrument, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Chinese Health Questionnaire. Results Analysis using structural equation models identified a pathway relationship in which parental bonding affected personality characteristics, personality characteristics affected mental health condition, and mental health condition affected the development of hyperventilation or adjustment disorder. Males with AD–HY perceived less paternal care, and those with AD + HY perceived more maternal protection than those with adjustment disorder and those in the control group. Participants with AD–HY were more neurotic and less extroverted than those with AD + HY. Both groups showed poorer mental health than the controls. Conclusions Although some patients with hyperventilation syndrome demonstrated symptoms of adjustment disorder, there were different predisposing factors between the two groups in terms of parental bonding and personality characteristics. This finding is important for the early intervention and prevention of hyperventilation and adjustment disorder. PMID:22672223

The effect of low force chiropractic adjustments for 4 weeks on body surface electromagnetic field.

PubMed

Zhang, John; Snyder, Brian J

2005-01-01

To study the effects of 4 weeks of low-force chiropractic adjustments on body surface electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Thirty-five chiropractic students randomly assigned into control (17 subjects) and experimental groups (28 subjects). A triaxial fluxgate magnetometer was used for EMF detection. The subjects' body surface EMF was determined in the prone position before and after the chiropractic adjustment. A Toftness low-force chiropractic adjustment was applied to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral areas as determined by the practitioner. Heart rate variability analysis was recorded once a week to determine autonomic nervous system activity in both the control and experimental groups. The EMF on the subjects' body surface decreased after chiropractic adjustment at the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions in all 6 visits during the 4-week treatment period. The EMF showed a downtrend over the 4-week period after the low-force adjustment. The same changes were not observed in the control group. The chiropractic adjustment group had a slight decrease in heart rate over the 4-week treatment period, and no significant change was observed in the control group. Heart rate variability analysis did not show consistent changes before and after the low-force adjustments during the treatment period. Low-force chiropractic adjustment in the cervical and thoracic areas resulted in a consistent reduction of the body surface EMF after 4 weeks of active treatment. No statistically significant differences were found in the heart rate and heart rate variability in the 4-week study.

[Causal relationship between assertiveness and adjustment in children: A short-term longitudinal study].

PubMed

Eguchi, Megumi; Hamaguchi, Yoshikazu

2015-08-01

This study examined the causal relationships between assertiveness and both internal and external adjustment in children. Elementary school children in grades four through six (N = 284) participated in the study, which used a short-term longitudinal design. The children completed questionnaires twice during a 6-months period. They responded to assertiveness questionnaires that included two components: "self-expression" and "consideration of others". They also completed a self-esteem scale as an index of internal adjustment, and the Class Life Satisfaction scale as an index of external adjustment. There was a positive causative relationship between "self-expression" and internal adjustment and between "consideration for others" and external adjustment. In addition, the effects on adjustment varied according to the type of assertiveness. Cluster analysis and MANOVA indicated that the group with high "self-expression" and "consideration for others" had high internal and external adjustment, while the children with poor assertiveness showed the lowest degree of adaptivity.

Lipophilic versus hydrophilic statin therapy for heart failure: a protocol for an adjusted indirect comparison meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Statins are known to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in primary and secondary prevention studies. Subsequently, a number of nonrandomised studies have shown statins improve clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). Small randomised controlled trials (RCT) also show improved cardiac function, reduced inflammation and mortality with statins in HF. However, the findings of two large RCTs do not support the evidence provided by previous studies and suggest statins lack beneficial effects in HF. Two meta-analyses have shown statins do not improve survival, whereas two others showed improved cardiac function and reduced inflammation in HF. It appears lipophilic statins produce better survival and other outcome benefits compared to hydrophilic statins. But the two types have not been compared in direct comparison trials in HF. Methods/design We will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of lipophilic and hydrophilic statin therapy in patients with HF. Our objectives are: 1. To determine the effects of lipophilic statins on (1) mortality, (2) hospitalisation for worsening HF, (3) cardiac function and (4) inflammation. 2. To determine the effects of hydrophilic statins on (1) mortality, (2) hospitalisation for worsening HF, (3) cardiac function and (4) inflammation. 3. To compare the efficacy of lipophilic and hydrophilic statins on HF outcomes with an adjusted indirect comparison meta-analysis. We will conduct an electronic search of databases for RCTs that evaluate statins in patients with HF. The reference lists of all identified studies will be reviewed. Two independent reviewers will conduct the search. The inclusion criteria include: 1. RCTs comparing statins with placebo or no statin in patients with symptomatic HF. 2. RCTs that employed the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle in data analysis. 3. Symptomatic HF patients of all aetiologies and on standard treatment. 4. Statin of any dose as intervention. 5. Placebo or no

Design and Stress Analysis of Low-Noise Adjusted Bearing Contact Spiral Bevel Gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Fuentes, Alfonso; Mullins, Baxter R.; Woods, Ron

2002-01-01

An integrated computerized approach for design and stress analysis of low-noise spiral bevel gear drives with adjusted bearing contact has been developed. The computation procedure is an iterative process, requiring four separate steps that provide: (a) a parabolic function of transmission errors that is able to reduce the effect of errors of alignment, and (b) reduction of the shift of bearing contact caused by misalignment. Application of finite element analysis permits the contact and bending stresses to be determined and investigate the formation of the bearing contact. The design of finite element models and boundary conditions is automated and does not require an intermediate CAD computer program. A commercially available finite element analysis computer program with contact capability was used to conduct the stress analysis. The theory developed is illustrated with numerical examples.

Applied behavior analysis programs for autism: sibling psychosocial adjustment during and following intervention use.

PubMed

Cebula, Katie R

2012-05-01

Psychosocial adjustment in siblings of children with autism whose families were using a home-based, applied behavior analysis (ABA) program was compared to that of siblings in families who were not using any intensive autism intervention. Data gathered from parents, siblings and teachers indicated that siblings in ABA families experienced neither significant drawbacks nor benefits in terms of their behavioral adjustment, sibling relationship quality and self-concept compared to control group siblings, either during or following intervention use. Parents and siblings perceived improvements in sibling interaction since the outset of ABA, with parents somewhat more positive in their views than were siblings. Social support was associated with better sibling outcomes in all groups. Implications for supporting families using ABA are considered.

Design and Stress Analysis of Low-Noise Adjusted Bearing Contact Spiral Bevel Gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuentes, A.; Litvin, F. L.; Mullins, B. R.; Woods, R.; Handschuh, R. F.; Lewicki, David G.

2002-01-01

An integrated computerized approach for design and stress analysis of low-noise spiral bevel gear drives with adjusted bearing contact is proposed. The procedure of computations is an iterative process that requires four separate procedures and provide: (a) a parabolic function of transmission errors that is able to reduce the effect of errors of alignment on noise and vibration, and (b) reduction of the shift of bearing contact caused by misalignment. Application of finite element analysis enables us to determine the contact and bending stresses and investigate the formation of the bearing contact. The design of finite element models and boundary conditions is automated and does not require intermediate CAD computer programs for application of general purpose computer program for finite element analysis.

Gender identity: a multidimensional analysis with implications for psychosocial adjustment.

PubMed

Egan, S K; Perry, D G

2001-07-01

This study examined the relations between components of gender identity and psychosocial adjustment. The aspects of gender identity assessed were (a) feelings of psychological compatibility with one's gender (i.e.. feeling one is a typical member of one's sex and feeling content with one's biological sex), (b) feelings of pressure from parents, peers, and self for conformity to gender stereotypes. and (c) the sentiment that one's own sex is superior to the other (intergroup bias). Adjustment was assessed in terms of self-esteem and peer acceptance. Participants were 182 children in Grades 4 through 8. Felt gender compatibility (when operationalized as either self-perceived gender typicality or feelings of contentment with one's biological sex) was positively related to adjustment, whereas felt pressure and intergroup bias were negatively associated with adjustment. The results provide new insights into the role of gender identity in children's well-being, help identify sources of confusion in previous work, and suggest directions for future inquiry.

Proper joint analysis of summary association statistics requires the adjustment of heterogeneity in SNP coverage pattern.

PubMed

Zhang, Han; Wheeler, William; Song, Lei; Yu, Kai

2017-07-07

As meta-analysis results published by consortia of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) become increasingly available, many association summary statistics-based multi-locus tests have been developed to jointly evaluate multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to reveal novel genetic architectures of various complex traits. The validity of these approaches relies on the accurate estimate of z-score correlations at considered SNPs, which in turn requires knowledge on the set of SNPs assessed by each study participating in the meta-analysis. However, this exact SNP coverage information is usually unavailable from the meta-analysis results published by GWAS consortia. In the absence of the coverage information, researchers typically estimate the z-score correlations by making oversimplified coverage assumptions. We show through real studies that such a practice can generate highly inflated type I errors, and we demonstrate the proper way to incorporate correct coverage information into multi-locus analyses. We advocate that consortia should make SNP coverage information available when posting their meta-analysis results, and that investigators who develop analytic tools for joint analyses based on summary data should pay attention to the variation in SNP coverage and adjust for it appropriately. Published by Oxford University Press 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Adjustments to forest inventory and analysis estimates of 2001 saw-log volumes for Kentucky

Treesearch

Stanley J. Zarnoch; Jeffery A. Turner

2005-01-01

The 2001 Kentucky Forest Inventory and Analysis survey overestimated hardwood saw-log volume in tree grade 1. This occurred because 2001 field crews classified too many trees as grade 1 trees. Data collected by quality assurance crews were used to generate two types of adjustments, one based on the proportion of trees misclassified and the other on the proportion of...

Sensitivity analysis for mistakenly adjusting for mediators in estimating total effect in observational studies.

PubMed

Wang, Tingting; Li, Hongkai; Su, Ping; Yu, Yuanyuan; Sun, Xiaoru; Liu, Yi; Yuan, Zhongshang; Xue, Fuzhong

2017-11-20

In observational studies, epidemiologists often attempt to estimate the total effect of an exposure on an outcome of interest. However, when the underlying diagram is unknown and limited knowledge is available, dissecting bias performances is essential to estimating the total effect of an exposure on an outcome when mistakenly adjusting for mediators under logistic regression. Through simulation, we focused on six causal diagrams concerning different roles of mediators. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the bias performances of varying across exposure-mediator effects and mediator-outcome effects when adjusting for the mediator. Based on the causal relationships in the real world, we compared the biases of varying across the effects of exposure-mediator with those of varying across the effects of mediator-outcome when adjusting for the mediator. The magnitude of the bias was defined by the difference between the estimated effect (using logistic regression) and the total effect of the exposure on the outcome. In four scenarios (a single mediator, two series mediators, two independent parallel mediators or two correlated parallel mediators), the biases of varying across the effects of exposure-mediator were greater than those of varying across the effects of mediator-outcome when adjusting for the mediator. In contrast, in two other scenarios (a single mediator or two independent parallel mediators in the presence of unobserved confounders), the biases of varying across the effects of exposure-mediator were less than those of varying across the effects of mediator-outcome when adjusting for the mediator. The biases were more sensitive to the variation of effects of exposure-mediator than the effects of mediator-outcome when adjusting for the mediator in the absence of unobserved confounders, while the biases were more sensitive to the variation of effects of mediator-outcome than those of exposure-mediator in the presence of an unobserved confounder. �

A gigawatt level repetitive rate adjustable magnetic pulse compressor.

PubMed

Li, Song; Gao, Jing-Ming; Yang, Han-Wu; Qian, Bao-Liang; Li, Ze-Xin

2015-08-01

In this paper, a gigawatt level repetitive rate adjustable magnetic pulse compressor is investigated both numerically and experimentally. The device has advantages of high power level, high repetitive rate achievability, and long lifetime reliability. Importantly, dominate parameters including the saturation time, the peak voltage, and even the compression ratio can be potentially adjusted continuously and reliably, which significantly expands the applicable area of the device and generators based on it. Specifically, a two-stage adjustable magnetic pulse compressor, utilized for charging the pulse forming network of a high power pulse generator, is designed with different compression ratios of 25 and 18 through an optimized design process. Equivalent circuit analysis shows that the modification of compression ratio can be achieved by just changing the turn number of the winding. At the same time, increasing inductance of the grounded inductor will decrease the peak voltage and delay the charging process. Based on these analyses, an adjustable compressor was built and studied experimentally in both the single shot mode and repetitive rate mode. Pulses with peak voltage of 60 kV and energy per pulse of 360 J were obtained in the experiment. The rise times of the pulses were compressed from 25 μs to 1 μs and from 18 μs to 1 μs, respectively, at repetitive rate of 20 Hz with good repeatability. Experimental results show reasonable agreement with analyses.

Sex hormones adjust "sex-specific" reactive and diurnal cortisol profiles.

PubMed

Juster, Robert-Paul; Raymond, Catherine; Desrochers, Alexandra Bisson; Bourdon, Olivier; Durand, Nadia; Wan, Nathalie; Pruessner, Jens C; Lupien, Sonia J

2016-01-01

Sex differences in stress hormone functions are presumed to depend on sex hormones. And yet, surprisingly few psychoneuroendocrine studies actually assess within-sex variations of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone when investigating sex-specific activities of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this methodological study of 204 healthy adults (60 men), we assessed whether cortisol profiles would differ between the sexes when unadjusted or adjusted for basal sex hormones among both sexes. Reactive cortisol was sampled using 6 saliva samples measured every 10-min as part of the Trier Social Stress Test that generally activates cortisol among men more than women. Diurnal cortisol was sampled over two days at (1) awakening, (2) 30-min thereafter, (3) 1400 h, (4) 1600 h, and (5) bedtime. Sex hormones were collected at baseline before the psychosocial stressor and on two occasions during diurnal cortisol assessment. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance controlled for key covariates in analyses unadjusted or adjusted for sex hormones. Results revealed that men had higher reactive cortisol than women in unadjusted analysis, but this sex difference was attenuated when adjusting for sex hormones. While diurnal cortisol showed no sex differences in unadjusted models, adjusting for sex hormones revealed that women have higher morning cortisol. Correlations using area under the curve formulae revealed intriguing sex-specific associations with progesterone in men and testosterone in women that we propose have implications for social and affective neuroscience. In summary, our results reveal that adjusting for sex hormones alters "sex-specific" reactive and diurnal cortisol profiles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 416.962 - Medical-vocational profiles showing an inability to make an adjustment to other work.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... adjustment to other work. (a) If you have done only arduous unskilled physical labor. If you have no more... you have a severe, medically determinable impairment(s) (see §§ 416.920(c), 416.921, and 416.923), are... consider the rules in appendix 2 to subpart P of part 404 of this chapter. [68 FR 51166, Aug. 26, 2003] ...

Using multilevel modeling to assess case-mix adjusters in consumer experience surveys in health care.

PubMed

Damman, Olga C; Stubbe, Janine H; Hendriks, Michelle; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Spreeuwenberg, Peter; Delnoij, Diana M J; Groenewegen, Peter P

2009-04-01

Ratings on the quality of healthcare from the consumer's perspective need to be adjusted for consumer characteristics to ensure fair and accurate comparisons between healthcare providers or health plans. Although multilevel analysis is already considered an appropriate method for analyzing healthcare performance data, it has rarely been used to assess case-mix adjustment of such data. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether multilevel regression analysis is a useful tool to detect case-mix adjusters in consumer assessment of healthcare. We used data on 11,539 consumers from 27 Dutch health plans, which were collected using the Dutch Consumer Quality Index health plan instrument. We conducted multilevel regression analyses of consumers' responses nested within health plans to assess the effects of consumer characteristics on consumer experience. We compared our findings to the results of another methodology: the impact factor approach, which combines the predictive effect of each case-mix variable with its heterogeneity across health plans. Both multilevel regression and impact factor analyses showed that age and education were the most important case-mix adjusters for consumer experience and ratings of health plans. With the exception of age, case-mix adjustment had little impact on the ranking of health plans. On both theoretical and practical grounds, multilevel modeling is useful for adequate case-mix adjustment and analysis of performance ratings.

[Relationship between family variables and conjugal adjustment].

PubMed

Jiménez-Picón, Nerea; Lima-Rodríguez, Joaquín-Salvador; Lima-Serrano, Marta

2018-04-01

To determine whether family variables, such as type of relationship, years of marriage, existence of offspring, number of members of family, stage of family life cycle, transition between stages, perceived social support, and/or stressful life events are related to conjugal adjustment. A cross-sectional and correlational study using questionnaires. Primary care and hospital units of selected centres in the province of Seville, Spain. Consecutive stratified sampling by quotas of 369 heterosexual couples over 18years of age, who maintained a relationship, with or without children, living in Seville. A self-report questionnaire for the sociodemographic variables, and the abbreviated version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Questionnaire MOS Perceived Social Support, and Social Readjustment Rating Scale, were used. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed with correlation analysis and multivariate regression. Statistically significant associations were found between conjugal adjustment and marriage years (r=-10: P<.05), stage of family life cycle (F=2.65; P<.05), the transition between stages (RPB=.11; P<.05) and perceived social support (r=.44; P<.001). The regression model showed the predictive power of perceived social support and the family life cycle stage (mature-aged stage) on conjugal adjustment (R2=.21; F=9.9; df=356; P<.001). Couples may be assessed from Primary Care and be provide with resources and support. In addition, it can identify variables that may help improve the conjugal relationship. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Introducing conjoint analysis method into delayed lotteries studies: its validity and time stability are higher than in adjusting.

PubMed

Białek, Michał; Markiewicz, Łukasz; Sawicki, Przemysław

2015-01-01

The delayed lotteries are much more common in everyday life than are pure lotteries. Usually, we need to wait to find out the outcome of the risky decision (e.g., investing in a stock market, engaging in a relationship). However, most research has studied the time discounting and probability discounting in isolation using the methodologies designed specifically to track changes in one parameter. Most commonly used method is adjusting, but its reported validity and time stability in research on discounting are suboptimal. The goal of this study was to introduce the novel method for analyzing delayed lotteries-conjoint analysis-which hypothetically is more suitable for analyzing individual preferences in this area. A set of two studies compared the conjoint analysis with adjusting. The results suggest that individual parameters of discounting strength estimated with conjoint have higher predictive value (Study 1 and 2), and they are more stable over time (Study 2) compared to adjusting. We discuss these findings, despite the exploratory character of reported studies, by suggesting that future research on delayed lotteries should be cross-validated using both methods.

Numerical simulation and experimentation of adjusting the curvatures of micro-cantilevers using the water-confined laser-generated plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Chunxing; Shen, Zongbao; Liu, Huixia; Li, Pin; Lu, Mengmeng; Zhao, Yinxin; Wang, Xiao

2013-04-01

This paper describes a precise and non-contact adjustment technique using the water-confined laser-generated plasma to adjust the curvature of micro-components (micro-mechanical cantilevers). A series of laser shock micro-adjustment experiments were conducted on 0.4 mm-thick Al samples using pulsed Nd:YAG lasers operating at 1064 nm wavelengths to verify the technical feasibility. Systematic study was carried out in the term of effects of various factors on the adjusting results, including laser energies, laser focus positions, laser shock times and confined regime configuration. The research results have shown that the different bending angles and bending directions can be obtained by changing the laser processing parameters. And, for the adjustment process, the absence of confined regime configuration could also generate suitable bending deformation. But, in the case of larger energy, the final surfaces would have the sign of ablation, hence resulting in poor surface quality. An analysis procedure including dynamic analysis performed by ANSYS/LS-DYNA and static analysis performed by ANSYS is presented in detail to attain the simulation of laser shock micro-adjustment to predict the final bending deformation. The predicted bending profiles is well correlated with the available experimental data, showing the finite element analysis can predict the final curvatures of the micro-cantilevers properly.

Sequential and simultaneous SLAR block adjustment. [spline function analysis for mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leberl, F.

1975-01-01

Two sequential methods of planimetric SLAR (Side Looking Airborne Radar) block adjustment, with and without splines, and three simultaneous methods based on the principles of least squares are evaluated. A limited experiment with simulated SLAR images indicates that sequential block formation with splines followed by external interpolative adjustment is superior to the simultaneous methods such as planimetric block adjustment with similarity transformations. The use of the sequential block formation is recommended, since it represents an inexpensive tool for satisfactory point determination from SLAR images.

Computer-aided system of evaluation for population-based all-in-one service screening (CASE-PASS): from study design to outcome analysis with bias adjustment.

PubMed

Chen, Li-Sheng; Yen, Amy Ming-Fang; Duffy, Stephen W; Tabar, Laszlo; Lin, Wen-Chou; Chen, Hsiu-Hsi

2010-10-01

Population-based routine service screening has gained popularity following an era of randomized controlled trials. The evaluation of these service screening programs is subject to study design, data availability, and the precise data analysis for adjusting bias. We developed a computer-aided system that allows the evaluation of population-based service screening to unify these aspects and facilitate and guide the program assessor to efficiently perform an evaluation. This system underpins two experimental designs: the posttest-only non-equivalent design and the one-group pretest-posttest design and demonstrates the type of data required at both the population and individual levels. Three major analyses were developed that included a cumulative mortality analysis, survival analysis with lead-time adjustment, and self-selection bias adjustment. We used SAS AF software to develop a graphic interface system with a pull-down menu style. We demonstrate the application of this system with data obtained from a Swedish population-based service screen and a population-based randomized controlled trial for the screening of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer, and one service screening program for cervical cancer with Pap smears. The system provided automated descriptive results based on the various sources of available data and cumulative mortality curves corresponding to the study designs. The comparison of cumulative survival between clinically and screen-detected cases without a lead-time adjustment are also demonstrated. The intention-to-treat and noncompliance analysis with self-selection bias adjustments are also shown to assess the effectiveness of the population-based service screening program. Model validation was composed of a comparison between our adjusted self-selection bias estimates and the empirical results on effectiveness reported in the literature. We demonstrate a computer-aided system allowing the evaluation of population-based service screening

Break-even analysis revisited: the need to adjust for profitability, the collection rate and autonomous income.

PubMed

Broyles, R W; Narine, L; Khaliq, A

2003-08-01

This paper modifies traditional break-even analysis and develops a model that reflects the influence of variation in payer mix, the collection rate, profitability and autonomous income on the desired volume alternative. The augmented model indicates that a failure to adjust for uncollectibles and the net surplus results in a systematic understatement of the desired volume alternative. Conversely, a failure to adjust for autonomous income derived from the operation of cafeterias, gift shops or an organization's investment in marketable securities produces an overstatement of the desired volume. In addition, this paper uses Microsoft Excel to develop a spreadsheet that constructs a pro forma income statement, expressed in terms of the contribution margin. The spreadsheet also relies on the percentage of sales or revenue approach to prepare a balance sheet from which indicators of fiscal performance are calculated. Hence, the analysis enables the organization to perform a sensitivity analysis of potential changes in the desired volume, the operating margin, the current ratio, the debt: equity ratio and the amount of cash derived from operations that are associated with expected variation in payer mix, the collection rate, grouped by payer, the net surplus and autonomous income.

Career Issues and International Adjustment of Business Expatriates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selmer, Jan

1999-01-01

A survey of 343 Western business executives working in Hong Kong showed that meeting career goals within the organization did not significantly affect work adjustment but positively affected sociocultural and psychological adjustment. Other career issues (wrong/right career move, and supportive corporate attitudes) had no effect on adjustment. (SK)

Sociocultural adjustment among sojourning Malaysian students in Britain: a replication and path analytic extension.

PubMed

Swami, Viren; Arteche, Adriane; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas; Furnham, Adrian

2010-01-01

The present study examined the sociocultural adjustment of 249 sojourning Malaysian undergraduates in Britain. One-hundred and ten Malay and 139 Chinese students enrolled in various courses answered a self-report questionnaire that examined various aspects of sociocultural adjustment and socio-demographics. Overall, Malay students reported significantly poorer sociocultural adjustment than Chinese students, as well as more negative outcomes on a range of predictors. Path analysis for the total sample showed that higher family income led to greater sociocultural adjustment, but partially because it led to more contact with host and conationals, better language proficiency, lower perceived cultural differences and less perceived discrimination. Moreover, participants with higher English proficiency were better adapted, but partially because they perceived less cultural differences as well as having more contact with host nationals. Additionally, individuals reporting better sociocultural adjustment also reported better health statuses. The same model was equally useful at predicting sociocultural adjustment for both Malay and Chinese participants. These results are discussed in terms of the role played by income in buffering against the negative aspects of sociocultural adjustment.

Alternatives for using multivariate regression to adjust prospective payment rates

PubMed Central

Sheingold, Steven H.

1990-01-01

Multivariate regression analysis has been used in structuring three of the adjustments to Medicare's prospective payment rates. Because the indirect-teaching adjustment, the disproportionate-share adjustment, and the adjustment for large cities are responsible for distributing approximately $3 billion in payments each year, the specification of regression models for these adjustments is of critical importance. In this article, the application of regression for adjusting Medicare's prospective rates is discussed, and the implications that differing specifications could have for these adjustments are demonstrated. PMID:10113271

Tribal vs. Public Schools: Perceived Discrimination and School Adjustment among Indigenous Children from Early to Mid-Adolescence.

PubMed

Crawford, Devan M; Cheadle, Jacob E; Whitbeck, Les B

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study is to assess the differential effects of perceived discrimination by type of school on positive school adjustment among Indigenous children during late elementary and early middle school years. The analysis utilizes a sample of 654 Indigenous children from four reservations in the Northern Midwest and four Canadian First Nation reserves. Multiple group linear growth modeling within a structural equation framework is employed to investigate the moderating effects of school type on the relationship between discrimination and positive school adjustment. Results show that students in all school types score relatively high on positive school adjustment at time one (ages 10-12). However, in contrast to students in tribal schools for whom positive school adjustment remains stable, those attending public schools and those moving between school types show a decline in school adjustment over time. Furthermore, the negative effects of discrimination on positive school adjustment are greater for those attending public schools and those moving between schools. Possible reasons for this finding and potential explanations for why tribal schools may provide protection from the negative effects of discrimination are discussed.

Finite Element Analysis of New Crankshaft Automatic Adjustment Mechanism of Pumping Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jufei; Wang, Qian

2017-12-01

In this paper, the crankshaft automatic adjustment mechanism designed on CYJY10-4.2-53HF pumping unit is used as the research object. The simulation of the friction and bending moment of the crank is carried out by ANSYS Workbench, and the finite element simulation results are compared with the theoretical calculation results to verify the theoretical calculation. The final result is that the finite element analysis of the friction of the crank is basically consistent with the theoretical calculation; The analysis and calculation of the stress and deformation about the two kinds of ultimate conditions of the guide platform are carried out too; The dynamic state analysis of the mechanism is carried out to obtain the vibration modes and natural frequencies of the vibration of the different parts of the counterweight under the condition of no preload force so that the frequency of the array can avoid the natural frequency, and can effectively avoid the resonance phenomenon, and for different modes we can improve the stiffness of the structure.

The relationship between perceived parental rearing behaviors and school adjustment of adolescent cancer survivors in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Sunhee; Kim, Dong Hee

2017-01-01

Abstract Return and adjustment to school in adolescents who have survived cancer have become of increasing interest as the numbers of childhood cancers survivors have grown due to advances in treatments. Perceived parental rearing behavior is an important factor related to school adjustment. This study examined the relationships between maternal and parental rearing practices, general characteristics, and school adjustment in adolescent cancer survivors in Korea. We conducted a descriptive, exploratory study of 84 adolescents with cancer using the Korean version of the Fragebogen zum erinnerten elterlichen Erziehungsverhalten: FEE (Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior) and a school adjustment measurement. Descriptive, Pearson correlational, and multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the data. In bivariate analysis, age (r = −0.358, P < .05), mother's emotional warmth (r = 0.549, P < .01), and father's emotional warmth (r = 0.391, P < .05) were significantly associated with school adjustment. However, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that only mother's emotional warmth (β = .720, P < .05) was significantly associated with school adjustment. Adolescent cancer survivors who reported higher mother's emotional warmth exhibited better school adjustment. This finding indicates that it is important to help parents of adolescent cancer survivors enhance their parental rearing behaviors, such as emotional warmth, to help adolescents adjust to school. PMID:28796068

A temperature and vegetation adjusted NTL urban index for urban area mapping and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiya; Li, Peijun

2018-01-01

Accurate and timely information regarding the extent and spatial distribution of urban areas on regional and global scales is crucially important for both scientific and policy-making communities. Stable nighttime light (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) provides a unique proxy of human settlement and activity, which has been used in the mapping and analysis of urban areas and urbanization dynamics. However, blooming and saturation effects of DMSP/OLS NTL data are two unresolved problems in regional urban area mapping and analysis. This study proposed a new urban index termed the Temperature and Vegetation Adjusted NTL Urban Index (TVANUI). It is intended to reduce blooming and saturation effects and to enhance urban features by combining DMSP/OLS NTL data with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer onboard the Terra satellite. The proposed index was evaluated in two study areas by comparison with established urban indices. The results demonstrated the proposed TVANUI was effective in enhancing the variation of DMSP/OLS light in urban areas and in reducing blooming and saturation effects, showing better performance than three established urban indices. The TVANUI also significantly outperformed the established urban indices in urban area mapping using both the global-fixed threshold and the local-optimal threshold methods. Thus, the proposed TVANUI provides a useful variable for urban area mapping and analysis on regional scale, as well as for urbanization dynamics using time-series DMSP/OLS and related satellite data.

Design of motion adjusting system for space camera based on ultrasonic motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Kai; Jin, Guang; Gu, Song; Yan, Yong; Sun, Zhiyuan

2011-08-01

Drift angle is a transverse intersection angle of vector of image motion of the space camera. Adjusting the angle could reduce the influence on image quality. Ultrasonic motor (USM) is a new type of actuator using ultrasonic wave stimulated by piezoelectric ceramics. They have many advantages in comparison with conventional electromagnetic motors. In this paper, some improvement was designed for control system of drift adjusting mechanism. Based on ultrasonic motor T-60 was designed the drift adjusting system, which is composed of the drift adjusting mechanical frame, the ultrasonic motor, the driver of Ultrasonic Motor, the photoelectric encoder and the drift adjusting controller. The TMS320F28335 DSP was adopted as the calculation and control processor, photoelectric encoder was used as sensor of position closed loop system and the voltage driving circuit designed as generator of ultrasonic wave. It was built the mathematic model of drive circuit of the ultrasonic motor T-60 using matlab modules. In order to verify the validity of the drift adjusting system, was introduced the source of the disturbance, and made simulation analysis. It designed the control systems of motor drive for drift adjusting system with the improved PID control. The drift angle adjusting system has such advantages as the small space, simple configuration, high position control precision, fine repeatability, self locking property and low powers. It showed that the system could accomplish the mission of drift angle adjusting excellent.

New Design for an Adjustable Cise Space Maintainer

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study is to present a new adjustable Cise space maintainer for preventive orthodontic applications. Methods Stainless steel based new design consists of six main components. In order to understand the major displacement and stress fields, structural analysis for the design is considered by using finite element method. Results Similar to major displacement at y-axis, critical stresses σx and τxy possess a linear distribution with constant increasing. Additionally, strain energy density (SED) plays an important role to determine critical biting load capacity. Conclusion Structural analysis shows that the space maintainer is stable and is used for maintaining and/or regaining the space which arouses early loss of molar tooth. PMID:29854764

Incorporating the sampling design in weighting adjustments for panel attrition

PubMed Central

Chen, Qixuan; Gelman, Andrew; Tracy, Melissa; Norris, Fran H.; Galea, Sandro

2015-01-01

We review weighting adjustment methods for panel attrition and suggest approaches for incorporating design variables, such as strata, clusters and baseline sample weights. Design information can typically be included in attrition analysis using multilevel models or decision tree methods such as the CHAID algorithm. We use simulation to show that these weighting approaches can effectively reduce bias in the survey estimates that would occur from omitting the effect of design factors on attrition while keeping the resulted weights stable. We provide a step-by-step illustration on creating weighting adjustments for panel attrition in the Galveston Bay Recovery Study, a survey of residents in a community following a disaster, and provide suggestions to analysts in decision making about weighting approaches. PMID:26239405

SIM_ADJUST -- A computer code that adjusts simulated equivalents for observations or predictions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poeter, Eileen P.; Hill, Mary C.

2008-01-01

This report documents the SIM_ADJUST computer code. SIM_ADJUST surmounts an obstacle that is sometimes encountered when using universal model analysis computer codes such as UCODE_2005 (Poeter and others, 2005), PEST (Doherty, 2004), and OSTRICH (Matott, 2005; Fredrick and others (2007). These codes often read simulated equivalents from a list in a file produced by a process model such as MODFLOW that represents a system of interest. At times values needed by the universal code are missing or assigned default values because the process model could not produce a useful solution. SIM_ADJUST can be used to (1) read a file that lists expected observation or prediction names and possible alternatives for the simulated values; (2) read a file produced by a process model that contains space or tab delimited columns, including a column of simulated values and a column of related observation or prediction names; (3) identify observations or predictions that have been omitted or assigned a default value by the process model; and (4) produce an adjusted file that contains a column of simulated values and a column of associated observation or prediction names. The user may provide alternatives that are constant values or that are alternative simulated values. The user may also provide a sequence of alternatives. For example, the heads from a series of cells may be specified to ensure that a meaningful value is available to compare with an observation located in a cell that may become dry. SIM_ADJUST is constructed using modules from the JUPITER API, and is intended for use on any computer operating system. SIM_ADJUST consists of algorithms programmed in Fortran90, which efficiently performs numerical calculations.

Method of Individual Adjustment for 3D CT Analysis: Linear Measurement.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Kyu; Choi, Dong Hun; Lee, Jeong Woo; Yang, Jung Dug; Chung, Ho Yun; Cho, Byung Chae; Choi, Kang Young

2016-01-01

Introduction . We aim to regularize measurement values in three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) reconstructed images for higher-precision 3D analysis, focusing on length-based 3D cephalometric examinations. Methods . We measure the linear distances between points on different skull models using Vernier calipers (real values). We use 10 differently tilted CT scans for 3D CT reconstruction of the models and measure the same linear distances from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS). In both cases, each measurement is performed three times by three doctors, yielding nine measurements. The real values are compared with the PACS values. Each PACS measurement is revised based on the display field of view (DFOV) values and compared with the real values. Results . The real values and the PACS measurement changes according to tilt value have no significant correlations ( p > 0.05). However, significant correlations appear between the real values and DFOV-adjusted PACS measurements ( p < 0.001). Hence, we obtain a correlation expression that can yield real physical values from PACS measurements. The DFOV value intervals for various age groups are also verified. Conclusion . Precise confirmation of individual preoperative length and precise analysis of postoperative improvements through 3D analysis is possible, which is helpful for facial-bone-surgery symmetry correction.

Early adolescent friendships and academic adjustment: examining selection and influence processes with longitudinal social network analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Huiyoung; Ryan, Allison M

2014-11-01

This study investigated early adolescent friendship selection and social influence with regard to academic motivation (self-efficacy and intrinsic value), engagement (effortful and disruptive behavior), and achievement (GPA calculated from report card grades) among 6th graders (N = 587, 50% girls at Wave 1; N = 576, 52% girls at Wave 2) followed from fall to spring within 1 academic year. A stochastic actor-based model of social network analysis was used to overcome methodological limitations of prior research on friends, peer groups, and academic adjustment. Evidence that early adolescents sought out friends who were similar to themselves (selection) was found in regard to academic self-efficacy, and a similar trend was found for achievement. Evidence that friends became more similar to their friends over time (influence) was found for all aspects of academic adjustment except academic self-efficacy. Collectively, results indicate that selection effects were not as pervasive as influence effects in explaining similarity among friends in academic adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Models of Traumatic Experiences and Children's Psychological Adjustment: The Roles of Perceived Parenting and the Children's Own Resources and Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punamaki, Raija-Leena; Qouta, Samir; El Sarraj, Eyad

1997-01-01

Used path analysis to examine relations between trauma, perceived parenting, resources, political activity, and adjustment in Palestinian 11- and 12-year olds. Found that the more trauma experienced, the more negative parenting the children experienced, the more political activity they showed, and the more they suffered from adjustment problems.…

Comparison of clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer and age-adjusted D-dimer interpretation to exclude venous thromboembolism.

PubMed

Takach Lapner, Sarah; Julian, Jim A; Linkins, Lori-Ann; Bates, Shannon; Kearon, Clive

2017-10-05

Two new strategies for interpreting D-dimer results have been proposed: i) using a progressively higher D-dimer threshold with increasing age (age-adjusted strategy) and ii) using a D-dimer threshold in patients with low clinical probability that is twice the threshold used in patients with moderate clinical probability (clinical probability-adjusted strategy). Our objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of age-adjusted and clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer interpretation in patients with a low or moderate clinical probability of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data and blood samples from two prospective studies. We compared the negative predictive value (NPV) for VTE, and the proportion of patients with a negative D-dimer result, using two D-dimer interpretation strategies: the age-adjusted strategy, which uses a progressively higher D-dimer threshold with increasing age over 50 years (age in years × 10 µg/L FEU); and the clinical probability-adjusted strategy which uses a D-dimer threshold of 1000 µg/L FEU in patients with low clinical probability and 500 µg/L FEU in patients with moderate clinical probability. A total of 1649 outpatients with low or moderate clinical probability for a first suspected deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism were included. The NPV of both the clinical probability-adjusted strategy (99.7 %) and the age-adjusted strategy (99.6 %) were similar. However, the proportion of patients with a negative result was greater with the clinical probability-adjusted strategy (56.1 % vs, 50.9 %; difference 5.2 %; 95 % CI 3.5 % to 6.8 %). These findings suggest that clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer interpretation is a better way of interpreting D-dimer results compared to age-adjusted interpretation.

Thermal acclimation of photosynthesis: on the importance of adjusting our definitions and accounting for thermal acclimation of respiration.

PubMed

Way, Danielle A; Yamori, Wataru

2014-02-01

While interest in photosynthetic thermal acclimation has been stimulated by climate warming, comparing results across studies requires consistent terminology. We identify five types of photosynthetic adjustments in warming experiments: photosynthesis as measured at the high growth temperature, the growth temperature, and the thermal optimum; the photosynthetic thermal optimum; and leaf-level photosynthetic capacity. Adjustments of any one of these variables need not mean a concurrent adjustment in others, which may resolve apparently contradictory results in papers using different indicators of photosynthetic acclimation. We argue that photosynthetic thermal acclimation (i.e., that benefits a plant in its new growth environment) should include adjustments of both the photosynthetic thermal optimum (T opt) and photosynthetic rates at the growth temperature (A growth), a combination termed constructive adjustment. However, many species show reduced photosynthesis when grown at elevated temperatures, despite adjustment of some photosynthetic variables, a phenomenon we term detractive adjustment. An analysis of 70 studies on 103 species shows that adjustment of T opt and A growth are more common than adjustment of other photosynthetic variables, but only half of the data demonstrate constructive adjustment. No systematic differences in these patterns were found between different plant functional groups. We also discuss the importance of thermal acclimation of respiration for net photosynthesis measurements, as respiratory temperature acclimation can generate apparent acclimation of photosynthetic processes, even if photosynthesis is unaltered. We show that while dark respiration is often used to estimate light respiration, the ratio of light to dark respiration shifts in a non-predictable manner with a change in leaf temperature.

Consanguineous Marriage and Marital Adjustment in Turkey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisiloglu, Hurol

2001-01-01

Investigates the relationship between consanguineous marriage and marital adjustment in Turkey. The results of the study show that the consanguineous marriage group had significantly lower marital adjustment and had more conflict with extended family than the nonconsanguineous marriage group. The finding is discussed in the context of research and…

Sensitivity analysis for missing dichotomous outcome data in multi-visit randomized clinical trial with randomization-based covariance adjustment.

PubMed

Li, Siying; Koch, Gary G; Preisser, John S; Lam, Diana; Sanchez-Kam, Matilde

2017-01-01

Dichotomous endpoints in clinical trials have only two possible outcomes, either directly or via categorization of an ordinal or continuous observation. It is common to have missing data for one or more visits during a multi-visit study. This paper presents a closed form method for sensitivity analysis of a randomized multi-visit clinical trial that possibly has missing not at random (MNAR) dichotomous data. Counts of missing data are redistributed to the favorable and unfavorable outcomes mathematically to address possibly informative missing data. Adjusted proportion estimates and their closed form covariance matrix estimates are provided. Treatment comparisons over time are addressed with Mantel-Haenszel adjustment for a stratification factor and/or randomization-based adjustment for baseline covariables. The application of such sensitivity analyses is illustrated with an example. An appendix outlines an extension of the methodology to ordinal endpoints.

Evaluating the effects of variation in clinical practice: a risk adjusted cost-effectiveness (RAC-E) analysis of acute stroke services.

PubMed

Pham, Clarabelle; Caffrey, Orla; Ben-Tovim, David; Hakendorf, Paul; Crotty, Maria; Karnon, Jonathan

2012-08-21

Methods for the cost-effectiveness analysis of health technologies are now well established, but such methods may also have a useful role in the context of evaluating the effects of variation in applied clinical practice. This study illustrates a general methodology for the comparative analysis of applied clinical practice at alternative institutions--risk adjusted cost-effectiveness (RAC-E) analysis--with an application that compares acute hospital services for stroke patients admitted to the main public hospitals in South Australia. Using linked, routinely collected data on all South Australian hospital separations from July 2001 to June 2008, an analysis of the RAC-E of services provided at four metropolitan hospitals was undertaken using a decision analytic framework. Observed (plus extrapolated) and expected lifetime costs and survival were compared across patient populations, from which the relative cost-effectiveness of services provided at the different hospitals was estimated. Unadjusted results showed that at one hospital patients incurred fewer costs and gained more life years than at the other hospitals (i.e. it was the dominant hospital). After risk adjustment, the cost minimizing hospital incurred the lowest costs, but with fewer life-years gained than one other hospital. The mean incremental cost per life-year gained of services provided at the most effective hospital was under $20,000, with an associated 65% probability of being cost-effective at a $50,000 per life year monetary threshold. RAC-E analyses can be used to identify important variation in the costs and outcomes associated with clinical practice at alternative institutions. Such data provides an impetus for further investigation to identify specific areas of variation, which may then inform the dissemination of best practice service delivery and organisation.

Light-adjustable lens.

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Daniel M

2003-01-01

PURPOSE: First, to determine whether a silicone light-adjustable intraocular lens (IOL) can be fabricated and adjusted precisely with a light delivery device (LDD). Second, to determine the biocompatibility of an adjustable IOL and whether the lens can be adjusted precisely in vivo. METHODS: After fabrication of a light-adjustable silicone formulation, IOLs were made and tested in vitro for cytotoxicity, leaching, precision of adjustment, optical quality after adjustment, and mechanical properties. Light-adjustable IOLs were then tested in vivo for biocompatibility and precision of adjustment in a rabbit model. In collaboration with Zeiss-Meditec, a digital LDD was developed and tested to correct for higher-order aberrations in light-adjustable IOLs. RESULTS: The results establish that a biocompatible silicone IOL can be fabricated and adjusted using safe levels of light. There was no evidence of cytotoxicity or leaching. Testing of mechanical properties revealed no significant differences from commercial controls. Implantation of light-adjustable lenses in rabbits demonstrated- excellent biocompatibility after 6 months, comparable to a commercially available IOL. In vivo spherical (hyperopic and myopic) adjustment in rabbits was achieved using an analog light delivery system. The digital light delivery system was tested and achieved correction of higher-order aberrations. CONCLUSION: A silicone light-adjustable IOL and LDD have been developed to enable postoperative, noninvasive adjustment of lens power. The ability to correct higher-order aberrations in these materials has broad potential applicability for optimization of vision in patients undergoing cataract and refractive surgery. PMID:14971588

Design of an adjustable bipod flexure for a large-aperture mirror of a space camera.

PubMed

Liu, Bei; Wang, Wei; Qu, Yan-Jun; Li, Xu-Peng; Wang, Xiao; Zhao, Hui

2018-05-20

An adjustable bipod flexure (ABF) technique for a large-aperture mirror of a space camera is presented. The proposed flexure mount can decrease the surface distortions caused by the machining error and the assembly error of the mirror assembly (MA) in a horizontal optical testing layout. Through the analysis of the compliance matrix of conventional bipod flexure, the positional relationship between the rotation center and the apex of the flexure is investigated. Then, the principle of the adjustable flexure, known as the trapezoidal switching principle, is proposed based on the analysis result. The structure and application of the flexure are also described. The optical performance of the mirror mounted by the adjustable flexures in different misalignments was performed using finite element methods. The result shows that the astigmatic aberration due to gravity is effectively reduced by adjusting the mount, and the root-mean-square value of the mirror can be minimized with the misalignment between the flexure pivot and the neutral plane minimized. New monolithic bipod flexures, based on the optimal regulating variable Δ u according to the measurement results, are manufactured to replace the ABFs to secure the mirror's safety against launch loads. Modal analysis verified the mechanical safety of the MA with respect to the new monolithic flexures.

Detection technology research on the one-way clutch of automatic brake adjuster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wensong; Luo, Zai; Lu, Yi

2013-10-01

In this article, we provide a new testing method to evaluate the acceptable quality of the one-way clutch of automatic brake adjuster. To analysis the suitable adjusting brake moment which keeps the automatic brake adjuster out of failure, we build a mechanical model of one-way clutch according to the structure and the working principle of one-way clutch. The ranges of adjusting brake moment both clockwise and anti-clockwise can be calculated through the mechanical model of one-way clutch. Its critical moment, as well, are picked up as the ideal values of adjusting brake moment to evaluate the acceptable quality of one-way clutch of automatic brake adjuster. we calculate the ideal values of critical moment depending on the different structure of one-way clutch based on its mechanical model before the adjusting brake moment test begin. In addition, an experimental apparatus, which the uncertainty of measurement is ±0.1Nm, is specially designed to test the adjusting brake moment both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Than we can judge the acceptable quality of one-way clutch of automatic brake adjuster by comparing the test results and the ideal values instead of the EXP. In fact, the evaluation standard of adjusting brake moment applied on the project are still using the EXP provided by manufacturer currently in China, but it would be unavailable when the material of one-way clutch changed. Five kinds of automatic brake adjusters are used in the verification experiment to verify the accuracy of the test method. The experimental results show that the experimental values of adjusting brake moment both clockwise and anti-clockwise are within the ranges of theoretical results. The testing method provided by this article vividly meet the requirements of manufacturer's standard.

The Adjustment Disorder--New Module 20 as a Screening Instrument: Cluster Analysis and Cut-off Values.

PubMed

Lorenz, L; Bachem, R C; Maercker, A

2016-10-01

Adjustment disorder (AjD) is a transient mental health condition emerging after stressful life events. Its diagnostic criteria have recently been under revision which led to the development of the Adjustment Disorder--New Module 20 (ADNM-20) as a self-report assessment. To identify a threshold value for people at high risk for AjD. As part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a self-help manual for burglary victims, the baseline data of all participants (n=80) were analyzed. Besides the ADNM-20, participants answered self-report questionnaires regarding the external variables post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology, depression, anxiety, and stress levels. We used cluster analysis and ROC analysis to identify the most appropriate cut-off value. The cluster analysis identified three different subgroups. They differed in their level of AjD symptomatology from low to high symptom severity. The same pattern of impairment was found for the external variables. The ROC analysis testing the ADNM-20 sum scoreagainst the theory-based diagnostic algorithm, revealed an optimal cut-off score at 47.5 to distinguish between people at high risk for AjD and people at low risk. The ADNM-20 distinguishes between people with low, moderate, and high symptomatology. The recommendation for a cut-off score at 47.5 facilitates the use of the ADNM-20 in research and practice.

Behavioral adjustment of siblings of children with autism engaged in applied behavior analysis early intervention programs: the moderating role of social support.

PubMed

Hastings, Richard P

2003-04-01

There have been few studies of the impact of intensive home-based early applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention for children with autism on family functioning. In the present study, behavioral adjustment was explored in 78 siblings of children with autism on ABA programs. First, mothers' ratings of sibling adjustment were compared to a normative sample. There were no reported increases in behavioral adjustment problems in the present sample. Second, regression analyses revealed that social support functioned as a moderator of the impact of autism severity on sibling adjustment rather than a mediator or compensatory variable. In particular, siblings in families with a less severely autistic child had fewer adjustment problems when more formal social support was also available to the family. The implications of these data for future research and for practice are discussed.

Molecular Isotopic Distribution Analysis (MIDAs) with Adjustable Mass Accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Gelio; Ogurtsov, Aleksey Y.; Yu, Yi-Kuo

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present Molecular Isotopic Distribution Analysis (MIDAs), a new software tool designed to compute molecular isotopic distributions with adjustable accuracies. MIDAs offers two algorithms, one polynomial-based and one Fourier-transform-based, both of which compute molecular isotopic distributions accurately and efficiently. The polynomial-based algorithm contains few novel aspects, whereas the Fourier-transform-based algorithm consists mainly of improvements to other existing Fourier-transform-based algorithms. We have benchmarked the performance of the two algorithms implemented in MIDAs with that of eight software packages (BRAIN, Emass, Mercury, Mercury5, NeutronCluster, Qmass, JFC, IC) using a consensus set of benchmark molecules. Under the proposed evaluation criteria, MIDAs's algorithms, JFC, and Emass compute with comparable accuracy the coarse-grained (low-resolution) isotopic distributions and are more accurate than the other software packages. For fine-grained isotopic distributions, we compared IC, MIDAs's polynomial algorithm, and MIDAs's Fourier transform algorithm. Among the three, IC and MIDAs's polynomial algorithm compute isotopic distributions that better resemble their corresponding exact fine-grained (high-resolution) isotopic distributions. MIDAs can be accessed freely through a user-friendly web-interface at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Yu/midas/index.html.

Molecular Isotopic Distribution Analysis (MIDAs) with adjustable mass accuracy.

PubMed

Alves, Gelio; Ogurtsov, Aleksey Y; Yu, Yi-Kuo

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present Molecular Isotopic Distribution Analysis (MIDAs), a new software tool designed to compute molecular isotopic distributions with adjustable accuracies. MIDAs offers two algorithms, one polynomial-based and one Fourier-transform-based, both of which compute molecular isotopic distributions accurately and efficiently. The polynomial-based algorithm contains few novel aspects, whereas the Fourier-transform-based algorithm consists mainly of improvements to other existing Fourier-transform-based algorithms. We have benchmarked the performance of the two algorithms implemented in MIDAs with that of eight software packages (BRAIN, Emass, Mercury, Mercury5, NeutronCluster, Qmass, JFC, IC) using a consensus set of benchmark molecules. Under the proposed evaluation criteria, MIDAs's algorithms, JFC, and Emass compute with comparable accuracy the coarse-grained (low-resolution) isotopic distributions and are more accurate than the other software packages. For fine-grained isotopic distributions, we compared IC, MIDAs's polynomial algorithm, and MIDAs's Fourier transform algorithm. Among the three, IC and MIDAs's polynomial algorithm compute isotopic distributions that better resemble their corresponding exact fine-grained (high-resolution) isotopic distributions. MIDAs can be accessed freely through a user-friendly web-interface at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Yu/midas/index.html.

A simple signaling rule for variable life-adjusted display derived from an equivalent risk-adjusted CUSUM chart.

PubMed

Wittenberg, Philipp; Gan, Fah Fatt; Knoth, Sven

2018-04-17

The variable life-adjusted display (VLAD) is the first risk-adjusted graphical procedure proposed in the literature for monitoring the performance of a surgeon. It displays the cumulative sum of expected minus observed deaths. It has since become highly popular because the statistic plotted is easy to understand. But it is also easy to misinterpret a surgeon's performance by utilizing the VLAD, potentially leading to grave consequences. The problem of misinterpretation is essentially caused by the variance of the VLAD's statistic that increases with sample size. In order for the VLAD to be truly useful, a simple signaling rule is desperately needed. Various forms of signaling rules have been developed, but they are usually quite complicated. Without signaling rules, making inferences using the VLAD alone is difficult if not misleading. In this paper, we establish an equivalence between a VLAD with V-mask and a risk-adjusted cumulative sum (RA-CUSUM) chart based on the difference between the estimated probability of death and surgical outcome. Average run length analysis based on simulation shows that this particular RA-CUSUM chart has similar performance as compared to the established RA-CUSUM chart based on the log-likelihood ratio statistic obtained by testing the odds ratio of death. We provide a simple design procedure for determining the V-mask parameters based on a resampling approach. Resampling from a real data set ensures that these parameters can be estimated appropriately. Finally, we illustrate the monitoring of a real surgeon's performance using VLAD with V-mask. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Developmental Typologies of Identity Formation and Adjustment in Female Emerging Adults: A Latent Class Growth Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyckx, Koen; Schwartz, Seth J.; Goossens, Luc; Soenens, Bart; Beyers, Wim

2008-01-01

The developmental interplay between identity and adjustment was examined in a seven-wave longitudinal study of 428 European female college students (M[subscript age] = 18.8 years) over a period of 3 years, with semi-annual measurement waves each year. Latent Class Growth Analysis (LCGA) was used to identify developmental typologies of both…

The effects of muscle vibration on anticipatory postural adjustments.

PubMed

Slijper, Harm; Latash, Mark L

2004-07-23

The current study investigated the influence of changes in sensory information related to postural stability on anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) in standing subjects. Subjects performed fast arm movements and a load release task while standing on a stable force platform or on an unstable board. We manipulated sensory information through vibration of the Achilles tendons and additional finger touch (contact forces under 1 N). Changes in the background activity of leg, trunk, and arm muscles and displacements of the center of pressure (COP) were quantified within time intervals typical for APAs. In the arm movement task, leg and trunk muscles showed a significant drop in the APAs with finger touch, while the vibration and standing on the unstable board each led to an increase in the APA magnitude. In the load release task, ventral muscles decreased their APA activity with touch, while dorsal muscles showed increased inhibition during APAs. During vibration, dorsal and ventral muscles showed increased excitation and inhibition during APAs, respectively. An additional analysis of APAs at a joint level, has shown that in both tasks, an index related to the co-activation of agonist-antagonist muscle pairs (C-index) was modulated with touch, vibration, and stability particularly in leg muscles. Small changes in the other index related to reciprocal activation (R-index) were found only in trunk muscles. Light touch and vibration induced opposing changes in the C-index, suggesting their opposite effects on the stabilization of a reference point or vertical. We conclude that the central nervous system deploys patterns of adjustments in which increased co-contraction of distal muscles and reciprocal adjustments in trunk muscles are modified to ensure equilibrium under postural instability.

Precision of the anchor influences the amount of adjustment.

PubMed

Janiszewski, Chris; Uy, Dan

2008-02-01

The anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic has been used to account for a wide variety of numerical judgments. Five studies show that adjustment away from a numerical anchor is smaller if the anchor is precise than if it is rounded. Evidence suggests that precise anchors, compared with rounded anchors, are represented on a subjective scale with a finer resolution. If adjustment consists of a series of iterative mental movements along a subjective scale, then an adjustment from a precise anchor should result in a smaller overall correction than an adjustment from a rounded anchor.

Long-term sickness absence due to adjustment disorder.

PubMed

Catalina-Romero, C; Pastrana-Jiménez, J I; Tenas-López, M J; Martínez-Muñoz, P; Ruiz-Moraga, M; Fernández-Labandera, C; Calvo-Bonacho, E

2012-07-01

Although adjustment disorder is frequently reported in clinical settings, scientific evidence is scarce regarding its impact on sickness absence and the variables associated with sickness absence duration. To report sickness absence duration and to identify predictors of long-term sickness absence in patients with adjustment disorder. This observational, prospective study included subjects with non-work-related sickness absence (>15 days) after a diagnosis of adjustment disorder. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the best predictors of long-term sickness absence (≥ 6 months). There were 1182 subjects in the final analysis. The median duration of sickness absence due to adjustment disorder was 91 days. Twenty-two per cent of the subjects reported long-term sickness absence. After multivariate analysis, comorbidity (OR = 2.23, 95% CI 1.43-3.49), age (25-34 years old versus <25 years old: OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.27-6.07; 35-44 years old versus <25 years old: OR = 3.70, 95% CI 1.71-7.99; 45-54 years old versus <25 years old: OR = 3.58, 95% CI 1.60-8.02; ≥ 55 years old versus <25 years old: OR = 6.35, 95% CI 2.64-15.31) and occupational level (blue collar versus white collar: OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.10-2.09) remained significantly associated with long-term sickness absence. Comorbidity was the strongest predictor. It is possible to predict long-term sickness absence due to adjustment disorder on the basis of demographic, work-related and clinical information available during the basic assessment of the patient.

Metric adjusted skew information

PubMed Central

Hansen, Frank

2008-01-01

We extend the concept of Wigner–Yanase–Dyson skew information to something we call “metric adjusted skew information” (of a state with respect to a conserved observable). This “skew information” is intended to be a non-negative quantity bounded by the variance (of an observable in a state) that vanishes for observables commuting with the state. We show that the skew information is a convex function on the manifold of states. It also satisfies other requirements, proposed by Wigner and Yanase, for an effective measure-of-information content of a state relative to a conserved observable. We establish a connection between the geometrical formulation of quantum statistics as proposed by Chentsov and Morozova and measures of quantum information as introduced by Wigner and Yanase and extended in this article. We show that the set of normalized Morozova–Chentsov functions describing the possible quantum statistics is a Bauer simplex and determine its extreme points. We determine a particularly simple skew information, the “λ-skew information,” parametrized by a λ ∈ (0, 1], and show that the convex cone this family generates coincides with the set of all metric adjusted skew informations. PMID:18635683

Rapid crystallization and morphological adjustment of zeolite ZSM-5 in nonionic emulsions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Ying, E-mail: yingzh1977@163.co; Jin Chao; Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, Beijing 100083

2011-01-15

Zeolite ZSM-5 was synthesized for the first time in a nonionic emulsion composed of polyoxyethylated alkylphenol, butanol, cyclohexane and tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH)-containing zeolite synthesis mixture. The crystallization kinetics in the emulsion was investigated and the ZSM-5 product was characterized in detail by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TG, N{sub 2} adsorption and CHN analysis techniques. Compared with the conventionally hydrothermal synthesis with the same structure directing agent TEAOH, the emulsion system allows rapid crystallization of ZSM-5. The ZSM-5 product exhibits unusual agglomerated structure and possesses larger specific surface area. The FT-IR, TG results plus CHN analysis show the encapsulation of a tracemore » of emulsion components in the emulsion ZSM-5. Control experiments show the emulsion system exerts the crystallization induction and morphological adjustment effects mainly during the aging period. The effects are tentatively attributed to the confined space domains, surfactant-water interaction as well as surfactant-growing crystals interaction existing in the emulsion. -- Graphical abstract: The nonionic emulsion synthesis allows rapid crystallization and morphological adjustment of zeolite ZSM-5 compared with the conventional hydrothermal synthesis. Display Omitted« less

Macroeconomic adjustment in developing countries: instability, short-run growth, and external dependency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leff, N.H.; Sato, K.

1980-05-01

This paper presents an aggregate model for analyzing macroeconomic adjustment and short-run growth in less-developed countries. The model is built on standard theoretical lines; but an important finding of the paper is that empirically, macroeconomic adjustment in the real sector of some differs from the professional expectations that may be prevalent in more-developed countries. This observation leads us to a reconsideration of the macroeconomics of the developing economies, and particularly of some short-term features that affect the long-run expansion path. The analysis also shows why these economies are often subject to chronic inflation and macroeconmic dependence on foreign-capital inflows. 13more » references, 4 tables.« less

Evaluation of trauma care using TRISS method: the role of adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic.

PubMed

Llullaku, Sadik S; Hyseni, Nexhmi Sh; Bytyçi, Cen I; Rexhepi, Sylejman K

2009-01-15

Major trauma is a leading cause of death worldwide. Evaluation of trauma care using Trauma Injury and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method is focused in trauma outcome (deaths and survivors). For testing TRISS method TRISS misclassification rate is used. Calculating w-statistic, as a difference between observed and TRISS expected survivors, we compare our trauma care results with the TRISS standard. The aim of this study is to analyze interaction between misclassification rate and w-statistic and to adjust these parameters to be closer to the truth. Analysis of components of TRISS misclassification rate and w-statistic and actual trauma outcome. The component of false negative (FN) (by TRISS method unexpected deaths) has two parts: preventable (Pd) and non-preventable (nonPd) trauma deaths. Pd represents inappropriate trauma care of an institution; otherwise nonpreventable trauma deaths represents errors in TRISS method. Removing patients with preventable trauma deaths we get an Adjusted misclassification rate: (FP + FN - Pd)/N or (b+c-Pd)/N. Substracting nonPd from FN value in w-statistic formula we get an Adjusted w-statistic: [FP-(FN - nonPd)]/N, respectively (FP-Pd)/N, or (b-Pd)/N). Because adjusted formulas clean method from inappropriate trauma care, and clean trauma care from the methods error, TRISS adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic gives more realistic results and may be used in researches of trauma outcome.

A longitudinal examination of career preparation and adjustment during the transition from high school.

PubMed

Stringer, Kate; Kerpelman, Jennifer; Skorikov, Vladimir

2012-09-01

Preparing for an adult career and incorporating a career into one's identity is a key task during the transition to adulthood (Erikson, 1968), and completing developmental tasks is considered a major factor in adjustment (Havinghurst, 1972). Previous research has established associations between overall career preparation in high school and adjustment soon after high school graduation. Differences in the developmental patterns of career preparation dimensions (indecision, planning, and confidence) following high school graduation also have been found. The current study builds on that prior work by examining associations between changes in the dimensions of career preparation and changes in 3 aspects of adjustment (emotional stability, social adaptation, and self-actualization) from 12th grade in high school to 4.5 years after high school graduation in a sample of 454 youths, using latent growth curve analysis. Results showed that career preparation both predicts and is predicted by adjustment. Career confidence was a particularly important predictor of adjustment. Both 12th grade career confidence and changes in confidence over time predicted changes in adjustment and adjustment 4.5 years post-high school. In an alternative model, an increase in emotional stability was predictive of higher career confidence and lower indecision. Results are discussed in the context of developmental theories and the notion that adjustment and career are interrelated processes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Relationship between negative mental adjustment to cancer and distress in thyroid cancer patients.

PubMed

Seok, Jeong-Ho; Choi, Won-Jung; Lee, Yong Sang; Park, Cheong Soo; Oh, Young-Ja; Kim, Jong-Sun; Chang, Hang-Seok

2013-05-01

Previous studies have reported that over a third of cancer patients experience significant psychological distress with diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Mental adjustment to cancer as well as other biologic and demographic factors may be associated with their distress. We investigated the relationship between mental adjustment and distress in patients with thyroid cancer prior to thyroidectomy. One hundred and fifty-two thyroid cancer patients were included in the final analysis. After global distress levels were screened with a distress thermometer, patients were evaluated concerning mental adjustment to cancer, as well as demographic and cancer-related characteristics. A thyroid function test was also performed. Regression analysis was performed to discern significant factors associated with distress in thyroid cancer patients. Our regression model was significant and explained 38.5% of the total variance in distress of this patient group. Anxious-preoccupation and helpless-hopeless factors on the mental adjustment to cancer scale were significantly associated with distress in thyroid cancer patients. Negative emotional response to cancer diagnosis may be associated with distress in thyroid cancer patients awaiting thyroidectomy. Screening of mental coping strategies at the beginning of cancer treatment may predict psychological distress in cancer patients. Further studies on the efficacy of psychiatric intervention during cancer treatment may be needed for patients showing maladaptive psychological responses to cancer.

Risk adjustment as basis for rational benchmarking: the example of colon carcinoma.

PubMed

Ptok, Henry; Marusch, Frank; Schmidt, Uwe; Gastinger, Ingo; Wenisch, Hubertus J C; Lippert, Hans

2011-01-01

The results of resection of colorectal carcinoma can vary greatly from one hospital to another. However, this does not necessarily reflect differences in the quality of treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare various tools for the risk-adjusted assessment of treatment results after resection of colorectal carcinoma within the context of hospital benchmarking. On the basis of a data pool provided by a multicentric observation study of patients with colon cancer, the postoperative in-hospital mortality rates at two high-volume hospitals ("A" and "B") were compared. After univariate comparison, risk-adjusted comparison of postoperative mortality was performed by logistic regression analysis (LReA), propensity-score analysis (PScA), and the CR-POSSUM score. Postoperative complications were compared by LReA and PScA. Although postoperative mortality differed significantly (P = 0.041) in univariate comparison of hospitals A and B (2.9% vs. 6.4%), no significant difference was found by LReA or PScA. Similarly, the observed mortality at these did not differ significantly from the mortality estimated by the CR-POSSUM score (hospital A, 2.9%/4.9%, P = 0.298; hospital B, 6.4%/6.5%, P = 1.000). Significant differences were seen in risk-adjusted comparison of most postoperative complications (by both LReA and PScA), but there were no differences in the rates of relaparotomy or anastomotic leakage that required surgery. For the hard outcome variable "postoperative mortality," none of the three risk adjustment procedures showed any difference between the hospitals. The CR-POSSUM score can be regarded as the most practicable tool for risk-adjusted comparison of the outcome of colon-carcinoma resection in clinical benchmarking.

Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy and ROC Curves with Covariate Adjusted Semiparametric Mixtures.

PubMed

Doebler, Philipp; Holling, Heinz

2015-12-01

Many screening tests dichotomize a measurement to classify subjects. Typically a cut-off value is chosen in a way that allows identification of an acceptable number of cases relative to a reference procedure, but does not produce too many false positives at the same time. Thus for the same sample many pairs of sensitivities and false positive rates result as the cut-off is varied. The curve of these points is called the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. One goal of diagnostic meta-analysis is to integrate ROC curves and arrive at a summary ROC (SROC) curve. Holling, Böhning, and Böhning (Psychometrika 77:106-126, 2012a) demonstrated that finite semiparametric mixtures can describe the heterogeneity in a sample of Lehmann ROC curves well; this approach leads to clusters of SROC curves of a particular shape. We extend this work with the help of the [Formula: see text] transformation, a flexible family of transformations for proportions. A collection of SROC curves is constructed that approximately contains the Lehmann family but in addition allows the modeling of shapes beyond the Lehmann ROC curves. We introduce two rationales for determining the shape from the data. Using the fact that each curve corresponds to a natural univariate measure of diagnostic accuracy, we show how covariate adjusted mixtures lead to a meta-regression on SROC curves. Three worked examples illustrate the method.

Frequency adjustable MEMS vibration energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podder, P.; Constantinou, P.; Amann, A.; Roy, S.

2016-10-01

Ambient mechanical vibrations offer an attractive solution for powering the wireless sensor nodes of the emerging “Internet-of-Things”. However, the wide-ranging variability of the ambient vibration frequencies pose a significant challenge to the efficient transduction of vibration into usable electrical energy. This work reports the development of a MEMS electromagnetic vibration energy harvester where the resonance frequency of the oscillator can be adjusted or tuned to adapt to the ambient vibrational frequency. Micro-fabricated silicon spring and double layer planar micro-coils along with sintered NdFeB micro-magnets are used to construct the electromagnetic transduction mechanism. Furthermore, another NdFeB magnet is adjustably assembled to induce variable magnetic interaction with the transducing magnet, leading to significant change in the spring stiffness and resonance frequency. Finite element analysis and numerical simulations exhibit substantial frequency tuning range (25% of natural resonance frequency) by appropriate adjustment of the repulsive magnetic interaction between the tuning and transducing magnet pair. This demonstrated method of frequency adjustment or tuning have potential applications in other MEMS vibration energy harvesters and micromechanical oscillators.

The self as a mediator between personality and adjustment.

PubMed

Graziano, W G; Jensen-Campbell, L A; Finch, J F

1997-08-01

The self can be conceptualized as a mediating agent that translates personality into situated goal-directed activities and adaptation. This research used a level-of-analysis approach to link personality dimensions (Level I) to self-systems (Level II) and to teacher ratings of adjustment in African American, Mexican American, and European American students (N = 317). The authors hypothesized that links among aspects of self-esteem and teacher ratings of adjustment would be domain specific, and those links to dimensions of the 5-factor model would reflects the domain specificity. Structural equation modeling corroborated hypotheses about domain specificity in links between adjustment and 5-factor dimensions. Results were discussed in terms of levels of analysis for personality structure, personality development, and age-related adaptations to social contexts.

Risk-adjusted monitoring of survival times

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sego, Landon H.; Reynolds, Marion R.; Woodall, William H.

2009-02-26

We consider the monitoring of clinical outcomes, where each patient has a di®erent risk of death prior to undergoing a health care procedure.We propose a risk-adjusted survival time CUSUM chart (RAST CUSUM) for monitoring clinical outcomes where the primary endpoint is a continuous, time-to-event variable that may be right censored. Risk adjustment is accomplished using accelerated failure time regression models. We compare the average run length performance of the RAST CUSUM chart to the risk-adjusted Bernoulli CUSUM chart, using data from cardiac surgeries to motivate the details of the comparison. The comparisons show that the RAST CUSUM chart is moremore » efficient at detecting a sudden decrease in the odds of death than the risk-adjusted Bernoulli CUSUM chart, especially when the fraction of censored observations is not too high. We also discuss the implementation of a prospective monitoring scheme using the RAST CUSUM chart.« less

Developmental Trajectories of Chinese Adolescents' Relational Aggression: Associations With Changes in Social-Psychological Adjustment.

PubMed

Chen, Liang; Zhang, Wenxin; Ji, Linqin; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2018-05-25

This study investigated the development of relational aggression (RA) in a sample of Chinese youth (N = 2,274, 52% boys) from fourth (M age  = 10.27 years) to ninth grade. Using latent class growth analysis, four trajectories were identified for both peer- and teacher-rated RA: a no aggression trajectory, a low-increasing trajectory, a moderate-decreasing trajectory, and a chronically high trajectory. Chronically high RA showed a chronicity effect on adolescent peer acceptance, rejection, and rule-breaking behaviors. Adolescents showed worse adjustment as RA increased, but they did not necessarily evidence significant improvement in adjustment even if their RA decreased. Findings reveal the maladaptive nature of RA and highlight the importance of considering cultural context in understanding RA. © 2018 Society for Research in Child Development.

ADJUST: An automatic EEG artifact detector based on the joint use of spatial and temporal features.

PubMed

Mognon, Andrea; Jovicich, Jorge; Bruzzone, Lorenzo; Buiatti, Marco

2011-02-01

A successful method for removing artifacts from electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is Independent Component Analysis (ICA), but its implementation remains largely user-dependent. Here, we propose a completely automatic algorithm (ADJUST) that identifies artifacted independent components by combining stereotyped artifact-specific spatial and temporal features. Features were optimized to capture blinks, eye movements, and generic discontinuities on a feature selection dataset. Validation on a totally different EEG dataset shows that (1) ADJUST's classification of independent components largely matches a manual one by experts (agreement on 95.2% of the data variance), and (2) Removal of the artifacted components detected by ADJUST leads to neat reconstruction of visual and auditory event-related potentials from heavily artifacted data. These results demonstrate that ADJUST provides a fast, efficient, and automatic way to use ICA for artifact removal. Copyright © 2010 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

The Games Analysis Intervention: A Procedure to Increase the Peer Acceptance and Social Adjustment of a Retarded Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Mike

1979-01-01

A study investigated the effectiveness of a therapeutic motor development program in increasing the social adjustment and peer acceptance of a mainstreamed 10-year-old educable mentally retarded boy. The motor development program was based on the games analysis model and involved the S and 13 of his normal classmates. (Author/DLS)

Detail of tension bars at end posts western truss. Shows ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Detail of tension bars at end posts western truss. Shows adjustable bars at top of structure; diagonal and vertical members on truss are not adjustable. Looking north from civilian land. - Naval Supply Annex Stockton, Daggett Road Bridge, Daggett Road traversing Burns Cut Off, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

Approaches of aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA) for headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-olfactometry (HS-SPME-GC-O): Altering sample amount, diluting the sample or adjusting split ratio?

PubMed

Feng, Yunzi; Cai, Yu; Sun-Waterhouse, Dongxiao; Cui, Chun; Su, Guowan; Lin, Lianzhu; Zhao, Mouming

2015-11-15

Aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) is widely used for the screening of aroma-active compounds in gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). In this study, three aroma dilution methods, (I) using different test sample volumes, (II) diluting samples, and (III) adjusting the GC injector split ratio, were compared for the analysis of volatiles by using HS-SPME-AEDA. Results showed that adjusting the GC injector split ratio (III) was the most desirable approach, based on the linearity relationships between Ln (normalised peak area) and Ln (normalised flavour dilution factors). Thereafter this dilution method was applied in the analysis of aroma-active compounds in Japanese soy sauce and 36 key odorants were found in this study. The most intense aroma-active components in Japanese soy sauce were: ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl 4-methylpentanoate, 3-(methylthio)propanal, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-methoxyphenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 2-phenylethanol, and 4-hydroxy-5-ethyl-2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Links between patterns of racial socialization and discrimination experiences and psychological adjustment: a cluster analysis.

PubMed

Ajayi, Alex A; Syed, Moin

2014-10-01

This study used a person-oriented analytic approach to identify meaningful patterns of barriers-focused racial socialization and perceived racial discrimination experiences in a sample of 295 late adolescents. Using cluster analysis, three distinct groups were identified: Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination, High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination, and High Barrier Socialization-High Discrimination clusters. These groups were substantively unique in terms of the frequency of racial socialization messages about bias preparation and out-group mistrust its members received and their actual perceived discrimination experiences. Further, individuals in the High Barrier Socialization-High Discrimination cluster reported significantly higher depressive symptoms than those in the Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination and High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination clusters. However, no differences in adjustment were observed between the Low Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination and High Barrier Socialization-Low Discrimination clusters. Overall, the findings highlight important individual differences in how young people of color experience their race and how these differences have significant implications on psychological adjustment. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical adjustment of culture-independent diagnostic tests for trend analysis in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), USA.

PubMed

Gu, Weidong; Dutta, Vikrant; Patrick, Mary; Bruce, Beau B; Geissler, Aimee; Huang, Jennifer; Fitzgerald, Collette; Henao, Olga

2018-03-19

Culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) are increasingly used to diagnose Campylobacter infection in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet). Because CIDTs have different performance characteristics compared with culture, which has been used historically and is still used to diagnose campylobacteriosis, adjustment of cases diagnosed by CIDT is needed to compare with culture-confirmed cases for monitoring incidence trends. We identified the necessary parameters for CIDT adjustment using culture as the gold standard, and derived formulas to calculate positive predictive values (PPVs). We conducted a literature review and meta-analysis to examine the variability in CIDT performance and Campylobacter prevalence applicable to FoodNet sites. We then developed a Monte Carlo method to estimate test-type and site-specific PPVs with their associated uncertainties. The uncertainty in our estimated PPVs was largely derived from uncertainty about the specificity of CIDTs and low prevalence of Campylobacter in tested samples. Stable CIDT-adjusted incidences of Campylobacter cases from 2012 to 2015 were observed compared with a decline in culture-confirmed incidence. We highlight the lack of data on the total numbers of tested samples as one of main limitations for CIDT adjustment. Our results demonstrate the importance of adjusting CIDTs for understanding trends in Campylobacter incidence in FoodNet.

The Role of Jet Adjustment Processes in Subtropical Dust Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokharel, Ashok Kumar; Kaplan, Michael L.; Fiedler, Stephanie

2017-11-01

Meso-α/β/γ scale atmospheric processes of jet dynamics responsible for generating Harmattan, Saudi Arabian, and Bodélé Depression dust storms are analyzed with observations and high-resolution modeling. The analysis of the role of jet adjustment processes in each dust storm shows similarities as follows: (1) the presence of a well-organized baroclinic synoptic scale system, (2) cross mountain flows that produced a leeside inversion layer prior to the large-scale dust storm, (3) the presence of thermal wind imbalance in the exit region of the midtropospheric jet streak in the lee of the respective mountains shortly after the time of the inversion formation, (4) dust storm formation accompanied by large magnitude ageostrophic isallobaric low-level winds as part of the meso-β scale adjustment process, (5) substantial low-level turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), and (6) emission and uplift of mineral dust in the lee of nearby mountains. The thermally forced meso-γ scale adjustment processes, which occurred in the canyons/small valleys, may have been the cause of numerous observed dust streaks leading to the entry of the dust into the atmosphere due to the presence of significant vertical motion and TKE generation. This study points to the importance of meso-β to meso-γ scale adjustment processes at low atmospheric levels due to an imbalance within the exit region of an upper level jet streak for the formation of severe dust storms. The low level TKE, which is one of the prerequisites to deflate the dust from the surface, cannot be detected with the low resolution data sets; so our results show that a high spatial resolution is required for better representing TKE as a proxy for dust emission.

Introducing conjoint analysis method into delayed lotteries studies: its validity and time stability are higher than in adjusting

PubMed Central

Białek, Michał; Markiewicz, Łukasz; Sawicki, Przemysław

2015-01-01

The delayed lotteries are much more common in everyday life than are pure lotteries. Usually, we need to wait to find out the outcome of the risky decision (e.g., investing in a stock market, engaging in a relationship). However, most research has studied the time discounting and probability discounting in isolation using the methodologies designed specifically to track changes in one parameter. Most commonly used method is adjusting, but its reported validity and time stability in research on discounting are suboptimal. The goal of this study was to introduce the novel method for analyzing delayed lotteries—conjoint analysis—which hypothetically is more suitable for analyzing individual preferences in this area. A set of two studies compared the conjoint analysis with adjusting. The results suggest that individual parameters of discounting strength estimated with conjoint have higher predictive value (Study 1 and 2), and they are more stable over time (Study 2) compared to adjusting. We discuss these findings, despite the exploratory character of reported studies, by suggesting that future research on delayed lotteries should be cross-validated using both methods. PMID:25674069

Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustments in Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

To accomplish this research, a comprehensive literature review of existing guidelines and findings based on national and local studies was conducted. Ultimately, guidelines for consistent application for adjusting right-turn traffic volumes were deve...

The Role of Local Ancestry Adjustment in Association Studies Using Admixed Populations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jianqi; Stram, Daniel O.

2016-01-01

Association analysis using admixed populations imposes challenges and opportunities for disease mapping. By developing some explicit results for the variance of an allele of interest conditional on either local or global ancestry and by simulation of recently admixed genomes we evaluate power and false-positive rates under a variety of scenarios concerning linkage disequilibrium (LD) and the presence of unmeasured variants. Pairwise LD patterns were compared between admixed and nonadmixed populations using the HapMap phase 3 data. Based on the above, we showed that as follows: For causal variants with similar effect size in all populations, power is generally higher in a study using admixed population than using nonadmixed population, especially for highly differentiated SNPs. This gain of power is achieved with adjustment of global ancestry, which completely removes any cross-chromosome inflation of type I error rates, and addresses much of the intrachromosome inflation.If reliably estimated, adjusting for local ancestry precisely recovers the localization that could have been achieved in a stratified analysis of source populations. Improved localization is most evident for highly differentiated SNPs; however, the advantage of higher power is lost on exactly the same differentiated SNPs.In the real admixed populations such as African Americans and Latinos, the expansion of LD is not as dramatic as in our simulation.While adjustment for global ancestry is required prior to announcing a novel association seen in an admixed population, local ancestry adjustment may best be regarded as a localization tool not strictly required for discovery purposes. PMID:25043967

In vitro rapid intraoral adjustment of porcelain prostheses using a high-speed dental handpiece.

PubMed

Song, Xiao-Fei; Yin, Ling; Han, Yi-Gang; Wang, Hui

2008-03-01

In vitro rapid intraoral adjustment of porcelain prostheses was conducted using a high-speed dental handpiece and diamond bur. The adjustment process was characterized by measurement of removal forces and energy, with scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation of porcelain debris, surfaces and subsurface damage produced as a function of operational feed rate. Finite element analysis (FEA) was applied to evaluate subsurface stress distributions and degrees of subsurface damage. The results show that an increase in feed rate resulted in increases in both tangential and normal forces (analysis of variance (ANOVA), P<0.01). When the feed rate approached the highest rate of 60mm min(-1) at a fixed depth of cut of 100microm, the tangential force was nearly seven times that at the lowest feed rate of 15mm min(-1). Consequently, the specific removal energy increased significantly (ANOVA, P<0.01), and the maximum depth of subsurface damage obtained was approximately 110 and 120microm at the highest feed rate of 60mm min(-1) using SEM and FEA, respectively. The topographies of both the adjusted porcelain surfaces and the debris demonstrate microscopically that porcelain was removed via brittle fracture and plastic deformation. Clinicians must be cautious when pursuing rapid dental adjustments, because high operational energy, larger forces and severe surface and subsurface damage can be induced.

Patterns of Individual Adjustment Changes During Middle School Transition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, HyunHee; Elias, Maurice; Schneider, Kenneth

1998-01-01

Examines the patterns of individual adjustment changes in a sample of 99 early adolescents during an ecological transition from elementary school to middle school. Shows significant changes in adjustment as indicated by increased psychological distress or decreased academic achievement. Examines gender differences. Presents implications for…

Farm Business Management Analysis: Adjusting the Farm Business to Increase Profit. Unit III. Volume 15, Number 3. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denker, Robert; And Others

Designed primarily for Missouri vocational agricultural instructors participating in the Farm Business Management Analysis Program, this instructor's guide, consisting of 10 lessons, deals with adjusting a farm business to increase profits. The following topics are covered in the individual lessons: law and the farm family, planning income tax…

The Ostomy Adjustment Scale: translation into Norwegian language with validation and reliability testing.

PubMed

Indrebø, Kirsten Lerum; Andersen, John Roger; Natvig, Gerd Karin

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Ostomy Adjustment Scale to a Norwegian version and to assess its construct validity and 2 components of its reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability). One hundred fifty-eight of 217 patients (73%) with a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy participated in the study. Slightly more than half (56%) were men. Their mean age was 64 years (range, 26-91 years). All respondents had undergone ostomy surgery at least 3 months before participation in the study. The Ostomy Adjustment Scale was translated into Norwegian according to standard procedures for forward and backward translation. The questionnaire was sent to the participants via regular post. The Cronbach alpha and test-retest were computed to assess reliability. Construct validity was evaluated via correlations between each item and score sums; correlations were used to analyze relationships between the Ostomy Adjustment Scale and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Quality of Life Scale, the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The Cronbach alpha was 0.93, and test-retest reliability r was 0.69. The average correlation quotient item to sum score was 0.49 (range, 0.31-0.73). Results showed moderate negative correlations between the Ostomy Adjustment Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (-0.37 and -0.40), and moderate positive correlations between the Ostomy Adjustment Scale and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Quality of Life Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (0.30-0.45) with the exception of the pain domain in the Short Form 36 (0.28). Regression analysis showed linear associations between the Ostomy Adjustment Scale and sociodemographic and clinical variables with the exception of education. The Norwegian language version of the Ostomy Adjustment Scale was found to possess construct validity, along with internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The instrument is

PTSD symptoms and marital adjustment among ex-POWs' wives.

PubMed

Levin, Yafit; Greene, Talya; Solomon, Zahava

2016-02-01

This study prospectively assessed the implications of war captivity and former prisoners of war's (ex-POWs) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD trajectory on their wives' marital adjustment, adjusting for their secondary traumatization (ST). Results show that marital adjustment of the wives of ex-POWs with PTSD (N = 66) was lower compared to wives of ex-POWs (N = 37) and combat veterans (N = 55) without PTSD symptoms. Investigating the possible mechanism underlying the lower marital adjustment, via a mediating model, indicated that husbands' PTSD symptoms mediated the association between captivity and the wives' marital adjustment. Moreover, husbands' PTSD trajectories assessed over 17 years were implicated in their wives' marital adjustment; wives of ex-POWs with chronic PTSD reported lower marital adjustment compared to wives of resilient ex-POWs. The substantial novelty was revealed in prospective deterioration found in dyadic adjustment among wives of ex-POWs with delayed PTSD, but not for wives of chronic or resilient ex-POWs. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

49 CFR 393.53 - Automatic brake adjusters and brake adjustment indicators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... indicators. 393.53 Section 393.53 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... brake adjustment indicators. (a) Automatic brake adjusters (hydraulic brake systems). Each commercial... vehicle at the time it was manufactured. (c) Brake adjustment indicator (air brake systems). On each...

49 CFR 393.53 - Automatic brake adjusters and brake adjustment indicators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... indicators. 393.53 Section 393.53 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... brake adjustment indicators. (a) Automatic brake adjusters (hydraulic brake systems). Each commercial... vehicle at the time it was manufactured. (c) Brake adjustment indicator (air brake systems). On each...

Process monitoring in intensive care with the use of cumulative expected minus observed mortality and risk-adjusted P charts.

PubMed

Cockings, Jerome G L; Cook, David A; Iqbal, Rehana K

2006-02-01

A health care system is a complex adaptive system. The effect of a single intervention, incorporated into a complex clinical environment, may be different from that expected. A national database such as the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) Case Mix Programme in the UK represents a centralised monitoring, surveillance and reporting system for retrospective quality and comparative audit. This can be supplemented with real-time process monitoring at a local level for continuous process improvement, allowing early detection of the impact of both unplanned and deliberately imposed changes in the clinical environment. Demographic and UK Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) data were prospectively collected on all patients admitted to a UK regional hospital between 1 January 2003 and 30 June 2004 in accordance with the ICNARC Case Mix Programme. We present a cumulative expected minus observed (E-O) plot and the risk-adjusted p chart as methods of continuous process monitoring. We describe the construction and interpretation of these charts and show how they can be used to detect planned or unplanned organisational process changes affecting mortality outcomes. Five hundred and eighty-nine adult patients were included. The overall death rate was 0.78 of predicted. Calibration showed excess survival in ranges above 30% risk of death. The E-O plot confirmed a survival above that predicted. Small transient variations were seen in the slope that could represent random effects, or real but transient changes in the quality of care. The risk-adjusted p chart showed several observations below the 2 SD control limits of the expected mortality rate. These plots provide rapid analysis of risk-adjusted performance suitable for local application and interpretation. The E-O chart provided rapid easily visible feedback of changes in risk-adjusted mortality, while the risk-adjusted p chart allowed statistical evaluation. Local analysis of

Adjusting for the Confounding Effects of Treatment Switching-The BREAK-3 Trial: Dabrafenib Versus Dacarbazine.

PubMed

Latimer, Nicholas R; Abrams, Keith R; Amonkar, Mayur M; Stapelkamp, Ceilidh; Swann, R Suzanne

2015-07-01

Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E mutation-positive melanoma in BREAK-3 showed a median overall survival (OS) of 18.2 months for dabrafenib versus 15.6 months for dacarbazine (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-1.21). Because patients receiving dacarbazine were allowed to switch to dabrafenib at disease progression, we attempted to adjust for the confounding effects on OS. Rank preserving structural failure time models (RPSFTMs) and the iterative parameter estimation (IPE) algorithm were used. Two analyses, "treatment group" (assumes treatment effect could continue until death) and "on-treatment observed" (assumes treatment effect disappears with discontinuation), were used to test the assumptions around the durability of the treatment effect. A total of 36 of 63 patients (57%) receiving dacarbazine switched to dabrafenib. The adjusted OS HRs ranged from 0.50 to 0.55, depending on the analysis. The RPSFTM and IPE "treatment group" and "on-treatment observed" analyses performed similarly well. RPSFTM and IPE analyses resulted in point estimates for the OS HR that indicate a substantial increase in the treatment effect compared with the unadjusted OS HR of 0.76. The results are uncertain because of the assumptions associated with the adjustment methods. The confidence intervals continued to cross 1.00; thus, the adjusted estimates did not provide statistically significant evidence of a treatment benefit on survival. However, it is clear that a standard intention-to-treat analysis will be confounded in the presence of treatment switching-a reliance on unadjusted analyses could lead to inappropriate practice. Adjustment analyses provide useful additional information on the estimated treatment effects to inform decision making. Treatment switching is common in oncology trials, and the implications of this for the interpretation of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the novel treatment are important to consider. If

Adjusting for the Confounding Effects of Treatment Switching—The BREAK-3 Trial: Dabrafenib Versus Dacarbazine

PubMed Central

Abrams, Keith R.; Amonkar, Mayur M.; Stapelkamp, Ceilidh; Swann, R. Suzanne

2015-01-01

Background. Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E mutation-positive melanoma in BREAK-3 showed a median overall survival (OS) of 18.2 months for dabrafenib versus 15.6 months for dacarbazine (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.48–1.21). Because patients receiving dacarbazine were allowed to switch to dabrafenib at disease progression, we attempted to adjust for the confounding effects on OS. Materials and Methods. Rank preserving structural failure time models (RPSFTMs) and the iterative parameter estimation (IPE) algorithm were used. Two analyses, “treatment group” (assumes treatment effect could continue until death) and “on-treatment observed” (assumes treatment effect disappears with discontinuation), were used to test the assumptions around the durability of the treatment effect. Results. A total of 36 of 63 patients (57%) receiving dacarbazine switched to dabrafenib. The adjusted OS HRs ranged from 0.50 to 0.55, depending on the analysis. The RPSFTM and IPE “treatment group” and “on-treatment observed” analyses performed similarly well. Conclusion. RPSFTM and IPE analyses resulted in point estimates for the OS HR that indicate a substantial increase in the treatment effect compared with the unadjusted OS HR of 0.76. The results are uncertain because of the assumptions associated with the adjustment methods. The confidence intervals continued to cross 1.00; thus, the adjusted estimates did not provide statistically significant evidence of a treatment benefit on survival. However, it is clear that a standard intention-to-treat analysis will be confounded in the presence of treatment switching—a reliance on unadjusted analyses could lead to inappropriate practice. Adjustment analyses provide useful additional information on the estimated treatment effects to inform decision making. Implications for Practice: Treatment switching is common in oncology trials, and the implications of this for the interpretation of the

An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Students' Adjustment at a University in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutambara, Julia; Bhebe, Veni

2012-01-01

This study provides insight into transition experiences and adjustment of students at a university in Zimbabwe. Research was based on students in the first three semesters of college. Based on prior research college adjustment was conceptualised in this study as involving personal, emotional, social and academic issues. The study was qualitative…

Family Profiles of Cohesion and Parenting Practices and Latino Youth Adjustment.

PubMed

Bámaca-Colbert, Mayra Y; Gonzales-Backen, Melinda; Henry, Carolyn S; Kim, Peter S Y; Roblyer, Martha Zapata; Plunkett, Scott W; Sands, Tovah

2017-08-10

Using a sample of 279 (52% female) Latino youth in 9th grade (M = 14.57, SD = .56), we examined profiles of family cohesion and parenting practices and their relation to youth adjustment. The results of latent profile analyses revealed four family profiles: Engaged, Supportive, Intrusive, and Disengaged. Latino youth in the Supportive family profile showed most positive adjustment (highest self-esteem and lowest depressive symptoms), followed by youth in the Engaged family profile. Youth in the Intrusive and Disengaged profiles showed the lowest levels of positive adjustment. The findings contribute to the current literature on family dynamics, family profiles, and youth psychological adjustment within specific ethnic groups. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

Factors influencing psychosocial adjustment and quality of life in Parkinson patients and informal caregivers.

PubMed

Navarta-Sánchez, María Victoria; Senosiain García, Juana M; Riverol, Mario; Ursúa Sesma, María Eugenia; Díaz de Cerio Ayesa, Sara; Anaut Bravo, Sagrario; Caparrós Civera, Neus; Portillo, Mari Carmen

2016-08-01

The influence that social conditions and personal attitudes may have on the quality of life (QoL) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and informal caregivers does not receive enough attention in health care, as a result of it not being clearly identified, especially in informal caregivers. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of psychosocial adjustment and QoL determinants in PD patients and informal caregivers. Ninety-one PD patients and 83 caregivers participated in the study. Multiple regression analyses were performed including benefit finding, coping, disease severity and socio-demographic factors, in order to determine how these aspects influence the psychosocial adjustment and QoL in PD patients and caregivers. Regression models showed that severity of PD was the main predictor of psychosocial adjustment and QoL in patients. Nevertheless, multiple regression analyses also revealed that coping was a significant predictor of psychosocial adjustment in patients and caregivers. Furthermore, psychosocial adjustment was significantly related to QoL in patients and caregivers. Also, coping and benefit finding were predictors of QoL in caregivers but not in patients. Multidisciplinary interventions aimed at improving PD patients' QoL may have more effective outcomes if education about coping skills, and how these can help towards a positive psychosocial adjustment to illness, were included, and targeted not only at patients, but also at informal caregivers.

Risk-adjusted capitation: recent experiences in The Netherlands.

PubMed

van de Ven, W P; van Vliet, R C; van Barneveld, E M; Lamers, L M

1994-01-01

The market-oriented health care reforms taking place in the Netherlands show a clear resemblance to the proposals for managed competition in U.S. health care. In both countries good risk adjustment mechanisms that prevent cream skimming--that is, that prevent plans from selecting the best health risks--are critical to the success of the reforms. In this paper we present an overview of the Dutch reforms and of our research concerning risk-adjusted capitation payments. Although we are optimistic about the technical possibilities for solving the problem of cream skimming, the implementation of good risk-adjusted capitation is a long-term challenge.

Meta-analysis of lung cancer in asphalt roofing and paving workers with external adjustment for confounding by coal tar

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fayerweather, W.E.

2007-07-01

The study's objectives were to update Partanen's and Boffetta's 1994 meta-analysis of lung cancer among roofing and paving asphalt workers and explore the role of coal tar in explaining the statistical heterogeneity among these studies. Information retrieval strategies and eligibility criteria were defined for identifying the epidemiologic studies to be included in the analysis. The relative risk ratio (RR) for lung cancer was selected as the effect measure of interest. Coal tar bias factors were developed and used to externally adjust each eligible study's published RR for confounding by coal tar. The meta-Relative Risk (meta-RR) and its variance were estimatedmore » by general variance-based methods. Heterogeneity of the RRs was assessed by heterogeneity chi-square and I{sup 2} tests. The results from this update were similar to those in Partanen's and Boffetta's original meta-analysis. Although the meta-RRs for the roofers and the pavers were no longer statistically significantly different from one another, significant heterogeneity remained within each of the coal tar-adjusted sectors. Meta-analysis of non-experimental epidemiologic studies is subject to significant uncertainties as is externally correcting studies for confounding. Given these uncertainties, the specific quantitative estimates in this (or any similar) analysis must be viewed with caution. Nevertheless, this analysis provides support for the hypothesis proposed by several major reviewers that confounding by coal tar-related PAH exposures may explain most or all of the lung cancer risks found in the epidemiologic literature on asphalt roofing and paving workers.« less

Assessing the Efficacy of Adjustable Moving Averages Using ASEAN-5 Currencies.

PubMed

Chan Phooi M'ng, Jacinta; Zainudin, Rozaimah

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to examine the trends in the exchange rate markets of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia (IDR), Malaysia (MYR), the Philippines (PHP), Singapore (SGD), and Thailand (THB)) through the application of dynamic moving average trading systems. This research offers evidence of the usefulness of the time-varying volatility technical analysis indicator, Adjustable Moving Average (AMA') in deciphering trends in these ASEAN-5 exchange rate markets. This time-varying volatility factor, referred to as the Efficacy Ratio in this paper, is embedded in AMA'. The Efficacy Ratio adjusts the AMA' to the prevailing market conditions by avoiding whipsaws (losses due, in part, to acting on wrong trading signals, which generally occur when there is no general direction in the market) in range trading and by entering early into new trends in trend trading. The efficacy of AMA' is assessed against other popular moving-average rules. Based on the January 2005 to December 2014 dataset, our findings show that the moving averages and AMA' are superior to the passive buy-and-hold strategy. Specifically, AMA' outperforms the other models for the United States Dollar against PHP (USD/PHP) and USD/THB currency pairs. The results show that different length moving averages perform better in different periods for the five currencies. This is consistent with our hypothesis that a dynamic adjustable technical indicator is needed to cater for different periods in different markets.

Assessing the Efficacy of Adjustable Moving Averages Using ASEAN-5 Currencies

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to examine the trends in the exchange rate markets of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia (IDR), Malaysia (MYR), the Philippines (PHP), Singapore (SGD), and Thailand (THB)) through the application of dynamic moving average trading systems. This research offers evidence of the usefulness of the time-varying volatility technical analysis indicator, Adjustable Moving Average (AMA′) in deciphering trends in these ASEAN-5 exchange rate markets. This time-varying volatility factor, referred to as the Efficacy Ratio in this paper, is embedded in AMA′. The Efficacy Ratio adjusts the AMA′ to the prevailing market conditions by avoiding whipsaws (losses due, in part, to acting on wrong trading signals, which generally occur when there is no general direction in the market) in range trading and by entering early into new trends in trend trading. The efficacy of AMA′ is assessed against other popular moving-average rules. Based on the January 2005 to December 2014 dataset, our findings show that the moving averages and AMA′ are superior to the passive buy-and-hold strategy. Specifically, AMA′ outperforms the other models for the United States Dollar against PHP (USD/PHP) and USD/THB currency pairs. The results show that different length moving averages perform better in different periods for the five currencies. This is consistent with our hypothesis that a dynamic adjustable technical indicator is needed to cater for different periods in different markets. PMID:27574972

[Adjustment disorder and DSM-5: A review].

PubMed

Appart, A; Lange, A-K; Sievert, I; Bihain, F; Tordeurs, D

2017-02-01

This paper exposes the complexity and discrete characteristic of the adjustment disorder with reference to its clinical and scientific diagnosis. Even though the disorder occurs in frequent clinical circumstances after important life events, such as mobbing, burn-out, unemployment, divorce or separation, pregnancy denial, surgical operation or cancer, the adjustment disorder is often not considered in the diagnosis since better known disorders with similar symptoms prevail, such as major depression and anxiety disorder. Ten years ago, Bottéro had already noticed that the adjustment disorder diagnosis remained rather uncommon with reference to patients he was working with while Langlois assimilated this disorder with an invisible diagnosis. In order to maximize the data collection, we used the article review below and challenged their surveys and results: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NBCI - Pubmed) for international articles and Cairn.info for French literature. Moreover, we targeted the following keywords on the search engine and used articles, which had been published from 1 February 1975 to 31 January 2015: "adjustment", "adjustment disorder" and the French translation "trouble de l'adaptation". One hundred and ninety-one articles matched our search criteria. However, after a closer analysis, solely 105 articles were selected as being of interest. Many articles were excluded since they were related to non-psychiatric fields induced by the term "adaptation". Indeed, the number of corresponding articles found for the adjustment disorder literally pointed-out the lack of existing literature on that topic in comparison to more known disorders such as anxiety disorder (2661 articles) or major depression (5481 articles). This represents up to 50 times more articles in comparison to the number of articles we found on adjustment disorder and up to 20 times more articles for the eating disorder (1994), although the prevalence is not significantly

Tamoxifen for breast cancer risk reduction: impact of alternative approaches to quality-of-life adjustment on cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Melnikow, Joy; Birch, Stephen; Slee, Christina; McCarthy, Theodore J; Helms, L Jay; Kuppermann, Miriam

2008-09-01

In cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), the effects of health-care interventions on multiple health dimensions typically require consideration of both quantity and quality of life. To explore the impact of alternative approaches to quality-of-life adjustment using patient preferences (utilities) on the outcome of a CEA on use of tamoxifen for breast cancer risk reduction. A state transition Markov model tracked hypothetical cohorts of women who did or did not take 5 years of tamoxifen for breast cancer risk reduction. Incremental quality-adjusted effectiveness and cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for models including and excluding a utility adjustment for menopausal symptoms were compared with each other and to a global utility model. Two hundred fifty-five women aged 50 and over with estimated 5-year breast cancer risk >or=1.67% participated in utility assessment interviews. Standard gamble utilities were assessed for specified tamoxifen-related health outcomes, current health, and for a global assessment of possible outcomes of tamoxifen use. Inclusion of a utility for menopausal symptoms in the outcome-specific models substantially increased the ICER; at the threshold 5-year breast cancer risk of 1.67%, tamoxifen was dominated. When a global utility for tamoxifen was used in place of outcome-specific utilities, tamoxifen was dominated under all circumstances. CEAs may be profoundly affected by the types of outcomes considered for quality-of-life adjustment and how these outcomes are grouped for utility assessment. Comparisons of ICERs across analyses must consider effects of different approaches to using utilities for quality-of-life adjustment.

Magnetically adjustable intraocular lens.

PubMed

Matthews, Michael Wayne; Eggleston, Harry Conrad; Pekarek, Steven D; Hilmas, Greg Eugene

2003-11-01

To provide a noninvasive, magnetic adjustment mechanism to the repeatedly and reversibly adjustable, variable-focus intraocular lens (IOL). University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, and Eggleston Adjustable Lens, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Mechanically adjustable IOLs have been fabricated and tested. Samarium and cobalt rare-earth magnets have been incorporated into the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) optic of these adjustable lenses. The stability of samarium and cobalt in the PMMA matrix was examined with leaching studies. Operational force testing of the magnetic optics with emphasis on the rotational forces of adjustment was done. Prototype optics incorporating rare-earth magnetic inserts were consistently produced. After 32 days in solution, samarium and cobalt concentration reached a maximum of 5 ppm. Operational force measurements indicate that successful adjustments of this lens can be made using external magnetic fields with rotational torques in excess of 0.6 ounce inch produced. Actual lenses were remotely adjusted using magnetic fields. The magnetically adjustable version of this IOL is a viable and promising means of handling the common issues of postoperative refractive errors without the requirement of additional surgery. The repeatedly adjustable mechanism of this lens also holds promise for the developing eyes of pediatric patients and the changing needs of all patients.

Development and Validation of a Brief Version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale With a Nonparametric Item Analysis Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabourin, Stephane; Valois, Pierre; Lussier, Yvan

2005-01-01

The main purpose of the current research was to develop an abbreviated form of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) with nonparametric item response theory. The authors conducted 5 studies, with a total participation of 8,256 married or cohabiting individuals. Results showed that the item characteristic curves behaved in a monotonically increasing…

Adult attachment, hostile conflict, and relationship adjustment among couples facing multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Crangle, Cassandra J; Hart, Tae L

2017-11-01

Couples facing multiple sclerosis (MS) report significantly elevated rates of relationship distress, yet the effects of attachment have never been examined in this population. We examined whether hostile conflict mediated the dyadic effects of attachment on relationship adjustment in couples facing MS and whether these associations were moderated by gender or role. We also explored whether dyadic adjustment mediated the relationship between attachment and hostile conflict. The study was cross-sectional and included 103 couples in which one partner had been diagnosed with MS. Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Aversive Interactions Scale, as well as demographic variables. We used the actor-partner interdependence model for data analysis. There were significant actor and partner effects of greater anxious attachment and worse dyadic adjustment. Actor and partner effects of anxious attachment were significantly mediated by greater hostile conflict. Gender significantly moderated the effects between avoidant attachment and dyadic adjustment. The actor effect was significant for males and females; the partner effect was only significant for females. The actor effect for females but not males was significantly mediated by greater hostile conflict. Role was not a significant moderator. Exploratory analyses also showed that dyadic adjustment mediated the relationship between anxious and avoidant attachment and hostile conflict. Findings highlight the important effects of attachment on relationship adjustment in MS couples. Both hostile conflict and dyadic adjustment appear to be mechanisms through which insecure attachment has a detrimental effect. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Despite higher-than-normal rates of marital distress and separation/divorce, the effects of attachment on relationship adjustment among couples facing multiple sclerosis have never been examined

48 CFR 201.109 - Statutory acquisition-related dollar thresholds-adjustment for inflation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Statutory acquisition-related dollar thresholds-adjustment for inflation. 201.109 Section 201.109 Federal Acquisition...-adjustment for inflation. (d) A matrix showing the most recent escalation adjustments of statutory...

Geosat crossover analysis in the tropical Pacific. Part 1: Constrained sinusoidal crossover adjustment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tai, Chang-Kou

1988-01-01

A new method (constrained sinusoidal crossover adjustment) for removing the orbit error in satellite altimetry is tested (using crossovers accumulated in the first 91 days of the Geosat non-repeat era in the tropical Pacific) and found to have excellent qualities. Two features distinguish the new method from the conventional bias-and-tilt crossover adjustment. First, a sine wave (with wavelength equaling the circumference of the Earth) is used to represent the orbit error for each satellite revolution, instead of the bias-and-tilt (and curvature, if necessary) approach for each segment of the satellite ground track. Secondly, the indeterminacy of the adjustment process is removed by a simple constraint minimizing the amplitudes of the sine waves, rather than by fixing selected tracks. Overall the new method is more accurate, more efficient, and much less cumbersome than the old. The idea of restricting the crossover adjustment to crossovers between tracks that are less than certain days apart in order to preserve the large-scale long-term oceanic variability is also tested with inconclusive results because the orbit error was unusually nonstationary in the initial 91 days of the GEOSAT mission.

Case-Mix Adjustment of the Bereaved Family Survey.

PubMed

Kutney-Lee, Ann; Carpenter, Joan; Smith, Dawn; Thorpe, Joshua; Tudose, Alina; Ersek, Mary

2018-01-01

Surveys of bereaved family members are increasingly being used to evaluate end-of-life (EOL) care and to measure organizational performance in EOL care quality. The Bereaved Family Survey (BFS) is used to monitor EOL care quality and benchmark performance in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care system. The objective of this study was to develop a case-mix adjustment model for the BFS and to examine changes in facility-level scores following adjustment, in order to provide fair comparisons across facilities. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of medical record and survey data from veterans and their family members across 146 VA medical centers. Following adjustment using model-based propensity weighting, the mean change in the BFS-Performance Measure score across facilities was -0.6 with a range of -2.6 to 0.6. Fifty-five (38%) facilities changed within ±0.5 percentage points of their unadjusted score. On average, facilities that benefited most from adjustment cared for patients with greater comorbidity burden and were located in urban areas in the Northwest and Midwestern regions of the country. Case-mix adjustment results in minor changes to facility-level BFS scores but allows for fairer comparisons of EOL care quality. Case-mix adjustment of the BFS positions this National Quality Forum-endorsed measure for use in public reporting and internal quality dashboards for VA leadership and may inform the development and refinement of case-mix adjustment models for other surveys of bereaved family members.

A Longitudinal Study of Perceived Family Adjustment and Emotional Adjustment in Early Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohannessian, Christine McCauley; And Others

1994-01-01

Examined the predictive relationship between family adjustment and emotional adjustment during early adolescence and the influence of adolescents' levels of self-worth, peer support, and coping abilities. Found that family adjustment and emotional adjustment are reciprocally related and that high levels of self-worth, peer support, and coping…

Analysis of separation test for automatic brake adjuster based on linear radon transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zai; Jiang, Wensong; Guo, Bin; Fan, Weijun; Lu, Yi

2015-01-01

The linear Radon transformation is applied to extract inflection points for online test system under the noise conditions. The linear Radon transformation has a strong ability of anti-noise and anti-interference by fitting the online test curve in several parts, which makes it easy to handle consecutive inflection points. We applied the linear Radon transformation to the separation test system to solve the separating clearance of automatic brake adjuster. The experimental results show that the feature point extraction error of the gradient maximum optimal method is approximately equal to ±0.100, while the feature point extraction error of linear Radon transformation method can reach to ±0.010, which has a lower error than the former one. In addition, the linear Radon transformation is robust.

PIA and REWIND: Two New Methodologies for Cross Section Adjustment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmiotti, G.; Salvatores, M.

2017-02-01

This paper presents two new cross section adjustment methodologies intended for coping with the problem of compensations. The first one PIA, Progressive Incremental Adjustment, gives priority to the utilization of experiments of elemental type (those sensitive to a specific cross section), following a definite hierarchy on which type of experiment to use. Once the adjustment is performed, both the new adjusted data and the new covariance matrix are kept. The second methodology is called REWIND (Ranking Experiments by Weighting for Improved Nuclear Data). This new proposed approach tries to establish a methodology for ranking experiments by looking at the potentialmore » gain they can produce in an adjustment. Practical applications for different adjustments illustrate the results of the two methodologies against the current one and show the potential improvement for reducing uncertainties in target reactors.« less

Comparative coronary risks of apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran: a meta-analysis and adjusted indirect comparison

PubMed Central

Loke, Yoon K; Pradhan, Shiva; Yeong, Jessica Ka-yan; Kwok, Chun Shing

2014-01-01

Aims There are concerns regarding increased risk of acute coronary syndrome with dabigatran. We aimed to assess whether alternative treatment options such as rivaroxaban or apixaban carry a similar risk as compared with dabigatran. Methods We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for randomized controlled trials of apixaban, dabigatran or rivaroxaban against control (placebo, heparin or vitamin K antagonist). We pooled odds ratios (OR) for adverse coronary events (acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction) using fixed effect meta-analysis and assessed heterogeneity with I2. We conducted adjusted indirect comparisons to compare risk of adverse coronary events with apixaban or rivaroxaban vs. dabigatran. Results Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Dabigatran was associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse coronary events in pooled analysis of nine trials (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14, 1.86). There was no signal for coronary risk with apixaban from nine trials (pooled OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.78, 1.03) or rivaroxaban from nine trials (pooled OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72, 0.93). Overall, adjusted indirect comparison suggested that both apixaban (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44, 0.85) and rivaroxaban (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.39, 0.76) were associated with lower coronary risk than dabigatran. Restricting the indirect comparison to a vitamin K antagonist as a common control, yielded similar findings, OR 0.57 (95% CI 0.39, 0.85) for apixaban vs. dabigatran and 0.53 (95% CI 0.37, 0.77) for rivaroxaban vs. dabigatran. Conclusions There are significant differences in the comparative safety of apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran with regards to acute coronary adverse events. PMID:24617578

A population health approach to reducing observational intensity bias in health risk adjustment: cross sectional analysis of insurance claims

PubMed Central

Sharp, Sandra M; Bevan, Gwyn; Skinner, Jonathan S; Gottlieb, Daniel J

2014-01-01

Objective To compare the performance of two new approaches to risk adjustment that are free of the influence of observational intensity with methods that depend on diagnoses listed in administrative databases. Setting Administrative data from the US Medicare program for services provided in 2007 among 306 US hospital referral regions. Design Cross sectional analysis. Participants 20% sample of fee for service Medicare beneficiaries residing in one of 306 hospital referral regions in the United States in 2007 (n=5 153 877). Main outcome measures The effect of health risk adjustment on age, sex, and race adjusted mortality and spending rates among hospital referral regions using four indices: the standard Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) index used by the US Medicare program (calculated from diagnoses listed in Medicare’s administrative database); a visit corrected HCC index (to reduce the effects of observational intensity on frequency of diagnoses); a poverty index (based on US census); and a population health index (calculated using data on incidence of hip fractures and strokes, and responses from a population based annual survey of health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Results Estimated variation in age, sex, and race adjusted mortality rates across hospital referral regions was reduced using the indices based on population health, poverty, and visit corrected HCC, but increased using the standard HCC index. Most of the residual variation in age, sex, and race adjusted mortality was explained (in terms of weighted R2) by the population health index: R2=0.65. The other indices explained less: R2=0.20 for the visit corrected HCC index; 0.19 for the poverty index, and 0.02 for the standard HCC index. The residual variation in age, sex, race, and price adjusted spending per capita across the 306 hospital referral regions explained by the indices (in terms of weighted R2) were 0.50 for

A population health approach to reducing observational intensity bias in health risk adjustment: cross sectional analysis of insurance claims.

PubMed

Wennberg, David E; Sharp, Sandra M; Bevan, Gwyn; Skinner, Jonathan S; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Wennberg, John E

2014-04-10

To compare the performance of two new approaches to risk adjustment that are free of the influence of observational intensity with methods that depend on diagnoses listed in administrative databases. Administrative data from the US Medicare program for services provided in 2007 among 306 US hospital referral regions. Cross sectional analysis. 20% sample of fee for service Medicare beneficiaries residing in one of 306 hospital referral regions in the United States in 2007 (n = 5,153,877). The effect of health risk adjustment on age, sex, and race adjusted mortality and spending rates among hospital referral regions using four indices: the standard Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services--Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) index used by the US Medicare program (calculated from diagnoses listed in Medicare's administrative database); a visit corrected HCC index (to reduce the effects of observational intensity on frequency of diagnoses); a poverty index (based on US census); and a population health index (calculated using data on incidence of hip fractures and strokes, and responses from a population based annual survey of health from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Estimated variation in age, sex, and race adjusted mortality rates across hospital referral regions was reduced using the indices based on population health, poverty, and visit corrected HCC, but increased using the standard HCC index. Most of the residual variation in age, sex, and race adjusted mortality was explained (in terms of weighted R2) by the population health index: R2=0.65. The other indices explained less: R2=0.20 for the visit corrected HCC index; 0.19 for the poverty index, and 0.02 for the standard HCC index. The residual variation in age, sex, race, and price adjusted spending per capita across the 306 hospital referral regions explained by the indices (in terms of weighted R2) were 0.50 for the standard HCC index, 0.21 for the population health index, 0.12 for the

Parent–Child Relationships in Stepfather Families and Adolescent Adjustment: A Latent Class Analysis

PubMed Central

Amato, Paul R.; King, Valarie; Thorsen, Maggie L.

2015-01-01

In the current study the authors drew on Waves I and III from Add Health to examine the closeness of parent–adolescent relationships in married mother–stepfather families (N = 1,934). They used latent class analysis to identify family constellations defined by adolescents’ relationships with all of their parents: mothers, stepfathers, and biological nonresident fathers. In particular, the authors (a) identified the most common underlying patterns of adolescent–parent relationships in stepfamilies; (b) determined the background characteristics that predict membership in these groups; and (c) examined how adolescents in these groups fare with respect to depressive symptoms, delinquency, and substance use. The results indicate that adolescents’ relationships can be represented with 4 latent classes. Adolescents in these classes differ on measures of adjustment, and many of these differences persist into the early adult years. PMID:27022199

Retrofitting a water-pumping station with adjustable speed drives: Feasibility analysis: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-08-01

The objective of this report is to develop a generalized methodology for examining water distribution systems for adjustable speed drive (ASD) applications and to provide an example (the City of Chicago 68th Street Water Pumping Station) using the methodology. The City of Chicago water system was chosen as the candidate for analysis because it has a large service area distribution network with no storage provisions after the distribution pumps. Many industrial motors operate at only one speed or a few speeds. By speeding up or slowing down, ASDs achieve gentle startups and gradual shutdowns thereby providing plant equipment a longermore » life with fewer breakdowns while minimizing the energy requirements. The test program substantiated that ASDs enhance product quality and increase productivity in many industrial operations, including extended equipment life. 35 figs.« less

Pathological jealousy: romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects, and social adjustment.

PubMed

Costa, Andrea Lorenada; Sophia, Eglacy C; Sanches, Cíntia; Tavares, Hermano; Zilberman, Monica L

2015-03-15

The aim of this study was to identify romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects and social adjustment in subjects with pathological jealousy (PJ) and to compare them to control group. The participants, 32 individuals with PJ and 31 healthy volunteers completed measures of jealousy intensity, attachment type, love and relationship styles, personality, impulsivity, aggressiveness and social adjustment. Socio-demographic profiles were also obtained. Participants with PJ were significantly older than the control group, but no other important socio-demographic differences were observed. Participants with PJ were significantly more jealous and were predominately categorized with anxious-ambivalent attachment type, and Mania love style. They presented with elevated novelty seeking and harm avoidance, low self-directedness and cooperativeness, high levels of impulsivity and trait anxiety, and poor social adjustment. Multivariate analysis showed that jealousy intensity and trait anxiety were the variables that best distinguished participants with PJ from the control group. This study was limited by the cross-sectional design and relatively small sample size. PJ presents a particular pattern of attachment, love style, and personality structure, and deserves further attention as a specific potential disorder of the romantic bonding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Depression and Social Adjustment in Siblings of Boys with Autism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gold, Nora

1993-01-01

Twenty-two siblings of autistic boys and 34 other siblings were compared on measures of depression, social adjustment, and family responsibilities. Results showed that siblings of autistic boys scored significantly higher on depression than the comparison group, but not on problems of social adjustment. There were no significant gender…

Socio-Psycho-Pedagogical Support of Migrant Children Adjustment in Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konkina, Evgeniya Vladimirovna; Lutovina, Ekaterina Emeljanovna; Anatolievna, Nikolaev? Natalia; Egorova, Yulia Nikolaevna; Thyssen, Petr Pavlovich

2015-01-01

The article deals with the problem of migration, the formation of cultural identity and the establishment of intercultural dialogue at various levels of adjustive interaction from the perspective of the need to implement the socio-psycho-pedagogical support to migrant children when adjusting in educational institutions. Analysis of foreign and…

Children's Sleep and Adjustment: A Residualized Change Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Sheikh, Mona; Bub, Kristen L.; Kelly, Ryan J.; Buckhalt, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

We investigated longitudinal relations between children's sleep and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression. We expected that initial sleep problems and increases in these problems over time would be associated with worse adjustment outcomes. The study had 3 waves with 1-year lags. At Time 1 [T1], 128 girls and 123 boys (M age =…

Multidirectional flexible force sensors based on confined, self-adjusting carbon nanotube arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.-I.; Pyo, Soonjae; Kim, Min-Ook; Kim, Jongbaeg

2018-02-01

We demonstrate a highly sensitive force sensor based on self-adjusting carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays. Aligned CNT arrays are directly synthesized on silicon microstructures by a space-confined growth technique which enables a facile self-adjusting contact. To afford flexibility and softness, the patterned microstructures with the integrated CNTs are embedded in polydimethylsiloxane structures. The sensing mechanism is based on variations in the contact resistance between the facing CNT arrays under the applied force. By finite element analysis, proper dimensions and positions for each component are determined. Further, high sensitivities up to 15.05%/mN of the proposed sensors were confirmed experimentally. Multidirectional sensing capability could also be achieved by designing multiple sets of sensing elements in a single sensor. The sensors show long-term operational stability, owing to the unique properties of the constituent CNTs, such as outstanding mechanical durability and elasticity.

Emotion Regulation Profiles, Temperament, and Adjustment Problems in Preadolescents

PubMed Central

Zalewski, Maureen; Lengua, Liliana J.; Trancik, Anika; Wilson, Anna C.; Bazinet, Alissa

2014-01-01

The longitudinal relations of emotion regulation profiles to temperament and adjustment in a community sample of preadolescents (N = 196, 8–11 years at Time 1) were investigated using person-oriented latent profile analysis (LPA). Temperament, emotion regulation, and adjustment were measured at 3 different time points, with each time point occurring 1 year apart. LPA identified 5 frustration and 4 anxiety regulation profiles based on children’s physiological, behavioral, and self-reported reactions to emotion-eliciting tasks. The relation of effortful control to conduct problems was mediated by frustration regulation profiles, as was the relation of effortful control to depression. Anxiety regulation profiles did not mediate relations between temperament and adjustment. PMID:21413935

ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE PULSE GENERATOR

DOEpatents

Gratian, J.W.; Gratian, A.C.

1961-08-01

>A modulator pulse source having adjustable pulse width and adjustable pulse spacing is described. The generator consists of a cross coupled multivibrator having adjustable time constant circuitry in each leg, an adjustable differentiating circuit in the output of each leg, a mixing and rectifying circuit for combining the differentiated pulses and generating in its output a resultant sequence of negative pulses, and a final amplifying circuit for inverting and square-topping the pulses. (AEC)

Suitability of a three-dimensional model to measure empathy and its relationship with social and normative adjustment in Spanish adolescents: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Gómez-Ortiz, Olga; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario; Jolliffe, Darrick; Romera, Eva M.

2017-01-01

Objectives (1) To examine the psychometric properties of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) with Spanish adolescents, comparing a two and a three-dimensional structure;(2) To analyse the relationship between the three-dimensional empathy and social and normative adjustment in school. Design Transversal and ex post facto retrospective study. Confirmatory factorial analysis, multifactorial invariance analysis and structural equations models were used. Participants 747 students (51.3% girls) from Cordoba, Spain, aged 12–17 years (M=13.8; SD=1.21). Results The original two-dimensional structure was confirmed (cognitive empathy, affective empathy), but a three-dimensional structure showed better psychometric properties, highlighting the good fit found in confirmatory factorial analysis and adequate internal consistent valued, measured with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Composite reliability and average variance extracted showed better indices for a three-factor model. The research also showed evidence of measurement invariance across gender. All the factors of the final three-dimensional BES model were direct and significantly associated with social and normative adjustment, being most strongly related to cognitive empathy. Conclusions This research supports the advances in neuroscience, developmental psychology and psychopathology through a three-dimensional version of the BES, which represents an improvement in the original two-factorial model. The organisation of empathy in three factors benefits the understanding of social and normative adjustment in adolescents, in which emotional disengagement favours adjusted peer relationships. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving the quality of social life in schools should target these components of empathy. PMID:28951400

Optimal management of a stochastically varying population when policy adjustment is costly.

PubMed

Boettiger, Carl; Bode, Michael; Sanchirico, James N; Lariviere, Jacob; Hastings, Alan; Armsworth, Paul R

2016-04-01

Ecological systems are dynamic and policies to manage them need to respond to that variation. However, policy adjustments will sometimes be costly, which means that fine-tuning a policy to track variability in the environment very tightly will only sometimes be worthwhile. We use a classic fisheries management problem, how to manage a stochastically varying population using annually varying quotas in order to maximize profit, to examine how costs of policy adjustment change optimal management recommendations. Costs of policy adjustment (changes in fishing quotas through time) could take different forms. For example, these costs may respond to the size of the change being implemented, or there could be a fixed cost any time a quota change is made. We show how different forms of policy costs have contrasting implications for optimal policies. Though it is frequently assumed that costs to adjusting policies will dampen variation in the policy, we show that certain cost structures can actually increase variation through time. We further show that failing to account for adjustment costs has a consistently worse economic impact than would assuming these costs are present when they are not.

Gender Differences in International Students' Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Seungcheol Austin; Park, Hee Sun; Kim, Wonsun

2009-01-01

As gender roles in the society are being rapidly redefined, female students today are showing outstanding academic prowess and pursuing higher education. The current study recruited Korean international students (n = 76) enrolled in universities in the US and examined gender differences in academic adjustment. The findings of the current study…

CATS EYES Adjustment Procedures

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

AL-TR-1 993-0025 AD-A264 069 CATS EYES ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES A R M Joseph C. Antonio DTIC S ELECTET University of Dayton Research Institute MAY 13...Final November 1992 - January 1993 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE S. FUNDING NUMBERS C F33615-90-C-0005 CATS EYES Adjustment Procedures PE - 62205F 6. AUTHOR(S) PR...the loss of NVG performance resulting from improper goggle adjustments. This report describes correct adjustment procedures for the CATS EYES NVG system

Flood Detection/Monitoring Using Adjustable Histogram Equalization Technique

PubMed Central

Riaz, Muhammad Mohsin; Ghafoor, Abdul

2014-01-01

Flood monitoring technique using adjustable histogram equalization is proposed. The technique overcomes the limitations (overenhancement, artifacts, and unnatural look) of existing technique by adjusting the contrast of images. The proposed technique takes pre- and postimages and applies different processing steps for generating flood map without user interaction. The resultant flood maps can be used for flood monitoring and detection. Simulation results show that the proposed technique provides better output quality compared to the state of the art existing technique. PMID:24558332

Quasi-static shape adjustment of a 15 meter diameter space antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, W. Keith; Herstrom, Catherine L.; Edighoffer, Harold H.

1987-01-01

A 15 meter diameter Hoop-Column antenna has been analyzed and tested to study shape adjustment of the reflector surface. The Hoop-Column antenna concept employs pretensioned cables and mesh to produce a paraboloidal reflector surface. Fabrication errors and thermal distortions may significantly reduce surface accuracy and consequently degrade electromagnetic performance. Thus, the ability to adjust the surface shape is desirable. The shape adjustment algorithm consisted of finite element and least squares error analyses to minimize the surface distortions. Experimental results verified the analysis. Application of the procedure resulted in a reduction of surface error by 38 percent. Quasi-static shape adjustment has the potential for on-orbit compensation for a variety of surface shape distortions.

[Health-based risk adjustment. Effects and side effects].

PubMed

Jahn, R; Schillo, S; Wasem, J

2012-05-01

Numerous health systems have introduced competition between health plans while banning risk-rated premiums. Risk adjustment for health plans is introduced to reduce incentives for risk selection and to create incentives for health plans to permanently invest in care for the chronically ill. According to the international health economics state of the art, risk adjustment in the German social health insurance system has used information on health status (measured by diagnoses and drug prescriptions) on top of demographic information since 2009. In non-competitive health care systems similar mechanisms are sometimes established, e.g. to achieve an equitable distribution of resources between regions. An evaluation of the first year of health-based risk adjustment demonstrates a superior performance in comparison to the old, demographic risk adjustment. The old risk adjustment formula (without ex post high-cost pooling) showed R(2) of 5.8%, CPM of 10.4% and MAPE of 2,226 €, in contrast to the new health status-based risk adjustment formula (without cash benefit for sick allowance) which reaches R(2) 20.2%, CPM 22.5% and MAPE 1,817 €. However, to make competition between health plans functional for improvement of quality and efficiency of health care, health plans must be granted additional instruments to act as prudent buyers of health care.

Reciprocal Influences Between Maternal Parenting and Child Adjustment in a High-risk Population: A Five-Year Cross-Lagged Analysis of Bidirectional Effects

PubMed Central

Barbot, Baptiste; Crossman, Elizabeth; Hunter, Scott R.; Grigorenko, Elena L.; Luthar, Suniya S.

2014-01-01

This study examines longitudinally the bidirectional influences between maternal parenting (behaviors and parenting stress) and mothers' perceptions of their children's adjustment, in a multivariate approach. Data was gathered from 361 low-income mothers (many with psychiatric diagnoses) reporting on their parenting behavior, parenting stress and their child's adjustment, in a two-wave longitudinal study over 5 years. Measurement models were developed to derive four broad parenting constructs (Involvement, Control, Rejection, and Stress) and three child adjustment constructs (Internalizing problems, Externalizing problems, and Social competence). After measurement invariance of these constructs was confirmed across relevant groups and over time, both measurement models were integrated in a single crossed-lagged regression analysis of latent constructs. Multiple reciprocal influence were observed between parenting and perceived child adjustment over time: Externalizing and internalizing problems in children were predicted by baseline maternal parenting behaviors, while child social competence was found to reduce parental stress and increase parental involvement and appropriate monitoring. These findings on the motherhood experience are discussed in light of recent research efforts to understand mother-child bi-directional influences, and their potential for practical applications. PMID:25089759

Cumulative Socioeconomic Status Risk, Allostatic Load, and Adjustment: A Prospective Latent Profile Analysis With Contextual and Genetic Protective Factors

PubMed Central

Brody, Gene H.; Yu, Tianyi; Chen, Yi-fu; Kogan, Steven M.; Evans, Gary W.; Beach, Steven R. H.; Windle, Michael; Simons, Ronald L.; Gerrard, Meg; Gibbons, Frederick X.; Philibert, Robert A.

2012-01-01

The health disparities literature identified a common pattern among middle-aged African Americans that includes high rates of chronic disease along with low rates of psychiatric disorders despite exposure to high levels of cumulative SES risk. The current study was designed to test hypotheses about the developmental precursors to this pattern. Hypotheses were tested with a representative sample of 443 African American youths living in the rural South. Cumulative SES risk and protective processes were assessed at 11-13 years; psychological adjustment was assessed at ages 14-18 years; genotyping at the 5-HTTLPR was conducted at age 16 years; and allostatic load (AL) was assessed at age 19 years. A Latent Profile Analysis identified 5 profiles that evinced distinct patterns of SES risk, AL, and psychological adjustment, with 2 relatively large profiles designated as focal profiles: a physical health vulnerability profile characterized by high SES risk/high AL/low adjustment problems, and a resilient profile characterized by high SES risk/low AL/low adjustment problems. The physical health vulnerability profile mirrored the pattern found in the adult health disparities literature. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that carrying an s allele at the 5-HTTLPR and receiving less peer support distinguished the physical health vulnerability profile from the resilient profile. Protective parenting and planful self-regulation distinguished both focal profiles from the other 3 profiles. The results suggest the public health importance of preventive interventions that enhance coping and reduce the effects of stress across childhood and adolescence. PMID:22709130

Cumulative socioeconomic status risk, allostatic load, and adjustment: a prospective latent profile analysis with contextual and genetic protective factors.

PubMed

Brody, Gene H; Yu, Tianyi; Chen, Yi-fu; Kogan, Steven M; Evans, Gary W; Beach, Steven R H; Windle, Michael; Simons, Ronald L; Gerrard, Meg; Gibbons, Frederick X; Philibert, Robert A

2013-05-01

The health disparities literature has identified a common pattern among middle-aged African Americans that includes high rates of chronic disease along with low rates of psychiatric disorders despite exposure to high levels of cumulative socioeconomic status (SES) risk. The current study was designed to test hypotheses about the developmental precursors to this pattern. Hypotheses were tested with a representative sample of 443 African American youths living in the rural South. Cumulative SES risk and protective processes were assessed at ages 11-13 years; psychological adjustment was assessed at ages 14-18 years; genotyping at the 5-HTTLPR was conducted at age 16 years; and allostatic load (AL) was assessed at age 19 years. A latent profile analysis identified 5 profiles that evinced distinct patterns of SES risk, AL, and psychological adjustment, with 2 relatively large profiles designated as focal profiles: a physical health vulnerability profile characterized by high SES risk/high AL/low adjustment problems, and a resilient profile characterized by high SES risk/low AL/low adjustment problems. The physical health vulnerability profile mirrored the pattern found in the adult health disparities literature. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that carrying an s allele at the 5-HTTLPR and receiving less peer support distinguished the physical health vulnerability profile from the resilient profile. Protective parenting and planful self-regulation distinguished both focal profiles from the other 3 profiles. The results suggest the public health importance of preventive interventions that enhance coping and reduce the effects of stress across childhood and adolescence.

Probing the big five in adolescence: personality and adjustment during a developmental transition.

PubMed

Graziano, W G; Ward, D

1992-06-01

The present study probed the links among Big Five personality differences, self-reported personality differences, and adjustment to school among young adolescents. We used a multimethod converging analysis, with three sources of data: (a) adolescent self-report on standardized personality inventories; (b) classroom teacher trait ratings and evaluations of adjustment; and (c) school guidance counselor evaluations of adjustment. Evaluations of adolescent adjustment were systematically related to Big Five personality differences, as assessed by both classroom teachers' and school counselors' ratings. For classroom teachers, adjustment was closely related to evaluations on the Big Five dimension of Conscientiousness. Adolescent self-report on several standardized measures was not related to adult evaluation of school adjustment. We suggest that the five-factor model may be a useful tool for probing adjustment during the transition to adolescence.

Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Chinese Students in Japan: School Adjustment and Educational Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yuan Xiang; Sano, Hideki; Ahn, Ruth

2013-01-01

This study investigates Chinese immigrant students' cross-cultural and school adjustment issues in Japanese schools. Using a quantitative method, a survey which collected students' demographic information, cross-cultural adjustment, and school adjustment questions was administered to 143 Chinese junior high and high school students in Tokyo and…

High-dose chemotherapy for patients with high-risk breast cancer: a clinical and economic assessment using a quality-adjusted survival analysis.

PubMed

Marino, Patricia; Roché, Henri; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2008-04-01

The benefit of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) has not been clearly demonstrated. It may offer disease-free survival improvement at the expense of major toxicity and increasing cost. We evaluated the trade-offs between toxicity, relapse, and costs using a quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-TWiST) analysis. The analysis was conducted in the context of a randomized trial (PEGASE 01) evaluating the benefit of HDC for 314 patients with high-risk breast cancer. A Q-TWiST analysis was first performed to compare HDC with standard chemotherapy. We then used the results of this Q-TWiST analysis to inform a cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) comparison between treatments. Q-TWiST durations were in favor of HDC, whatever the weighting coefficients used for the analysis. This benefit was significant when the weighting coefficient related to the time spent after relapse was low (<0.38). For quite high values of this coefficient (>0.78), HDC offered no benefit. For intermediate values, the results depended on the weighting coefficient attributed to the toxicity period. The incremental cost per QALY ranged from 12,691euro/QALY to 26,439euro/QALY, according to the coefficients used to weight toxicity and relapse. The benefits of HDC outweigh the burdens of treatment for a wide range of utility coefficients. Economic impact is not a barrier to HDC diffusion in this situation. Nevertheless, no significant benefit was demonstrated for a certain range of utility values.

Two aspects of feedforward postural control: anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory synergy adjustments.

PubMed

Klous, Miriam; Mikulic, Pavle; Latash, Mark L

2011-05-01

We used the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to explore the relations between anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) and anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during feedforward control of vertical posture. ASAs represent a drop in the index of a multimuscle-mode synergy stabilizing the coordinate of the center of pressure in preparation to an action. ASAs reflect early changes of an index of covariation among variables reflecting muscle activation, whereas APAs reflect early changes in muscle activation levels averaged across trials. The assumed purpose of ASAs is to modify stability of performance variables, whereas the purpose of APAs is to change magnitudes of those variables. We hypothesized that ASAs would be seen before APAs and that this finding would be consistent with regard to the muscle-mode composition defined on the basis of different tasks and phases of action. Subjects performed a voluntary body sway task and a quick, bilateral shoulder flexion task under self-paced and reaction time conditions. Surface muscle activity of 12 leg and trunk muscles was analyzed to identify sets of 4 muscle modes for each task and for different phases within the shoulder flexion task. Variance components in the muscle-mode space and indexes of multimuscle-mode synergy stabilizing shift of the center of pressure were computed. ASAs were seen ∼ 100-150 ms prior to the task initiation, before APAs. The results were consistent with respect to different sets of muscle modes defined over the two tasks and different shoulder flexion phases. We conclude that the preparation for a self-triggered postural perturbation is associated with two types of anticipatory adjustments, ASAs and APAs. They reflect different feedforward processes within the hypothetical hierarchical control scheme, resulting in changes in patterns of covariation of elemental variables and in their patterns averaged across trials, respectively. The results show that synergies quantified

Fat stigmatization in television shows and movies: a content analysis.

PubMed

Himes, Susan M; Thompson, J Kevin

2007-03-01

To examine the phenomenon of fat stigmatization messages presented in television shows and movies, a content analysis was used to quantify and categorize fat-specific commentary and humor. Fat stigmatization vignettes were identified using a targeted sampling procedure, and 135 scenes were excised from movies and television shows. The material was coded by trained raters. Reliability indices were uniformly high for the seven categories (percentage agreement ranged from 0.90 to 0.98; kappas ranged from 0.66 to 0.94). Results indicated that fat stigmatization commentary and fat humor were often verbal, directed toward another person, and often presented directly in the presence of the overweight target. Results also indicated that male characters were three times more likely to engage in fat stigmatization commentary or fat humor than female characters. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first information regarding the specific gender, age, and types of fat stigmatization that occur frequently in movies and television shows. The stimuli should prove useful in future research examining the role of individual difference factors (e.g., BMI) in the reaction to viewing such vignettes.

Factors Mediating the Adjustment to Involuntary Childlessness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabatelli, Ronald M.; And Others

1988-01-01

Explored stressors that accompany experience of involuntary childlessness and examined mediators of adjustment to infertility in married individuals. Data showed deleterious effect that coping with infertility can have on couple's sexual relationship. Findings suggest important relationship between self-esteem, marital commitment, and positive…

SLIT ADJUSTMENT CLAMP

DOEpatents

McKenzie, K.R.

1959-07-01

An electrode support which permits accurate alignment and adjustment of the electrode in a plurality of planes and about a plurality of axes in a calutron is described. The support will align the slits in the electrode with the slits of an ionizing chamber so as to provide for the egress of ions. The support comprises an insulator, a leveling plate carried by the insulator and having diametrically opposed attaching screws screwed to the plate and the insulator and diametrically opposed adjusting screws for bearing against the insulator, and an electrode associated with the plate for adjustment therewith.

Improved Conjugate Gradient Bundle Adjustment of Dunhuang Wall Painting Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, K.; Huang, X.; You, H.

2017-09-01

Bundle adjustment with additional parameters is identified as a critical step for precise orthoimage generation and 3D reconstruction of Dunhuang wall paintings. Due to the introduction of self-calibration parameters and quasi-planar constraints, the structure of coefficient matrix of the reduced normal equation is banded-bordered, making the solving process of bundle adjustment complex. In this paper, Conjugate Gradient Bundle Adjustment (CGBA) method is deduced by calculus of variations. A preconditioning method based on improved incomplete Cholesky factorization is adopt to reduce the condition number of coefficient matrix, as well as to accelerate the iteration rate of CGBA. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results comparison with conventional method indicate that, the proposed method can effectively conquer the ill-conditioned problem of normal equation and improve the calculation efficiency of bundle adjustment with additional parameters considerably, while maintaining the actual accuracy.

Parental Attachment, Separation-Individuation, and College Student Adjustment: A Structural Equation Analysis of Mediational Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattanah, Jonathan F.; Hancock, Gregory R.; Brand, Bethany L.

2004-01-01

Secure parental attachment and healthy levels of separation-individuation have been consistently linked to greater college student adjustment. The present study proposes that the relation between parental attachment and college adjustment is mediated by healthy separation-individuation. The authors gathered data on maternal and paternal…

Return period adjustment for runoff coefficients based on analysis in undeveloped Texas watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dhakal, Nirajan; Fang, Xing; Asquith, William H.; Cleveland, Theodore G.; Thompson, David B.

2013-01-01

The rational method for peak discharge (Qp) estimation was introduced in the 1880s. The runoff coefficient (C) is a key parameter for the rational method that has an implicit meaning of rate proportionality, and the C has been declared a function of the annual return period by various researchers. Rate-based runoff coefficients as a function of the return period, C(T), were determined for 36 undeveloped watersheds in Texas using peak discharge frequency from previously published regional regression equations and rainfall intensity frequency for return periods T of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The C(T) values and return period adjustments C(T)/C(T=10  year) determined in this study are most applicable to undeveloped watersheds. The return period adjustments determined for the Texas watersheds in this study and those extracted from prior studies of non-Texas data exceed values from well-known literature such as design manuals and textbooks. Most importantly, the return period adjustments exceed values currently recognized in Texas Department of Transportation design guidance when T>10  years.

Facultative adjustment of the offspring sex ratio and male attractiveness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Booksmythe, Isobel; Mautz, Brian; Davis, Jacqueline; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Jennions, Michael D

2017-02-01

Females can benefit from mate choice for male traits (e.g. sexual ornaments or body condition) that reliably signal the effect that mating will have on mean offspring fitness. These male-derived benefits can be due to material and/or genetic effects. The latter include an increase in the attractiveness, hence likely mating success, of sons. Females can potentially enhance any sex-biased benefits of mating with certain males by adjusting the offspring sex ratio depending on their mate's phenotype. One hypothesis is that females should produce mainly sons when mating with more attractive or higher quality males. Here we perform a meta-analysis of the empirical literature that has accumulated to test this hypothesis. The mean effect size was small (r = 0.064-0.095; i.e. explaining <1% of variation in offspring sex ratios) but statistically significant in the predicted direction. It was, however, not robust to correction for an apparent publication bias towards significantly positive results. We also examined the strength of the relationship using different indices of male attractiveness/quality that have been invoked by researchers (ornaments, behavioural displays, female preference scores, body condition, male age, body size, and whether a male is a within-pair or extra-pair mate). Only ornamentation and body size significantly predicted the proportion of sons produced. We obtained similar results regardless of whether we ran a standard random-effects meta-analysis, or a multi-level, Bayesian model that included a correction for phylogenetic non-independence. A moderate proportion of the variance in effect sizes (51.6-56.2%) was due to variation that was not attributable to sampling error (i.e. sample size). Much of this non-sampling error variance was not attributable to phylogenetic effects or high repeatability of effect sizes among species. It was approximately equally attributable to differences (occurring for unknown reasons) in effect sizes among and within

Psychosocial adjustment and adherence to dialysis treatment regimes.

PubMed

Brownbridge, G; Fielding, D M

1994-12-01

Sixty children and adolescents in end-stage renal failure who were undergoing either haemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at one of five United Kingdom dialysis centres were assessed on psychosocial adjustment and adherence to their fluid intake, diet and medication regimes. Parental adjustment was also measured and data on sociodemographic and treatment history variables collected. A structured family interview and standardised questionnaire measures of anxiety, depression and behavioural disturbance were used. Multiple measures of treatment adherence were obtained, utilising children's and parents' self-reports, weight gain between dialysis, blood pressure, serum potassium level, blood urea level, dietitians' surveys and consultants' ratings. Correlational analyses showed that low treatment adherence was associated with poor adjustment to diagnosis and dialysis by children and parents (P < 0.01), self-ratings of anxiety and depression in children and parents (P < 0.001), age (adolescents tended to show poorer adherence than younger children, P < 0.001), duration of dialysis (P < 0.05), low family socioeconomic status (P < 0.05) and family structure (P < 0.01). These findings demonstrate the importance of psychosocial care in the treatment of this group of children. Future research should develop and evaluate psychosocial interventions aimed at improving treatment adherence.

Analysis of Longitudinal Studies With Repeated Outcome Measures: Adjusting for Time-Dependent Confounding Using Conventional Methods.

PubMed

Keogh, Ruth H; Daniel, Rhian M; VanderWeele, Tyler J; Vansteelandt, Stijn

2018-05-01

Estimation of causal effects of time-varying exposures using longitudinal data is a common problem in epidemiology. When there are time-varying confounders, which may include past outcomes, affected by prior exposure, standard regression methods can lead to bias. Methods such as inverse probability weighted estimation of marginal structural models have been developed to address this problem. However, in this paper we show how standard regression methods can be used, even in the presence of time-dependent confounding, to estimate the total effect of an exposure on a subsequent outcome by controlling appropriately for prior exposures, outcomes, and time-varying covariates. We refer to the resulting estimation approach as sequential conditional mean models (SCMMs), which can be fitted using generalized estimating equations. We outline this approach and describe how including propensity score adjustment is advantageous. We compare the causal effects being estimated using SCMMs and marginal structural models, and we compare the two approaches using simulations. SCMMs enable more precise inferences, with greater robustness against model misspecification via propensity score adjustment, and easily accommodate continuous exposures and interactions. A new test for direct effects of past exposures on a subsequent outcome is described.

Suitability of a three-dimensional model to measure empathy and its relationship with social and normative adjustment in Spanish adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Herrera-López, Mauricio; Gómez-Ortiz, Olga; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario; Jolliffe, Darrick; Romera, Eva M

2017-09-25

(1) To examine the psychometric properties of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) with Spanish adolescents, comparing a two and a three-dimensional structure;(2) To analyse the relationship between the three-dimensional empathy and social and normative adjustment in school. Transversal and ex post facto retrospective study. Confirmatory factorial analysis, multifactorial invariance analysis and structural equations models were used. 747 students (51.3% girls) from Cordoba, Spain, aged 12-17 years (M=13.8; SD=1.21). The original two-dimensional structure was confirmed (cognitive empathy, affective empathy), but a three-dimensional structure showed better psychometric properties, highlighting the good fit found in confirmatory factorial analysis and adequate internal consistent valued, measured with Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega. Composite reliability and average variance extracted showed better indices for a three-factor model. The research also showed evidence of measurement invariance across gender. All the factors of the final three-dimensional BES model were direct and significantly associated with social and normative adjustment, being most strongly related to cognitive empathy. This research supports the advances in neuroscience, developmental psychology and psychopathology through a three-dimensional version of the BES, which represents an improvement in the original two-factorial model. The organisation of empathy in three factors benefits the understanding of social and normative adjustment in adolescents, in which emotional disengagement favours adjusted peer relationships. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving the quality of social life in schools should target these components of empathy. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Attachment styles and demographic factors as predictors of sociocultural and psychological adjustment of Eastern European immigrants in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Polek, Elżbieta; van Oudenhoven, Jan Pieter; Ten Berge, Jos M F

2008-10-01

The present study examined the relationship between adult attachment styles and psychological and sociocultural adjustment of Polish, Russian, and Hungarian immigrants (N = 631) to Dutch society. In addition, it also examined the relationship between demographic factors and adjustment and compared the predictive value of attachment styles and demographic factors for immigrants' adjustment. The Attachment Style Questionnaire was used to assess respondents' attachment. Psychological adjustment was measured with the Psychological Health Scale and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Sociocultural adjustment was measured with the Social Support List - Interactions scale. Two scales for measuring identification and contact with the native and with the Dutch culture were developed and used as indicators of cultural adjustment. We found relations between attachment styles and psychological and sociocultural adjustment. Secure attachment was positively related (p<.01) to psychological and sociocultural adjustment, fearful attachment was negatively (p<.01) associated with psychological adjustment, and more negatively with identification with the Dutch culture than with identification with the native culture. Preoccupied attachment was negatively related (p<.01) to psychological adjustment and to identification with the Dutch culture. Dismissing attachment was weakly negatively related (p<.01) to sociocultural adjustment. Correlation patterns across the three immigrants' samples indicate that dismissing individuals remain relatively indifferent towards their native and the Dutch culture. Regarding demographic factors we found that education and age at immigration were positively associated with psychological and sociocultural adjustment, and length of residence appeared to be positively related to sociocultural adjustment. In general, demographic factors showed a stronger association with sociocultural than with psychological adjustment. Regression analysis revealed that

LANDSAT-5 orbit adjust maneuver report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hassett, P. J.; Johnson, R. L.

1984-01-01

The orbit adjust maneuvers performed to raise the LANDSAT 5 spacecraft to mission altitude, synchronize it with the required groundtrack, and properly phase the spacecraft with LANDSAT-4 to provide an 8 day full Earth coverage cycle are described. Maneuver planning and evaluation procedures, data and analysis results for all maneuvers performed to date, the frozen orbit concept, and the phasing requirement between LANDSAT-4 and LANDSAT-5 are also examined.

The 4C framework for making reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Marsden, Daniel; Giles, Rachel

2017-01-18

Background People with learning disabilities experience significant inequalities in accessing healthcare. Legal frameworks, such as the Equality Act 2010, are intended to reduce such disparities in care, and require organisations to make 'reasonable adjustments' for people with disabilities, including learning disabilities. However, reasonable adjustments are often not clearly defined or adequately implemented in clinical practice. Aim To examine and synthesise the challenges in caring for people with learning disabilities to develop a framework for making reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities in hospital. This framework would assist ward staff in identifying and managing the challenges of delivering person-centred, safe and effective healthcare to people with learning disabilities in this setting. Method Fourth-generation evaluation, collaborative thematic analysis, reflection and a secondary analysis were used to develop a framework for making reasonable adjustments in the hospital setting. The authors attended ward manager and matron group meetings to collect their claims, concerns and issues, then conducted a collaborative thematic analysis with the group members to identify the main themes. Findings Four main themes were identified from the ward manager and matron group meetings: communication, choice-making, collaboration and coordination. These were used to develop the 4C framework for making reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities in hospital. Discussion The 4C framework has provided a basis for delivering person-centred care for people with learning disabilities. It has been used to inform training needs analyses, develop audit tools to review delivery of care that is adjusted appropriately to the individual patient; and to develop competencies for learning disability champions. The most significant benefit of the 4C framework has been in helping to evaluate and resolve practice-based scenarios. Conclusion Use of

Leakage effect analysis on the performance of a cylindrical adjustable inertance tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wenjie; Pfotenhauer, John M.; Zhi, Xiaoqin

2018-04-01

The inertance tube plays a significant role in improving the performance of the Stirling type pulse tube cryocooler by providing the desired phase angle between the mass flow and pressure wave. The phase angle is highly depended on the inertance tube geometry, such as diameter and length. A cylindrical threaded root device with variable thread depth on the outer screw and inner screw creates an adjustable inertance tube whose diameter and length can be adjusted in the real time. However, due to its geometry imperfectness, the performance of this threaded inertance tube is reduced by the leaks through the roots between the two screws. Its phase angle shift ability is decreased by 30% with the leakage clearance thickness of 15.5 μm according to both the theoretical prediction and the experimental verification.

Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents with Vision Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinquart, Martin; Pfeiffer, Jens P.

2012-01-01

The present study compared psychological adjustment of 158 adolescents with vision impairment and 158 sighted adolescents with a matched-pair design using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adolescent self-reports and teacher reports on emotional problems, peer problems, and total difficulties showed higher scores in students with…

Influence of adult attachment insecurities on parenting self-esteem: the mediating role of dyadic adjustment

PubMed Central

Calvo, Vincenzo; Bianco, Francesca

2015-01-01

Background: Parenting self-esteem includes two global components, parents’ self-efficacy and satisfaction with their parental role, and has a crucial role in parent–child interactions. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrative model linking adult attachment insecurities, dyadic adjustment, and parenting self-esteem. Methods: The study involved 118 pairs (236 subjects) of heterosexual parents of a firstborn child aged 0–6 years. They were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. Results: Path analysis was used to design and test a theoretical integrative model, achieving a good fit with the data. Findings showed that dyadic adjustment mediates the negative influence on parenting self-efficacy of both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Parenting satisfaction is positively influenced by parenting self-efficacy and negatively affected by child’s age. Attachment anxiety negatively influences parenting satisfaction. Conclusion: Our findings are in line with the theoretical expectations and have promising implications for future research and intervention programs designed to improve parenting self-esteem. PMID:26441811

Influence of adult attachment insecurities on parenting self-esteem: the mediating role of dyadic adjustment.

PubMed

Calvo, Vincenzo; Bianco, Francesca

2015-01-01

Parenting self-esteem includes two global components, parents' self-efficacy and satisfaction with their parental role, and has a crucial role in parent-child interactions. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrative model linking adult attachment insecurities, dyadic adjustment, and parenting self-esteem. The study involved 118 pairs (236 subjects) of heterosexual parents of a firstborn child aged 0-6 years. They were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. Path analysis was used to design and test a theoretical integrative model, achieving a good fit with the data. Findings showed that dyadic adjustment mediates the negative influence on parenting self-efficacy of both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Parenting satisfaction is positively influenced by parenting self-efficacy and negatively affected by child's age. Attachment anxiety negatively influences parenting satisfaction. Our findings are in line with the theoretical expectations and have promising implications for future research and intervention programs designed to improve parenting self-esteem.

The Relationship between Social Support and Student Adjustment: A Longitudinal Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demaray, Michelle Kilpatrick; Malecki, Christine Kerres; Davidson, Lisa M.; Hodgson, Kelly K.; Rebus, P. Jacob

2005-01-01

This study is an examination of the relationship of perceived social support and adolescents' adjustment behaviors over time. The sample (n = 82) included students from two at-risk urban middle schools. Utilizing two measures, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; C. K. Malecki, M. K. Demaray, & S. N. Elliott, 2000) and the…

Anticipatory synergy adjustments reflect individual performance of feedforward force control.

PubMed

Togo, Shunta; Imamizu, Hiroshi

2016-10-06

We grasp and dexterously manipulate an object through multi-digit synergy. In the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis, multi-digit synergy is defined as the coordinated control mechanism of fingers to stabilize variable important for task success, e.g., total force. Previous studies reported anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) that correspond to a drop of the synergy index before a quick change of the total force. The present study compared ASA's properties with individual performances of feedforward force control to investigate a relationship of those. Subjects performed a total finger force production task that consisted of a phase in which subjects tracked target line with visual information and a phase in which subjects produced total force pulse without visual information. We quantified their multi-digit synergy through UCM analysis and observed significant ASAs before producing total force pulse. The time of the ASA initiation and the magnitude of the drop of the synergy index were significantly correlated with the error of force pulse, but not with the tracking error. Almost all subjects showed a significant increase of the variance that affected the total force. Our study directly showed that ASA reflects the individual performance of feedforward force control independently of target-tracking performance and suggests that the multi-digit synergy was weakened to adjust the multi-digit movements based on a prediction error so as to reduce the future error. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Baseline adjustments for binary data in repeated cross-sectional cluster randomized trials.

PubMed

Nixon, R M; Thompson, S G

2003-09-15

Analysis of covariance models, which adjust for a baseline covariate, are often used to compare treatment groups in a controlled trial in which individuals are randomized. Such analysis adjusts for any baseline imbalance and usually increases the precision of the treatment effect estimate. We assess the value of such adjustments in the context of a cluster randomized trial with repeated cross-sectional design and a binary outcome. In such a design, a new sample of individuals is taken from the clusters at each measurement occasion, so that baseline adjustment has to be at the cluster level. Logistic regression models are used to analyse the data, with cluster level random effects to allow for different outcome probabilities in each cluster. We compare the estimated treatment effect and its precision in models that incorporate a covariate measuring the cluster level probabilities at baseline and those that do not. In two data sets, taken from a cluster randomized trial in the treatment of menorrhagia, the value of baseline adjustment is only evident when the number of subjects per cluster is large. We assess the generalizability of these findings by undertaking a simulation study, and find that increased precision of the treatment effect requires both large cluster sizes and substantial heterogeneity between clusters at baseline, but baseline imbalance arising by chance in a randomized study can always be effectively adjusted for. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maternal adjustment and maternal attitudes in adolescent and adult pregnant women.

PubMed

Figueiredo, Bárbara; Tendais, Iva; Dias, Cláudia C

2014-08-01

This study analyzes differences between adolescent and adult pregnant women and the contribution of maternal age to maternal adjustment and maternal attitudes during pregnancy. A sample of 398 Portuguese pregnant women (111 younger than 19 years) was recruited in a Portuguese Maternity Hospital and completed the Maternal Adjustment and Maternal Attitudes Questionnaire between the 24(th) and 36(th) weeks of gestation. Maternal Adjustment and Maternal Attitudes Questionnaire(1) RESULTS: Adolescent pregnant women show lower maternal adjustment (poorer body image and worse marital relationship) and poorer maternal attitudes (more negative attitudes to sex) than adult pregnant women. When controlling for socio-demographics, age at pregnancy predicts poorer body image and more negative attitudes to sex, but not a worse marital relationship, more somatic symptoms or negative attitudes to pregnancy and the baby. A worse marital relationship was better predicted by living without the partner, and more somatic symptoms and negative attitudes to pregnancy and the baby was predicted by higher education. Adolescent pregnant women show lower maternal adjustment and poorer maternal attitudes than adult pregnant women according to socio-demographics and unfavorable developmental circumstances. Copyright © 2014 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional stochastic adjustment of volcano geodetic network in Arenal volcano, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, C.; van der Laat, R.; Cattin, P.-H.; Del Potro, R.

2009-04-01

Volcano geodetic networks are a key instrument to understanding magmatic processes and, thus, forecasting potentially hazardous activity. These networks are extensively used on volcanoes worldwide and generally comprise a number of different traditional and modern geodetic surveying techniques such as levelling, distances, triangulation and GNSS. However, in most cases, data from the different methodologies are surveyed, adjusted and analysed independently. Experience shows that the problem with this procedure is the mismatch between the excellent correlation of position values within a single technique and the low cross-correlation of such values within different techniques or when the same network is surveyed shortly after using the same technique. Moreover one different independent network for each geodetic surveying technique strongly increase logistics and thus the cost of each measurement campaign. It is therefore important to develop geodetic networks which combine the different geodetic surveying technique, and to adjust geodetic data together in order to better quantify the uncertainties associated to the measured displacements. In order to overcome the lack of inter-methodology data integration, the Geomatic Institute of the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HEIG-VD) has developed a methodology which uses a 3D stochastic adjustment software of redundant geodetic networks, TRINET+. The methodology consists of using each geodetic measurement technique for its strengths relative to other methodologies. Also, the combination of the measurements in a single network allows more cost-effective surveying. The geodetic data are thereafter adjusted and analysed in the same referential frame. The adjustment methodology is based on the least mean square method and links the data with the geometry. Trinet+ also allows to run a priori simulations of the network, hence testing the quality and resolution to be expected for a determined network even

Neurologic music therapy improves executive function and emotional adjustment in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

PubMed

Thaut, Michael H; Gardiner, James C; Holmberg, Dawn; Horwitz, Javan; Kent, Luanne; Andrews, Garrett; Donelan, Beth; McIntosh, Gerald R

2009-07-01

This study examined the immediate effects of neurologic music therapy (NMT) on cognitive functioning and emotional adjustment with brain-injured persons. Four treatment sessions were held, during which participants were given a pre-test, participated in 30 min of NMT that focused on one aspect of rehabilitation (attention, memory, executive function, or emotional adjustment), which was followed by post-testing. Control participants engaged in a pre-test, 30 min of rest, and then a post-test. Treatment participants showed improvement in executive function and overall emotional adjustment, and lessening of depression, sensation seeking, and anxiety. Control participants improved in emotional adjustment and lessening of hostility, but showed decreases in measures of memory, positive affect, and sensation seeking.

Predictors of sociocultural adjustment among sojourning Malaysian students in Britain.

PubMed

Swami, Viren

2009-08-01

The process of cross-cultural migration may be particularly difficult for students travelling overseas for further or higher education, especially where qualitative differences exist between the home and host nations. The present study examined the sociocultural adjustment of sojourning Malaysian students in Britain. Eighty-one Malay and 110 Chinese students enrolled in various courses answered a self-report questionnaire that examined various aspects of sociocultural adjustment. A series of one-way analyses of variance showed that Malay participants experienced poorer sociocultural adjustment in comparison with their Chinese counterparts. They were also less likely than Chinese students to have contact with co-nationals and host nationals, more likely to perceive their actual experience in Britain as worse than they had expected, and more likely to perceive greater cultural distance and greater discrimination. The results of regression analyses showed that, for Malay participants, perceived discrimination accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in sociocultural adjustment (73%), followed by English language proficiency (10%) and contact with host nationals (4%). For Chinese participants, English language proficiency was the strongest predictor of sociocultural adjustment (54%), followed by expectations of life in Britain (18%) and contact with host nationals (3%). By contrast, participants' sex, age, and length of residence failed to emerge as significant predictors for either ethnic group. Possible explanations for this pattern of findings are discussed, including the effects of Islamophobia on Malay-Muslims in Britain, possible socioeconomic differences between Malay and Chinese students, and personality differences between the two ethnic groups. The results are further discussed in relation to practical steps that can be taken to improve the sociocultural adjustment of sojourning students in Britain.

Women's Work Conditions and Marital Adjustment in Two-Earner Couples: A Structural Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sears, Heather A.; Galambos, Nancy L.

1992-01-01

Evaluated structural model of women's work conditions, women's stress, and marital adjustment using path analysis. Findings from 86 2-earner couples with adolescents indicated support for spillover model in which women's work stress and global stress mediated link between their work conditions and their perceptions of marital adjustment.…

Worksite adjustments and work ability among employed cancer survivors.

PubMed

Torp, Steffen; Nielsen, Roy A; Gudbergsson, Sævar B; Dahl, Alv A

2012-09-01

This study was conducted to determine how many cancer survivors (CSs) make worksite adjustments and what kinds of adjustments they make. Changes in work ability among employed CSs were explored, and clinical, sociodemographic, and work-related factors associated with the current total work ability were studied. CSs of the ten most common invasive types of cancer for men and women in Norway completed a mailed questionnaire 15-39 months after being diagnosed with cancer. Included in the analyses were all participants who worked both at the time of diagnosis and at the time of the survey and who had not changed their labor force status since diagnosis (n = 563). The current total work ability was compared to the lifetime best (0-10 score). Twenty-six percent of the employed CSs had made adjustments at work, and the most common adjustment was changing the number of work hours per week. Despite the fact that 31% and 23% reported reduced physical and mental work abilities, respectively, more than 90% of the CSs reported that they coped well with their work demands. The mean total work ability score was high (8.6) among both men and women. Being self-employed and working part-time at the time of diagnosis showed significant negative correlations with total work ability, while a favorable psychosocial work environment showed a significant positive correlation. CSs with low work ability were more often in contact with the occupational health service and also made more worksite adjustments than others. The prospects of future work life seem optimistic for Norwegian employed CSs who return to work relatively soon after primary treatment.

Adjustable link for kinematic mounting systems

DOEpatents

Hale, Layton C.

1997-01-01

An adjustable link for kinematic mounting systems. The adjustable link is a low-cost, passive device that provides backlash-free adjustment along its single constraint direction and flexural freedom in all other directions. The adjustable link comprises two spheres, two sockets in which the spheres are adjustable retain, and a connection link threadly connected at each end to the spheres, to provide a single direction of restraint and to adjust the length or distance between the sockets. Six such adjustable links provide for six degrees of freedom for mounting an instrument on a support. The adjustable link has applications in any machine or instrument requiring precision adjustment in six degrees of freedom, isolation from deformations of the supporting platform, and/or additional structural damping. The damping is accomplished by using a hollow connection link that contains an inner rod and a viscoelastic separation layer between the two.

Adjustable link for kinematic mounting systems

DOEpatents

Hale, L.C.

1997-07-01

An adjustable link for kinematic mounting systems is disclosed. The adjustable link is a low-cost, passive device that provides backlash-free adjustment along its single constraint direction and flexural freedom in all other directions. The adjustable link comprises two spheres, two sockets in which the spheres are adjustable retain, and a connection link threadly connected at each end to the spheres, to provide a single direction of restraint and to adjust the length or distance between the sockets. Six such adjustable links provide for six degrees of freedom for mounting an instrument on a support. The adjustable link has applications in any machine or instrument requiring precision adjustment in six degrees of freedom, isolation from deformations of the supporting platform, and/or additional structural damping. The damping is accomplished by using a hollow connection link that contains an inner rod and a viscoelastic separation layer between the two. 3 figs.

An improved accrual: reducing medical malpractice year-end adjustments.

PubMed

Frese, Richard C

2012-08-01

Healthcare organizations can improve their year-end malpractice insurance accruals by taking the following steps: Maintain productive communication. Match accrual and accounting policies. Adjust amount of credit to own historical loss experience. Request more frequent analysis. Obtain a second opinion.

Association among depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, sleep disturbance, and suicidal ideation in Taiwanese adolescent.

PubMed

Chung, Ming-Shun; Chiu, Hsien-Jane; Sun, Wen-Jung; Lin, Chieh-Nan; Kuo, Chien-Cheng; Huang, Wei-Che; Chen, Ying-Sheue; Cheng, Hui-Ping; Chou, Pesus

2014-09-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the association among depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, sleep disturbance, and suicidal ideation in Taiwanese adolescent. We recruited 607 students (grades 5-9) to fill out the investigation of basic data and sleep disturbance. Psychiatrists then used the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Kid to interview these students to assess their suicidal ideation and psychiatric diagnosis. Multiple logistic regression with forward conditionals was used to find the risk factors for multivariate analysis. Female, age, depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and poor sleep all contributed to adolescent suicidal ideation in univariate analysis. However, poor sleep became non-significant under the control of depressive disorder and adjustment disorder. We found that both depressive disorder and adjustment disorder play important roles in sleep and adolescent suicidal ideation. After controlling both depressive disorder and adjustment disorder, sleep disturbance was no longer a risk of adolescent suicidal ideation. We also confirm the indirect influence of sleep on suicidal ideation in adolescent. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Effects of Relational Authenticity on Adjustment to College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenz, A. Stephen; Holman, Rachel L.; Lancaster, Chloe; Gotay, Stephanie G.

2016-01-01

The authors examined the association between relational health and student adjustment to college. Data were collected from 138 undergraduate students completing their 1st semester at a large university in the mid-southern United States. Regression analysis indicated that higher levels of relational authenticity were a predictor of success during…

26 CFR 1.9001-3 - Basis adjustments for taxable years between changeover date and 1956 adjustment date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... changeover date and 1956 adjustment date. 1.9001-3 Section 1.9001-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE....9001-3 Basis adjustments for taxable years between changeover date and 1956 adjustment date. (a) In... before the taxpayer's 1956 adjustment date. This adjusted basis shall be used for all purposes of the...

Relationship Between Resilience, Adjustment, and Psychological Functioning After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Report.

PubMed

Lukow, Herman R; Godwin, Emilie E; Marwitz, Jennifer H; Mills, Ana; Hsu, Nancy H; Kreutzer, Jeffrey S

2015-01-01

To examine the relationship between resilience, psychological distress, adjustment, and community participation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Large university health system. Adult survivors of mild to severe TBI (N = 96). Descriptive, preliminary. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item version) was used to assess resilience, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) was used to characterize psychological distress, and the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Index (MPAI-4) was used to measure ability, adjustment, and participation. Resilience scores were substantially lower than those of the general population. Significant relationships were found between resilience, psychological distress, and adjustment. Partial correlations (adjusting for the other MPAI-4 indices) showed significant correlation (P < .05) between MPAI-4 Adjustment and resilience. Partial correlations (adjusting for the other BSI-18 scales) also showed significance for Depression (P < .01) and resilience. Resilience scores differed significantly (P < .001) between individuals meeting BSI-18 caseness criteria for psychological distress (n = 55) and those not meeting criteria (n = 41). Individuals with TBI are at risk for low resilience, which was found to correlate with psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment. Developing interventions to strengthen resilience skills has the potential to improve postinjury psychosocial adjustment, an important area for future research.

A Latent Class Analysis of Maternal Depressive Symptoms over 12 Years and Offspring Adjustment in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Campbell, Susan B.; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A.; Cox, Martha J.; McLoyd, Vonnie C.

2009-01-01

We used data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and latent class analysis to model patterns of maternal depressive symptoms from infant age 1 month to the transition to adolescence (age 12), and then examined adolescent adjustment at age 15 as a function of the course and severity of maternal symptoms. We identified five latent classes of symptoms in these 1357 women while also taking into account sociodemographic measures: never depressed; stable subclinical; early-decreasing; moderately elevated; chronic. Women with few symptoms were more likely to be married, better educated, and in better physical health than women with more elevated symptoms. Family size and whether the pregnancy was planned also differentiated among classes. At age 15, adolescents whose mothers were in the chronic, elevated, and stable subclinical latent classes reported more internalizing and externalizing problems and acknowledged engaging in more risky behavior than did children of never-depressed mothers. Latent class differences in self-reported loneliness and dysphoria were also found. Finally, several significant interactions between sex and latent class suggested that girls whose mothers reported elevated symptoms of depression over time experienced more internalizing distress and dysphoric mood relative to their male counterparts. Discussion focuses on adolescent adjustment, especially among offspring whose mothers report stable symptoms of depression across their childhoods. PMID:19685946

Risk-adjusted models for adverse obstetric outcomes and variation in risk-adjusted outcomes across hospitals.

PubMed

Bailit, Jennifer L; Grobman, William A; Rice, Madeline Murguia; Spong, Catherine Y; Wapner, Ronald J; Varner, Michael W; Thorp, John M; Leveno, Kenneth J; Caritis, Steve N; Shubert, Phillip J; Tita, Alan T; Saade, George; Sorokin, Yoram; Rouse, Dwight J; Blackwell, Sean C; Tolosa, Jorge E; Van Dorsten, J Peter

2013-11-01

Regulatory bodies and insurers evaluate hospital quality using obstetrical outcomes, however meaningful comparisons should take preexisting patient characteristics into account. Furthermore, if risk-adjusted outcomes are consistent within a hospital, fewer measures and resources would be needed to assess obstetrical quality. Our objective was to establish risk-adjusted models for 5 obstetric outcomes and assess hospital performance across these outcomes. We studied a cohort of 115,502 women and their neonates born in 25 hospitals in the United States from March 2008 through February 2011. Hospitals were ranked according to their unadjusted and risk-adjusted frequency of venous thromboembolism, postpartum hemorrhage, peripartum infection, severe perineal laceration, and a composite neonatal adverse outcome. Correlations between hospital risk-adjusted outcome frequencies were assessed. Venous thromboembolism occurred too infrequently (0.03%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.04%) for meaningful assessment. Other outcomes occurred frequently enough for assessment (postpartum hemorrhage, 2.29%; 95% CI, 2.20-2.38, peripartum infection, 5.06%; 95% CI, 4.93-5.19, severe perineal laceration at spontaneous vaginal delivery, 2.16%; 95% CI, 2.06-2.27, neonatal composite, 2.73%; 95% CI, 2.63-2.84). Although there was high concordance between unadjusted and adjusted hospital rankings, several individual hospitals had an adjusted rank that was substantially different (as much as 12 rank tiers) than their unadjusted rank. None of the correlations between hospital-adjusted outcome frequencies was significant. For example, the hospital with the lowest adjusted frequency of peripartum infection had the highest adjusted frequency of severe perineal laceration. Evaluations based on a single risk-adjusted outcome cannot be generalized to overall hospital obstetric performance. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Alternative evaluation metrics for risk adjustment methods.

PubMed

Park, Sungchul; Basu, Anirban

2018-06-01

Risk adjustment is instituted to counter risk selection by accurately equating payments with expected expenditures. Traditional risk-adjustment methods are designed to estimate accurate payments at the group level. However, this generates residual risks at the individual level, especially for high-expenditure individuals, thereby inducing health plans to avoid those with high residual risks. To identify an optimal risk-adjustment method, we perform a comprehensive comparison of prediction accuracies at the group level, at the tail distributions, and at the individual level across 19 estimators: 9 parametric regression, 7 machine learning, and 3 distributional estimators. Using the 2013-2014 MarketScan database, we find that no one estimator performs best in all prediction accuracies. Generally, machine learning and distribution-based estimators achieve higher group-level prediction accuracy than parametric regression estimators. However, parametric regression estimators show higher tail distribution prediction accuracy and individual-level prediction accuracy, especially at the tails of the distribution. This suggests that there is a trade-off in selecting an appropriate risk-adjustment method between estimating accurate payments at the group level and lower residual risks at the individual level. Our results indicate that an optimal method cannot be determined solely on the basis of statistical metrics but rather needs to account for simulating plans' risk selective behaviors. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variational assimilation of streamflow into operational distributed hydrologic models: effect of spatiotemporal adjustment scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H.; Seo, D.-J.; Liu, Y.; Koren, V.; McKee, P.; Corby, R.

2012-01-01

State updating of distributed rainfall-runoff models via streamflow assimilation is subject to overfitting because large dimensionality of the state space of the model may render the assimilation problem seriously under-determined. To examine the issue in the context of operational hydrology, we carry out a set of real-world experiments in which streamflow data is assimilated into gridded Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) and kinematic-wave routing models of the US National Weather Service (NWS) Research Distributed Hydrologic Model (RDHM) with the variational data assimilation technique. Study basins include four basins in Oklahoma and five basins in Texas. To assess the sensitivity of data assimilation performance to dimensionality reduction in the control vector, we used nine different spatiotemporal adjustment scales, where state variables are adjusted in a lumped, semi-distributed, or distributed fashion and biases in precipitation and potential evaporation (PE) are adjusted hourly, 6-hourly, or kept time-invariant. For each adjustment scale, three different streamflow assimilation scenarios are explored, where streamflow observations at basin interior points, at the basin outlet, or at both interior points and the outlet are assimilated. The streamflow assimilation experiments with nine different basins show that the optimum spatiotemporal adjustment scale varies from one basin to another and may be different for streamflow analysis and prediction in all of the three streamflow assimilation scenarios. The most preferred adjustment scale for seven out of nine basins is found to be the distributed, hourly scale, despite the fact that several independent validation results at this adjustment scale indicated the occurrence of overfitting. Basins with highly correlated interior and outlet flows tend to be less sensitive to the adjustment scale and could benefit more from streamflow assimilation. In comparison to outlet flow assimilation, interior flow

Adjustable Pitot Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashby, George C., Jr.; Robbins, W. Eugene; Horsley, Lewis A.

1991-01-01

Probe readily positionable in core of uniform flow in hypersonic wind tunnel. Formed of pair of mating cylindrical housings: transducer housing and pitot-tube housing. Pitot tube supported by adjustable wedge fairing attached to top of pitot-tube housing with semicircular foot. Probe adjusted both radially and circumferentially. In addition, pressure-sensing transducer cooled internally by water or other cooling fluid passing through annulus of cooling system.

Longitudinal Psychosocial Adjustment of Women to Human Papillomavirus Infection.

PubMed

Hsu, Yu-Yun; Wang, Wei-Ming; Fetzer, Susan Jane; Cheng, Ya-Min; Hsu, Keng-Fu

2018-05-29

The aim of this study was to examine the psychosocial adjustment trajectory, focusing on psychological distress, sexual relationships and health care information, as well as factors which have an impact on adjustment on receiving a positive diagnosis of human papillomavirus infection. Human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted infection in females. To date, knowledge of the longitudinal psychosocial response to the diagnosis of human papillomavirus is limited. A prospective longitudinal design was conducted with a convenience sample. Women aged 20-65 years old were followed at one, 6 and 12 months after a diagnosis of HPV. Participants completed measures of initial emotional distress and followed-up psychosocial adjustment. A mixed-effects model was applied to analyze the longitudinal changes in psychosocial adjustment. Seventy human papillomavirus positive women participated in the study with nearly 20% of the women reporting emotional distress during their first visit. Mixed-effects model analyses showed that a trajectory of psychosocial adjustment in health care orientation, sexual relationship and psychosocial distress occur from one to 6 months after HPV diagnosis. However, a declining trend from 6-12 months was significant in health care orientation. Initial emotional distress was associated with changes in psychological adjustment. Psychosocial adjustment to human papillomavirus was worse at one month compared with 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. Healthcare providers should offer health information and psychosocial support to women according to their disease progression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

SPH with dynamical smoothing length adjustment based on the local flow kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olejnik, Michał; Szewc, Kamil; Pozorski, Jacek

2017-11-01

Due to the Lagrangian nature of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), the adaptive resolution remains a challenging task. In this work, we first analyse the influence of the simulation parameters and the smoothing length on solution accuracy, in particular in high strain regions. Based on this analysis we develop a novel approach to dynamically adjust the kernel range for each SPH particle separately, accounting for the local flow kinematics. We use the Okubo-Weiss parameter that distinguishes the strain and vorticity dominated regions in the flow domain. The proposed development is relatively simple and implies only a moderate computational overhead. We validate the modified SPH algorithm for a selection of two-dimensional test cases: the Taylor-Green flow, the vortex spin-down, the lid-driven cavity and the dam-break flow against a sharp-edged obstacle. The simulation results show good agreement with the reference data and improvement of the long-term accuracy for unsteady flows. For the lid-driven cavity case, the proposed dynamical adjustment remedies the problem of tensile instability (particle clustering).

Emotion recognition and social adjustment in school-aged girls and boys.

PubMed

Leppänen, J M; Hietanen, J K

2001-12-01

The present study investigated emotion recognition accuracy and its relation to social adjustment in 7-10 year-old children. The ability to recognize basic emotions from facial and vocal expressions was measured and compared to peer popularity and to teacher-rated social competence. The results showed that emotion recognition was related to these measures of social adjustment, but the gender of a child and emotion category affected this relationship. Emotion recognition accuracy was significantly related to social adjustment for the girls, but not for the boys. For the girls, especially the recognition of surprise was related to social adjustment. Together, these results suggest that the ability to recognize others' emotional states from nonverbal cues is an important socio-cognitive ability for school-aged girls.

Assessing geomorphic sensitivity in relation to river capacity for adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, H. E.; Brierley, G. J.

2015-12-01

River sensitivity describes the nature and rate of channel adjustments. An approach to analysis of geomorphic river sensitivity outlined in this paper relates potential sensitivity based on the expected capacity of adjustment for a river type to the recent history of channel adjustment. This approach was trialled to assess low, moderate and high geomorphic sensitivity for four different types of river (10 reaches in total) along the Lower Tongariro River, North Island, New Zealand. Building upon the River Styles framework, river types were differentiated based upon valley setting (width and confinement), channel planform, geomorphic unit assemblages and bed material size. From this, the behavioural regime and potential for adjustment (type and extent) were determined. Historical maps and aerial photographs were geo-rectified and the channel planform digitised to assess channel adjustments for each reach from 1928 to 2007. Floodplain width controlled by terraces, exerted a strong influence upon reach scale sensitivity for the partly-confined, wandering, cobble-bed river. Although forced boundaries occur infrequently, the width of the active channel zone is constrained. An unconfined braided river reach directly downstream of the terrace-confined section was the most geomorphically sensitive reach. The channel in this reach adjusted recurrently to sediment inputs that were flushed through more confined, better connected upstream reaches. A meandering, sand-bed river in downstream reaches has exhibited negligible rates of channel migration. However, channel narrowing in this reach and the associated delta indicate that the system is approaching a threshold condition, beyond which channel avulsion is likely to occur. As this would trigger more rapid migration, this reach is considered to be more geomorphically sensitive than analysis of its low migration rate alone would indicate. This demonstrates how sensitivity is fashioned both by the behavioural regime of a reach

Adjusted Analyses in Studies Addressing Therapy and Harm: Users' Guides to the Medical Literature.

PubMed

Agoritsas, Thomas; Merglen, Arnaud; Shah, Nilay D; O'Donnell, Martin; Guyatt, Gordon H

2017-02-21

Observational studies almost always have bias because prognostic factors are unequally distributed between patients exposed or not exposed to an intervention. The standard approach to dealing with this problem is adjusted or stratified analysis. Its principle is to use measurement of risk factors to create prognostically homogeneous groups and to combine effect estimates across groups.The purpose of this Users' Guide is to introduce readers to fundamental concepts underlying adjustment as a way of dealing with prognostic imbalance and to the basic principles and relative trustworthiness of various adjustment strategies.One alternative to the standard approach is propensity analysis, in which groups are matched according to the likelihood of membership in exposed or unexposed groups. Propensity methods can deal with multiple prognostic factors, even if there are relatively few patients having outcome events. However, propensity methods do not address other limitations of traditional adjustment: investigators may not have measured all relevant prognostic factors (or not accurately), and unknown factors may bias the results.A second approach, instrumental variable analysis, relies on identifying a variable associated with the likelihood of receiving the intervention but not associated with any prognostic factor or with the outcome (other than through the intervention); this could mimic randomization. However, as with assumptions of other adjustment approaches, it is never certain if an instrumental variable analysis eliminates bias.Although all these approaches can reduce the risk of bias in observational studies, none replace the balance of both known and unknown prognostic factors offered by randomization.

Preretirement Counseling, Retirement Adjustment, and the Older Employee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Mark R.; And Others

This study analyzed relationships between successful adjustment to retirement, preretirement counseling, and the psychological, economic, and other background characteristics of individual employees. A preliminary study in the western states showed no small companies, and relatively few other, with preretirement counseling programs of any…

Examining the components of children's peer liking as antecedents of school adjustment.

PubMed

Betts, Lucy R; Rotenberg, Ken J; Trueman, Mark; Stiller, James

2012-06-01

Children's social interactions with their peers influence their psychosocial adjustment; consequently, the relationship between class-wide peer liking, same-gender peer liking, and school adjustment was explored in two age groups. Peer liking was analysed using the social relations model (SRM). In Study 1, 205 children (103 female and 102 male, M(age) = 7.15, SD= 7 months) completed measures of peer liking and school adjustment, and teachers completed the Short-Form Teacher Rating Scale of School Adjustment (Short-Form TRSSA). In Study 2, 197 children (98 female and 90 male, M(age) = 9.87, SD= 5.9 months) completed measures of peer liking and school adjustment. Both studies yielded evidence of reciprocal liking and individual differences in the ratings of liking awarded to, and elicited from, both peer groups. Multigroup path analysis, with groups created according to gender, revealed that elements of liking predicted different aspects of school adjustment with some variation according to age and gender. Together, these findings suggest that the SRM can be used to examine peer liking and underscore the importance of children's peers for school adjustment. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.

INVESTIGATING DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN FUNCTIONAL NETWORKS USING HIERARCHICAL COVARIATE-ADJUSTED INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS.

PubMed

Shi, Ran; Guo, Ying

2016-12-01

Human brains perform tasks via complex functional networks consisting of separated brain regions. A popular approach to characterize brain functional networks in fMRI studies is independent component analysis (ICA), which is a powerful method to reconstruct latent source signals from their linear mixtures. In many fMRI studies, an important goal is to investigate how brain functional networks change according to specific clinical and demographic variabilities. Existing ICA methods, however, cannot directly incorporate covariate effects in ICA decomposition. Heuristic post-ICA analysis to address this need can be inaccurate and inefficient. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical covariate-adjusted ICA (hc-ICA) model that provides a formal statistical framework for estimating covariate effects and testing differences between brain functional networks. Our method provides a more reliable and powerful statistical tool for evaluating group differences in brain functional networks while appropriately controlling for potential confounding factors. We present an analytically tractable EM algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of our model. We also develop a subspace-based approximate EM that runs significantly faster while retaining high accuracy. To test the differences in functional networks, we introduce a voxel-wise approximate inference procedure which eliminates the need of computationally expensive covariance matrix estimation and inversion. We demonstrate the advantages of our methods over the existing method via simulation studies. We apply our method to an fMRI study to investigate differences in brain functional networks associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

39 CFR 3010.25 - Limitation on unused rate adjustment authority rate adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Limitation on unused rate adjustment authority rate adjustments. 3010.25 Section 3010.25 Postal Service POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION PERSONNEL REGULATION OF RATES FOR MARKET DOMINANT PRODUCTS Rules for Applying the Price Cap § 3010.25 Limitation on...

A review on the relationship between marital adjustment and maternal attachment.

PubMed

Mutlu, Birsen; Erkut, Zeynep; Yıldırım, Zeynem; Gündoğdu, Nurgül

2018-03-01

To determine the relationship between marital adjustment of mothers who have babies between 1-4 months old and their maternal attachment; as well as the relationship of maternal attachment and marital adjustment with sociodemographic characteristics. The research is descriptive and correlational. Its sample consists of 113 mothers. Maternal Attachment Index (MAI) and Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS) are used as data collection tools. We found that, for mothers who participated in this research, the average level of maternal attachment is 92.17 ± 8.49, and the average level of marital adjustment is 43.06 ± 7.90. We discovered that the maternal attachment level is higher for mothers who have completed high school and university, those who breastfeed their babies exclusively and whose spouses help care for the baby. We also discovered that the Marital Adjustment Score is higher among mothers who are employed, get married by companionship (not arranged), continue attending pregnancy classes and whose duration of marriage is between 1-5 years and 10-15 years. There is weak positive relationship (r=0.38; p=0.00) between marital adjustment and maternal attachment; and the regression analysis that is run to explain this relationship is statistically significant (F=26.131; p<0.05). In our study, the level of maternal attachment was high, while the level of marital adjustment was liminal. There are many factors affecting sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy and baby care. The level of marital adjustment for mothers increases the maternal attachment.

[Effects of social support on the adjustment to extracurricular sports activities among junior high school students].

PubMed

Koshi, Ryoko; Sekizawa, Keiko

2009-10-01

This study examined the hypothesis that when students received and/or provided either support for skill improvement or support for interpersonal relations, their overall adjustment level in extracurricular activities would be higher than for students who received and/or provided neither support. Data were analyzed from 475 junior high school students (female 175, male 300) who were taking extracurricular sports activities, out of 743 research participants. The results were as follows. Students who received support mainly for skill improvement showed a statistically equivalent adjustment level as students who received support mainly for interpersonal relations. Students who received either support showed higher adjustment levels than students who received neither. Additionally, providing support showed the same results. The exchange of different types of social support showed equivalent effects on the adjustment level as the exchange of the same type of social support. These results suggest that even though the types of social support are different for skill improvement or interpersonal relations, the exchange of support positively contributes to junior high school students' adjustment level in extracurricular activities.

Reflections on societal change, adjustments, and responses.

PubMed

Friedlander, D; Okun, B

2009-04-01

Building on Davis (1963) and subsequent work, we propose a conceptual framework that provides a guide for the organization of empirical demographic research. Our approach is based on the notion that changes in nuptiality, fertility, and migration are not objectives in and of themselves, but means for reducing welfare gaps - defined as the gaps between actual welfare and that which could be attained with altered demographic and/or other behavior. We clarify theoretical issues concerning three levels of analysis. At the highest level, societal change leads to welfare gaps for families and/or individuals. In turn, behavioral adjustments are made to reduce these gaps. Finally, demographic responses at the community level result when large numbers of families and/or individuals adjust behavior in a particular manner. We consider and exemplify relationships among demographic and other responses in historical, agricultural contexts.

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, R. M.; Brown, P.; Gruber, N.; Wanninkhof, R.; Perez, F.; Körtzinger, A.; Velo, A.; Schuster, U.; van Heuven, S.; Bullister, J. L.; Stendardo, I.; Hoppema, M.; Olsen, A.; Kozyr, A.; Pierrot, D.; Schirnick, C.; Wallace, D. W. R.

2009-08-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30° S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report details of the secondary QC for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control - including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data - are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004), and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

Anticipatory postural adjustments for altering direction during walking.

PubMed

Xu, Dali; Carlton, Les G; Rosengren, Karl S

2004-09-01

The authors examined how individuals adapt their gait and regulate their body configuration before altering direction during walking. Eight young adults were asked to change direction during walking with different turning angles (0 degree, 45 degree, 90 degree), pivot foot (left, right), and walking speeds (normal and fast). The authors used video and force platform systems to determine participants' whole-body center of mass and the center of pressure during the step before they changed direction. The results showed that anticipatory postural adjustments occurred during the prior step and occurred earlier for the fast walking speed. Anticipatory postural adjustments were affected by all 3 variables (turn angle, pivot foot, and speed). Participants leaned backward and sideward on the prior step in anticipation of the turn. Those findings indicate that the motor system uses central control mechanisms to predict the required anticipatory adjustments and organizes the body configuration on the basis of the movement goal.

Variation in the Prediction of Cross-Cultural Adjustment by Ethnic Density: A Longitudinal Study of Taiwanese Students in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ying, Yu-Wen; Han, Meekyung

2008-01-01

The study examined variation in the prediction of adjustment in Taiwanese students by ethnic density. A total of 155 Taiwanese students were assessed via survey pre-departure and three times post-arrival in the United States. Hierarchical regression analysis showed students on campuses with fewer other Taiwanese peers formed more friendships with…

Trajectories of Anxiety Among Women with Breast Cancer: A Proxy for Adjustment from Acute to Transitional Survivorship.

PubMed

Saboonchi, Fredrik; Petersson, Lena-Marie; Wennman-Larsen, Agneta; Alexanderson, Kristina; Vaez, Marjan

2015-01-01

Anxiety is one of the main components of distress among women with breast cancer (BC), particularly in the early stages of the disease. Changes in anxiety over time may reflect the process of adjustment or lack thereof. The process of adjustment in the traverse of acute to transitional stages of survivorship warrants further examination. To examine the trajectory of anxiety and the specific patterns that may indicate a lack of adjustment within 2 years following BC surgery, survey data from a 2-year prospective cohort study of 725 women with BC were analyzed by Mixture Growth Modelling and logistic regression and Analysis of Variance. A piece-wise growth curve displayed the best fit to the data, indicating a significant decrease in anxiety in the first year, followed by a slower rate of change during the second year. Four classes of trajectories were identified: High Stable, High Decrease, Mild Decrease, and Low Decrease. Of these, High Stable anxiety showed the most substantive indications of lack of adjustment. This subgroup was predominantly characterized by sociodemographic variables such as financial difficulties. Our results support an emphasis on the transitional nature of the stage that follows the end of primary active treatment and imply a need for supportive follow up care for those who display lack of adjustment at this stage.

The Sexual Adjustment of Coronary Bypass Surgery Patients: A 4-Year Follow-Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurer, Shari; Thurer, Robert L.

1983-01-01

Measured the sexual adjustment of 14 individuals before coronary bypass surgery and both four months and four years afterwards. Results showed that sexual adjustment worsened with the onset of symptomatic coronary artery disease and did not improve at either follow-up interval. (LLL)

A prospective study of adjustment to hemodialysis.

PubMed

Lev, E L; Owen, S V

1998-10-01

To examine (a) changes in subjects' self-care self-efficacy over time and (b) the relationship of subjects' self-care self-efficacy with adjustment to hemodialysis. A longitudinal design was used to study changes in self-care self-efficacy and associations between self-care self-efficacy and measures of adjustment: health status, mood distress, symptom distress, dialysis stress, and perceived adherence to fluid restriction. Subjects were recruited from 8 settings in the Northeast where outpatient hemodialysis treatment was administered. Sixty-four subjects were recruited to the study. Twenty-eight subjects completed 3 occasions of data collection. Data were collected on three occasions: (a) baseline-within 100 days of beginning treatment; (b) 4 months after beginning treatment; and (c) 8 months after beginning treatment. Eta-squared, a measure of practical significance, is reported for four factors of the self-care self-efficacy measure on each of the three occasions. Associations between self-care self-efficacy and measures of adjustment were examined by means of Pearson correlations. Eta-squared estimates showed generally positive changes occurring over time in subjects' self-care self-efficacy, health status, mood distress, symptom distress, dialysis stress, and perceived adherence to fluid restriction. Changes were more positive at 4-months than at 8-months after enrollment. Significant correlations (p < .05) occurred between self-care self-efficacy and mood states, health status, symptom distress, and perceived adherence to fluid restrictions. Correlations occurred more frequently between self-care self-efficacy and mood states than between self-care self-efficacy and other measures of adjustment. The study provided pilot data suggesting that hemodialysis patients' self-care self-efficacy and measures of adjustment change over time. Patients who had increased confidence in self-care strategies (self-efficacy) were associated with having more positive mood

Parental Divorce and Children's Adjustment.

PubMed

Lansford, Jennifer E

2009-03-01

This article reviews the research literature on links between parental divorce and children's short-term and long-term adjustment. First, I consider evidence regarding how divorce relates to children's externalizing behaviors, internalizing problems, academic achievement, and social relationships. Second, I examine timing of the divorce, demographic characteristics, children's adjustment prior to the divorce, and stigmatization as moderators of the links between divorce and children's adjustment. Third, I examine income, interparental conflict, parenting, and parents well-being as mediators of relations between divorce and children's adjustment. Fourth, I note the caveats and limitations of the research literature. Finally, I consider notable policies related to grounds for divorce, child support, and child custody in light of how they might affect children s adjustment to their parents divorce. © 2009 Association for Psychological Science.

Social support and substitute voice acquisition on psychological adjustment among patients after laryngectomy.

PubMed

Kotake, Kumiko; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Kai, Ichiro; Iwanaga, Kazuyo; Takahashi, Aya

2017-03-01

The objective is to clarify whether social support and acquisition of alternative voice enhance the psychological adjustment of laryngectomized patients and which part of the psychological adjustment structure would be influenced by social support. We contacted 1445 patients enrolled in a patient association using mail surveys and 679 patients agreed to participate in the study. The survey items included age, sex, occupation, post-surgery duration, communication method, psychological adjustment (by the Nottingham Adjustment Scale Japanese Laryngectomy Version: NAS-J-L), and the formal support (by Hospital Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-25: HPSQ-25). Social support and communication methods were added to the three-tier structural model of psychological adjustment shown in our previous study, and a covariance structure analysis was conducted. Formal/informal supports and acquisition of alternative voice influence only the "recognition of oneself as voluntary agent", the first tier of the three-tier structure of psychological adjustment. The results suggest that social support and acquisition of alternative voice may enhance the recognition of oneself as voluntary agent and promote the psychological adjustment.

[Risk-adjusted assessment: late-onset infection in neonates].

PubMed

Gmyrek, Dieter; Koch, Rainer; Vogtmann, Christoph; Kaiser, Annette; Friedrich, Annette

2011-01-01

The weak point of the countrywide perinatal/neonatal quality surveillance is the ignorance of interhospital differences in the case mix of patients. As a result, this approach does not produce reliable benchmarking. The objective of this study was to adjust the result of the late-onset infection incidence of different hospitals according to their risk profile of patients by multivariate analysis. The perinatal/neonatal database of 41,055 newborns of the Saxonian quality surveillance from 1998 to 2004 was analysed. Based on 18 possible risk factors, a logistic regression model was used to develop a specific risk predictor for the quality indicator "late-onset infection". The developed risk predictor for the incidence of late-onset infection could be described by 4 of the 18 analysed risk factors, namely gestational age, admission from home, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and B-streptococcal infection. The AUC(ROC) value of this quality indicator was 83.3%, which demonstrates its reliability. The hospital ranking based on the adjusted risk assessment was very different from hospital rankings before this adjustment. The average correction of ranking position was 4.96 for 35 clinics. The application of the risk adjustment method proposed here allows for a more objective comparison of the incidence of the quality indicator "late onset infection" among different hospitals. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Sibling conflict in middle childhood predicts children's adjustment in early adolescence.

PubMed

Stocker, Clare M; Burwell, Rebecca A; Briggs, Megan L

2002-03-01

Associations between sibling conflict in middle childhood and psychological adjustment in early adolescence were studied in a sample of 80 boys and 56 girls. Parents and children provided self-report data about family relationships and children's adjustment. Parents' hostility to children was assessed from videotaped interactions. Results showed that sibling conflict at Time 1 predicted increases in children's anxiety, depressed mood, and delinquent behavior 2 years later. Moreover, earlier sibling conflict at Time 1 accounted for unique variance in young adolescents' Time 2 anxiety, depressed mood, and delinquent behavior above and beyond the variance explained by earlier maternal hostility and marital conflict. Children's adjustment at Time 1 did not predict sibling conflict at Time 2. Results highlight the unique significance of the earlier sibling relationship for young adolescents' psychological adjustment.

42 CFR 422.310 - Risk adjustment data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... risk adjustment factors used to adjust payments, as required under §§ 422.304(a) and (c). CMS also may... submission of risk adjustment data. Risk adjustment factors for each payment year are based on risk... factors for affected individuals to determine if adjustments to payments are necessary. Risk adjustment...

42 CFR 422.310 - Risk adjustment data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... risk adjustment factors used to adjust payments, as required under §§ 422.304(a) and (c). CMS also may... submission of risk adjustment data. Risk adjustment factors for each payment year are based on risk... factors for affected individuals to determine if adjustments to payments are necessary. Risk adjustment...

The brain adjusts grip forces differently according to gravity and inertia: a parabolic flight experiment

PubMed Central

White, Olivier

2015-01-01

In everyday life, one of the most frequent activities involves accelerating and decelerating an object held in precision grip. In many contexts, humans scale and synchronize their grip force (GF), normal to the finger/object contact, in anticipation of the expected tangential load force (LF), resulting from the combination of the gravitational and the inertial forces. In many contexts, GF and LF are linearly coupled. A few studies have examined how we adjust the parameters–gain and offset–of this linear relationship. However, the question remains open as to how the brain adjusts GF regardless of whether LF is generated by different combinations of weight and inertia. Here, we designed conditions to generate equivalent magnitudes of LF by independently varying mass and movement frequency. In a control experiment, we directly manipulated gravity in parabolic flights, while other factors remained constant. We show with a simple computational approach that, to adjust GF, the brain is sensitive to how LFs are produced at the fingertips. This provides clear evidence that the analysis of the origin of LF is performed centrally, and not only at the periphery. PMID:25717293

Post implantation adjustable intraocular lenses.

PubMed

Schwartz, D M; Jethmalani, J M; Sandstedt, C A; Kornfield, J A; Grubbs, R H

2001-06-01

To eliminate persistent refractive errors after cataract and phakic IOL surgery, photosensitive silicone IOLs have been developed. These IOL formulations enable precise laser adjustment of IOL power to correct spherical and toric errors post-operatively, after wound and IOL stabilization. Initial experience with these laser adjustable IOLs indicate excellent biocompatability and adjustability of more than five diopters.

Maternal Zinc Intakes and Homeostatic Adjustments during Pregnancy and Lactation

PubMed Central

Donangelo, Carmen Marino; King, Janet C.

2012-01-01

Zinc plays critical roles during embryogenesis, fetal growth, and milk secretion, which increase the zinc need for pregnancy and lactation. Increased needs can be met by increasing the dietary zinc intake, along with making homeostatic adjustments in zinc utilization. Potential homeostatic adjustments include changes in circulating zinc, increased zinc absorption, decreased zinc losses, and changes in whole body zinc kinetics. Although severe zinc deficiency during pregnancy has devastating effects, systematic reviews and meta-analysis of the effect of maternal zinc supplementation on pregnancy outcomes have consistently shown a limited benefit. We hypothesize, therefore, that zinc homeostatic adjustments during pregnancy and lactation improve zinc utilization sufficiently to provide the increased zinc needs in these stages and, therefore, mitigate immediate detrimental effects due to a low zinc intake. The specific questions addressed are the following: How is zinc utilization altered during pregnancy and lactation? Are those homeostatic adjustments influenced by maternal zinc status, dietary zinc, or zinc supplementation? These questions are addressed by critically reviewing results from published human studies on zinc homeostasis during pregnancy and lactation carried out in different populations worldwide. PMID:22852063

A comparison of methods for organ-weight data adjustment in chicks.

PubMed

Brown, D R; Southern, L L; Baker, D H

1985-02-01

An experiment was conducted with 168 Arbor Acre X Peterson unsexed, crossbred broiler chicks to compare methods of expressing organ-weight data and to assess changes in organ weights and physiological parameters as body weight (97 to 791 g) and age (5 to 26 days) increased. Actual wet weight of liver, heart, intestine, spleen, and pancreas and percent bone ash increased (P less than .01) as age and body weight increased. Tibia length-to-width ratio decreased (P less than .01) as age and body weight increased. Blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, and plasma protein were not affected (P greater than .1) by age or by body weight. Liver, heart, and intestinal weight decreased (P less than .01) and spleen weight increased (P less than .01) as body weight and age increased when these tissue weights were expressed as percent of body weight. Liver weight adjusted for body weight by covariance analysis, however, remained constant; adjusted heart and intestinal weights decreased (P less than .01), and adjusted spleen weights increased (P less than .01) with increasing age and body weight. The covariate, body weight, was not significant (P greater than .1) for pancreas weight, tibia length-to-width ratio, and percent bone ash. Except for spleen, adjustment by covariance analysis more effectively reduced variation due to body weight than did expression as percent of body weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory synergy adjustments: Preparing to a postural perturbation with predictable and unpredictable direction

PubMed Central

Piscitelli, Daniele; Falaki, Ali; Solnik, Stanislaw; Latash, Mark L.

2016-01-01

We explored two aspects of feed-forward postural control, anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) seen prior to self-triggered unloading with known and unknown direction of the perturbation. In particular, we tested two main hypotheses predicting contrasting changes in APAs and ASAs. The first hypothesis predicted no major changes in ASAs. The second hypothesis predicted delayed APAs with predominance of co-contraction patterns when perturbation direction was unknown. Healthy subjects stood on the force plate and help a bar with two loads acting in the forward and backward directions. They pressed a trigger that released one of the loads causing a postural perturbation. In different series, the direction of the perturbation was either known (the same load released in all trials) or unknown (the subjects did not know which of the two loads would be released). Surface electromyograms were recorded and used to quantify APAs, synergies stabilizing center of pressure coordinate (within the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis), and ASA. APAs and ASAs were seen in all conditions. APAs were delayed and predominance of co-contraction patterns was seen under the conditions with unpredictable direction of perturbation. In contrast, no significant changes in synergies and ASAs were seen. Overall, these results show that feed-forward control of vertical posture has two distinct components, reflected in APAs and ASAs, which show qualitatively different adjustments with changes in predictability of the direction of perturbation. These results are interpreted within the recently proposed hierarchical scheme of the synergic control of motor tasks. The observations underscore the complexity of the feed-forward postural control, which involves separate changes in salient performance variables (such as coordinate of the center of pressure) and in their stability properties. PMID:27866261

Anticipatory postural adjustments and anticipatory synergy adjustments: preparing to a postural perturbation with predictable and unpredictable direction.

PubMed

Piscitelli, Daniele; Falaki, Ali; Solnik, Stanislaw; Latash, Mark L

2017-03-01

We explored two aspects of feed-forward postural control, anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and anticipatory synergy adjustments (ASAs) seen prior to self-triggered unloading with known and unknown direction of the perturbation. In particular, we tested two main hypotheses predicting contrasting changes in APAs and ASAs. The first hypothesis predicted no major changes in ASAs. The second hypothesis predicted delayed APAs with predominance of co-contraction patterns when perturbation direction was unknown. Healthy subjects stood on the force plate and held a bar with two loads acting in the forward and backward directions. They pressed a trigger that released one of the loads causing a postural perturbation. In different series, the direction of the perturbation was either known (the same load released in all trials) or unknown (the subjects did not know which of the two loads would be released). Surface electromyograms were recorded and used to quantify APAs, synergies stabilizing center of pressure coordinate (within the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis), and ASA. APAs and ASAs were seen in all conditions. APAs were delayed, and predominance of co-contraction patterns was seen under the conditions with unpredictable direction of perturbation. In contrast, no significant changes in synergies and ASAs were seen. Overall, these results show that feed-forward control of vertical posture has two distinct components, reflected in APAs and ASAs, which show qualitatively different adjustments with changes in predictability of the direction of perturbation. These results are interpreted within the recently proposed hierarchical scheme of the synergic control of motor tasks. The observations underscore the complexity of the feed-forward postural control, which involves separate changes in salient performance variables (such as coordinate of the center of pressure) and in their stability properties.

Spatial Analysis of Land Adjustment as a Rehabilitation Base of Mangrove in Indramayu Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sodikin; Sitorus, S. R. P.; Prasetyo, L. B.; Kusmana, C.

2018-02-01

Indramayu Regency is the area that has the largest mangrove in West Java. According to the environment and forestry ministry of Indramayu district will be targeted to be the central area of mangrove Indonesia. Mangroves in the regency from the 1990s have experienced a significant decline caused by the conversion of mangrove land into ponds and settlements. To stop the mangrove decline that continues to occur, it is necessary to rehabilitate mangroves in the area. The rehabilitation of mangrove should be in the area suitable for mangrove growth and what kind of vegetation analysis is appropriate to plant the area, so the purpose of this research is to analyze the suitability of land for mangrove in Indramayu Regency. This research uses geographic information system with overlay technique, while the data used in this research is tidal map of sea water, salintas map, land ph map, soil texture map, sea level rise map, land use map, community participation level map, and Map of organic soil. Then overlay and adjusted to matrix environmental parameters for mangrove growth. Based on the results of the analysis is known that in Indramayu District there are 5 types of mangroves that fit among others Bruguera, Soneratia, Nypah, Rhizophora, and Avicennia. The area of each area is Bruguera with an area of 6260 ha, 2958 ha, nypah 1756 ha, Rhizophora 936, and Avicennia 433 ha.

12 CFR 19.240 - Inflation adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Inflation adjustments. 19.240 Section 19.240... PROCEDURE Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments § 19.240 Inflation adjustments. (a) The maximum amount... Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note) as follows: ER10NO08.001 (b) The...

Adjusted active carbon fibers for solid phase microextraction.

PubMed

Jia, Jinping; Feng, Xue; Fang, Nenghu; Wang, Yalin; Chen, Hongjin; Dan, Wu

2002-01-01

Adjusted active carbon fiber (AACF) was evaluated for Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME), which showed higher sensitivity and stability than traditional coating fibers. The characteristics of AACF result from two different activation methods (chemical and water vapor) and from variable activation conditions (temperature and time). The fiber treated by water vapor appears to have stronger affinity to polar compounds, while that treated by chemical activation appears to have stronger affinity to non-polar compounds. For different target compounds ranged from non-polar to polar, AACF design could be effective with specific selections and sensitivities. As applications in this paper, benzoic acid in soy sauce was extracted onto water-vapor-activated-fiber, then analyzed using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The chemical-activated-fiber SPME was applied in the analysis of benzene series compounds (BTEX) in water matrix. Compared with standard carbon disulfide extraction method, chemical-activated-fiber SPME is more convenient due to its simple process and turns to be of relative low detection limits.

The Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised (SOAS-R) - adjustment and validation for emergency primary health care.

PubMed

Morken, Tone; Baste, Valborg; Johnsen, Grethe E; Rypdal, Knut; Palmstierna, Tom; Johansen, Ingrid Hjulstad

2018-05-08

Many emergency primary health care workers experience aggressive behaviour from patients or visitors. Simple incident-reporting procedures exist for inpatient, psychiatric care, but a similar and simple incident-report for other health care settings is lacking. The aim was to adjust a pre-existing form for reporting aggressive incidents in a psychiatric inpatient setting to the emergency primary health care settings. We also wanted to assess the validity of the severity scores in emergency primary health care. The Staff Observation Scale - Revised (SOAS-R) was adjusted to create a pilot version of the Staff Observation Scale - Revised Emergency (SOAS-RE). A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was added to the form to judge the severity of the incident. Data for validation of the pilot version of SOAS-RE were collected from ten casualty clinics in Norway during 12 months. Variance analysis was used to test gender and age differences. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relative impact that each of the five SOAS-RE columns had on the VAS score. The association between SOAS-RE severity score and VAS severity score was calculated by the Pearson correlation coefficient. The SOAS-R was adjusted to emergency primary health care, refined and called The Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised Emergency (SOAS-RE). A total of 350 SOAS-RE forms were collected from the casualty clinics, but due to missing data, 291 forms were included in the analysis. SOAS-RE scores ranged from 1 to 22. The mean total severity score of SOAS-RE was 10.0 (standard deviation (SD) =4.1) and the mean VAS score was 45.4 (SD = 26.7). We found a significant correlation of 0.45 between the SOAS-RE total severity scores and the VAS severity ratings. The linear regression analysis showed that individually each of the categories, which described the incident, had a low impact on the VAS score. The SOAS-RE seems to be a useful instrument for research, incident-recording and management

Substance Use and Personal Adjustment among Disadvantaged Teenagers: A Six-Month Prospective Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luthar, Suniya S.; Cushing, Gretta

1997-01-01

Associations between substance abuse and emotional and behavioral adjustment were examined in a two-wave longitudinal design for 138 inner-city ninth graders. Drug use showed associations in expected directions with all indices of adjustment except for peer-related sociability. Implications for interventions are discussed. (SLD)

Analysis of an adjustable field permanent magnet solenoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burris-Mog, T.; Burns, M.; Chavez, A.; Schillig, J.

2017-10-01

A feasibility study has been performed on an adjustable-field permanent magnet (PM) solenoid concept in an effort to reduce the dependence that linear induction accelerators have on large direct current power supplies and associated cooling systems. The concept relies on the ability to reorient sections of the PMs and thus redirect their magnetization vector to either add to or subtract from the on-axis magnetic field. This study concentrated on the focal strengths and emittance growths for two different designs, both with 19 cm bore diameters extending 53 cm in length. The first design is expected to produce peak magnetic fields ranging from 260 to 900 G (0.026 to 0.09 T) while the second design is expected to produce peak magnetic fields ranging from 580 to 2100 G (0.058 to 0.21 T). Although the PM configuration generates a variable magnetic field and the torques acting on PMs within the assembly appear manageable, the emittance growth is larger than that of a DC solenoid.

Analysis of an Adjustable Field Permanent Magnet Solenoid

DOE PAGES

Burris-Mog, Trevor John; Burns, Michael James; Chavez, Mark Anthony; ...

2017-07-12

A feasibility study has been performed on an adjustable-field permanent magnet (PM) solenoid concept in an effort to reduce the dependence that linear induction accelerators have on large direct current power supplies and associated cooling systems. The concept relies on the ability to reorient sections of the PMs and thus redirect their magnetization vector to either add to or subtract from the on-axis magnetic field. This study concentrated on the focal strengths and emittance growths for two different designs, both with 19 cm bore diameters extending 53 cm in length. The first design is expected to produce peak magnetic fieldsmore » ranging from 260 to 900 G (0.026 to 0.09 T) while the second design is expected to produce peak magnetic fields ranging from 580 to 2100 G (0.058 to 0.21 T). Finally, although the PM configuration generates a variable magnetic field and the torques acting on PMs within the assembly appear manageable, the emittance growth is larger than that of a DC solenoid.« less

Detail of west end of movable span. Shows lattice beams. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Detail of west end of movable span. Shows lattice beams. Latticed portal. Adjustable tension members connecting top chords, and metal floor beams looking south from navy land. - Naval Supply Annex Stockton, Daggett Road Bridge, Daggett Road traversing Burns Cut Off, Stockton, San Joaquin County, CA

Dietary and Behavioral Adjustments to Manage Bowel Dysfunction After Surgery in Long-Term Colorectal Cancer Survviors

PubMed Central

Sun, Virginia; Grant, Marcia; Wendel, Christopher S.; McMullen, Carmit K.; Bulkley, Joanna E.; Altschuler, Andrea; Ramirez, Michelle; Baldwin, Carol M.; Herrinton, Lisa J.; Hornbrook, Mark C.; Krouse, Robert S.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Bowel dysfunction is a known complication of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. Poor bowel control has a detrimental impact on survivors’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This analysis describes the dietary and behavioral adjustments used by CRC survivors to manage bowel dysfunction and compares adjustments used by survivors with permanent ostomy to those with anastomosis. METHODS This mixed-methods analysis included pooled data from several studies that assessed HRQOL in CRC survivors. In all studies, CRC survivors with or without permanent ostomies (N=856) were surveyed using the City of Hope Quality of Life Colorectal Cancer tool. Dietary adjustments were compared by ostomy status and by overall HRQOL score (high versus low). Qualitative data from 13 focus groups and 30 interviews were analyzed to explore specific strategies used by survivors to manage bowel dysfunction. RESULTS CRC survivors made substantial, permanent dietary and behavioral adjustments after surgery, regardless of ostomy status. Survivors who took longer after surgery to become comfortable with their diet or regain their appetite were more likely to report worse HRQOL. Adjustments to control bowel function were divided into four major strategies: dietary adjustments, behavioral adjustments, exercise, and medication use. CONCLUSIONS CRC survivors struggled with unpredictable bowel function and may fail to find a set of management strategies to achieve regularity. Understanding the myriad adjustments used by CRC survivors may lead to evidence-based interventions to foster positive adjustments after surgery and through long-term survivorship. PMID:26159443

Dietary and Behavioral Adjustments to Manage Bowel Dysfunction After Surgery in Long-Term Colorectal Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Sun, Virginia; Grant, Marcia; Wendel, Christopher S; McMullen, Carmit K; Bulkley, Joanna E; Altschuler, Andrea; Ramirez, Michelle; Baldwin, Carol M; Herrinton, Lisa J; Hornbrook, Mark C; Krouse, Robert S

2015-12-01

Bowel dysfunction is a known complication of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. Poor bowel control has a detrimental impact on survivors' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This analysis describes the dietary and behavioral adjustments used by CRC survivors to manage bowel dysfunction and compares adjustments used by survivors with permanent ostomy to those with anastomosis. This mixed-methods analysis included pooled data from several studies that assessed HRQOL in CRC survivors. In all studies, CRC survivors with or without permanent ostomies (N = 856) were surveyed using the City of Hope Quality of Life Colorectal Cancer tool. Dietary adjustments were compared by ostomy status and by overall HRQOL score (high vs. low). Qualitative data from 13 focus groups and 30 interviews were analyzed to explore specific strategies used by survivors to manage bowel dysfunction. CRC survivors made substantial, permanent dietary, and behavioral adjustments after surgery, regardless of ostomy status. Survivors who took longer after surgery to become comfortable with their diet or regain their appetite were more likely to report worse HRQOL. Adjustments to control bowel function were divided into four major strategies: dietary adjustments, behavioral adjustments, exercise, and medication use. CRC survivors struggled with unpredictable bowel function and may fail to find a set of management strategies to achieve regularity. Understanding the myriad adjustments used by CRC survivors may lead to evidence-based interventions to foster positive adjustments after surgery and through long-term survivorship.

Children Born Through Reproductive Donation: A Longitudinal Study of Psychological Adjustment

PubMed Central

Golombok, Susan; Blake, Lucy; Casey, Polly; Roman, Gabriela; Jadva, Vasanti

2012-01-01

Background Parenting and children’s adjustment were examined in 30 surrogacy families, 31 egg donation families, 35 donor insemination families, and 53 natural conception families. Methods Parenting was assessed at age 3 by a standardized interview designed to assess quality of parenting and by questionnaire measures of anxiety, depression and marital quality. Children’s adjustment was assessed at ages 3, 7 and 10 using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results Although children born through reproductive donation obtained SDQ scores within the normal range, surrogacy children showed higher levels of adjustment difficulties at age 7 than children conceived by gamete donation. Mothers who had kept their child’s origins secret showed elevated levels of distress. However, maternal distress had a more negative impact on children who were aware of their origins. Conclusions The absence of a gestational connection to the mother may be more problematic for children than the absence of a genetic link. PMID:23176601

Children born through reproductive donation: a longitudinal study of psychological adjustment.

PubMed

Golombok, Susan; Blake, Lucy; Casey, Polly; Roman, Gabriela; Jadva, Vasanti

2013-06-01

Parenting and children's adjustment were examined in 30 surrogacy families, 31 egg donation families, 35 donor insemination families, and 53 natural conception families. Parenting was assessed at age 3 by a standardized interview designed to assess quality of parenting and by questionnaire measures of anxiety, depression, and marital quality. Children's adjustment was assessed at ages 3, 7, and 10 using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Although children born through reproductive donation obtained SDQ scores within the normal range, surrogacy children showed higher levels of adjustment difficulties at age 7 than children conceived by gamete donation. Mothers who had kept their child's origins secret showed elevated levels of distress. However, maternal distress had a more negative impact on children who were aware of their origins. The absence of a gestational connection to the mother may be more problematic for children than the absence of a genetic link. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2012 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

26 CFR 1.9001-2 - Basis adjustments for taxable years beginning on or after 1956 adjustment date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... on or after 1956 adjustment date. 1.9001-2 Section 1.9001-2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE....9001-2 Basis adjustments for taxable years beginning on or after 1956 adjustment date. (a) In general. Subsection (d) of the Act provides the basis adjustments required to be made by the taxpayer as of the 1956...

Novel fluorescence adjustable photonic crystal materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Cheng; Liu, Xiaoxia; Ni, Yaru; Fang, Jiaojiao; Fang, Liang; Lu, Chunhua; Xu, Zhongzi

2017-11-01

Novel photonic crystal materials (PCMs) with adjustable fluorescence were fabricated by distributing organic fluorescent powders of Yb0.2Er0.4Tm0.4(TTA)3Phen into the opal structures of self-assembled silica photonic crystals (PCs). Via removing the silica solution in a constant speed, PCs with controllable thicknesses and different periodic sizes were obtained on glass slides. Yb0.2Er0.4Tm0.4(TTA)3Phen powders were subsequently distributed into the opal structures. The structures and optical properties of the prepared PCMs were investigated. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) calculation was used to further analyze the electric field distributions in PCs with different periodic sizes while the relation between periodic sizes and fluorescent spectra of PCMs was discussed. The results showed that the emission color of the PCMs under irradiation of 980 nm laser can be easily adjusted from green to blue by increasing the periodic size from 250 to 450 nm.

Right miniparasternotomy may be a good minimally invasive alternative to full sternotomy for cardiac valve operations: a propensity-adjusted analysis.

PubMed

Chiu, Kuan M; Chen, Robert J; Lin, Tzu Y; Chen, Jer S; Huang, Jin H; Huang, Chun Y; Chu, Shu H

2016-02-01

Limited real-world data existed for mini-parasternotomy approach with good sample size in Asian cohorts and most previous studies were eclipsed by case heterogeneity. The goal of this study was to compare safety and quality outcomes of cardiac non-coronary valve operations by mini-parasternotomy and full sternotomy approaches on risk-adjusted basis. METHODS From our hospital database, we retrieved the cases of non-coronary valve operations from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2012, including re-do, emergent, and combined procedures. Estimated EuroScore-II and propensity score for choosing mini-parasternotomy were adjusted for in the regression models on hospital mortality, complications (pneumonia, stroke, sepsis, etc.), and quality parameters (length of stay, ICU time, ventilator time, etc.). Non-complicated cases, defined as survival to discharge, ventilator use not over one week, and intensive care unit stay not over two weeks, were used for quality parameters. There were 283 mini-parasternotomy and 177 full sternotomy cases. EuroScore-II differed significantly (medians 2.1 vs. 4.7, P<0.001). Propensity scores for choosing mini-parasternotomy were higher with lower EuroScore-II (OR=0.91 per 1%, P<0.001), aortic regurgitation (OR=2.3, P=0.005), and aortic non-mitral valve disease (OR=3.9, P<0.001). Adjusted for propensity score and EuroScore-II, mini-parasternotomy group had less pneumonia (OR=0.32, P=0.043), less sepsis (OR=0.31, P=0.045), and shorter non-complicated length of stay (coefficient=-7.2 (day), P<0.001) than full sternotomy group, whereas Kaplan-Meier survival, non-complicated ICU time, non-complicated ventilator time, and 30-day mortality did not differ significantly. The propensity-adjusted analysis demonstrated encouraging safety and quality outcomes for mini-parasternotomy valve operation in carefully selected patients.

77 FR 28901 - Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance; Novartis...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-16

... Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation... Adjustment Assistance on January 6, 2012, applicable to workers of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation... firm. The workers are engaged in sales of pharmaceuticals. New information shows that worker...

Gender adjustment or stratification in discerning upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder risk?

PubMed

Silverstein, Barbara; Fan, Z Joyce; Smith, Caroline K; Bao, Stephen; Howard, Ninica; Spielholz, Peregrin; Bonauto, David; Viikari-Juntura, Eira

2009-03-01

The aim was to explore whether "adjustment" for gender masks important exposure differences between men and women in a study of rotator cuff syndrome (RCS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and work exposures. This cross-sectional study of 733 subjects in 12 health care and manufacturing workplaces used detailed individual health and work exposure assessment methods. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to compare gender stratified and adjusted models. Prevalence of RCS and CTS among women was 7.1% and 11.3% respectively, and among men 7.8% and 6.4%. In adjusted (gender, age, body mass index) multivariate analyses of RCS and CTS, gender was not statistically significantly different. For RCS, upper arm flexion >/=45 degrees and forceful pinch increased the odds in the gender-adjusted model (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.26-5.59) but primarily among women in the stratified analysis (OR 6.68, 95% CI 1.81-24.66 versus OR 1.45, 95% CI 0.53-4.00). For CTS, wrist radial/ulnar deviation >/=4% time and lifting >/=4.5kg >3% time, the adjusted OR was higher for women (OR 4.85, 95% CI 2.12-11.11) and in the gender stratified analyses, the odds were increased for both genders (women OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.70-15.81 and men OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.08-12.18). Gender differences in response to physical work exposures may reflect gender segregation in work and potential differences in pinch and lifting capacity. Reduction in these exposures may reduce prevalence of upper extremity disorders for all workers.

44 CFR 62.21 - Claims adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS Claims Adjustment, Claims Appeals, and Judicial Review § 62.21 Claims adjustment. (a) In...

Correlative bacteriologic and micro-computed tomographic analysis of mandibular molar mesial canals prepared by self-adjusting file, reciproc, and twisted file systems.

PubMed

Siqueira, José F; Alves, Flávio R F; Versiani, Marco A; Rôças, Isabela N; Almeida, Bernardo M; Neves, Mônica A S; Sousa-Neto, Manoel D

2013-08-01

This ex vivo study evaluated the disinfecting and shaping ability of 3 protocols used in the preparation of mesial root canals of mandibular molars by means of correlative bacteriologic and micro-computed tomographic (μμCT) analysis. The mesial canals of extracted mandibular molars were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis for 30 days and assigned to 3 groups based on their anatomic configuration as determined by μCT analysis according to the preparation technique (Self-Adjusting File [ReDent-Nova, Ra'anana, Israel], Reciproc [VDW, Munich, Germany], and Twisted File [SybronEndo, Orange, CA]). In all groups, 2.5% NaOCl was the irrigant. Canal samples were taken before (S1) and after instrumentation (S2), and bacterial quantification was performed using culture. Next, mesial roots were subjected to additional μCT analysis in order to evaluate shaping of the canals. All instrumentation protocols promoted a highly significant intracanal bacterial reduction (P < .001). Intergroup quantitative and qualitative comparisons disclosed no significant differences between groups (P > .05). As for shaping, no statistical difference was observed between the techniques regarding the mean percentage of volume increase, the surface area increase, the unprepared surface area, and the relative unprepared surface area (P > .05). Correlative analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between bacterial reduction and the mean percentage increase of the analyzed parameters (P > .05). The 3 instrumentation systems have similar disinfecting and shaping performance in the preparation of mesial canals of mandibular molars. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Right-­turn traffic volume adjustment in traffic signal warrant analysis : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-06

This report was based on the research project, Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in Traffic Signal Warrants, sponsored by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and SOLARIS. Right-turn traffic does not affect intersection performance in th...

Severity-Adjusted Mortality in Trauma Patients Transported by Police

PubMed Central

Band, Roger A.; Salhi, Rama A.; Holena, Daniel N.; Powell, Elizabeth; Branas, Charles C.; Carr, Brendan G.

2018-01-01

Study objective Two decades ago, Philadelphia began allowing police transport of patients with penetrating trauma. We conduct a large, multiyear, citywide analysis of this policy. We examine the association between mode of out-of-hospital transport (police department versus emergency medical services [EMS]) and mortality among patients with penetrating trauma in Philadelphia. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of trauma registry data. Patients who sustained any proximal penetrating trauma and presented to any Level I or II trauma center in Philadelphia between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007, were included. Analyses were conducted with logistic regression models and were adjusted for injury severity with the Trauma and Injury Severity Score and for case mix with a modified Charlson index. Results Four thousand one hundred twenty-two subjects were identified. Overall mortality was 27.4%. In unadjusted analyses, patients transported by police were more likely to die than patients transported by ambulance (29.8% versus 26.5%; OR 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00 to 1.39). In adjusted models, no significant difference was observed in overall mortality between the police department and EMS groups (odds ratio [OR] 0.78; 95% CI 0.61 to 1.01). In subgroup analysis, patients with severe injury (Injury Severity Score >15) (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.90), patients with gunshot wounds (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.94), and patients with stab wounds (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.08 to 0.45) were more likely to survive if transported by police. Conclusion We found no significant overall difference in adjusted mortality between patients transported by the police department compared with EMS but found increased adjusted survival among 3 key subgroups of patients transported by police. This practice may augment traditional care. PMID:24387925

The Mediating Role of Psychological Adjustment between Peer Victimization and Social Adjustment in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Romera, Eva M.; Gómez-Ortiz, Olga; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario

2016-01-01

There is extensive scientific evidence of the serious psychological and social effects that peer victimization may have on students, among them internalizing problems such as anxiety or negative self-esteem, difficulties related to low self-efficacy and lower levels of social adjustment. Although a direct relationship has been observed between victimization and these effects, it has not yet been analyzed whether there is a relationship of interdependence between all these measures of psychosocial adjustment. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between victimization and difficulties related to social adjustment among high school students. To do so, various explanatory models were tested to determine whether psychological adjustment (negative self-esteem, social anxiety and social self-efficacy) could play a mediating role in this relationship, as suggested by other studies on academic adjustment. The sample comprised 2060 Spanish high school students (47.9% girls; mean age = 14.34). The instruments used were the scale of victimization from European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, the negative scale from Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and a general item about social self-efficacy, all of them self-reports. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results confirmed the partial mediating role of negative self-esteem, social anxiety and social self-efficacy between peer victimization and social adjustment and highlight the importance of empowering victimized students to improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy and prevent social anxiety. Such problems lead to the avoidance of social interactions and social reinforcement, thus making it difficult for these students to achieve adequate social adjustment. PMID:27891108

The Mediating Role of Psychological Adjustment between Peer Victimization and Social Adjustment in Adolescence.

PubMed

Romera, Eva M; Gómez-Ortiz, Olga; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario

2016-01-01

There is extensive scientific evidence of the serious psychological and social effects that peer victimization may have on students, among them internalizing problems such as anxiety or negative self-esteem, difficulties related to low self-efficacy and lower levels of social adjustment. Although a direct relationship has been observed between victimization and these effects, it has not yet been analyzed whether there is a relationship of interdependence between all these measures of psychosocial adjustment. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between victimization and difficulties related to social adjustment among high school students. To do so, various explanatory models were tested to determine whether psychological adjustment (negative self-esteem, social anxiety and social self-efficacy) could play a mediating role in this relationship, as suggested by other studies on academic adjustment. The sample comprised 2060 Spanish high school students (47.9% girls; mean age = 14.34). The instruments used were the scale of victimization from European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire , the negative scale from Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and a general item about social self-efficacy, all of them self-reports. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results confirmed the partial mediating role of negative self-esteem, social anxiety and social self-efficacy between peer victimization and social adjustment and highlight the importance of empowering victimized students to improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy and prevent social anxiety. Such problems lead to the avoidance of social interactions and social reinforcement, thus making it difficult for these students to achieve adequate social adjustment.

Adjustment process in Iranian men to their wives' breast cancer.

PubMed

Nasiri, A; Taleghani, F; Irajpour, A

2016-03-01

Women's breast cancer causes various problems in both spouses' family life as well as enormous stress for their husbands. This grounded theory study aimed to define ways in which men adjust to their wives' breast cancer and to present an appropriate model in this respect. Twenty-six individuals (22 husbands, 2 patients and 2 physicians) were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. The data were collected through in-depth individual interviews. Strauss and Corbin's method was used for data analysis. Data analysis revealed that Iranian men's adjustment to their wives' breast cancer occurs during the following three stages: the first stage turbulence after confrontation with the disease that contains categories 'internal unrest', 'concerns about disease management' and 'sensing the beginning of disorganization in family life'; the second stage disorganisation of family life that contains 'disturbance of family life', 'attempt to get rid of tension' and 'resistance against family life disorganisation'; and the third stage struggle to reorder family life consisting of 'support to the wife', 'revision in communications with relatives' and 'seeking external support' categories. Iranian men struggled for constant organisation of family life after their wives' disease. Health providers should take measures to support the men by facilitating their adjustment to their wives' disease. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Glacial isostatic adjustment on the Northern Hemisphere - new results from GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, J.; Steffen, H.; Gitlein, O.; Denker, H.; Timmen, L.

2007-12-01

The Earth's gravity field mapped by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission shows variations due to the integral effect of mass variations in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. The Earth's gravity field is provided in form of monthly solutions by several institutions, e.~g. GFZ Potsdam, CSR and JPL. During the GRACE standard processing of these analysis centers, oceanic and atmospheric contributions as well as tidal effects are reduced. The solutions of the analysis centers differ slightly, which is due the application of different reduction models and center-specific processing schemes. We present our investigation of mass variations in the areas of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in North America and Northern Europe from GRACE data. One key issue is the separation of GIA parts and the reduction of the observed quantities by applying dedicated filters (e.~g. isotropic, non-isotropic, and destriping filters) and global models of hydrological variations (e.~g. WGHM, LaDWorld, GLDAS). In a further step, we analyze the results of both regions regarding their reliability, and finally present a comparison to results of a geodynamical modeling and absolute gravity measurements. Our results clearly show that the quality of the GRACE-derived gravity- change signal benefits from improved reduction models and chosen analysis techniques. Nevertheless, the comparison to results of geodynamic models still reveals differences, and thus further studies are in progress.

[Analysis of the causes and determinants of reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorder patients on mental health clinics].

PubMed

Golinowska, Danuta; Florkowski, Antoni; Juszczak, Dariusz

2010-05-01

In everyday life there are many obstacles that prevent the creation of many important needs. They require a skillful adaptation and may be the cause of stress. Stress of considerable intensity can receive the joy of life and even lead to a temporary mental disorder. To present the main causes and frequency of disturbance determined according to the ICD-10 as a reaction to severe stress and adaptive disorders among patients in psychiatric and psychological counseling and to establish whether the causes of the disorder are dependent on factors such as age, sex or level of education. Analysis was done on a separate group of 754 persons from among patients seeking psychiatric counseling--Psychological Outpatient Mental Health in the 10th Military Clinical Hospital in Bydgoszcz, in 2005. This group were qualified person, who according to the criteria of ICD-10 were found to respond to severe stress and abnormal adaptation. In addition, during the interview determines whether they are long-term somatic illness. They have not been included in the study group. Also excluded persons who were found difficulties in operation prior to the stressful situation and those that have already been treated with psychiatric or psychological benefit from therapy. The collected data were statistically analyzed. The analysis identifies three main causes of adjustment disorder. The first group of reasons is related to difficulties in the workplace, which represents 59% of all patients with the disorder described. In this group identifies three major stressful situations: bullying, job loss, unemployment. Another reason relates to family problems. They are the reason for the emergence of abnormalities in 23% of patients analyzed group. Among these difficulties was divided into four main types of situation causing disorder presented. There are family conflicts, death of spouse, parent death, divorce. The last group of factors are stressful events or incidents which contributed to the

Birth-Order Complementarity and Marital Adjustment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vos, Cornelia J. Vanderkooy; Hayden, Delbert J.

1985-01-01

Tested the influence of birth-order complementarity on marital adjustment among 327 married women using the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (1976). Birth-order complementarity was found to be unassociated with marital adjustment. (Author/BL)

Personality, cognitive appraisal and adjustment in chronic pain patients.

PubMed

Herrero, Ana M; Ramírez-Maestre, Carmen; González, Vanessa

2008-11-01

This study investigated the relationship between clinical personality patterns and cognitive appraisal as well as their repercussions on adjustment to chronic pain in a sample of 91 patients. It was predicted that clinical personality patterns would be related to adjustment and cognitive appraisal processes, whereas cognitive appraisals would be related to anxiety, depression and levels of perceived pain. The instruments used were as follows: the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, the Cognitive Appraisal Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Mann Whitney U-test were used to analyse the data obtained. The results show that certain clinical personality patterns were associated with poor adjustment to chronic pain. The use of cognitive appraisal of harm predicted higher anxiety levels and greater perceived pain in chronic pain patients. The use of cognitive appraisals of challenge predicted lower depression levels.

Adjusted regression trend test for a multicenter clinical trial.

PubMed

Quan, H; Capizzi, T

1999-06-01

Studies using a series of increasing doses of a compound, including a zero dose control, are often conducted to study the effect of the compound on the response of interest. For a one-way design, Tukey et al. (1985, Biometrics 41, 295-301) suggested assessing trend by examining the slopes of regression lines under arithmetic, ordinal, and arithmetic-logarithmic dose scalings. They reported the smallest p-value for the three significance tests on the three slopes for safety assessments. Capizzi et al. (1992, Biometrical Journal 34, 275-289) suggested an adjusted trend test, which adjusts the p-value using a trivariate t-distribution, the joint distribution of the three slope estimators. In this paper, we propose an adjusted regression trend test suitable for two-way designs, particularly for multicenter clinical trials. In a step-down fashion, the proposed trend test can be applied to a multicenter clinical trial to compare each dose with the control. This sequential procedure is a closed testing procedure for a trend alternative. Therefore, it adjusts p-values and maintains experimentwise error rate. Simulation results show that the step-down trend test is overall more powerful than a step-down least significant difference test.

Generalized adjustment by least squares ( GALS).

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elassal, A.A.

1983-01-01

The least-squares principle is universally accepted as the basis for adjustment procedures in the allied fields of geodesy, photogrammetry and surveying. A prototype software package for Generalized Adjustment by Least Squares (GALS) is described. The package is designed to perform all least-squares-related functions in a typical adjustment program. GALS is capable of supporting development of adjustment programs of any size or degree of complexity. -Author

Temperature-Compensated Clock Skew Adjustment

PubMed Central

Castillo-Secilla, Jose María; Palomares, Jose Manuel; Olivares, Joaquín

2013-01-01

This work analyzes several drift compensation mechanisms in wireless sensor networks (WSN). Temperature is an environmental factor that greatly affects oscillators shipped in every WSN mote. This behavior creates the need of improving drift compensation mechanisms in synchronization protocols. Using the Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol (FTSP), this work demonstrates that crystal oscillators are affected by temperature variations. Thus, the influence of temperature provokes a low performance of FTSP in changing conditions of temperature. This article proposes an innovative correction factor that minimizes the impact of temperature in the clock skew. By means of this factor, two new mechanisms are proposed in this paper: the Adjusted Temperature (AT) and the Advanced Adjusted Temperature (A2T). These mechanisms have been combined with FTSP to produce AT-FTSP and A2T-FTSP Both have been tested in a network of TelosB motes running TinyOS. Results show that both AT-FTSP and A2T-FTSP improve the average synchronization errors compared to FTSP and other temperature-compensated protocols (Environment-Aware Clock Skew Estimation and Synchronization for WSN (EACS) and Temperature Compensated Time Synchronization (TCTS)). PMID:23966192

Teacher Self-Efficacy and Its Effects on Classroom Processes, Student Academic Adjustment, and Teacher Well-Being: A Synthesis of 40 Years of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zee, Marjolein; Koomen, Helma M. Y.

2016-01-01

This study integrates 40 years of teacher self-efficacy (TSE) research to explore the consequences of TSE for the quality of classroom processes, students' academic adjustment, and teachers' psychological well-being. Via a criteria-based review approach, 165 eligible articles were included for analysis. Results suggest that TSE shows positive…

39 CFR 3010.28 - Maximum size of unused rate adjustment authority rate adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum size of unused rate adjustment authority rate adjustments. 3010.28 Section 3010.28 Postal Service POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION PERSONNEL REGULATION OF RATES FOR MARKET DOMINANT PRODUCTS Rules for Applying the Price Cap § 3010.28 Maximum size of...

Singularity-sensitive gauge-based radar rainfall adjustment methods for urban hydrological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.-P.; Ochoa-Rodríguez, S.; Onof, C.; Willems, P.

2015-09-01

Gauge-based radar rainfall adjustment techniques have been widely used to improve the applicability of radar rainfall estimates to large-scale hydrological modelling. However, their use for urban hydrological applications is limited as they were mostly developed based upon Gaussian approximations and therefore tend to smooth off so-called "singularities" (features of a non-Gaussian field) that can be observed in the fine-scale rainfall structure. Overlooking the singularities could be critical, given that their distribution is highly consistent with that of local extreme magnitudes. This deficiency may cause large errors in the subsequent urban hydrological modelling. To address this limitation and improve the applicability of adjustment techniques at urban scales, a method is proposed herein which incorporates a local singularity analysis into existing adjustment techniques and allows the preservation of the singularity structures throughout the adjustment process. In this paper the proposed singularity analysis is incorporated into the Bayesian merging technique and the performance of the resulting singularity-sensitive method is compared with that of the original Bayesian (non singularity-sensitive) technique and the commonly used mean field bias adjustment. This test is conducted using as case study four storm events observed in the Portobello catchment (53 km2) (Edinburgh, UK) during 2011 and for which radar estimates, dense rain gauge and sewer flow records, as well as a recently calibrated urban drainage model were available. The results suggest that, in general, the proposed singularity-sensitive method can effectively preserve the non-normality in local rainfall structure, while retaining the ability of the original adjustment techniques to generate nearly unbiased estimates. Moreover, the ability of the singularity-sensitive technique to preserve the non-normality in rainfall estimates often leads to better reproduction of the urban drainage system

Confounding adjustment in comparative effectiveness research conducted within distributed research networks.

PubMed

Toh, Sengwee; Gagne, Joshua J; Rassen, Jeremy A; Fireman, Bruce H; Kulldorff, Martin; Brown, Jeffrey S

2013-08-01

A distributed research network (DRN) of electronic health care databases, in which data reside behind the firewall of each data partner, can support a wide range of comparative effectiveness research (CER) activities. An essential component of a fully functional DRN is the capability to perform robust statistical analyses to produce valid, actionable evidence without compromising patient privacy, data security, or proprietary interests. We describe the strengths and limitations of different confounding adjustment approaches that can be considered in observational CER studies conducted within DRNs, and the theoretical and practical issues to consider when selecting among them in various study settings. Several methods can be used to adjust for multiple confounders simultaneously, either as individual covariates or as confounder summary scores (eg, propensity scores and disease risk scores), including: (1) centralized analysis of patient-level data, (2) case-centered logistic regression of risk set data, (3) stratified or matched analysis of aggregated data, (4) distributed regression analysis, and (5) meta-analysis of site-specific effect estimates. These methods require different granularities of information be shared across sites and afford investigators different levels of analytic flexibility. DRNs are growing in use and sharing of highly detailed patient-level information is not always feasible in DRNs. Methods that incorporate confounder summary scores allow investigators to adjust for a large number of confounding factors without the need to transfer potentially identifiable information in DRNs. They have the potential to let investigators perform many analyses traditionally conducted through a centralized dataset with detailed patient-level information.

Statistics, Adjusted Statistics, and Maladjusted Statistics.

PubMed

Kaufman, Jay S

2017-05-01

Statistical adjustment is a ubiquitous practice in all quantitative fields that is meant to correct for improprieties or limitations in observed data, to remove the influence of nuisance variables or to turn observed correlations into causal inferences. These adjustments proceed by reporting not what was observed in the real world, but instead modeling what would have been observed in an imaginary world in which specific nuisances and improprieties are absent. These techniques are powerful and useful inferential tools, but their application can be hazardous or deleterious if consumers of the adjusted results mistake the imaginary world of models for the real world of data. Adjustments require decisions about which factors are of primary interest and which are imagined away, and yet many adjusted results are presented without any explanation or justification for these decisions. Adjustments can be harmful if poorly motivated, and are frequently misinterpreted in the media's reporting of scientific studies. Adjustment procedures have become so routinized that many scientists and readers lose the habit of relating the reported findings back to the real world in which we live.

Adjustable-Torque Truss-Joint Mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, Harold G.; Wallsom, Richard E.

1993-01-01

Threaded pin tightened or loosened; tedious trial-and-error procedure shortened. Mechanism joining strut and node in truss structure preloaded to desired stress to ensure tight, compressive fit preventing motion of strut during loading or vibration. Preload stress on stack of Belleville spring washers adjusted by tightening or loosening threaded Belleville-washer-alignment pin. Pin turned, by use of allen wrench, to adjust compression preload on Belleville washers and adjusts joint-operating torque.

Nonlinear relative-proportion-based route adjustment process for day-to-day traffic dynamics: modeling, equilibrium and stability analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wenlong; Ma, Shoufeng; Tian, Junfang; Li, Geng

2016-11-01

Travelers' route adjustment behaviors in a congested road traffic network are acknowledged as a dynamic game process between them. Existing Proportional-Switch Adjustment Process (PSAP) models have been extensively investigated to characterize travelers' route choice behaviors; PSAP has concise structure and intuitive behavior rule. Unfortunately most of which have some limitations, i.e., the flow over adjustment problem for the discrete PSAP model, the absolute cost differences route adjustment problem, etc. This paper proposes a relative-Proportion-based Route Adjustment Process (rePRAP) maintains the advantages of PSAP and overcomes these limitations. The rePRAP describes the situation that travelers on higher cost route switch to those with lower cost at the rate that is unilaterally depended on the relative cost differences between higher cost route and its alternatives. It is verified to be consistent with the principle of the rational behavior adjustment process. The equivalence among user equilibrium, stationary path flow pattern and stationary link flow pattern is established, which can be applied to judge whether a given network traffic flow has reached UE or not by detecting the stationary or non-stationary state of link flow pattern. The stability theorem is proved by the Lyapunov function approach. A simple example is tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of the rePRAP model.

Optimizing ACS NSQIP modeling for evaluation of surgical quality and risk: patient risk adjustment, procedure mix adjustment, shrinkage adjustment, and surgical focus.

PubMed

Cohen, Mark E; Ko, Clifford Y; Bilimoria, Karl Y; Zhou, Lynn; Huffman, Kristopher; Wang, Xue; Liu, Yaoming; Kraemer, Kari; Meng, Xiangju; Merkow, Ryan; Chow, Warren; Matel, Brian; Richards, Karen; Hart, Amy J; Dimick, Justin B; Hall, Bruce L

2013-08-01

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) collects detailed clinical data from participating hospitals using standardized data definitions, analyzes these data, and provides participating hospitals with reports that permit risk-adjusted comparisons with a surgical quality standard. Since its inception, the ACS NSQIP has worked to refine surgical outcomes measurements and enhance statistical methods to improve the reliability and validity of this hospital profiling. From an original focus on controlling for between-hospital differences in patient risk factors with logistic regression, ACS NSQIP has added a variable to better adjust for the complexity and risk profile of surgical procedures (procedure mix adjustment) and stabilized estimates derived from small samples by using a hierarchical model with shrinkage adjustment. New models have been developed focusing on specific surgical procedures (eg, "Procedure Targeted" models), which provide opportunities to incorporate indication and other procedure-specific variables and outcomes to improve risk adjustment. In addition, comparative benchmark reports given to participating hospitals have been expanded considerably to allow more detailed evaluations of performance. Finally, procedures have been developed to estimate surgical risk for individual patients. This article describes the development of, and justification for, these new statistical methods and reporting strategies in ACS NSQIP. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methods for detecting, quantifying, and adjusting for dissemination bias in meta-analysis are described.

PubMed

Mueller, Katharina Felicitas; Meerpohl, Joerg J; Briel, Matthias; Antes, Gerd; von Elm, Erik; Lang, Britta; Motschall, Edith; Schwarzer, Guido; Bassler, Dirk

2016-12-01

To systematically review methodological articles which focus on nonpublication of studies and to describe methods of detecting and/or quantifying and/or adjusting for dissemination in meta-analyses. To evaluate whether the methods have been applied to an empirical data set for which one can be reasonably confident that all studies conducted have been included. We systematically searched Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, for methodological articles that describe at least one method of detecting and/or quantifying and/or adjusting for dissemination bias in meta-analyses. The literature search retrieved 2,224 records, of which we finally included 150 full-text articles. A great variety of methods to detect, quantify, or adjust for dissemination bias were described. Methods included graphical methods mainly based on funnel plot approaches, statistical methods, such as regression tests, selection models, sensitivity analyses, and a great number of more recent statistical approaches. Only few methods have been validated in empirical evaluations using unpublished studies obtained from regulators (Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency). We present an overview of existing methods to detect, quantify, or adjust for dissemination bias. It remains difficult to advise which method should be used as they are all limited and their validity has rarely been assessed. Therefore, a thorough literature search remains crucial in systematic reviews, and further steps to increase the availability of all research results need to be taken. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sperm competition risk drives rapid ejaculate adjustments mediated by seminal fluid

PubMed Central

Steeves, Tammy E; Gemmell, Neil J; Rosengrave, Patrice C

2017-01-01

In many species, males can make rapid adjustments to ejaculate performance in response to sperm competition risk; however, the mechanisms behind these changes are not understood. Here, we manipulate male social status in an externally fertilising fish, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and find that in less than 48 hr, males can upregulate sperm velocity when faced with an increased risk of sperm competition. Using a series of in vitro sperm manipulation and competition experiments, we show that rapid changes in sperm velocity are mediated by seminal fluid and the effect of seminal fluid on sperm velocity directly impacts paternity share and therefore reproductive success. These combined findings, completely consistent with sperm competition theory, provide unequivocal evidence that sperm competition risk drives plastic adjustment of ejaculate quality, that seminal fluid harbours the mechanism for the rapid adjustment of sperm velocity and that fitness benefits accrue to males from such adjustment. PMID:29084621

Sperm competition risk drives rapid ejaculate adjustments mediated by seminal fluid.

PubMed

Bartlett, Michael J; Steeves, Tammy E; Gemmell, Neil J; Rosengrave, Patrice C

2017-10-31

In many species, males can make rapid adjustments to ejaculate performance in response to sperm competition risk; however, the mechanisms behind these changes are not understood. Here, we manipulate male social status in an externally fertilising fish, chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), and find that in less than 48 hr, males can upregulate sperm velocity when faced with an increased risk of sperm competition. Using a series of in vitro sperm manipulation and competition experiments, we show that rapid changes in sperm velocity are mediated by seminal fluid and the effect of seminal fluid on sperm velocity directly impacts paternity share and therefore reproductive success. These combined findings, completely consistent with sperm competition theory, provide unequivocal evidence that sperm competition risk drives plastic adjustment of ejaculate quality, that seminal fluid harbours the mechanism for the rapid adjustment of sperm velocity and that fitness benefits accrue to males from such adjustment.

Chiropractic Adjustment

MedlinePlus

... physical function. Why it's done Low back pain, neck pain and headache are the most common problems for ... headaches and other spine-related conditions, such as neck pain. Not everyone responds to chiropractic adjustments. A lot ...

Adjustment of Cell-Type Composition Minimizes Systematic Bias in Blood DNA Methylation Profiles Derived by DNA Collection Protocols

PubMed Central

Shiwa, Yuh; Hachiya, Tsuyoshi; Furukawa, Ryohei; Ohmomo, Hideki; Ono, Kanako; Kudo, Hisaaki; Hata, Jun; Hozawa, Atsushi; Iwasaki, Motoki; Matsuda, Koichi; Minegishi, Naoko; Satoh, Mamoru; Tanno, Kozo; Yamaji, Taiki; Wakai, Kenji; Hitomi, Jiro; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Kubo, Michiaki; Tanaka, Hideo; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Sobue, Kenji; Shimizu, Atsushi

2016-01-01

Differences in DNA collection protocols may be a potential confounder in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using a large number of blood specimens from multiple biobanks and/or cohorts. Here we show that pre-analytical procedures involved in DNA collection can induce systematic bias in the DNA methylation profiles of blood cells that can be adjusted by cell-type composition variables. In Experiment 1, whole blood from 16 volunteers was collected to examine the effect of a 24 h storage period at 4°C on DNA methylation profiles as measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. Our statistical analysis showed that the P-value distribution of more than 450,000 CpG sites was similar to the theoretical distribution (in quantile-quantile plot, λ = 1.03) when comparing two control replicates, which was remarkably deviated from the theoretical distribution (λ = 1.50) when comparing control and storage conditions. We then considered cell-type composition as a possible cause of the observed bias in DNA methylation profiles and found that the bias associated with the cold storage condition was largely decreased (λadjusted = 1.14) by taking into account a cell-type composition variable. As such, we compared four respective sample collection protocols used in large-scale Japanese biobanks or cohorts as well as two control replicates. Systematic biases in DNA methylation profiles were observed between control and three of four protocols without adjustment of cell-type composition (λ = 1.12–1.45) and no remarkable biases were seen after adjusting for cell-type composition in all four protocols (λadjusted = 1.00–1.17). These results revealed important implications for comparing DNA methylation profiles between blood specimens from different sources and may lead to discovery of disease-associated DNA methylation markers and the development of DNA methylation profile-based predictive risk models. PMID:26799745

Adjustment of Cell-Type Composition Minimizes Systematic Bias in Blood DNA Methylation Profiles Derived by DNA Collection Protocols.

PubMed

Shiwa, Yuh; Hachiya, Tsuyoshi; Furukawa, Ryohei; Ohmomo, Hideki; Ono, Kanako; Kudo, Hisaaki; Hata, Jun; Hozawa, Atsushi; Iwasaki, Motoki; Matsuda, Koichi; Minegishi, Naoko; Satoh, Mamoru; Tanno, Kozo; Yamaji, Taiki; Wakai, Kenji; Hitomi, Jiro; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Kubo, Michiaki; Tanaka, Hideo; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Yamamoto, Masayuki; Sobue, Kenji; Shimizu, Atsushi

2016-01-01

Differences in DNA collection protocols may be a potential confounder in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using a large number of blood specimens from multiple biobanks and/or cohorts. Here we show that pre-analytical procedures involved in DNA collection can induce systematic bias in the DNA methylation profiles of blood cells that can be adjusted by cell-type composition variables. In Experiment 1, whole blood from 16 volunteers was collected to examine the effect of a 24 h storage period at 4°C on DNA methylation profiles as measured using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array. Our statistical analysis showed that the P-value distribution of more than 450,000 CpG sites was similar to the theoretical distribution (in quantile-quantile plot, λ = 1.03) when comparing two control replicates, which was remarkably deviated from the theoretical distribution (λ = 1.50) when comparing control and storage conditions. We then considered cell-type composition as a possible cause of the observed bias in DNA methylation profiles and found that the bias associated with the cold storage condition was largely decreased (λ adjusted = 1.14) by taking into account a cell-type composition variable. As such, we compared four respective sample collection protocols used in large-scale Japanese biobanks or cohorts as well as two control replicates. Systematic biases in DNA methylation profiles were observed between control and three of four protocols without adjustment of cell-type composition (λ = 1.12-1.45) and no remarkable biases were seen after adjusting for cell-type composition in all four protocols (λ adjusted = 1.00-1.17). These results revealed important implications for comparing DNA methylation profiles between blood specimens from different sources and may lead to discovery of disease-associated DNA methylation markers and the development of DNA methylation profile-based predictive risk models.

Parenting and the Adjustment of Children Born to Gay Fathers Through Surrogacy.

PubMed

Golombok, Susan; Blake, Lucy; Slutsky, Jenna; Raffanello, Elizabeth; Roman, Gabriela D; Ehrhardt, Anke

2017-01-23

Findings are presented on a study of 40 gay father families created through surrogacy and a comparison group of 55 lesbian mother families created through donor insemination with a child aged 3-9 years. Standardized interview, observational and questionnaire measures of stigmatization, quality of parent-child relationships, and children's adjustment were administered to parents, children, and teachers. Children in both family types showed high levels of adjustment with lower levels of children's internalizing problems reported by gay fathers. Irrespective of family type, children whose parents perceived greater stigmatization and children who experienced higher levels of negative parenting showed higher levels of parent-reported externalizing problems. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding of the role of family structure and family processes in child adjustment. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.

Immediate or deferred adjustment of drug regimens in multidose drug dispensing systems.

PubMed

Mertens, Bram J; Kwint, Henk-Frans; van Marum, Rob J; Bouvy, Marcel L

2018-05-18

Multidose drug dispensing (MDD) is used to help patients take their medicines appropriately. Little is known about drug regimen changes within these MDD systems and how they are effectuated by the community pharmacist. Manual immediate adjustments of the MDD system could introduce dispensing errors. MDD guidelines therefore recommend to effectuate drug regimen changes at the start of a new MDD system. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, type, procedure followed, immediate necessity, and time taken to make MDD adjustments. This was a cross-sectional study in eight community pharmacies in the Netherlands. All adjustments to MDD systems were systematically documented for 3 weeks by the community pharmacist. Overall, 261 MDD adjustments involving 364 drug changes were documented for 250 patients: 127 (35%) drug changes involved the addition of a new drug, 124 (34%) a change in dosage, and 95 (26%) drug discontinuation. Of the MDD adjustments, 135 (52%) were effectuated immediately: 81 (31%) by adjusting the MDD system manually, 49 (19%) by temporarily dispensing the drug separately from the MDD system, and 5 (2%) by ordering a new MDD system. Pharmacists considered that 36 (27%) of the immediate MDD adjustments could have been deferred until the next MDD system was produced. Immediate adjustment took significantly longer than deferred adjustment (p < 0.001). This study shows that in patients using MDD systems, over half of the drug regimen changes are adjusted immediately. The necessity of these immediate changes should be critically evaluated. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Optimism, Social Support, and Adjustment in African American Women with Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Shelby, Rebecca A.; Crespin, Tim R.; Wells-Di Gregorio, Sharla M.; Lamdan, Ruth M.; Siegel, Jamie E.; Taylor, Kathryn L.

2013-01-01

Past studies show that optimism and social support are associated with better adjustment following breast cancer treatment. Most studies have examined these relationships in predominantly non-Hispanic White samples. The present study included 77 African American women treated for nonmetastatic breast cancer. Women completed measures of optimism, social support, and adjustment within 10-months of surgical treatment. In contrast to past studies, social support did not mediate the relationship between optimism and adjustment in this sample. Instead, social support was a moderator of the optimism-adjustment relationship, as it buffered the negative impact of low optimism on psychological distress, well-being, and psychosocial functioning. Women with high levels of social support experienced better adjustment even when optimism was low. In contrast, among women with high levels of optimism, increasing social support did not provide an added benefit. These data suggest that perceived social support is an important resource for women with low optimism. PMID:18712591

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

Origins of the stuttering stereotype: stereotype formation through anchoring-adjustment.

PubMed

MacKinnon, Sean P; Hall, Shera; Macintyre, Peter D

2007-01-01

The stereotype of people who stutter is predominantly negative, holding that stutterers are excessively nervous, anxious, and reserved. The anchoring-adjustment hypothesis suggests that the stereotype of stuttering arises from a process of first anchoring the stereotype in personal feelings during times of normal speech disfluency, and then adjusting based on a rapid heuristic judgment. The current research sought to test this hypothesis, elaborating on previous research by [White, P. A., & Collins, S. R. (1984). Stereotype formation by inference: A possible explanation for the "stutterer" stereotype. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27, 567-570]. Participants provided ratings of a hypothetical typical person who stutters, a person suffering from normal speech disfluency and a typical male on a 25-item semantic differential scale. Results showed a stereotype of people who stutter similar to that found in previous research. The pattern of results is consistent with the anchoring-adjustment hypothesis. Ratings of a male stutterer are very similar to a male experiencing temporary disfluency, both of which differ from ratings of a typical male. As expected, ratings of a stutterer show a small but statistically significant adjustment on several traits that makes the stereotype of stutterers less negative and less emotionally extreme than the temporarily disfluent male. Based on the results of this research, it appears that stereotype formation is a result of generalization and adjustment from personal experience during normal speech disfluency. The reader will be able to: (1) explain how the negative stereotype of people who stutter arises; (2) discuss the negative implications of stereotypes in the lives of people who stutter; and (3) summarize why the stereotype of people who stutter is so consistent and resistant to change.

Meta-analysis of breast cancer mortality benefit and overdiagnosis adjusted for adherence: improving information on the effects of attending screening mammography

PubMed Central

Jacklyn, Gemma; Glasziou, Paul; Macaskill, Petra; Barratt, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Background: Women require information about the impact of regularly attending screening mammography on breast cancer mortality and overdiagnosis to make informed decisions. To provide this information we aimed to meta-analyse randomised controlled trials adjusted for adherence to the trial protocol. Methods: Nine screening mammography trials used in the Independent UK Breast Screening Report were selected. Extending an existing approach to adjust intention-to-treat (ITT) estimates for less than 100% adherence rates, we conducted a random-effects meta-analysis. This produced a combined deattenuated prevented fraction and a combined deattenuated percentage risk of overdiagnosis. Results: In women aged 39–75 years invited to screen, the prevented fraction of breast cancer mortality at 13-year follow-up was 0.22 (95% CI 0.15–0.28) and it increased to 0.30 (95% CI 0.18–0.42) with deattenuation. In women aged 40–69 years invited to screen, the ITT percentage risk of overdiagnosis during the screening period was 19.0% (95% CI 15.2–22.7%), deattenuation increased this to 29.7% (95% CI 17.8–41.5%). Conclusions: Adjustment for nonadherence increased the size of the mortality benefit and risk of overdiagnosis by up to 50%. These estimates are more appropriate when developing quantitative information to support individual decisions about attending screening mammography. PMID:27124337

Epidemiology of perforated peptic ulcer: Age- and gender-adjusted analysis of incidence and mortality

PubMed Central

Thorsen, Kenneth; Søreide, Jon Arne; Kvaløy, Jan Terje; Glomsaker, Tom; Søreide, Kjetil

2013-01-01

AIM: To investigate the epidemiological trends in incidence and mortality of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) in a well-defined Norwegian population. METHODS: A retrospective, population-based, single-center, consecutive cohort study of all patients diagnosed with benign perforated peptic ulcer. Included were both gastric and duodenal ulcer patients admitted to Stavanger University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2010. Ulcers with a malignant neoplasia diagnosis, verified by histology after biopsy or resection, were excluded. Patients were identified from the hospitals administrative electronic database using pertinent ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes (K25.1, K25.2, K25.5, K25.6, K26.1, K26.2, K26.5, K26.6). Additional searches using appropriate codes for relevant laparoscopic and open surgical procedures (e.g., JDA 60, JDA 61, JDH 70 and JDH 71) were performed to enable a complete identification of all patients. Patient demographics, presentation patterns and clinical data were retrieved from hospital records and surgical notes. Crude and adjusted incidence and mortality rates were estimated by using national population demographics data. RESULTS: In the study period, a total of 172 patients with PPU were identified. The adjusted incidence rate for the overall 10-year period was 6.5 per 100 000 per year (95%CI: 5.6-7.6) and the adjusted mortality rate for the overall 10-year period was 1.1 per 100 000 per year (95%CI: 0.7-1.6). A non-significant decline in adjusted incidence rate from 9.7 to 5.6 occurred during the decade. The standardized mortality ratio for the whole study period was 5.7 (95%CI: 3.9-8.2), while the total 30-d mortality was 16.3%. No difference in incidence or mortality was found between genders. However, for patients ≥ 60 years, the incidence increased over 10-fold, and mortality more than 50-fold, compared to younger ages. The admission rates outside office hours were high with almost two out of three (63%) admissions seen at evening

Epidemiology of perforated peptic ulcer: age- and gender-adjusted analysis of incidence and mortality.

PubMed

Thorsen, Kenneth; Søreide, Jon Arne; Kvaløy, Jan Terje; Glomsaker, Tom; Søreide, Kjetil

2013-01-21

To investigate the epidemiological trends in incidence and mortality of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) in a well-defined Norwegian population. A retrospective, population-based, single-center, consecutive cohort study of all patients diagnosed with benign perforated peptic ulcer. Included were both gastric and duodenal ulcer patients admitted to Stavanger University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2010. Ulcers with a malignant neoplasia diagnosis, verified by histology after biopsy or resection, were excluded. Patients were identified from the hospitals administrative electronic database using pertinent ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes (K25.1, K25.2, K25.5, K25.6, K26.1, K26.2, K26.5, K26.6). Additional searches using appropriate codes for relevant laparoscopic and open surgical procedures (e.g., JDA 60, JDA 61, JDH 70 and JDH 71) were performed to enable a complete identification of all patients. Patient demographics, presentation patterns and clinical data were retrieved from hospital records and surgical notes. Crude and adjusted incidence and mortality rates were estimated by using national population demographics data. In the study period, a total of 172 patients with PPU were identified. The adjusted incidence rate for the overall 10-year period was 6.5 per 100 000 per year (95%CI: 5.6-7.6) and the adjusted mortality rate for the overall 10-year period was 1.1 per 100 000 per year (95%CI: 0.7-1.6). A non-significant decline in adjusted incidence rate from 9.7 to 5.6 occurred during the decade. The standardized mortality ratio for the whole study period was 5.7 (95%CI: 3.9-8.2), while the total 30-d mortality was 16.3%. No difference in incidence or mortality was found between genders. However, for patients ≥ 60 years, the incidence increased over 10-fold, and mortality more than 50-fold, compared to younger ages. The admission rates outside office hours were high with almost two out of three (63%) admissions seen at evening/night time shifts and/or during

Factorial invariance of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale across gender.

PubMed

South, Susan C; Krueger, Robert F; Iacono, William G

2009-12-01

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; G. B. Spanier, 1976) is the most widely used inventory of relationship satisfaction in the social sciences, yet the question of whether it is measuring the same concept in men and women has never been addressed. In the current study, the authors examined the factor structure of the DAS in a sample of 900 currently married couples who participated in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to a second-order factor solution with Spanier's four factors (Dyadic Consensus, Dyadic Satisfaction, Dyadic Cohesion, Affectional Expression) loading on one higher order factor (Relationship Adjustment), to test for measurement invariance across gender. The second-order solution was relatively invariant across gender, even when taking into account the nonindependent nature of the data. This suggests that the best conceptualization of the DAS is one of a gender-invariant measure of marital adjustment with four distinct subfactors and that differences between men and women on any of these constructs can be interpreted by both clinicians and researchers as true mean differences rather than measurement bias.

Shortwave radiative forcing, rapid adjustment, and feedback to the surface by sulfate geoengineering: analysis of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project G4 scenario

DOE PAGES

Kashimura, Hiroki; Abe, Manabu; Watanabe, Shingo; ...

2017-03-08

This paper evaluates the forcing, rapid adjustment, and feedback of net shortwave radiation at the surface in the G4 experiment of the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project by analysing outputs from six participating models. G4 involves injection of 5 Tg yr -1 of SO 2, a sulfate aerosol precursor, into the lower stratosphere from year 2020 to 2069 against a background scenario of RCP4.5. A single-layer atmospheric model for shortwave radiative transfer is used to estimate the direct forcing of solar radiation management (SRM), and rapid adjustment and feedbacks from changes in the water vapour amount, cloud amount, and surface albedo (compared with RCP4.5). The analysismore » shows that the globally and temporally averaged SRM forcing ranges from -3.6 to -1.6 W m -2, depending on the model. The sum of the rapid adjustments and feedback effects due to changes in the water vapour and cloud amounts increase the downwelling shortwave radiation at the surface by approximately 0.4 to 1.5 W m -2 and hence weaken the effect of SRM by around 50 %. The surface albedo changes decrease the net shortwave radiation at the surface; it is locally strong (~-4 W m -2) in snow and sea ice melting regions, but minor for the global average. The analyses show that the results of the G4 experiment, which simulates sulfate geoengineering, include large inter-model variability both in the direct SRM forcing and the shortwave rapid adjustment from change in the cloud amount, and imply a high uncertainty in modelled processes of sulfate aerosols and clouds.« less

Correlates of household seismic hazard adjustment adoption.

PubMed

Lindell, M K; Whitney, D J

2000-02-01

This study examined the relationships of self-reported adoption of 12 seismic hazard adjustments (pre-impact actions to reduce danger to persons and property) with respondents' demographic characteristics, perceived risk, perceived hazard knowledge, perceived protection responsibility, and perceived attributes of the hazard adjustments. Consistent with theoretical predictions, perceived attributes of the hazard adjustments differentiated among the adjustments and had stronger correlations with adoption than any of the other predictors. These results identify the adjustments and attributes that emergency managers should address to have the greatest impact on improving household adjustment to earthquake hazard.

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, Robert

2010-01-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon dioxide IN the Atlantic Ocean). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the threemore » data products: merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. These products have been corrected to be internally consistent. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30 S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report the details of the secondary QC (Quality Control) for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal consistency of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA data products are consistent both internally was well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s, and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon

Atlantic Ocean CARINA data: overview and salinity adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Steinfeldt, R.; Key, R. M.; Brown, P.; Gruber, N.; Wanninkhof, R.; Perez, F.; Körtzinger, A.; Velo, A.; Schuster, U.; van Heuven, S.; Bullister, J. L.; Stendardo, I.; Hoppema, M.; Olsen, A.; Kozyr, A.; Pierrot, D.; Schirnick, C.; Wallace, D. W. R.

2010-02-01

Water column data of carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon dioxide IN the Atlantic Ocean). The data have gone through rigorous quality control procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for the pertinent parameters in the CARINA database were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the three data products: merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions, i.e. the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean. These products have been corrected to be internally consistent. Ninety-eight of the cruises in the CARINA database were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean, defined here as the region south of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge and north of about 30° S. Here we present an overview of the Atlantic Ocean synthesis of the CARINA data and the adjustments that were applied to the data product. We also report the details of the secondary QC (Quality Control) for salinity for this data set. Procedures of quality control - including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data - are briefly described. Adjustments to salinity measurements were applied to the data from 10 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal consistency of the CARINA-ATL salinity data to be 4.1 ppm. With these adjustments the CARINA data products are consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s, and is now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon

The Benefits of Continuous Leisure Participation in Relocation Adjustment Among Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities.

PubMed

Lin, Li-Jung; Yen, Hsin-Yen

2018-03-19

The rising population of older adults is transforming Taiwan society. Although many long-term care facilities now operate for older adults, the transition from the home environment to long-term facilities may cause multiple issues, including relocation stress syndrome, for new residents. Autonomy is a critical element of the human experience. Leisure, as an expression of autonomy, has been shown to enhance self-image and promote feelings of competence and mastery. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between participation in leisure activities and adjustment to residential care using the continuity theory. One hundred sixty-three qualified individuals from 11 long-term care institutions were recruited and completed the questionnaire. The sampling criteria for the study were age (55+ years), appropriate cognitive skills, and residency (less than 5 years). Interviews conducted by trained interviewers were used to collect data. Measured outcomes included leisure participation; physical, psychological, and social adjustments; and background information. Cluster analysis, descriptive analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and least significant difference test were used in analysis. Type of admission (voluntary/mandated) and type of leisure participation significantly affected the level of relocation adjustment success. Four leisure behavior categories were identified, including reduced participation, expanded participation, active participation, and continuing participation. The participants in the active and continuing participation categories had significantly higher psychological adjustment than their peers in the reduced participation category. Moreover, the continuing participation category had a significantly better level of social adjustment than their expanded participation category peers. Continuous and active participation categories had a beneficial outcome in relocation adjustment. The findings support that, in general, residents of

Linearity optimizations of analog ring resonator modulators through bias voltage adjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinzadeh, Arash; Middlebrook, Christopher T.

2018-03-01

The linearity of ring resonator modulator (RRM) in microwave photonic links is studied in terms of instantaneous bandwidth, fabrication tolerances, and operational bandwidth. A proposed bias voltage adjustment method is shown to maximize spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) at instantaneous bandwidths required by microwave photonic link (MPL) applications while also mitigating RRM fabrication tolerances effects. The proposed bias voltage adjustment method shows RRM SFDR improvement of ∼5.8 dB versus common Mach-Zehnder modulators at 500 MHz instantaneous bandwidth. Analyzing operational bandwidth effects on SFDR shows RRMs can be promising electro-optic modulators for MPL applications which require high operational frequencies while in a limited bandwidth such as radio-over-fiber 60 GHz wireless network access.

Examining the Cultural Adjustment Experiences of African International College Students: A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Constantine, Madonna G.; Anderson, Gregory M.; Berkel, LaVerne A.; Caldwell, Leon D.; Utsey, Shawn O.

2005-01-01

The authors examined the cultural adjustment experiences of 12 Kenyan, Nigerian, and Ghanaian international college students through semistructured interviews. Using consensual qualitative research methodology (C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997), 7 primary domains or themes related to these students' cultural adjustment…

Ensemble of trees approaches to risk adjustment for evaluating a hospital's performance.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Traskin, Mikhail; Lorch, Scott A; George, Edward I; Small, Dylan

2015-03-01

A commonly used method for evaluating a hospital's performance on an outcome is to compare the hospital's observed outcome rate to the hospital's expected outcome rate given its patient (case) mix and service. The process of calculating the hospital's expected outcome rate given its patient mix and service is called risk adjustment (Iezzoni 1997). Risk adjustment is critical for accurately evaluating and comparing hospitals' performances since we would not want to unfairly penalize a hospital just because it treats sicker patients. The key to risk adjustment is accurately estimating the probability of an Outcome given patient characteristics. For cases with binary outcomes, the method that is commonly used in risk adjustment is logistic regression. In this paper, we consider ensemble of trees methods as alternatives for risk adjustment, including random forests and Bayesian additive regression trees (BART). Both random forests and BART are modern machine learning methods that have been shown recently to have excellent performance for prediction of outcomes in many settings. We apply these methods to carry out risk adjustment for the performance of neonatal intensive care units (NICU). We show that these ensemble of trees methods outperform logistic regression in predicting mortality among babies treated in NICU, and provide a superior method of risk adjustment compared to logistic regression.

13 CFR 315.16 - Adjustment proposal requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF COMMERCE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRMS Adjustment Proposals § 315.16 Adjustment proposal... reasonably calculated to contribute materially to the economic adjustment of the Firm (i.e., that such... generally consists of knowledge-based services such as market penetration studies, customized business...

Adjustable Autonomy Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Schrenkenghost, Debra K.

2001-01-01

The Adjustable Autonomy Testbed (AAT) is a simulation-based testbed located in the Intelligent Systems Laboratory in the Automation, Robotics and Simulation Division at NASA Johnson Space Center. The purpose of the testbed is to support evaluation and validation of prototypes of adjustable autonomous agent software for control and fault management for complex systems. The AA T project has developed prototype adjustable autonomous agent software and human interfaces for cooperative fault management. This software builds on current autonomous agent technology by altering the architecture, components and interfaces for effective teamwork between autonomous systems and human experts. Autonomous agents include a planner, flexible executive, low level control and deductive model-based fault isolation. Adjustable autonomy is intended to increase the flexibility and effectiveness of fault management with an autonomous system. The test domain for this work is control of advanced life support systems for habitats for planetary exploration. The CONFIG hybrid discrete event simulation environment provides flexible and dynamically reconfigurable models of the behavior of components and fluids in the life support systems. Both discrete event and continuous (discrete time) simulation are supported, and flows and pressures are computed globally. This provides fast dynamic simulations of interacting hardware systems in closed loops that can be reconfigured during operations scenarios, producing complex cascading effects of operations and failures. Current object-oriented model libraries support modeling of fluid systems, and models have been developed of physico-chemical and biological subsystems for processing advanced life support gases. In FY01, water recovery system models will be developed.

Adjustment Problems of Korean American Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiefer, Christie W.; And Others

1985-01-01

Interviewed 50 elderly Korean immigrants to identify adjustment problems. Ratings of overall stress and adjustment were made in five areas of functioning: social, cultural, economic, health, and emotional/cognitive. Adjustment was positively related to education, length of residence in the United States, and multigenerational household structure.…

Direct comparison of risk-adjusted and non-risk-adjusted CUSUM analyses of coronary artery bypass surgery outcomes.

PubMed

Novick, Richard J; Fox, Stephanie A; Stitt, Larry W; Forbes, Thomas L; Steiner, Stefan

2006-08-01

We previously applied non-risk-adjusted cumulative sum methods to analyze coronary bypass outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the incremental advantage of risk-adjusted cumulative sum methods in this setting. Prospective data were collected in 793 consecutive patients who underwent coronary bypass grafting performed by a single surgeon during a period of 5 years. The composite occurrence of an "adverse outcome" included mortality or any of 10 major complications. An institutional logistic regression model for adverse outcome was developed by using 2608 contemporaneous patients undergoing coronary bypass. The predicted risk of adverse outcome in each of the surgeon's 793 patients was then calculated. A risk-adjusted cumulative sum curve was then generated after specifying control limits and odds ratio. This risk-adjusted curve was compared with the non-risk-adjusted cumulative sum curve, and the clinical significance of this difference was assessed. The surgeon's adverse outcome rate was 96 of 793 (12.1%) versus 270 of 1815 (14.9%) for all the other institution's surgeons combined (P = .06). The non-risk-adjusted curve reached below the lower control limit, signifying excellent outcomes between cases 164 and 313, 323 and 407, and 667 and 793, but transgressed the upper limit between cases 461 and 478. The risk-adjusted cumulative sum curve never transgressed the upper control limit, signifying that cases preceding and including 461 to 478 were at an increased predicted risk. Furthermore, if the risk-adjusted cumulative sum curve was reset to zero whenever a control limit was reached, it still signaled a decrease in adverse outcome at 166, 653, and 782 cases. Risk-adjusted cumulative sum techniques provide incremental advantages over non-risk-adjusted methods by not signaling a decrement in performance when preoperative patient risk is high.

Analysis of competition performance in dressage and show jumping of Dutch Warmblood horses.

PubMed

Rovere, G; Ducro, B J; van Arendonk, J A M; Norberg, E; Madsen, P

2016-12-01

Most Warmblood horse studbooks aim to improve the performance in dressage and show jumping. The Dutch Royal Warmblood Studbook (KWPN) includes the highest score achieved in competition by a horse to evaluate its genetic ability of performance. However, the records collected during competition are associated with some aspects that might affect the quality of the genetic evaluation based on these records. These aspects include the influence of rider, censoring and preselection of the data. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of rider effect, censoring and preselection on the genetic analysis of competition data of dressage and show jumping of KWPN. Different models including rider effect were evaluated. To assess the impact of censoring, genetic parameters were estimated in data sets that differed in the degree of censoring. The effect of preselection on variance components was analysed by defining a binary trait (sport-status) depending on whether the horse has a competition record or not. This trait was included in a bivariate model with the competition trait and used all horses registered by KWPN since 1984. Results showed that performance in competition for dressage and show jumping is a heritable trait (h 2 ~ 0.11-0.13) and that it is important to account for the effect of rider in the genetic analysis. Censoring had a small effect on the genetic parameter for highest performance achieved by the horse. A moderate heritability obtained for sport-status indicates that preselection has a genetic basis, but the effect on genetic parameters was relatively small. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Anti-glare LED lamps with adjustable illumination light field.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Sheng; Lin, Chung-Yi; Yeh, Chun-Ming; Kuo, Chie-Tong; Hsu, Chih-Wei; Wang, Hsiang-Chen

2014-03-10

We introduce a type of LED light-gauge steel frame lamp with an adjustable illumination light field that does not require a diffusion plate. Base on the Monte Carlo ray tracing method, this lamp has a good glare rating (GR) of 17.5 at 3050 lm. Compared with the traditional LED light-gauge steel frame lamp (without diffusion plate), the new type has low GR. The adjustability of the illumination light field could improve the zebra effect caused by the inadequate illumination light field of the lamp. Meanwhile, we adopt the retinal image analysis to discuss the influence of GR on vision. High GR could reflect stray light on the retinal image, which will reduce vision clarity and hasten the feeling of eye fatigue.

45 CFR 153.610 - Risk adjustment issuer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... HHS on behalf of the State. (b) Risk adjustment data storage. An issuer that offers risk adjustment... adjustment issuer requirements. (a) Data requirements. An issuer that offers risk adjustment covered plans must submit or make accessible all required risk adjustment data for those risk adjustment covered...

45 CFR 153.610 - Risk adjustment issuer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... HHS on behalf of the State. (b) Risk adjustment data storage. An issuer that offers risk adjustment... adjustment issuer requirements. (a) Data requirements. An issuer that offers risk adjustment covered plans must submit or make accessible all required risk adjustment data for those risk adjustment covered...

45 CFR 153.610 - Risk adjustment issuer requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... HHS on behalf of the State. (b) Risk adjustment data storage. An issuer that offers risk adjustment... adjustment issuer requirements. (a) Data requirements. An issuer that offers risk adjustment covered plans must submit or make accessible all required risk adjustment data for those risk adjustment covered...

Hospital Variation in Risk-Adjusted Pediatric Sepsis Mortality.

PubMed

Ames, Stefanie G; Davis, Billie S; Angus, Derek C; Carcillo, Joseph A; Kahn, Jeremy M

2018-05-01

With continued attention to pediatric sepsis at both the clinical and policy levels, it is important to understand the quality of hospitals in terms of their pediatric sepsis mortality. We sought to develop a method to evaluate hospital pediatric sepsis performance using 30-day risk-adjusted mortality and to assess hospital variation in risk-adjusted sepsis mortality in a large state-wide sample. Retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data. Acute care hospitals in the state of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2013. Patients between the ages of 0-19 years admitted to a hospital with sepsis defined using validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, Clinical Modification, diagnosis and procedure codes. None. During the study period, there were 9,013 pediatric sepsis encounters in 153 hospitals. After excluding repeat visits and hospitals with annual patient volumes too small to reliably assess hospital performance, there were 6,468 unique encounters in 24 hospitals. The overall unadjusted mortality rate was 6.5% (range across all hospitals: 1.5-11.9%). The median number of pediatric sepsis cases per hospital was 67 (range across all hospitals: 30-1,858). A hierarchical logistic regression model for 30-day risk-adjusted mortality controlling for patient age, gender, emergency department admission, infection source, presence of organ dysfunction at admission, and presence of chronic complex conditions showed good discrimination (C-statistic = 0.80) and calibration (slope and intercept of calibration plot: 0.95 and -0.01, respectively). The hospital-specific risk-adjusted mortality rates calculated from this model varied minimally, ranging from 6.0% to 7.4%. Although a risk-adjustment model for 30-day pediatric sepsis mortality had good performance characteristics, the use of risk-adjusted mortality rates as a hospital quality measure in pediatric sepsis is not useful due to the low volume of cases at most hospitals. Novel metrics to

19 CFR 201.205 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Salary adjustments. 201.205 Section 201.205 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION GENERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION Debt Collection § 201.205 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election...

19 CFR 201.205 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Salary adjustments. 201.205 Section 201.205 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION GENERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION Debt Collection § 201.205 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election...

19 CFR 201.205 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Salary adjustments. 201.205 Section 201.205 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION GENERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION Debt Collection § 201.205 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election...

19 CFR 201.205 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Salary adjustments. 201.205 Section 201.205 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION GENERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION Debt Collection § 201.205 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election...

19 CFR 201.205 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Salary adjustments. 201.205 Section 201.205 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION GENERAL RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION Debt Collection § 201.205 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election...

29 CFR 785.42 - Adjusting grievances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Adjusting Grievances, Medical Attention, Civic and Charitable Work, and Suggestion Systems § 785.42 Adjusting grievances. Time spent in adjusting grievances between an employer and employees during the time the employees are required to be on the premises is hours worked, but in the event a bona fide union...

24 CFR 5.611 - Adjusted income.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Adjusted income. 5.611 Section 5... Serving Persons with Disabilities: Family Income and Family Payment; Occupancy Requirements for Section 8 Project-Based Assistance Family Income § 5.611 Adjusted income. Adjusted income means annual income (as...

12 CFR 313.55 - Salary adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Salary adjustments. 313.55 Section 313.55 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION PROCEDURE AND RULES OF PRACTICE PROCEDURES FOR CORPORATE DEBT COLLECTION Salary Offset § 313.55 Salary adjustments. Any negative adjustment to pay arising...

Belgium: risk adjustment and financial responsibility in a centralised system.

PubMed

Schokkaert, Erik; Van de Voorde, Carine

2003-07-01

Since 1995 Belgian sickness funds are partially financed through a risk adjustment system and are held partially financially responsible for the difference between their actual and their risk-adjusted expenditures. However, they did not get the necessary instruments for exerting a real influence on expenditures and the health insurance market has not been opened for new entrants. At the same time the sickness funds have powerful tools for risk selection, because they also dominate the market for supplementary health insurance. The present risk-adjustment system is based on the results of a regression analysis with aggregate data. The main proclaimed purpose of this system is to guarantee a fair treatment to all the sickness funds. Until now the danger of risk selection has not been taken seriously. Consumer mobility has remained rather low. However, since the degree of financial responsibility is programmed to increase in the near future, the potential profits from cream skimming will increase.

Family functioning and children's adjustment: associations among parents' depressed mood, marital hostility, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment.

PubMed

Low, Sabina M; Stocker, Clare

2005-09-01

Relations between parents' depressed mood, marital conflict, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment were examined in a community sample of 136 ten-year-olds and their parents. Videotaped observational and self-report data were used to examine these relations in path analyses. A proposed model was tested in which mothers' and fathers' depressed mood and marital hostility were associated with children's adjustment problems through disruptions in parent-child relationships. Results showed that both mothers' and fathers' marital hostility were linked to parent-child hostility, which in turn was linked to children's internalizing problems. Fathers' depressed mood was linked to children's internalizing problems indirectly through father-child hostility. Fathers' depressed mood was directly linked to children's externalizing problems and indirectly linked through father-child hostility. For mothers, marital hostility was directly linked to children's externalizing problems, and marital hostility in fathers was indirectly linked to children's externalizing problems through father-child hostility. (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved

12 CFR 1780.80 - Inflation adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Inflation adjustments. 1780.80 Section 1780.80... DEVELOPMENT RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Civil Money Penalty Inflation Adjustments § 1780.80 Inflation adjustments. The maximum amount of each civil money penalty within OFHEO's...

Adaptively Adjusted Event-Triggering Mechanism on Fault Detection for Networked Control Systems.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Long; Lim, Cheng-Chew; Shi, Peng

2016-12-08

This paper studies the problem of adaptively adjusted event-triggering mechanism-based fault detection for a class of discrete-time networked control system (NCS) with applications to aircraft dynamics. By taking into account the fault occurrence detection progress and the fault occurrence probability, and introducing an adaptively adjusted event-triggering parameter, a novel event-triggering mechanism is proposed to achieve the efficient utilization of the communication network bandwidth. Both the sensor-to-control station and the control station-to-actuator network-induced delays are taken into account. The event-triggered sensor and the event-triggered control station are utilized simultaneously to establish new network-based closed-loop models for the NCS subject to faults. Based on the established models, the event-triggered simultaneous design of fault detection filter (FDF) and controller is presented. A new algorithm for handling the adaptively adjusted event-triggering parameter is proposed. Performance analysis verifies the effectiveness of the adaptively adjusted event-triggering mechanism, and the simultaneous design of FDF and controller.

28 CFR 85.2 - Calculation of adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 85.2 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES INFLATION ADJUSTMENT § 85.2 Calculation of adjustment. (a) The inflation adjustments described in § 85.3 were... Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-410. Any increase so determined was rounded to the nearest— (1...

A clinical economics workstation for risk-adjusted health care cost management.

PubMed Central

Eisenstein, E. L.; Hales, J. W.

1995-01-01

This paper describes a healthcare cost accounting system which is under development at Duke University Medical Center. Our approach differs from current practice in that this system will dynamically adjust its resource usage estimates to compensate for variations in patient risk levels. This adjustment is made possible by introducing a new cost accounting concept, Risk-Adjusted Quantity (RQ). RQ divides case-level resource usage variances into their risk-based component (resource consumption differences attributable to differences in patient risk levels) and their non-risk-based component (resource consumption differences which cannot be attributed to differences in patient risk levels). Because patient risk level is a factor in estimating resource usage, this system is able to simultaneously address the financial and quality dimensions of case cost management. In effect, cost-effectiveness analysis is incorporated into health care cost management. PMID:8563361

Adjustment of Children Born to Teenage Mothers: The Contribution of Risk and Protective Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubow, Eric F.; Luster, Tom

1990-01-01

Examined contribution of risk and protective factors in adjustment of 721 children, age 8-15, born to teenage mothers. Results showed that exposure to increasing number of risk factors (poverty, urban residence, mother's self-esteem) was associated with greater vulnerability to adjustment problems, while protective factors (intelligence,…

The limits of modifying migration speed to adjust to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaljohann, Heiko; Both, Christiaan

2017-08-01

Predicting the range of variation over which organisms can adjust to environmental change is a major challenge in ecology. This is exemplified in migratory birds which experience changes in different habitats throughout the annual cycle. Earlier studies showed European population trends declining strongest in migrant species with least adjustment in spring arrival time. Thus, the increasing mismatches with other trophic levels in seasonal breeding areas probably contribute to their large-scale decline. Here we quantify the potential range of adjusting spring arrival dates through modifying migration speeds by reviewing 49 tracking studies. Among-individual variation in migration speed was mainly determined by the relatively short stop-over duration. Assuming this population response reflects individual phenotypic plasticity, we calculated the potential for phenotypic plasticity to speed-up migration by reducing stop-over duration. Even a 50% reduction would lead to a mere two-day advance in arrival, considering adjustments on the final 2,000 km of the spring journey. Hence, in contrast to previous studies, flexibility in the major determinant of migration duration seems insufficient to adjust to ongoing climate change, and is unlikely to explain some of the observed arrival advancements in long-distance migrants.

Risk-adjusted sequential probability ratio tests: applications to Bristol, Shipman and adult cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Spiegelhalter, David; Grigg, Olivia; Kinsman, Robin; Treasure, Tom

2003-02-01

To investigate the use of the risk-adjusted sequential probability ratio test in monitoring the cumulative occurrence of adverse clinical outcomes. Retrospective analysis of three longitudinal datasets. Patients aged 65 years and over under the care of Harold Shipman between 1979 and 1997, patients under 1 year of age undergoing paediatric heart surgery in Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995, adult patients receiving cardiac surgery from a team of cardiac surgeons in London,UK. Annual and 30-day mortality rates. Using reasonable boundaries, the procedure could have indicated an 'alarm' in Bristol after publication of the 1991 Cardiac Surgical Register, and in 1985 or 1997 for Harold Shipman depending on the data source and the comparator. The cardiac surgeons showed no significant deviation from expected performance. The risk-adjusted sequential probability test is simple to implement, can be applied in a variety of contexts, and might have been useful to detect specific instances of past divergent performance. The use of this and related techniques deserves further attention in the context of prospectively monitoring adverse clinical outcomes.

Adjustable Nyquist-rate System for Single-Bit Sigma-Delta ADC with Alternative FIR Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frick, Vincent; Dadouche, Foudil; Berviller, Hervé

2016-09-01

This paper presents a new smart and compact system dedicated to control the output sampling frequency of an analogue-to-digital converters (ADC) based on single-bit sigma-delta (ΣΔ) modulator. This system dramatically improves the spectral analysis capabilities of power network analysers (power meters) by adjusting the ADC's sampling frequency to the input signal's fundamental frequency with a few parts per million accuracy. The trade-off between straightforwardness and performance that motivated the choice of the ADC's architecture are preliminary discussed. It particularly comes along with design considerations of an ultra-steep direct-form FIR that is optimised in terms of size and operating speed. Thanks to compact standard VHDL language description, the architecture of the proposed system is particularly suitable for application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implementation-oriented low-power and low-cost power meter applications. Field programmable gate array (FPGA) prototyping and experimental results validate the adjustable sampling frequency concept. They also show that the system can perform better in terms of implementation and power capabilities compared to dedicated IP resources.

7 CFR 1744.64 - Budget adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Budget adjustment. 1744.64 Section 1744.64... Disbursement of Funds § 1744.64 Budget adjustment. (a) If more funds are required than are available in a budget account, the borrower may request RUS's approval of a budget adjustment to use funds from another...

Using a detailed uncertainty analysis to adjust mapped rates of forest disturbance derived from Landsat time series data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, W. B.; Yang, Z.; Stehman, S.; Huang, C.; Healey, S. P.

2013-12-01

Forest ecosystem process models require spatially and temporally detailed disturbance data to accurately predict fluxes of carbon or changes in biodiversity over time. A variety of new mapping algorithms using dense Landsat time series show great promise for providing disturbance characterizations at an annual time step. These algorithms provide unprecedented detail with respect to timing, magnitude, and duration of individual disturbance events, and causal agent. But all maps have error and disturbance maps in particular can have significant omission error because many disturbances are relatively subtle. Because disturbance, although ubiquitous, can be a relatively rare event spatially in any given year, omission errors can have a great impact on mapped rates. Using a high quality reference disturbance dataset, it is possible to not only characterize map errors but also to adjust mapped disturbance rates to provide unbiased rate estimates with confidence intervals. We present results from a national-level disturbance mapping project (the North American Forest Dynamics project) based on the Vegetation Change Tracker (VCT) with annual Landsat time series and uncertainty analyses that consist of three basic components: response design, statistical design, and analyses. The response design describes the reference data collection, in terms of the tool used (TimeSync), a formal description of interpretations, and the approach for data collection. The statistical design defines the selection of plot samples to be interpreted, whether stratification is used, and the sample size. Analyses involve derivation of standard agreement matrices between the map and the reference data, and use of inclusion probabilities and post-stratification to adjust mapped disturbance rates. Because for NAFD we use annual time series, both mapped and adjusted rates are provided at an annual time step from ~1985-present. Preliminary evaluations indicate that VCT captures most of the higher

77 FR 5262 - Notice of Adjustment of Statewide Per Capita Indicator for Recommending a Cost Share Adjustment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-02

...] Notice of Adjustment of Statewide Per Capita Indicator for Recommending a Cost Share Adjustment AGENCY... per capita indicator for recommending cost share adjustments for major disasters declared on or after... INFORMATION: Pursuant to 44 CFR 206.47, the statewide per capita indicator that is used to recommend an...

78 FR 9935 - Notice of Adjustment of Statewide Per Capita Indicator for Recommending a Cost Share Adjustment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

...] Notice of Adjustment of Statewide Per Capita Indicator for Recommending a Cost Share Adjustment AGENCY... per capita indicator for recommending cost share adjustments for major disasters declared on or after... INFORMATION: Pursuant to 44 CFR 206.47, the statewide per capita indicator that is used to recommend an...

19 CFR 351.413 - Disregarding insignificant adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... any group of adjustments having an ad valorem effect of less than 1.0 percent, of the export price, constructed export price, or normal value, as the case may be. Groups of adjustments are adjustments for differences in circumstances of sale under § 351.410, adjustments for differences in the physical...

42 CFR 412.316 - Geographic adjustment factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Geographic adjustment factors. 412.316 Section 412... Costs § 412.316 Geographic adjustment factors. (a) Local cost variation. CMS adjusts for local cost... part. The adjustment factor equals the hospital wage index value applicable to the hospital raised to...

48 CFR 252.215-7000 - Pricing adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pricing adjustments. 252... Provisions And Clauses 252.215-7000 Pricing adjustments. As prescribed in 215.408(1), use the following clause: Pricing Adjustments (DEC 1991) The term “pricing adjustment,” as used in paragraph (a) of the...

Adjustment of geochemical background by robust multivariate statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, D.

1985-01-01

Conventional analyses of exploration geochemical data assume that the background is a constant or slowly changing value, equivalent to a plane or a smoothly curved surface. However, it is better to regard the geochemical background as a rugged surface, varying with changes in geology and environment. This rugged surface can be estimated from observed geological, geochemical and environmental properties by using multivariate statistics. A method of background adjustment was developed and applied to groundwater and stream sediment reconnaissance data collected from the Hot Springs Quadrangle, South Dakota, as part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program. Source-rock lithology appears to be a dominant factor controlling the chemical composition of groundwater or stream sediments. The most efficacious adjustment procedure is to regress uranium concentration on selected geochemical and environmental variables for each lithologic unit, and then to delineate anomalies by a common threshold set as a multiple of the standard deviation of the combined residuals. Robust versions of regression and RQ-mode principal components analysis techniques were used rather than ordinary techniques to guard against distortion caused by outliers Anomalies delineated by this background adjustment procedure correspond with uranium prospects much better than do anomalies delineated by conventional procedures. The procedure should be applicable to geochemical exploration at different scales for other metals. ?? 1985.

On the hydrologic adjustment of climate-model projections: The potential pitfall of potential evapotranspiration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milly, P.C.D.; Dunne, K.A.

2011-01-01

Hydrologic models often are applied to adjust projections of hydroclimatic change that come from climate models. Such adjustment includes climate-bias correction, spatial refinement ("downscaling"), and consideration of the roles of hydrologic processes that were neglected in the climate model. Described herein is a quantitative analysis of the effects of hydrologic adjustment on the projections of runoff change associated with projected twenty-first-century climate change. In a case study including three climate models and 10 river basins in the contiguous United States, the authors find that relative (i.e., fractional or percentage) runoff change computed with hydrologic adjustment more often than not was less positive (or, equivalently, more negative) than what was projected by the climate models. The dominant contributor to this decrease in runoff was a ubiquitous change in runoff (median 211%) caused by the hydrologic model's apparent amplification of the climate-model-implied growth in potential evapotranspiration. Analysis suggests that the hydrologic model, on the basis of the empirical, temperature-based modified Jensen-Haise formula, calculates a change in potential evapotranspiration that is typically 3 times the change implied by the climate models, which explicitly track surface energy budgets. In comparison with the amplification of potential evapotranspiration, central tendencies of other contributions from hydrologic adjustment (spatial refinement, climate-bias adjustment, and process refinement) were relatively small. The authors' findings highlight the need for caution when projecting changes in potential evapotranspiration for use in hydrologic models or drought indices to evaluate climatechange impacts on water. Copyright ?? 2011, Paper 15-001; 35,952 words, 3 Figures, 0 Animations, 1 Tables.

On the Hydrologic Adjustment of Climate-Model Projections: The Potential Pitfall of Potential Evapotranspiration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milly, Paul C.D.; Dunne, Krista A.

2011-01-01

Hydrologic models often are applied to adjust projections of hydroclimatic change that come from climate models. Such adjustment includes climate-bias correction, spatial refinement ("downscaling"), and consideration of the roles of hydrologic processes that were neglected in the climate model. Described herein is a quantitative analysis of the effects of hydrologic adjustment on the projections of runoff change associated with projected twenty-first-century climate change. In a case study including three climate models and 10 river basins in the contiguous United States, the authors find that relative (i.e., fractional or percentage) runoff change computed with hydrologic adjustment more often than not was less positive (or, equivalently, more negative) than what was projected by the climate models. The dominant contributor to this decrease in runoff was a ubiquitous change in runoff (median -11%) caused by the hydrologic model’s apparent amplification of the climate-model-implied growth in potential evapotranspiration. Analysis suggests that the hydrologic model, on the basis of the empirical, temperature-based modified Jensen–Haise formula, calculates a change in potential evapotranspiration that is typically 3 times the change implied by the climate models, which explicitly track surface energy budgets. In comparison with the amplification of potential evapotranspiration, central tendencies of other contributions from hydrologic adjustment (spatial refinement, climate-bias adjustment, and process refinement) were relatively small. The authors’ findings highlight the need for caution when projecting changes in potential evapotranspiration for use in hydrologic models or drought indices to evaluate climate-change impacts on water.

The Impact of Financial Sophistication on Adjustable Rate Mortgage Ownership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Hyrum; Finke, Michael S.; Huston, Sandra J.

2011-01-01

The influence of a financial sophistication scale on adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) borrowing is explored. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis using recent data from the Survey of Consumer Finances reveal that ARM borrowing is driven by both the least and most financially sophisticated households but for different reasons. Less…

Case-mix adjustment for diabetes indicators: a systematic review.

PubMed

Calsbeek, Hiske; Markhorst, Joekle G M; Voerman, Gerlienke E; Braspenning, Jozé C C

2016-02-01

Case-mix adjustment is generally considered indispensable for fair comparison of healthcare performance. Inaccurate results are also unfair to patients as they are ineffective for improving quality. However, little is known about what factors should be adjusted for. We reviewed case-mix factors included in adjustment models for key diabetes indicators, the rationale for their inclusion, and their impact on performance. Systematic review. This systematic review included studies published up to June 2013 addressing case-mix factors for 6 key diabetes indicators: 2 outcomes and 2 process indicators for glycated hemoglobin (A1C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure. Factors were categorized as demographic, diabetes-related, comorbidity, generic health, geographic, or care-seeking, and were evaluated on the rationale for inclusion in the adjustment models, as well as their impact on indicator scores and ranking. Thirteen studies were included, mainly addressing A1C value and measurement. Twenty-three different case-mix factors, mostly demographic and diabetes-related, were identified, and varied from 1 to 14 per adjustment model. Six studies provided selection motives for the inclusion of case-mix factors. Marital status and body mass index showed a significant impact on A1C value. For the other factors, either no or conflicting associations were reported, or too few studies (n ≤ 2) investigated this association. Scientific knowledge about the relative importance of case-mix factors for diabetes indicators is emerging, especially for demographic and diabetes-related factors and indicators on A1C, but is still limited. Because arbitrary adjustment potentially results in inaccurate quality information, meaningful stratification that demonstrates inequity in care might be a better guide, as it can be a driver for quality improvement.

Remotely Adjustable Hydraulic Pump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kouns, H. H.; Gardner, L. D.

1987-01-01

Outlet pressure adjusted to match varying loads. Electrohydraulic servo has positioned sleeve in leftmost position, adjusting outlet pressure to maximum value. Sleeve in equilibrium position, with control land covering control port. For lowest pressure setting, sleeve shifted toward right by increased pressure on sleeve shoulder from servovalve. Pump used in aircraft and robots, where hydraulic actuators repeatedly turned on and off, changing pump load frequently and over wide range.

Robotically-adjustable microstereotactic frames for image-guided neurosurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kratchman, Louis B.; Fitzpatrick, J. Michael

2013-03-01

Stereotactic frames are a standard tool for neurosurgical targeting, but are uncomfortable for patients and obstruct the surgical field. Microstereotactic frames are more comfortable for patients, provide better access to the surgical site, and have grown in popularity as an alternative to traditional stereotactic devices. However, clinically available microstereotactic frames require either lengthy manufacturing delays or expensive image guidance systems. We introduce a robotically-adjusted, disposable microstereotactic frame for deep brain stimulation surgery that eliminates the drawbacks of existing microstereotactic frames. Our frame can be automatically adjusted in the operating room using a preoperative plan in less than five minutes. A validation study on phantoms shows that our approach provides a target positioning error of 0.14 mm, which exceeds the required accuracy for deep brain stimulation surgery.

CERAMIC: Case-Control Association Testing in Samples with Related Individuals, Based on Retrospective Mixed Model Analysis with Adjustment for Covariates

PubMed Central

Zhong, Sheng; McPeek, Mary Sara

2016-01-01

We consider the problem of genetic association testing of a binary trait in a sample that contains related individuals, where we adjust for relevant covariates and allow for missing data. We propose CERAMIC, an estimating equation approach that can be viewed as a hybrid of logistic regression and linear mixed-effects model (LMM) approaches. CERAMIC extends the recently proposed CARAT method to allow samples with related individuals and to incorporate partially missing data. In simulations, we show that CERAMIC outperforms existing LMM and generalized LMM approaches, maintaining high power and correct type 1 error across a wider range of scenarios. CERAMIC results in a particularly large power increase over existing methods when the sample includes related individuals with some missing data (e.g., when some individuals with phenotype and covariate information have missing genotype), because CERAMIC is able to make use of the relationship information to incorporate partially missing data in the analysis while correcting for dependence. Because CERAMIC is based on a retrospective analysis, it is robust to misspecification of the phenotype model, resulting in better control of type 1 error and higher power than that of prospective methods, such as GMMAT, when the phenotype model is misspecified. CERAMIC is computationally efficient for genomewide analysis in samples of related individuals of almost any configuration, including small families, unrelated individuals and even large, complex pedigrees. We apply CERAMIC to data on type 2 diabetes (T2D) from the Framingham Heart Study. In a genome scan, 9 of the 10 smallest CERAMIC p-values occur in or near either known T2D susceptibility loci or plausible candidates, verifying that CERAMIC is able to home in on the important loci in a genome scan. PMID:27695091

Adjustment of regional regression models of urban-runoff quality using data for Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, Anne B.; Patel, Anant R.

1996-01-01

Model-adjustment procedures were applied to the combined data bases of storm-runoff quality for Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee, to improve predictive accuracy for storm-runoff quality for urban watersheds in these three cities and throughout Middle and East Tennessee. Data for 45 storms at 15 different sites (five sites in each city) constitute the data base. Comparison of observed values of storm-runoff load and event-mean concentration to the predicted values from the regional regression models for 10 constituents shows prediction errors, as large as 806,000 percent. Model-adjustment procedures, which combine the regional model predictions with local data, are applied to improve predictive accuracy. Standard error of estimate after model adjustment ranges from 67 to 322 percent. Calibration results may be biased due to sampling error in the Tennessee data base. The relatively large values of standard error of estimate for some of the constituent models, although representing significant reduction (at least 50 percent) in prediction error compared to estimation with unadjusted regional models, may be unacceptable for some applications. The user may wish to collect additional local data for these constituents and repeat the analysis, or calibrate an independent local regression model.

Generosity and adjusted premiums in job-based insurance: Hawaii is up, Wyoming is down.

PubMed

Gabel, Jon; McDevitt, Roland; Gandolfo, Laura; Pickreign, Jeremy; Hawkins, Samantha; Fahlman, Cheryl

2006-01-01

This paper reports national and state findings on the generosity or actuarial value of U.S. employer-based plans and adjusted premiums in 2002. The basis for our calculations is simulated bill paying for a large standardized population. After adjusting for the quality of benefits, we find from regression analysis that adjusted premiums are 18 percent higher in the nation's smallest firms than in firms with 1,000 or more workers. They are 25 percent higher in indemnity plans and 18 percent higher in preferred provider organizations than in health maintenance organizations. The generosity of coverage increased from 1997 to 2002.

A FORTRAN realization of the block adjustment of CCD frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yong; Tang, Zhenghong; Li, Jinling; Zhao, Ming

A FORTRAN version realization of the block adjustment (BA) of overlapping CCD frames is developed. The flowchart is introduced including (a) data collection, (b) preprocessing, and (c) BA and object positioning. The subroutines and their functions are also demonstrated. The program package is tested by simulated data with/without the application of white noises. It is also preliminarily applied to the reduction of optical positions of four extragalactic radio sources. The results show that because of the increase in the sky coverage and number of reference stars, the precision of deducted positions is improved compared with single plate adjustment.

Characterizing the community use of an ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" adjustable seating functions: A pilot study.

PubMed

Mattie, Johanne; Borisoff, Jaimie; Miller, William C; Noureddin, Borna

2017-01-01

An ultralight manual wheelchair that allows users to independently adjust rear seat height and backrest angle during normal everyday usage was recently commercialized. Prior research has been performed on wheelchair tilt, recline, and seat elevation use in the community, however no such research has been done on this new class of manual ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" adjustments. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate and characterize the use of the two adjustable seating functions available on the Elevation™ ultralight dynamic wheelchair during its use in the community. Eight participants had data loggers installed onto their own wheelchair for seven days to measure rear seat height, backrest angle position, occupied sitting time, and distance traveled. Analysis of rear seat height and backrest adjustment data revealed considerable variability in the frequency of use and positions used by participants. There was a wide spread of mean daily rear seat heights among participants, from 34.1 cm to 46.7 cm. Two sub-groups of users were further identified: those who sat habitually at a single typical rear seat height, and those who varied their rear seat height more continuously. Findings also showed that participants used the rear seat height adjustment feature significantly more often than the backrest adjustment feature. This obvious contrast in feature use may indicate that new users of this class of wheelchair may benefit from specific training. While the small sample size and exploratory nature of this study limit the generalizability of our results, our findings offer a first look at how active wheelchairs users are using a new class of ultralight wheelchair with "on the fly" seating adjustments in their communities. Further studies are recommended to better understand the impact of dynamic seating and positioning on activity, participation and quality of life.

Traumatization, Marital Adjustment, and Parenting among Veterans and Their Spouses: A Longitudinal Study of Reciprocal Relations.

PubMed

Levin, Yafit; Bachem, Rahel; Solomon, Zahava

2017-12-01

Despite considerable research on secondary traumatization, the ramifications of veterans' and their wives' posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) for the family system remain largely uninvestigated. Beginning to fill this gap, the current study aims to investigate the reciprocal relations between both spouses' PTSS and marital adjustment, and the implications these bear for their parental functioning. Two hundred and twenty-five Israeli veterans (mean age = 58.62, SD = 7.6) from the 1973 Yom Kippur War and their wives (mean age = 58.28, SD = 5.79) were examined at two points in time: 30 (T1) and 35-37 years after the war (T2). Analysis included longitudinal actor-partner interdependence modeling and sequential mediation analyses. The results show that higher PTSS among the wives at T1 predicted higher PTSS among husbands at T2, and vice versa, and predicted their husbands' marital adjustment at T2. Moreover, wives' PTSS at T1 had a significant effect on parental overinvolvement of both parents at T2, but neither their PTSS nor their husbands' PTSS had an impact on positive parenting. In the intrapersonal domain, better marital adjustment at T1 predicted positive parenting among both spouses in subsequent measurement. Interpersonally, wives' lower marital adjustment at T1 predicted husbands' higher parental functioning, but not vice versa. Furthermore, marital adjustment mediated the association between PTSS and positive parenting for both spouses. The results emphasize the detrimental ramifications of war trauma on the interpersonal domains in veterans' families. Hence, both marital and parental consequences of trauma should be considered in clinical family interventions. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

[Autogenic training as a therapy for adjustment disorder in adolescents].

PubMed

Jojić, Boris R; Leposavić, Ljubica M

2005-01-01

Autogenic training is a widespread technique used in psychotherapy. The British school of autogenic training cites a large list of diseases, health states, and life changes, in which autogenic training can be of help. We wanted to explore the application of autogenic training as a therapy for adjustment disorder in adolescents. The sample consisted of a homogeneous group of 31 individuals, with an average age of 17.3 +/- 0.2 years, who were diagnosed with adjustment disorder, F 43.2, in accordance with ICD 10 search criteria. The aim of our work was to figure out the influence of autogenic training on adjustment disorder, through biophysical and biochemical indicators, and to research the efficiacy of autogenic training as a therapy for adjustment disorder in adolescents. We observed adjustment disorder indicators and their changes in three phases, using initial, final, and control values, which we measured immediately before the beginning, immediately after the completion, and six months after the completion, of the practical course in autogenic training. We measured systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure, brachial pulse rates, cortisol levels in plasma, cholesterol levels in blood, as well as glucose concentrations. During that period, autogenic training was employed as the sole therapy. The study confirmed our preliminary assumptions. The measurements we performed showed that arterial blood pressure, pulse rates, cholesterol and cortisol concentrations, after the application of autogenic training among adolescents suffering from adjustment disorder, were lower than the initial values. They remained lower even six months after the completion of the practical course in autogenic training. We concluded that autogenic training significantly decreases the values of physiological indicators of adjustment disorder, diminishes the effects of stress in an individual, and eases the adaptation of adolescents to stress, helping with recovery.

46. Building 102, view showing waveguide control switch used to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

46. Building 102, view showing waveguide control switch used to achieve equal length adjustments and frequency control between separate Klystron tube radion frequency (RF) generators. - Clear Air Force Station, Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Site II, One mile west of mile marker 293.5 on Parks Highway, 5 miles southwest of Anderson, Anderson, Denali Borough, AK

Right-\\0xADturn traffic volume adjustment in traffic signal warrant analysis : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-06

This report was based on the research project, Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in : Traffic Signal Warrants, sponsored by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) : and SOLARIS. Right-turn traffic does not affect intersection performance i...

Electronic gaming and psychosocial adjustment.

PubMed

Przybylski, Andrew K

2014-09-01

The rise of electronic games has driven both concerns and hopes regarding their potential to influence young people. Existing research identifies a series of isolated positive and negative effects, yet no research to date has examined the balance of these potential effects in a representative sample of children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to explore how time spent playing electronic games accounts for significant variation in positive and negative psychosocial adjustment using a representative cohort of children aged 10 to 15 years. A large sample of children and adolescents aged 10 to 15 years completed assessments of psychosocial adjustment and reported typical daily hours spent playing electronic games. Relations between different levels of engagement and indicators of positive and negative psychosocial adjustment were examined, controlling for participant age and gender and weighted for population representativeness. Low levels (<1 hour daily) as well as high levels (>3 hours daily) of game engagement was linked to key indicators of psychosocial adjustment. Low engagement was associated with higher life satisfaction and prosocial behavior and lower externalizing and internalizing problems, whereas the opposite was found for high levels of play. No effects were observed for moderate play levels when compared with non-players. The links between different levels of electronic game engagement and psychosocial adjustment were small (<1.6% of variance) yet statistically significant. Games consistently but not robustly associated with children's adjustment in both positive and negative ways, findings that inform policy-making as well as future avenues for research in the area. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The experience of Korean immigrant women adjusting to Canadian society.

PubMed

Choi, Jaeyoung; Kushner, Kaysi E; Mill, Judy; Lai, Daniel W L

2014-09-01

The acculturation process is an important factor in the experience of all immigrants. Although previous studies have indicated the challenges faced by Korean immigrants, little attention has been paid to Korean women's immigration experiences. A focused ethnography was used to examine midlife and older Korean immigrant women's experiences following their immigration to Canada. Fifteen women were interviewed in a city in Western Canada. The findings showed that in coming to Canada, women focused on caring for their children and often sacrificed their personal dreams. They had to be employed to support their families, and received support from family and government. Women participated regularly in a Korean Church and drew on their Christian faith to ease their adjustment. They retained hopes for the future including good health and a better life for their children. Most women indicated that it was difficult to integrate into Canadian society but they never gave up on their adjustment to a new culture. In this manuscript, the adjustment experience of the immigrant women is discussed in the context of an acculturation framework. The findings will enhance health professionals' awareness of adjustment patterns and associated challenges to Korean immigrant women's quality of life.

Adjustments in channel morphology due to land-use changes and check dam installation in mountain torrents of Calabria (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortugno, Diego; Zema, Demetrio Antonio; Bombino, Giuseppe; Tamburino, Vincenzo; Quinonero Rubio, Juan Manuel; Boix-Fayos, Carolina

2016-04-01

In Mediterranean semi-arid conditions the geomorphic effects of land-use changes and check dam installation on active channel headwater morphology are not completely understood. In such environments, the availability of specific studies, which monitor channel adjustments as a response to reforestation and check dams over representative observation periods, could help develop new management strategies and erosion control measures. This investigation is an integrated approach assessing the adjustments of channel morphology in a typical torrent (Sant'Agata, Calabria, Southern Italy) after land-use changes (e.g. fire, reforestation, land abandonment) and check dam construction across a period of about 60 years (1955-2012). A statistical analysis of historical rainfall records, an analysis of land-use change in the catchment area and a geomorphological mapping of channel adjustments were carried out and combined with field surveys of bed surface grain-size over a 5-km reach including 14 check dams. The analysis of the historical rainfall records showed a slight decrease in the amount and erosivity of precipitation. Mapping of land-use changes highlighted a general increase of vegetal coverage on the slopes adjacent to the monitored reaches. Together with the check dam network installation, this increase could have induced a reduction in water and sediment supply. The different erosional and depositional forms and adjustments showed a general narrowing between consecutive check dams together with local modifications detected upstream (bed aggradation and cross section expansion together with low-flow realignments) and downstream (local incision) of the installed check dams. Changes in the torrent bends were also detected as a response to erosional and depositional processes with different intensities. The study highlighted: (i) the efficiency of check dams against the disrupting power of the most intense floods by stabilising the active channel; and (ii) the influence of

7 CFR 2201.30 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Adjustments. 2201.30 Section 2201.30 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) LOCAL TELEVISION LOAN GUARANTEE BOARD LOCAL TELEVISION LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM-PROGRAM REGULATIONS Loan Guarantees § 2201.30 Adjustments. (a) The Board...

Impact of particulate air pollution on quality-adjusted life expectancy in Canada.

PubMed

Coyle, Douglas; Stieb, Dave; Burnett, Richard T; DeCivita, Paul; Krewski, Daniel; Chen, Yue; Thun, Michael J

Air pollution and premature death are important public health concerns. Analyses have repeatedly demonstrated that airborne particles are associated with increased mortality and estimates have been used to forecast the impact on life expectancy. In this analysis, we draw upon data from the American Cancer Society (ACS) cohort and literature on utility-based measures of quality of life in relation to health status to more fully quantify the effects of air pollution on mortality in terms of quality-adjusted life expectancy. The analysis was conducted within a decision analytic model using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Outcomes were estimated based on projections of the Canadian population. A one-unit reduction in sulfate air pollution would yield a mean annual increase in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) of 20,960, with gains being greater for individuals with lower educational status and for males compared to females. This suggests that the impact of reductions in sulfate air pollution on quality-adjusted life expectancy is substantial. Interpretation of the results is unclear. However, the potential gains in QALYs from reduced air pollutants can be contrasted to the costs of policies to bring about such reductions. Based on a tentative threshold for the value of health benefits, analysis suggests that an investment in Canada of over 1 billion dollars per annum would be an efficient use of resources if it could be demonstrated that this would reduce sulfate concentrations in ambient air by 1 microg/m(3). Further analysis can assess the efficiency of targeting such initiatives to communities that are most likely to benefit.

Adjustment of trendy, gaming and less assimilated tweens in the United States

PubMed Central

Comulada, W. Scott; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Carey, George; Poris, Michelle; Lord, Lynwood R.; Mayfield Arnold, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Youth transitioning from childhood to adolescence (tweens) are exposed to increasing amounts of media and advertisement. Tweens have also emerged as a major marketing segment for corporate America with increasing buying power.We examine how tweens relate to popular culture messages and the association of different orientations to popular culture on adjustment. A secondary data analysis was conducted on a marketing survey of 3527 tweens, aged 10–14 years, obtained from 49 schools using stratified sampling methods. A sample of children nationwide described their preferences on popular culture and measures of psychosocial adjustment. Using cluster analysis, we identified three main clusters or adaptation styles of tweens: (1) those who enjoyed gaming, (2) trendy youth and (3) youth less assimilated into popular culture. There were differences in clusters based on adjustment indices. Gaming and trendy tweens reported higher self-perceptions of being smart, caring and confident compared to less assimilated tweens. However, gaming and trendy tweens worried more about fitting in than less assimilated tweens. Gaming and trendy tweens also endorsed future goals and traditional values more strongly than less assimilated tweens. Trendy tweens reported the strongest positive feelings about substance use. Results suggest that for each method of adaptation (gamer, trendy and less assimilated), there are unique differences in adjustment that can impact the child’s future. Parents and service providers must recognize the complexity of these decisions and be sensitive to the unique needs of youth as they move from childhood to adolescence. PMID:25580153

Adjustment of trendy, gaming and less assimilated tweens in the United States.

PubMed

Comulada, W Scott; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Carey, George; Poris, Michelle; Lord, Lynwood R; Mayfield Arnold, Elizabeth

2011-09-01

Youth transitioning from childhood to adolescence (tweens) are exposed to increasing amounts of media and advertisement. Tweens have also emerged as a major marketing segment for corporate America with increasing buying power.We examine how tweens relate to popular culture messages and the association of different orientations to popular culture on adjustment. A secondary data analysis was conducted on a marketing survey of 3527 tweens, aged 10-14 years, obtained from 49 schools using stratified sampling methods. A sample of children nationwide described their preferences on popular culture and measures of psychosocial adjustment. Using cluster analysis, we identified three main clusters or adaptation styles of tweens: (1) those who enjoyed gaming, (2) trendy youth and (3) youth less assimilated into popular culture. There were differences in clusters based on adjustment indices. Gaming and trendy tweens reported higher self-perceptions of being smart, caring and confident compared to less assimilated tweens. However, gaming and trendy tweens worried more about fitting in than less assimilated tweens. Gaming and trendy tweens also endorsed future goals and traditional values more strongly than less assimilated tweens. Trendy tweens reported the strongest positive feelings about substance use. Results suggest that for each method of adaptation (gamer, trendy and less assimilated), there are unique differences in adjustment that can impact the child's future. Parents and service providers must recognize the complexity of these decisions and be sensitive to the unique needs of youth as they move from childhood to adolescence.

25 CFR 175.12 - Procedures for adjusting electric power rates except for adjustments due to changes in the cost...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... adjustments due to changes in the cost of purchased power or energy. 175.12 Section 175.12 Indians BUREAU OF... adjustments due to changes in the cost of purchased power or energy. Except for adjustments to rates due to changes in the cost of purchased power or energy, the Area Director shall adjust electric power rates...

Early Environmental Support and Elementary School Adjustment as Predictors of School Adjustment in Middle Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Elizabeth A.; Sroufe, L. Alan; Collins, W. Andres; Jimerson, Shane; Weinfield, Nancy; Henninghausen, Katherine; Egeland, Byron; Hyson, Daniel M.; Anderson, Fione; Meyer, Stephanie E.

1999-01-01

This longitudinal study examined socioemotional antecedents of adolescent school adjustment. Findings indicated that early and later parental problem-solving support accounted for 13 percent of variance in high school adjustment. Early and later parental problem-solving support, peer competence, externalizing behavior, and emotional…

38 CFR 10.0 - Adjusted service pay entitlements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Adjusted service pay... COMPENSATION Adjusted Compensation; General § 10.0 Adjusted service pay entitlements. A veteran entitled to adjusted service pay is one whose adjusted service credit does not amount to more than $50 as distinguished...

Physical punishment/maltreatment during childhood and adjustment in young adulthood.

PubMed

Fergusson, D M; Lynskey, M T

1997-07-01

To study the relationships between retrospective reports of physical punishment/maltreatment and rates of adjustment difficulties at age 18 in a birth cohort of New Zealand subjects. Data were gathered over the course of an 18 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1,265 New Zealand born children. At age 18 retrospective reports of exposure to physical punishment/maltreatment were obtained. At this time the cohort was also assessed on measures of psychosocial adjustment juvenile offending, substance abuse behaviors, and psychiatric disorder. Young people reporting exposure to harsh or abusive treatment during childhood had elevated rates of juvenile offending, substance abuse, and mental health problems. However, subsequent analysis using logistic regression methods showed that much of the elevated risk shown by this group was explained by social and contextual factors that were associated with patterns of childhood punishment/maltreatment. Nonetheless, even after control for confounding factors those reporting harsh or abusive childhood experiences were at increased risks of violent offending, suicide attempts, being a victim of violence, and alcohol abuse. This study leads to three major conclusions: (1) Those exposed to harsh or abusive treatment during childhood are an at-risk population for juvenile offending, substance abuse, and mental health problems; (2) Much of this elevated risk arises from the social context within which harsh or abusive treatment occurs; (3) Nonetheless, exposure to abuse appears to increase risks of involvement in violent behavior and alcohol abuse.

Multivariable confounding adjustment in distributed data networks without sharing of patient-level data.

PubMed

Toh, Sengwee; Reichman, Marsha E; Houstoun, Monika; Ding, Xiao; Fireman, Bruce H; Gravel, Eric; Levenson, Mark; Li, Lingling; Moyneur, Erick; Shoaibi, Azadeh; Zornberg, Gwen; Hennessy, Sean

2013-11-01

It is increasingly necessary to analyze data from multiple sources when conducting public health safety surveillance or comparative effectiveness research. However, security, privacy, proprietary, and legal concerns often reduce data holders' willingness to share highly granular information. We describe and compare two approaches that do not require sharing of patient-level information to adjust for confounding in multi-site studies. We estimated the risks of angioedema associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and aliskiren in comparison with beta-blockers within Mini-Sentinel, which has created a distributed data system of 18 health plans. To obtain the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), we performed (i) a propensity score-stratified case-centered logistic regression analysis, a method identical to a stratified Cox regression analysis but needing only aggregated risk set data, and (ii) an inverse variance-weighted meta-analysis, which requires only the site-specific HR and variance. We also performed simulations to further compare the two methods. Compared with beta-blockers, the adjusted HR was 3.04 (95% CI: 2.81, 3.27) for ACEIs, 1.16 (1.00, 1.34) for ARBs, and 2.85 (1.34, 6.04) for aliskiren in the case-centered analysis. The corresponding HRs were 2.98 (2.76, 3.21), 1.15 (1.00, 1.33), and 2.86 (1.35, 6.04) in the meta-analysis. Simulations suggested that the two methods may produce different results under certain analytic scenarios. The case-centered analysis and the meta-analysis produced similar results without the need to share patient-level data across sites in our empirical study, but may provide different results in other study settings. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

7 CFR 718.110 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... MARKETING QUOTAS, ACREAGE ALLOTMENTS, AND PRODUCTION ADJUSTMENT PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE PROGRAMS... in order to avoid a marketing quota penalty if such person: (1) Notifies the county committee of such... committee; and (2) Pays the cost of a farm inspection to determine the adjusted acreage prior to the date...

The stress-buffering effects of hope on adjustment to multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Madan, Sindia; Pakenham, Kenneth I

2014-12-01

Hope is an important resource for coping with chronic illness; however, the role of hope in adjusting to multiple sclerosis (MS) has been neglected, and the mechanisms by which hope exerts beneficial impacts are not well understood. This study aims to examine the direct and stress-moderating effects of dispositional hope and its components (agency and pathways) on adjustment to MS. A total of 296 people with MS completed questionnaires at time 1 at 12 months later and time 2. Focal predictors were stress, hope, agency and pathways, and the adjustment outcomes were anxiety, depression, positive affect, positive states of mind and life satisfaction. Results of regression analyses showed that as predicted, greater hope was associated with better adjustment after controlling for the effects of time 1 adjustment and relevant demographics and illness variables. However, these direct effects of hope were subsumed by stress-buffering effects. Regarding the hope components, the beneficial impacts of agency emerged via a direct effects mechanism, whereas the effects of pathways were evidenced via a moderating mechanism. Findings highlight hope as an important protective coping resource for coping with MS and accentuate the roles of both agency and pathways thinking and their different modes of influence in this process.

26 CFR 1.803-2 - Adjusted reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-2 Adjusted reserves. For the purpose of determining... insurance, no adjustment is to be made. The reserves are thus adjusted, and the rate of interest on which...

26 CFR 1.803-2 - Adjusted reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-2 Adjusted reserves. For the purpose of... or paid-up insurance, no adjustment is to be made. The reserves are thus adjusted, and the rate of...

26 CFR 1.803-2 - Adjusted reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-2 Adjusted reserves. For the purpose of... or paid-up insurance, no adjustment is to be made. The reserves are thus adjusted, and the rate of...

26 CFR 1.803-2 - Adjusted reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-2 Adjusted reserves. For the purpose of... or paid-up insurance, no adjustment is to be made. The reserves are thus adjusted, and the rate of...

26 CFR 1.803-2 - Adjusted reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-2 Adjusted reserves. For the purpose of... or paid-up insurance, no adjustment is to be made. The reserves are thus adjusted, and the rate of...

Risk Adjustment for Medicare Total Knee Arthroplasty Bundled Payments.

PubMed

Clement, R Carter; Derman, Peter B; Kheir, Michael M; Soo, Adrianne E; Flynn, David N; Levin, L Scott; Fleisher, Lee

2016-09-01

The use of bundled payments is growing because of their potential to align providers and hospitals on the goal of cost reduction. However, such gain sharing could incentivize providers to "cherry-pick" more profitable patients. Risk adjustment can prevent this unintended consequence, yet most bundling programs include minimal adjustment techniques. This study was conducted to determine how bundled payments for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) should be adjusted for risk. The authors collected financial data for all Medicare patients (age≥65 years) undergoing primary unilateral TKA at an academic center over a period of 2 years (n=941). Multivariate regression was performed to assess the effect of patient factors on the costs of acute inpatient care, including unplanned 30-day readmissions. This analysis mirrors a bundling model used in the Medicare Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative. Increased age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and the presence of a Medicare Major Complications/Comorbid Conditions (MCC) modifier (typically representing major complications) were associated with increased costs (regression coefficients, $57 per year; $729 per ASA class beyond I; and $3122 for patients meeting MCC criteria; P=.003, P=.001, and P<.001, respectively). Differences in costs were not associated with body mass index, sex, or race. If the results are generalizable, Medicare bundled payments for TKA encompassing acute inpatient care should be adjusted upward by the stated amounts for older patients, those with elevated ASA class, and patients meeting MCC criteria. This is likely an underestimate for many bundling models, including the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program, incorporating varying degrees of postacute care. Failure to adjust for factors that affect costs may create adverse incentives, creating barriers to care for certain patient populations. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(5):e911-e916.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Profiling Adjustment among Postsecondary Students with Disabilities: A Person-Centered Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Christopher; Lombardi, Allison; Kosty, Derek

2014-01-01

The current investigation examines profiles of postsecondary adjustment among college students with disabilities. Students' self-perceptions of practical gains, personal gains, educational gains, their overall satisfaction with postsecondary school, and their college GPA were subjected to a latent profile analysis. Results indicated that students…

Parental Care Aids, but Parental Overprotection Hinders, College Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Matthew B.; Pierce, John D., Jr.

2010-01-01

Previous work has shown that students who have troublesome relationships with their parents show higher risk factors for poorer college adjustment. In the present study, we focused on the balance between two key aspects of parenting style, parental care and overprotection, as they affect the transition to college life. Eighty-three undergraduate…

Do Adjusting-Amount and Adjusting-Delay Procedures Produce Equivalent Estimates of Subjective Value in Pigeons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Leonard; Myerson, Joel; Shah, Anuj K.; Estle, Sara J.; Holt, Daniel D.

2007-01-01

The current experiment examined whether adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures provide equivalent measures of discounting. Pigeons' discounting on the two procedures was compared using a within-subject yoking technique in which the indifference point (number of pellets or time until reinforcement) obtained with one procedure determined…

On the multiple imputation variance estimator for control-based and delta-adjusted pattern mixture models.

PubMed

Tang, Yongqiang

2017-12-01

Control-based pattern mixture models (PMM) and delta-adjusted PMMs are commonly used as sensitivity analyses in clinical trials with non-ignorable dropout. These PMMs assume that the statistical behavior of outcomes varies by pattern in the experimental arm in the imputation procedure, but the imputed data are typically analyzed by a standard method such as the primary analysis model. In the multiple imputation (MI) inference, Rubin's variance estimator is generally biased when the imputation and analysis models are uncongenial. One objective of the article is to quantify the bias of Rubin's variance estimator in the control-based and delta-adjusted PMMs for longitudinal continuous outcomes. These PMMs assume the same observed data distribution as the mixed effects model for repeated measures (MMRM). We derive analytic expressions for the MI treatment effect estimator and the associated Rubin's variance in these PMMs and MMRM as functions of the maximum likelihood estimator from the MMRM analysis and the observed proportion of subjects in each dropout pattern when the number of imputations is infinite. The asymptotic bias is generally small or negligible in the delta-adjusted PMM, but can be sizable in the control-based PMM. This indicates that the inference based on Rubin's rule is approximately valid in the delta-adjusted PMM. A simple variance estimator is proposed to ensure asymptotically valid MI inferences in these PMMs, and compared with the bootstrap variance. The proposed method is illustrated by the analysis of an antidepressant trial, and its performance is further evaluated via a simulation study. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

On delay adjustment for dynamic load balancing in distributed virtual environments.

PubMed

Deng, Yunhua; Lau, Rynson W H

2012-04-01

Distributed virtual environments (DVEs) are becoming very popular in recent years, due to the rapid growing of applications, such as massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs). As the number of concurrent users increases, scalability becomes one of the major challenges in designing an interactive DVE system. One solution to address this scalability problem is to adopt a multi-server architecture. While some methods focus on the quality of partitioning the load among the servers, others focus on the efficiency of the partitioning process itself. However, all these methods neglect the effect of network delay among the servers on the accuracy of the load balancing solutions. As we show in this paper, the change in the load of the servers due to network delay would affect the performance of the load balancing algorithm. In this work, we conduct a formal analysis of this problem and discuss two efficient delay adjustment schemes to address the problem. Our experimental results show that our proposed schemes can significantly improve the performance of the load balancing algorithm with neglectable computation overhead.

The College Adjustment Questionnaire: A Measure of Students' Educational, Relational, and Psychological Adjustment to the College Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, Maeve B.; Shirley, Lauren A.; Park, Stacey S.; Nolen, Julian P.; Gibbons, Alyssa M.; Rosén, Lee A.

2018-01-01

Several instruments exist to measure college adjustment: the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker & Siryk, 1989), the College Adjustment Rating Scale (Zitzow, 1984), and the College Adjustment Scales (Anton & Reed, 1991). Of these, the SACQ is the most widely used and takes a multifaceted approach to measuring college…

20 CFR 345.118 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., without interest, in subsequent contribution payments by the same employer, as provided for in this... by an employer on Form BA-4. See part 209 of this chapter. (c) Adjustment of contributions. (1) All... contribution report for the same quarter in which the Form BA-4 reflecting the compensation adjustments is...

20 CFR 345.118 - Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., without interest, in subsequent contribution payments by the same employer, as provided for in this... by an employer on Form BA-4. See part 209 of this chapter. (c) Adjustment of contributions. (1) All... contribution report for the same quarter in which the Form BA-4 reflecting the compensation adjustments is...

Masters of adaptation: learning in late life adjustments.

PubMed

Roberson, Donald N

2005-01-01

The purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between human development in older adults and personal learning. Personal or self-directed learning (SDL) refers to a style of learning where the individual directs, controls, and evaluates what is learned. It may occur with formal classes, but most often takes place in non-formal situations. This study employed a descriptive qualitative design incorporating in-depth, semistructured interviews for data collection. The sample of 10 purposefully selected older adults from a rural area reflected diversity in gender, race, education, and employment. Data analysis was guided by the constant comparative method. The primary late life adjustments of these older adults were in response to having extra time, changes in family, and social and physical loss. This research also indicated that late life adjustments are a primary incentive for self-directed learning. The results of this study indicated that older adults become masters of adaptation through the use of self-directed learning activities.

Prevalence and predictors of post-stroke mood disorders: A meta-analysis and meta-regression of depression, anxiety and adjustment disorder.

PubMed

Mitchell, Alex J; Sheth, Bhavisha; Gill, John; Yadegarfar, Motahare; Stubbs, Brendon; Yadegarfar, Mohammad; Meader, Nick

2017-07-01

To ascertain the prevalence and predictors of mood disorders, determined by structured clinical interviews (ICD or DSM criteria) in people after stroke. Major electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2016 for studies involving major depression (MDD), minor depression (MnD), dysthymia, adjustment disorder, any depressive disorder (any depressive disorder) and anxiety disorders. Studies were combined using both random and fixed effects meta-analysis and results were stratified as appropriate. Depression was examined on 147 occasions from 2days to 7years after stroke (mean 6.87months, N=33 in acute, N=43 in rehabilitation and N=69 in the community/outpatients). Across 128 analyses involving 15,573 patients assessed for major depressive disorder (MDD), the point prevalence of depression was 17.7% (95% CI=15.6% to 20.0%) 0.65 analyses involving 9720 patients determined MnD was present in 13.1% in all settings (95% CI=10.9% to 15.8%). Dysthymia was present in 3.1% (95% CI=2.1% to 5.3%), adjustment disorder in 6.9% (95% CI=4.6 to 9.7%) and anxiety in 9.8% (95% CI=5.9% to 14.8%). Any depressive disorder was present in 33.5% (95% CI=30.3% to 36.8%). The relative risk of any depressive disorder was higher following left (dominant) hemisphere stroke, aphasia, and among people with a family history and past history of mood disorders. Depression, adjustment disorder and anxiety are common after stroke. Risk factors are aphasia, dominant hemispheric lesions and past personal/family history of depression but not time since stroke. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Age-adjusted versus clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer to exclude pulmonary embolism.

PubMed

Takach Lapner, Sarah; Stevens, Scott M; Woller, Scott C; Snow, Gregory; Kearon, Clive

2018-05-05

A low D-dimer can exclude suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) in cases with low or intermediate clinical probability of disease. Yet D-dimer is nonspecific, so many cases without PE require imaging. D-dimer's specificity is improved by increasing the threshold for a positive test with age (age × 10 ng/mL; age-adjusted D-dimer; AADD) or clinical probability of PE (1000 ng/mL if low and 500 ng/mL if intermediate clinical probability; clinical probability-adjusted D-dimer; CPADD). It is unclear which approach is preferable. We report the sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) of AADD compared to CPADD in suspected PE. A retrospective cohort of 3500 consecutive cases imaged for suspected PE at two U.S. emergency departments was assembled. We analyzed cases with low or intermediate clinical probability of PE (Revised Geneva Score) who had a D-dimer. The outcome was acute PE on imaging at presentation. Of the 3500 cases, 1745 were eligible. 37% were low, and 63% were intermediate clinical probability of PE. PE was present in 145 (8.3%) cases. Sensitivity of CPADD was 87.5% vs. 96.6% for AADD (difference 9.1%; 95% CI 4.3% to 14.0%). NPV of CPADD was 97.1% vs. 99.0% for AADD (difference 1.9%; 95% CI, 0.7% to 3.1%). Specificity of CPADD was 37.5% vs. 30.2% for AADD (difference -7.3%; 95% CI -9.4% to -5.1%). D-dimer was negative in 35.4% of cases using CPADD vs. 28.0% using AADD. CPADD modestly improved the specificity of D-dimer, but had a lower NPV than AADD. AADD appears preferable in this analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The efficacy of inhibiting tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis and adjusted indirect comparisons.

PubMed

Nixon, R; Bansback, N; Brennan, A

2007-07-01

New treatments that inhibit the cytokines tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have proven clinical effect against placebo and methotrexate (MTX) in several clinical trials in early and late-stage disease and different severity groups. Since there are no head-to-head randomized controlled trials directly comparing the currently available treatments, etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab or anakinra, we perform a meta-analysis that adjusts for differences between study characteristics, and allows indirect comparisons between treatments. Thirteen trials of cytokine antagonists were included from a systematic review of the literature. They reported the primary outcome of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response criteria at 6 months or beyond. Meta-analytical methods are used to quantify relative treatment effects, using the log odds ratio of an ACR20 or ACR50 response at 6 months, whilst adjusting for study-level variables. In each of the trials, cytokine treatment was efficacious in comparison with placebo or MTX. For each treatment, the inclusion of MTX in combination improved the response. After adjustment for study-level variables, we found TNFalpha antagonists to be more efficacious compared with anakinra (P < 0.05). Indirect comparisons between the three TNFalpha antagonists indicated no difference in efficacy. Sensitivity analysis using a different statistical model structure confirmed these results. When the outcome of interest is the probability of an ACR20 or ACR50 response at 6 months we found: (i) treatment with the IL-1 antagonist anakinra is better than placebo; (ii) for each treatment, the use of combination MTX improves the probability of response; (iii) treatment with any of the TNFalpha antagonists is better than with the IL-1 antagonist anakinra; and (iv) all drugs in the TNFalpha antagonist class are no different from each other.

15 CFR 6.5 - Effective date of adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS § 6.5 Effective date of adjustments. The adjustments made by § 6.4 of this part, of... December 11, 2008, and before the effective date of any future inflation adjustment thereto made subsequent...

Child adjustment and parenting in planned lesbian-parent families.

PubMed

Bos, Henny M W; van Balen, Frank; van den Boom, Dymphna C

2007-01-01

One hundred planned lesbian-parent families (i.e., two-mother families in which the child was born to the lesbian relationship) were compared with 100 heterosexual-parent families on child adjustment, parental characteristics, and child rearing. Questionnaires, observations, and a diary of activities were used to collect the data. The results show that especially lesbian social mothers (i.e., nonbiological mothers) differ from heterosexual fathers on parental characteristics (e.g., more parental justification and more satisfaction with the partner as coparent) and child rearing (e.g., more parental concern and less power assertion). Child adjustment is not associated with family type (lesbian-parent families vs. heterosexual-parent families), but is predicted by power assertion, parental concern, and satisfaction with the partner as coparent.

Occupation and housing adjustment of migrants to Surabaya, Indonesia: the case of a second city.

PubMed

Mccutcheon, L

1978-01-01

The adjustment of migrants to Surabaya, Indonesia was examined with respect to occupation and housing characteristics. The data are based on information obtained in interviews from a multistage random sample of 600 residents of Surabaya between the ages of 20-44. Both females and males were interviewed and information on occupation was also collected for the spouses of respondents. In the analysis, 3 comparison groups were used: migrants to the city within the 5 years previous to the survey; migrants who moved in 1969 or before; and lifetime residents of Surabaya who were either born there or moved before the age of 15. The analysis used 2 methods to determine the extent and nature of adjustment. In the first, migrants of short and long durations of residence were compared to determine if change on the aggregate level has taken place and to indicate the direction of change. A control group of lifetime residents was used to determine whether the migrants are coming to resemble the characteristics of the native urban population. The 2nd, and equally serious problem, involves outmigration, in which migrants selective of certain characteristics leave the city either to return to the rural area or to move to another city. Initial comparisons between recent migrants, longterm migrants, and lifetime residents revealed no significant differences for either employment status or occupational skill. By occupational skill, approximately 35% had unskilled occupations, 27% semiskilled occupations, and 37% skilled occupations, with no significant difference by migrant status group. Overall, the distributions showed this sample to have significant concentrations in traditional, labor intensive employment, with a large percentage self employed. Controlling occupational skill for education showed somewhat different results. Those with primary school or less did not show a significant difference by migrant status, while among those with more education there was a significant

Spousal Adjustment to Myocardial Infarction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziglar, Elisa J.

This paper reviews the literature on the stresses and coping strategies of spouses of patients with myocardial infarction (MI). It attempts to identify specific problem areas of adjustment for the spouse and to explore the effects of spousal adjustment on patient recovery. Chapter one provides an overview of the importance in examining the…

Characterizing the community use of an ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” adjustable seating functions: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Mattie, Johanne; Borisoff, Jaimie; Miller, William C.; Noureddin, Borna

2017-01-01

An ultralight manual wheelchair that allows users to independently adjust rear seat height and backrest angle during normal everyday usage was recently commercialized. Prior research has been performed on wheelchair tilt, recline, and seat elevation use in the community, however no such research has been done on this new class of manual ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” adjustments. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate and characterize the use of the two adjustable seating functions available on the Elevation™ ultralight dynamic wheelchair during its use in the community. Eight participants had data loggers installed onto their own wheelchair for seven days to measure rear seat height, backrest angle position, occupied sitting time, and distance traveled. Analysis of rear seat height and backrest adjustment data revealed considerable variability in the frequency of use and positions used by participants. There was a wide spread of mean daily rear seat heights among participants, from 34.1 cm to 46.7 cm. Two sub-groups of users were further identified: those who sat habitually at a single typical rear seat height, and those who varied their rear seat height more continuously. Findings also showed that participants used the rear seat height adjustment feature significantly more often than the backrest adjustment feature. This obvious contrast in feature use may indicate that new users of this class of wheelchair may benefit from specific training. While the small sample size and exploratory nature of this study limit the generalizability of our results, our findings offer a first look at how active wheelchairs users are using a new class of ultralight wheelchair with “on the fly” seating adjustments in their communities. Further studies are recommended to better understand the impact of dynamic seating and positioning on activity, participation and quality of life. PMID:28278254

A qualitative investigation of the cultural adjustment experiences of Asian international college women.

PubMed

Constantine, Madonna G; Kindaichi, Mai; Okazaki, Sumie; Gainor, Kathy A; Baden, Amanda L

2005-05-01

This qualitative study explored the cultural adjustment experiences of 15 Asian Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese international college women through semistructured interviews. By using consensual qualitative research methodology (C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997), 6 primary domains or themes related to these women's cultural adjustment experiences were identified via data analysis: their feelings and thoughts about living in the United States, perceived differences between their country of origin and the United States, their English language acquisition and use, their prejudicial or discriminatory experiences in the United States, their peer and family networks, and their strategies for coping with cultural adjustment problems. Implications of the findings for mental health practice are discussed. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Adjusting for publication biases across similar interventions performed well when compared with gold standard data.

PubMed

Moreno, Santiago G; Sutton, Alex J; Ades, A E; Cooper, Nicola J; Abrams, Keith R

2011-11-01

To extend, apply, and evaluate a regression-based approach to adjusting meta-analysis for publication and related biases. The approach uses related meta-analyses to improve estimation by borrowing strength on the degree of bias. The proposed adjustment approach is described. Adjustments are applied both independently and by borrowing strength across journal-extracted data on the effectiveness of 12 antidepressant drugs from placebo-controlled trials. The methods are also applied to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data obtained on the same 12 drugs. Results are compared, viewing the FDA observed data as gold standard. Estimates adjusted for publication biases made independently for each drug were very uncertain using both the journal and FDA data. Adjusted estimates were much more precise when borrowing strength across meta-analyses. Reassuringly, adjustments in this way made to the journal data agreed closely with the observed estimates from the FDA data, while the adjusted FDA results changed only minimally from those observed from the FDA data. The method worked well in the case study considered and therefore further evaluation is encouraged. It is suggested that this approach may be especially useful when adjusting several meta-analyses on similar interventions and outcomes, particularly when there are small numbers of studies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

5 CFR 536.305 - Adjusting an employee's retained rate when a pay schedule is adjusted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... conversion under § 536.303(b) or any other simultaneous pay action. The retained rate adjustment under... new retained rate must be determined under the geographic conversion rule in § 536.303(b). (4... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Adjusting an employee's retained rate...

Sex- and Age-Adjusted Population Analysis of Prevalence Estimates for Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the United States.

PubMed

Garg, Amit; Kirby, Joslyn S; Lavian, Jonathan; Lin, Gloria; Strunk, Andrew

2017-08-01

The true prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is unknown. To establish standardized overall and group-specific prevalence estimates for HS in the United States. This retrospective analysis included a demographically heterogeneous population-based sample of more than 48 million unique patients across all US census regions. As of October 27, 2016, a total of 47 690 patients with HS were identified using electronic health record data. Standardized overall point prevalence for HS and sex-, age-, and race-specific prevalence estimates of HS in the general US population. Of the 47 690 patients with HS (26.2% men and 73.8% women), the overall HS prevalence in the US population sample was 0.10%, or 98 per 100 000 persons (95% CI, 97-99 per 100 000 persons). The adjusted prevalence in women was 137 per 100 000 (95% CI, 136-139 per 100 000), more than twice that of men (58 per 100 000; 95% CI, 57-59 per 100 000; P < .001). The prevalence of HS was highest among patients aged 30 to 39 years (172 per 100 000; 95% CI, 169-275 per 100 000) compared with all other age groups (range, 15-150 per 100 000; P < .001). Adjusted HS prevalences among African American (296 per 100 000; 95% CI, 291-300 per 100 000) and biracial (218 per 100 000; 95% CI, 202-235 per 100 000) patients were more than 3-fold and 2-fold greater, respectively, than that among white patients (95 per 100 000; 95% CI, 94-96 per 100 000; P < .001). Hidradenitis suppurativa is an uncommon, but not rare, disease in the United States that disproportionately affects female patients, young adults, and African American and biracial patients.

7 CFR 1580.303 - Adjustment assistance payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Adjustment assistance payments. 1580.303 Section 1580.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS § 1580.303 Adjustment assistance payments...

7 CFR 1580.303 - Adjustment assistance payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Adjustment assistance payments. 1580.303 Section 1580.303 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS § 1580.303 Adjustment assistance payments...

Adjusted Hospital Outcomes of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery Reported in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit.

PubMed

Lijftogt, N; Vahl, A C; Wilschut, E D; Elsman, B H P; Amodio, S; van Zwet, E W; Leijdekkers, V J; Wouters, M W J M; Hamming, J F

2017-04-01

The Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) is mandatory for all patients with primary abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in the Netherlands. The aims are to present the observed outcomes of AAA surgery against the predicted outcomes by means of V-POSSUM (Vascular-Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and Morbidity). Adjusted mortality was calculated by the original and re-estimated V(physiology)-POSSUM for hospital comparisons. All patients operated on from January 2013 to December 2014 were included for analysis. Calibration and discrimination of V-POSSUM and V(p)-POSSUM was analysed. Mortality was benchmarked by means of the original V(p)-POSSUM formula and risk-adjusted by the re-estimated V(p)-POSSUM on the DSAA. In total, 5898 patients were included for analysis: 4579 with elective AAA (EAAA) and 1319 with acute abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAA), acute symptomatic (SAAA; n = 371) or ruptured (RAAA; n = 948). The percentage of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) varied between hospitals but showed no relation to hospital volume (EAAA: p = .12; AAAA: p = .07). EAAA, SAAA, and RAAA mortality was, respectively, 1.9%, 7.5%, and 28.7%. Elective mortality was 0.9% after EVAR and 5.0% after open surgical repair versus 15.6% and 27.4%, respectively, after AAAA. V-POSSUM overestimated mortality in most EAAA risk groups (p < .01). The discriminative ability of V-POSSUM in EAAA was moderate (C-statistic: .719) and poor for V(p)-POSSUM (C-statistic: .665). V-POSSUM in AAAA repair overestimated in high risk groups, and underestimated in low risk groups (p < .01). The discriminative ability in AAAA of V-POSSUM was moderate (.713) and of V(p)-POSSUM poor (.688). Risk adjustment by the re-estimated V(p)-POSSUM did not have any effect on hospital variation in EAAA but did in AAAA. Mortality in the DSAA was in line with the literature but is not discriminative for hospital comparisons in EAAA. Adjusting for V(p)-POSSUM, revealed no

Concurrent validity of the College Adjustment scales using comparison with the MMPI College Maladjustment Scale.

PubMed

Campbell, Michael H; Palmieri, Michael; Lasch, Brandi

2006-12-01

The concurrent validity of the College Adjustment Scales was assessed using comparison to the College Maladjustment Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory-2. Undergraduate students (N=56, 40 women, M age = 21.3 yr., 87.5% white, non-Hispanic) completed both tests. Analysis indicated scores on 8 of 9 College Adjustment Scales correlated significantly in the predicted direction with those on the College Maladjustment Scale, thereby providing some additional support for convergent validity. While the conclusions are limited significantly by the small sample, this report provides an incremental contribution to the validity of the College Adjustment Scales.

Aerobic composting of distilled grain waste eluted from a Chinese spirit-making process: The effects of initial pH adjustment.

PubMed

Wang, Shi-Peng; Zhong, Xiao-Zhong; Wang, Ting-Ting; Sun, Zhao-Yong; Tang, Yue-Qin; Kida, Kenji

2017-12-01

Aerobic composting of distilled grain waste (DGW) at different initial pH values adjusted by CaO addition was investigated. Three pH-adjusted treatments with initial pH values of 4 (R1), 5 (R2) and 6 (R3) and a control treatment (R0) with a pH value of 3.5 were conducted simultaneously. The results showed that R0 had an unsuccessful start-up of composting. However, the pH-adjusted treatments produced remarkable results, with a relatively high initial pH being beneficial for the start-up. Within 65days of composting, the degradation of volatile solids (VS) and the physicochemical properties of R2 and R3 displayed similar tendencies, and both produced a mature end-product, while R1 exhibited a lower VS degradation rate, and some of its physicochemical properties indicated the end-product was immature. Quantitative PCR analysis of ammonia oxidizers indicated that the occurrence of nitrification during the composting of DGW could be attributed to the activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Money illusion among health care providers: should we adjust for inflation in analyses of provider behavior?

PubMed

Mayer, M L; Rozier, R G

2000-08-01

This analysis questions the appropriateness of inflation adjustment in analyses of provider behavior by comparing results from estimations using adjusted financial variables with those from estimations using unadjusted financial variables. Using Medicaid claims from 1984-1991, we explored the effects of Medicaid reimbursement increases on dentists' participation. Using results from inflation adjusted analyses, we would conclude that a 23% nominal increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates yields no increase in the number of Medicaid children seen by dentists. In contrast, estimations based on unadjusted reimbursement rates suggest that this same 23% nominal increase in reimbursement leads to an expected 16-person (15.4%) increase in the number of Medicaid patients seen per provider per year. These analyses demonstrate that results are sensitive to adjustment for inflation. While adjusting for inflation is a generally accepted practice in health services research, doing so without evidence that providers respond to adjusted reimbursement may be unjustified. More research is needed to determine the appropriateness of inflation adjustment in analyses of provider behavior, and the circumstances under which it should or should not be done.

76 FR 74625 - Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-01

...-2011] RIN 1125-AA69 Civil Monetary Penalties Inflation Adjustment AGENCIES: U.S. Customs and Border... adjust for inflation certain civil monetary penalties assessed under the Immigration and Nationality Act... assessed under the INA. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Adjustment Act...

Assessing risk-adjustment approaches under non-random selection.

PubMed

Luft, Harold S; Dudley, R Adams

2004-01-01

Various approaches have been proposed to adjust for differences in enrollee risk in health plans. Because risk-selection strategies may have different effects on enrollment, we simulated three types of selection--dumping, skimming, and stinting. Concurrent diagnosis-based risk adjustment, and a hybrid using concurrent adjustment for about 8% of the cases and prospective adjustment for the rest, perform markedly better than prospective or demographic adjustments, both in terms of R2 and the extent to which plans experience unwarranted gains or losses. The simulation approach offers a valuable tool for analysts in assessing various risk-adjustment strategies under different selection situations.

Testing an Attachment Model of Latina/o College Students' Psychological Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garriott, Patton O.; Love, Keisha M.; Tyler, Kenneth M.; Thomas, Deneia M.; Roan-Belle, Clarissa R.; Brown, Carrie L.

2010-01-01

The present study examined the influence of attachment relationships on the psychological adjustment of Latina/o university students (N = 80) attending predominantly White institutions of higher education. A path analysis conducted to test a hypothesized model of parent and peer attachment, self-esteem, and psychological distress indicated that…

A Future-Oriented Retirement Transition Adjustment Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesketh, Beryl; Griffin, Barbara; Loh, Vanessa

2011-01-01

This theoretical paper presents a person-environment fit framework that extends the Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment to retirement transition and adjustment. The proposed Retirement Transition and Adjustment Framework (RTAF) also accommodates dynamic intra-individual and environment change over time, configural combinations of variables, and an…

20 CFR 209.9 - Employers' adjustment reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... RAILROAD EMPLOYERS' REPORTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES § 209.9 Employers' adjustment reports. (a) The Board may request employers to submit adjustments to correct employee accounts when: (1) Errors are detected in... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Employers' adjustment reports. 209.9 Section...

Is the distinction between adjustment disorder with depressed mood and adjustment disorder with mixed anxious and depressed mood valid?

PubMed

Zimmerman, Mark; Martinez, Jennifer H; Dalrymple, Kristy; Martinez, Jennifer H; Chelminski, Iwona; Young, Diane

2013-11-01

In the DSM-IV, adjustment disorder is subtyped according to the predominant presenting feature. The different diagnostic code numbers assigned to each subtype suggest their significance in DSM-IV. However, little research has examined the validity of these subtypes. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we compared the demographic and clinical profiles of patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder subtypes to determine whether there was enough empirical evidence supporting the retention of multiple adjustment disorder subtypes in future versions of the DSM. A total of 3,400 psychiatric patients presenting to the Rhode Island Hospital outpatient practice were evaluated with semistructured diagnostic interviews for DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II disorders and measures of psychosocial morbidity. Approximately 7% (224 of 3,400) of patients were diagnosed with current adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder with depressed mood and with mixed anxious and depressed mood were the most common subtypes, accounting for 80% of the patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder. There was no significant difference between these 2 groups with regard to demographic variables, current comorbid Axis I or Axis II disorders, lifetime history of major depressive disorder or anxiety disorders, psychosocial morbidity, or family history of psychiatric disorders. The only difference between the groups was lifetime history of drug use, which was significantly higher in the patients diagnosed with adjustment disorder with depressed mood. There is no evidence supporting the retention of both of these adjustment disorder subtypes, and DSM-IV previously set a precedent for eliminating adjustment disorder subtypes in the absence of any data. Therefore, in the spirit of nosologic parsimony, consideration should be given to collapsing the 2 disorders into 1: adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

Weight-adjusted lean body mass and calf circumference are protective against obesity-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities.

PubMed

Takamura, Toshinari; Kita, Yuki; Nakagen, Masatoshi; Sakurai, Masaru; Isobe, Yuki; Takeshita, Yumie; Kawai, Kohzo; Urabe, Takeshi; Kaneko, Shuichi

2017-07-01

To test the hypothesis that preserved muscle mass is protective against obesity-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities, we analyzed the relationship of lean body mass and computed tomography-assessed sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles with insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities in a healthy cohort. A total of 195 subjects without diabetes who had completed a medical examination were included in this study. Various anthropometric indices such as circumferences of the arm, waist, hip, thigh, and calf were measured. Body composition (fat and lean body mass) was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles (iliopsoas, erector spinae, gluteus, femoris, and rectus abdominis muscles) were measured using computed tomography. Fat and lean body mass were significantly correlated with metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance indices. When adjusted by weight, relationships of fat and lean body mass with metabolic parameters were mirror images of each other. The weight-adjusted lean body mass negatively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures; fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, alanine aminotransferase, and triglyceride, and insulin levels; and hepatic insulin resistance indices, and positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol levels and muscle insulin sensitivity indices. Compared with weight-adjusted lean body mass, weight-adjusted sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles showed similar, but not as strong, correlations with metabolic parameters. Among anthropometric measures, the calf circumference best reflected lean body mass, and weight-adjusted calf circumference negatively correlated with metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance indices. Weight-adjusted lean body mass and skeletal muscle area are protective against weight-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities. The calf circumference reflects lean body mass and may be useful as a protective

24 CFR 401.412 - Adjustment of rents based on operating cost adjustment factor (OCAF) or budget.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... HOUSING ASSISTANCE RESTRUCTURING, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MULTIFAMILY HOUSING MORTGAGE AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.412 Adjustment of rents based on operating cost adjustment factor (OCAF) or budget. (a) OCAF. (1) The Restructuring...

26 CFR 1.1502-32 - Investment adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 12 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Investment adjustments. 1.1502-32 Section 1.1502-32 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX... Investment adjustments. (a) In general—(1) Purpose. This section provides rules for adjusting the basis of...

42 CFR 413.235 - Patient-level adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Patient-level adjustments. 413.235 Section 413.235 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICARE... Disease (ESRD) Services and Organ Procurement Costs § 413.235 Patient-level adjustments. Adjustments to...

Kinematic synthesis of adjustable robotic mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuenchom, Thatchai

1993-01-01

Conventional hard automation, such as a linkage-based or a cam-driven system, provides high speed capability and repeatability but not the flexibility required in many industrial applications. The conventional mechanisms, that are typically single-degree-of-freedom systems, are being increasingly replaced by multi-degree-of-freedom multi-actuators driven by logic controllers. Although this new trend in sophistication provides greatly enhanced flexibility, there are many instances where the flexibility needs are exaggerated and the associated complexity is unnecessary. Traditional mechanism-based hard automation, on the other hand, neither can fulfill multi-task requirements nor are cost-effective mainly due to lack of methods and tools to design-in flexibility. This dissertation attempts to bridge this technological gap by developing Adjustable Robotic Mechanisms (ARM's) or 'programmable mechanisms' as a middle ground between high speed hard automation and expensive serial jointed-arm robots. This research introduces the concept of adjustable robotic mechanisms towards cost-effective manufacturing automation. A generalized analytical synthesis technique has been developed to support the computational design of ARM's that lays the theoretical foundation for synthesis of adjustable mechanisms. The synthesis method developed in this dissertation, called generalized adjustable dyad and triad synthesis, advances the well-known Burmester theory in kinematics to a new level. While this method provides planar solutions, a novel patented scheme is utilized for converting prescribed three-dimensional motion specifications into sets of planar projections. This provides an analytical and a computational tool for designing adjustable mechanisms that satisfy multiple sets of three-dimensional motion specifications. Several design issues were addressed, including adjustable parameter identification, branching defect, and mechanical errors. An efficient mathematical scheme for

Bicycle helmet size, adjustment, and stability.

PubMed

Thai, Kim T; McIntosh, Andrew S; Pang, Toh Yen

2015-01-01

One of the main requirements of a protective bicycle helmet is to provide and maintain adequate coverage to the head. A poorly fitting or fastened helmet may be displaced during normal use or even ejected during a crash. The aims of the current study were to identify factors that influence the size of helmet worn, identify factors that influence helmet position and adjustment, and examine the effects of helmet size worn and adjustment on helmet stability. Recreational and commuter cyclists in Sydney were surveyed to determine how helmet size and/or adjustment affected helmet stability in the real world. Anthropometric characteristics of the head were measured and, to assess helmet stability, a test analogous to the requirements of the Australian bicycle helmet standard was undertaken. Two hundred sixty-seven cyclists were recruited across all age groups and 91% wore an AS/NZS 2063-compliant helmet. The main ethnic group was Europeans (71%) followed by Asians (18%). The circumferences of the cyclists' heads matched well the circumference of the relevant ISO headform for the chosen helmet size, but the head shapes differed with respect to ISO headforms. Age and gender were associated with wearing an incorrectly sized helmet and helmet adjustment. Older males (>55 years) were most likely to wear an incorrectly sized helmet. Adult males in the 35-54 year age group were most likely to wear a correctly adjusted helmet. Using quasistatic helmet stability tests, it was found that the correctness of adjustment, rather than size, head dimensions, or shape, significantly affected helmet stability in all test directions. Bicycle helmets worn by recreational and commuter cyclists are often the wrong size and are often worn and adjusted incorrectly, especially in children and young people. Cyclists need to be encouraged to adjust their helmets correctly. Current headforms used in standards testing may not be representative of cyclists' head shapes. This may create challenges to

Automatic dynamic range adjustment for ultrasound B-mode imaging.

PubMed

Lee, Yeonhwa; Kang, Jinbum; Yoo, Yangmo

2015-02-01

In medical ultrasound imaging, dynamic range (DR) is defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the displayed signal to display and it is one of the most essential parameters that determine its image quality. Typically, DR is given with a fixed value and adjusted manually by operators, which leads to low clinical productivity and high user dependency. Furthermore, in 3D ultrasound imaging, DR values are unable to be adjusted during 3D data acquisition. A histogram matching method, which equalizes the histogram of an input image based on that from a reference image, can be applied to determine the DR value. However, it could be lead to an over contrasted image. In this paper, a new Automatic Dynamic Range Adjustment (ADRA) method is presented that adaptively adjusts the DR value by manipulating input images similar to a reference image. The proposed ADRA method uses the distance ratio between the log average and each extreme value of a reference image. To evaluate the performance of the ADRA method, the similarity between the reference and input images was measured by computing a correlation coefficient (CC). In in vivo experiments, the CC values were increased by applying the ADRA method from 0.6872 to 0.9870 and from 0.9274 to 0.9939 for kidney and liver data, respectively, compared to the fixed DR case. In addition, the proposed ADRA method showed to outperform the histogram matching method with in vivo liver and kidney data. When using 3D abdominal data with 70 frames, while the CC value from the ADRA method is slightly increased (i.e., 0.6%), the proposed method showed improved image quality in the c-plane compared to its fixed counterpart, which suffered from a shadow artifact. These results indicate that the proposed method can enhance image quality in 2D and 3D ultrasound B-mode imaging by improving the similarity between the reference and input images while eliminating unnecessary manual interaction by the user. Copyright © 2014

School-related adjustment in children and adolescents with CHD.

PubMed

Im, Yu-Mi; Lee, Sunhee; Yun, Tae-Jin; Choi, Jae Young

2017-09-01

Advancements in medical and surgical treatment have increased the life expectancy of patients with CHD. Many patients with CHD, however, struggle with the medical, psychosocial, and behavioural challenges as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Specifically, the environmental and lifestyle challenges in school are very important factors that affect children and adolescents with CHD. This study aimed to evaluate school-related adjustments depending on school level and disclosure of disease in children and adolescents with CHD. This was a descriptive and exploratory study with 205 children and adolescents, aged 7-18 years, who were recruited from two congenital heart clinics from 5 January to 27 February, 2015. Data were analysed using the Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and a univariate general linear model. School-related adjustment scores were significantly different according to school level and disclosure of disease (p<0.001) when age, religion, experience being bullied, and parents' educational levels were assigned as covariates. The school-related adjustment score of patients who did not disclose their disease dropped significantly in high school. This indicated that it is important for healthcare providers to plan developmentally appropriate educational transition programmes for middle-school students with CHD in order for students to prepare themselves before entering high school.

Health-based risk adjustment: is inpatient and outpatient diagnostic information sufficient?

PubMed

Lamers, L M

Adequate risk adjustment is critical to the success of market-oriented health care reforms in many countries. Currently used risk adjusters based on demographic and diagnostic cost groups (DCGs) do not reflect expected costs accurately. This study examines the simultaneous predictive accuracy of inpatient and outpatient morbidity measures and prior costs. DCGs, pharmacy cost groups (PCGs), and prior year's costs improve the predictive accuracy of the demographic model substantially. DCGs and PCGs seem complementary in their ability to predict future costs. However, this study shows that the combination of DCGs and PCGs still leaves room for cream skimming.

Theory of Work Adjustment Personality Constructs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Loralie

1993-01-01

To measure Theory of Work Adjustment personality and adjustment style dimensions, content-based scales were analyzed for homogeneity and successively reanalyzed for reliability improvement. Three sound scales were developed: inflexibility, activeness, and reactiveness. (SK)

External adjustment sensitivity analysis for unmeasured confounding: an application to coronary stent outcomes, Pennsylvania 2004-2008.

PubMed

Huesch, Marco D

2013-06-01

Assessing the real-world comparative effectiveness of common interventions is challenged by unmeasured confounding. To determine whether the mortality benefit shown for drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stents (BMS) in observational studies persists after controls for/tests for confounding. Retrospective observational study involving 38,019 patients, 65 years or older admitted for an index percutaneous coronary intervention receiving DES or BMS in Pennsylvania in 2004-2005 followed up for death through 3 years. Analysis was at the patient level. Mortality was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards models allowing for stratification by disease severity or DES use propensity, accounting for clustering of patients. Instrumental variables analysis used lagged physician stent usage to proxy for the focal stent type decision. A method originating in work by Cornfield and others in 1954 and popularized by Greenland in 1996 was used to assess robustness to confounding. DES was associated with a significantly lower adjusted risk of death at 3 years in Cox and in instrumented analyses. An implausibly strong hypothetical unobserved confounder would be required to fully explain these results. Confounding by indication can bias observational studies. No strong evidence of such selection biases was found in the reduced risk of death among elderly patients receiving DES instead of BMS in a Pennsylvanian state-wide population. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

A new method for the adjustment of neochordal length: the adjustable slip knot technique.

PubMed

Yano, Mitsuhiro; Sakaguchi, Syuuhei; Furukawa, Kohji; Nakamura, Eisaku

2015-08-01

The use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sutures for the correction of mitral valve prolapse has become a standardized procedure. Adjustment of neochordal length is crucial to the efficacy of this technique. Various methods have been described for this purpose; however, the fine adjustment of neochordal length is technically challenging. We describe a simple and effective technique for the implantation of neochordae, which we have termed the 'adjustable slip knot technique'. The first step of this technique is reinforcement of the papillary muscle by a Teflon pledget with or without polytetrafluoroethylene (CV-4) loops. The second step is the formation of a neochordal loop by introducing an ePTFE suture between the affected mitral leaflet and the papillary muscle or ePTFE loops. The third step is the adjustment of the length of neochordae. The formation of a slip knot in one arm of the ePTFE suture is the pivot of this technique. The neochordal loop can be constricted by the application of tension to one arm of the suture. We applied this technique in 5 patients with satisfactory results. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Response Monitoring and Adjustment: Differential Relations with Psychopathic Traits

PubMed Central

Bresin, Konrad; Finy, M. Sima; Sprague, Jenessa; Verona, Edelyn

2014-01-01

Studies on the relation between psychopathy and cognitive functioning often show mixed results, partially because different factors of psychopathy have not been considered fully. Based on previous research, we predicted divergent results based on a two-factor model of psychopathy (interpersonal-affective traits and impulsive-antisocial traits). Specifically, we predicted that the unique variance of interpersonal-affective traits would be related to increased monitoring (i.e., error-related negativity) and adjusting to errors (i.e., post-error slowing), whereas impulsive-antisocial traits would be related to reductions in these processes. Three studies using a diverse selection of assessment tools, samples, and methods are presented to identify response monitoring correlates of the two main factors of psychopathy. In Studies 1 (undergraduates), 2 (adolescents), and 3 (offenders), interpersonal-affective traits were related to increased adjustment following errors and, in Study 3, to enhanced monitoring of errors. Impulsive-antisocial traits were not consistently related to error adjustment across the studies, although these traits were related to a deficient monitoring of errors in Study 3. The results may help explain previous mixed findings and advance implications for etiological models of psychopathy. PMID:24933282

Self-adjusting threshold mechanism for pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heim, Timon; Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice

2017-09-01

Readout chips of hybrid pixel detectors use a low power amplifier and threshold discrimination to process charge deposited in semiconductor sensors. Due to transistor mismatch each pixel circuit needs to be calibrated individually to achieve response uniformity. Traditionally this is addressed by programmable threshold trimming in each pixel, but requires robustness against radiation effects, temperature, and time. In this paper a self-adjusting threshold mechanism is presented, which corrects the threshold for both spatial inequality and time variation and maintains a constant response. It exploits the electrical noise as relative measure for the threshold and automatically adjust the threshold of each pixel to always achieve a uniform frequency of noise hits. A digital implementation of the method in the form of an up/down counter and combinatorial logic filter is presented. The behavior of this circuit has been simulated to evaluate its performance and compare it to traditional calibration results. The simulation results show that this mechanism can perform equally well, but eliminates instability over time and is immune to single event upsets.

48 CFR 652.216-71 - Price Adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Price Adjustment. 652.216... SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 652.216-71 Price Adjustment. As prescribed in 616.203-4, insert a clause substantially the same as follows: Price Adjustment (AUG 1999) (a...

Adjustment to College in Students with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabiner, David L.; Anastopoulos, Arthur D.; Costello, Jane; Hoyle, Rick H.; Swartzwelder, H. Scott

2008-01-01

Objective: To examine college adjustment in students reporting an ADHD diagnosis and the effect of medication treatment on students' adjustment. Method: 1,648 first-semester freshmen attending a public and a private university completed a Web-based survey to examine their adjustment to college. Results: Compared with 200 randomly selected control…

42 CFR 412.352 - Budget neutrality adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Budget neutrality adjustment. 412.352 Section 412.352 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... § 412.352 Budget neutrality adjustment. For FY 1992 through FY 1995, CMS will determine an adjustment to...

Marital Adjustment in Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Historical Review and Meta- Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risdal, Don; Singer, George H. S.

2004-01-01

This report uses meta-analytic methods to reexamine a body of research literature on comparative levels of divorce and marital satisfaction/discord in parents of children with and without developmental disabilities in light of new assumptions about variability in family adjustment, including successful family adaptation and longterm resilience. A…

Community Involvement and Victimization at School: An Analysis through Family, Personal and Social Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Teresa Isabel; Musitu, Gonzalo; Ramos, Manuel Jesus; Murgui, Sergio

2009-01-01

The present study analyzes the impact of adolescents' community involvement on victimization by peers at school through various indicators of family, personal and social adjustment (openness of communication with mother and father, life satisfaction, social self-esteem, and loneliness). Participating in the project were 565 adolescents aged 11 to…

Processes Underlying Children's Adjustment in Families Characterized by Physical Aggression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyskiw, Judee; Hayduk, Leslie A.

2001-01-01

The hypothesis that physical aggression in the family affects children's adjustment through both observational learning/modeling and through its impact on parenting was tested, via LISREL, using data from a sample of Canadian children (N=11,221). Results showed observational learning and disrupted parenting provide reasonable explanations of…

Pain Catastrophizing, Pain Intensity, and Dyadic Adjustment Influence Patient and Partner Depression in Metastatic Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Badr, Hoda; Shen, Megan J.

2015-01-01

Objective Metastatic breast cancer can be challenging for couples given the significant pain and distress caused by the disease and its treatment. While the use of catastrophizing (e.g., ruminating, exaggerating) as a pain coping strategy has been associated with depression in breast cancer patients, little is known about the effects of pain intensity on this association. Moreover, even though social relationships are a fundamental resource for couples coping with cancer, no studies have examined whether the quality of the spousal relationship affects the association between catastrophizing and depression. This study prospectively examined these associations. Methods Couples (N=191) completed surveys at the start of treatment for metastatic breast cancer (baseline), and 3 and 6 months later. Results Multilevel models using the couple as the unit of analysis showed patients and partners (i.e., spouses or significant others) who had high levels (+1SD) of dyadic adjustment (DAS7) experienced fewer depressive symptoms than those who had low levels (−1SD) of dyadic adjustment (ps<.01). Moreover, at low levels of dyadic adjustment, when patients engaged in high levels of catastrophizing and had high levels of pain, both patients and their partners reported significantly (p=.002) higher levels of depression than when patients engaged in high levels of catastrophizing but had low levels of pain. Discussion Findings showed that catastrophizing and pain exacerbate depression in couples experiencing marital distress. Programs that seek to alleviate pain and depressive symptoms in metastatic breast cancer may benefit from targeting both members of the couple, screening for marital distress, and teaching more adaptive pain coping strategies. PMID:24402001

Acculturation and adjustment among immigrant Chinese parents: mediating role of parenting efficacy.

PubMed

Costigan, Catherine L; Koryzma, Céline M

2011-04-01

This study examined parenting efficacy beliefs as a mediator of the association between acculturation and adjustment. The sample consisted of 177 immigrant Chinese mothers and fathers with early adolescent children in Canada. Acculturation was assessed bidimensionally as Canadian and Chinese orientations. A latent psychological adjustment variable was composed of symptoms of depression, feelings of self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results showed that relations between Canadian orientation and psychological adjustment were partially mediated by parenting efficacy. As expected, the more parents were oriented toward Canadian culture, the more efficacious they felt in their parenting, which in turn was associated with better psychological adjustment. In contrast, mediation of relations between Chinese orientation and psychological adjustment was not supported, as Chinese orientation was not associated with parenting efficacy and was positively associated with psychological adjustment for mothers only. Similar results were found when the meditational model was extended to evaluate parenting practices as an outcome (i.e., warmth, reasoning, and monitoring). That is, parenting efficacy mediated the relation between higher Canadian orientation and more positive parenting practices, whereas Chinese orientation was unrelated to parenting practices. Invariance testing suggested that the models were similar for mothers and fathers. Results support the theory that higher orientation to Canadian culture may advance feelings of parenting efficacy because parents have the cultural knowledge and skills to feel confident parenting in a new intercultural context. Further, they support the expectation that parenting efficacy beliefs, in turn, are important determinants of psychological adjustment and effective parenting for immigrant parents. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Role of Osmotic Adjustment in Plant Productivity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gebre, G.M.

2001-01-11

Successful implementation of short rotation woody crops requires that the selected species and clones be productive, drought tolerant, and pest resistant. Since water is one of the major limiting factors in poplar (Populus sp.) growth, there is little debate for the need of drought tolerant clones, except on the wettest of sites (e.g., lower Columbia River delta). Whether drought tolerance is compatible with productivity remains a debatable issue. Among the many mechanisms of drought tolerance, dehydration postponement involves the maintenance of high leaf water potential due to, for example, an adequate root system. This trait is compatible with productivity, butmore » requires available soil moisture. When the plant leaf water potential and soil water content decline, the plant must be able to survive drought through dehydration tolerance mechanisms, such as low osmotic potential or osmotic adjustment. Osmotic adjustment and low osmotic potential are considered compatible with growth and yield because they aid in the maintenance of leaf turgor. However, it has been shown that turgor alone does not regulate cell expansion or stomatal conductance and, therefore, the role of osmotic adjustment is debated. Despite this finding, osmotic adjustment has been correlated with grain yield in agronomic crop species, and gene markers responsible for osmotic adjustment are being investigated to improve drought tolerance in productive progenies. Although osmotic adjustment and low osmotic potentials have been investigated in several forest tree species, few studies have investigated the relationship between osmotic adjustment and growth. Most of these studies have been limited to greenhouse or container-grown plants. Osmotic adjustment and rapid growth have been specifically associated in Populus and black spruce (Picea mariuna (Mill.) B.S.P.) progenies. We tested whether these relationships held under field conditions using several poplar clones. In a study of two hybrid

Surgical treatment of pectoralis major muscle rupture with adjustable cortical button.

PubMed

Pochini, Alberto de Castro; Rodrigues, Marcus de Souza Barbosa; Yamashita, Larissa; Belangero, Paulo Santoro; Andreoli, Carlos Vicente; Ejnisman, Benno

2018-01-01

To assess the tendon reconstruction technique for total rupture of the pectoralis major muscle using an adjustable cortical button. Prospective study of 27 male patients with a mean age of 29.9 (SD = 5.3 years) and follow-up of 2.3 years. The procedure consisted of autologous grafts taken from the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons and an adjustable cortical button. Patients were evaluated functionally by the Bak criteria. The surgical treatment of pectoralis major muscle tendon reconstruction was performed in the early stages (three weeks) in six patients (22.2%) and in 21 patients (77.8%), in the late stages. Patients operated with the adjustable cortical button technique obtained 96.3% excellent or good results, with only 3.7% having poor results (Bak criteria). Of the total, 85.2% were injured while performing bench press exercises and 14.8%, during the practice of Brazilian jiu-jitsu or wrestling. All weight-lifting athletes had history of anabolic steroid use. The early or delayed reconstruction of ruptured pectoralis major muscle tendons with considerable muscle retraction, using an adjustable cortical button and autologous knee flexor grafts, showed a high rate of good results.

Dynamic adjustments of cognitive control: oscillatory correlates of the conflict adaptation effect.

PubMed

Pastötter, Bernhard; Dreisbach, Gesine; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

2013-12-01

It is a prominent idea that cognitive control mediates conflict adaptation, in that response conflict in a previous trial triggers control adjustments that reduce conflict in a current trial. In the present EEG study, we investigated the dynamics of cognitive control in a response-priming task by examining the effects of previous trial conflict on intertrial and current trial oscillatory brain activities, both on the electrode and the source level. Behavioral results showed conflict adaptation effects for RTs and response accuracy. Physiological results showed sustained intertrial effects in left parietal theta power, originating in the left inferior parietal cortex, and midcentral beta power, originating in the left and right (pre)motor cortex. Moreover, physiological analysis revealed a current trial conflict adaptation effect in midfrontal theta power, originating in the ACC. Correlational analyses showed that intertrial effects predicted conflict-induced midfrontal theta power in currently incongruent trials. In addition, conflict adaptation effects in midfrontal theta power and RTs were positively related. Together, these findings point to a dynamic cognitive control system that, as a function of previous trial type, up- and down-regulates attention and preparatory motor activities in anticipation of the next trial.

15 CFR 6.3 - Limitation on First Adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Limitation on First Adjustments. 6.3 Section 6.3 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce CIVIL MONETARY PENALTY INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS § 6.3 Limitation on First Adjustments. Each of the First Adjustments may not exceed...

15 CFR 6.5 - Effective date of adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Section 6.5 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce CIVIL MONETARY PENALTY INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS § 6.5 Effective date of adjustments. The adjustments made by § 6.4 of this part, of... December 11, 2008, and before the effective date of any future inflation adjustment thereto made subsequent...

15 CFR 6.5 - Effective date of adjustments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Section 6.5 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce CIVIL MONETARY PENALTY INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS § 6.5 Effective date of adjustments. The adjustments made by § 6.4 of this part, of... December 7, 2012, and before the effective date of any future inflation adjustment thereto made subsequent...

27 CFR 25.284 - Adjustment of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Adjustment of tax. 25.284 Section 25.284 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Refund or Adjustment of Tax or Relief From Liability § 25.284 Adjustment...

48 CFR 252.247-7001 - Price adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Price adjustment. 252.247... Clauses 252.247-7001 Price adjustment. As prescribed in 247.270-4(b), use the following clause: Price Adjustment (JAN 1997) (a) The Contractor warrants that the prices set forth in this contract— (1) Are based...

Family Adjustment, Parental Attitudes, and Social Desirability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Elizabeth A.; Anderson, Linda L.

The relationship between the degree of marital adjustment and the emotional adjustment of the children within the family is widely accepted as is the corollary belief that the marital relationship determines the child's adjustment. A sample of 69 married couples with children was used to examine the interrelationships among several measures of…

42 CFR 413.232 - Low-volume adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Low-volume adjustment. 413.232 Section 413.232... Disease (ESRD) Services and Organ Procurement Costs § 413.232 Low-volume adjustment. (a) CMS adjusts the base rate for low-volume ESRD facilities, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. (b) Definition...

42 CFR 413.232 - Low-volume adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Low-volume adjustment. 413.232 Section 413.232... Disease (ESRD) Services and Organ Procurement Costs § 413.232 Low-volume adjustment. (a) CMS adjusts the base rate for low-volume ESRD facilities, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. (b) Definition...

The Role of Dyadic Coping on the Marital and Emotional Adjustment of Couples With Infertility.

PubMed

Chaves, Catarina; Canavarro, Maria Cristina; Moura-Ramos, Mariana

2018-04-30

Infertility is a challenging experience, affecting individual and couples' adjustment. However, the way the members of the couple support each other may affect the experience of infertility and their adjustment. This study aimed to investigate the role of dyadic coping by oneself and by the partner in the association between the impact of infertility and dyadic and emotional adjustment (anxiety and depression) to infertility. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 134 participants (67 couples with infertility) completed self-report questionnaires assessing infertility-related stress, dyadic coping, dyadic adjustment, and depression and anxiety symptoms. A path analysis examined the direct and indirect effects between the impact of infertility in one's life and dyadic and emotional adjustment. There is an indirect effect of the impact of infertility in one's life on dyadic adjustment through men's perceived dyadic coping efforts employed by the self (dyadic coping by oneself) and women's perceived dyadic coping efforts of the partner (dyadic coping by the partner). Regarding the emotional adjustment of infertile couples, infertility stress impact had an indirect effect only on depressive symptoms through men's dyadic coping by oneself. The results highlight the importance of men's dyadic coping strategies for the marital adjustment of couples as well as for men's emotional adjustment. Findings emphasize the importance of involving men in the fertility treatment process, reinforcing the dyadic nature of infertility processes. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

Adjusting Satellite Rainfall Error in Mountainous Areas for Flood Modeling Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Anagnostou, E. N.; Astitha, M.; Vergara, H. J.; Gourley, J. J.; Hong, Y.

2014-12-01

This study aims to investigate the use of high-resolution Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) for evaluating biases of satellite rainfall estimates of flood-inducing storms in mountainous areas and associated improvements in flood modeling. Satellite-retrieved precipitation has been considered as a feasible data source for global-scale flood modeling, given that satellite has the spatial coverage advantage over in situ (rain gauges and radar) observations particularly over mountainous areas. However, orographically induced heavy precipitation events tend to be underestimated and spatially smoothed by satellite products, which error propagates non-linearly in flood simulations.We apply a recently developed retrieval error and resolution effect correction method (Zhang et al. 2013*) on the NOAA Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH) product based on NWP analysis (or forecasting in the case of real-time satellite products). The NWP rainfall is derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) set up with high spatial resolution (1-2 km) and explicit treatment of precipitation microphysics.In this study we will show results on NWP-adjusted CMORPH rain rates based on tropical cyclones and a convective precipitation event measured during NASA's IPHEX experiment in the South Appalachian region. We will use hydrologic simulations over different basins in the region to evaluate propagation of bias correction in flood simulations. We show that the adjustment reduced the underestimation of high rain rates thus moderating the strong rainfall magnitude dependence of CMORPH rainfall bias, which results in significant improvement in flood peak simulations. Further study over Blue Nile Basin (western Ethiopia) will be investigated and included in the presentation. *Zhang, X. et al. 2013: Using NWP Simulations in Satellite Rainfall Estimation of Heavy Precipitation Events over Mountainous Areas. J. Hydrometeor, 14, 1844-1858.

Risk-adjusted Outcomes of Clinically Relevant Pancreatic Fistula Following Pancreatoduodenectomy: A Model for Performance Evaluation.

PubMed

McMillan, Matthew T; Soi, Sameer; Asbun, Horacio J; Ball, Chad G; Bassi, Claudio; Beane, Joal D; Behrman, Stephen W; Berger, Adam C; Bloomston, Mark; Callery, Mark P; Christein, John D; Dixon, Elijah; Drebin, Jeffrey A; Castillo, Carlos Fernandez-Del; Fisher, William E; Fong, Zhi Ven; House, Michael G; Hughes, Steven J; Kent, Tara S; Kunstman, John W; Malleo, Giuseppe; Miller, Benjamin C; Salem, Ronald R; Soares, Kevin; Valero, Vicente; Wolfgang, Christopher L; Vollmer, Charles M

2016-08-01

To evaluate surgical performance in pancreatoduodenectomy using clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) occurrence as a quality indicator. Accurate assessment of surgeon and institutional performance requires (1) standardized definitions for the outcome of interest and (2) a comprehensive risk-adjustment process to control for differences in patient risk. This multinational, retrospective study of 4301 pancreatoduodenectomies involved 55 surgeons at 15 institutions. Risk for CR-POPF was assessed using the previously validated Fistula Risk Score, and pancreatic fistulas were stratified by International Study Group criteria. CR-POPF variability was evaluated and hierarchical regression analysis assessed individual surgeon and institutional performance. There was considerable variability in both CR-POPF risk and occurrence. Factors increasing the risk for CR-POPF development included increasing Fistula Risk Score (odds ratio 1.49 per point, P < 0.00001) and octreotide (odds ratio 3.30, P < 0.00001). When adjusting for risk, performance outliers were identified at the surgeon and institutional levels. Of the top 10 surgeons (≥15 cases) for nonrisk-adjusted performance, only 6 remained in this high-performing category following risk adjustment. This analysis of pancreatic fistulas following pancreatoduodenectomy demonstrates considerable variability in both the risk and occurrence of CR-POPF among surgeons and institutions. Disparities in patient risk between providers reinforce the need for comprehensive, risk-adjusted modeling when assessing performance based on procedure-specific complications. Furthermore, beyond inherent patient risk factors, surgical decision-making influences fistula outcomes.

37 CFR 1.705 - Patent term adjustment determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES Adjustment and Extension of Patent Term....18(e); and (2) A statement of the facts involved, specifying: (i) The correct patent term adjustment....703(a) through (e) for which an adjustment is sought and the adjustment as specified in § 1.703(f) to...

Dynamic adjustment in agricultural practices to economic incentives aiming to decrease fertilizer application.

PubMed

Sun, Shanxia; Delgado, Michael S; Sesmero, Juan P

2016-07-15

Input- and output-based economic policies designed to reduce water pollution from fertilizer runoff by adjusting management practices are theoretically justified and well-understood. Yet, in practice, adjustment in fertilizer application or land allocation may be sluggish. We provide practical guidance for policymakers regarding the relative magnitude and speed of adjustment of input- and output-based policies. Through a dynamic dual model of corn production that takes fertilizer as one of several production inputs, we measure the short- and long-term effects of policies that affect the relative prices of inputs and outputs through the short- and long-term price elasticities of fertilizer application, and also the total time required for different policies to affect fertilizer application through the adjustment rates of capital and land. These estimates allow us to compare input- and output-based policies based on their relative cost-effectiveness. Using data from Indiana and Illinois, we find that input-based policies are more cost-effective than their output-based counterparts in achieving a target reduction in fertilizer application. We show that input- and output-based policies yield adjustment in fertilizer application at the same speed, and that most of the adjustment takes place in the short-term. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of diagnosis-based risk adjustment measures in a population of sick Australians.

PubMed

Duckett, S J; Agius, P A

2002-12-01

Australia is beginning to explore 'managed competition' as an organising framework for the health care system. This requires setting fair capitation rates, i.e. rates that adjust for the risk profile of covered lives. This paper tests two US-developed risk adjustment approaches using Australian data. Data from the 'co-ordinated care' dataset (which incorporates all service costs of 16,538 participants in a large health service research project conducted in 1996-99) were grouped into homogenous risk categories using risk adjustment 'grouper software'. The grouper products yielded three sets of homogenous categories: Diagnostic Groups and Diagnostic cost Groups. A two-stage analysis of predictive power was used: probability of any service use in the concurrent year, next year and the year after (logistic regression) and, for service users, a regression of logged cost of service use. The independent variables were diagnosis gender, a SES variable and the Age, gender and diagnosis-based risk adjustment measures explain around 40-45% of variation in costs of service use in the current year for untrimmed data (compared with around 15% for age and gender alone). Prediction of subsequent use is much poorer (around 20%). Using more information to assign people to risk categories generally improves prediction. Predictive power of diagnosis-base risk adjusters on this Australian dataset is similar to that found in Low predictive power carries policy risks of cream skimming rather than managing population health and care. Competitive funding models with risk adjustment on prior year experience could reduce system efficiency if implemented with current risk adjustment technology.

In a moment of mismatch: overseas doctors' adjustments in new hospital environments.

PubMed

Harris, Anna

2011-02-01

This paper contributes to studies of healthcare worker migration and, more broadly, to the study of occupational adjustment, with an analysis of finely detailed sensorial data. It focuses upon doctors, who are increasingly on the move around the world, working in hospital environments different from those in which they have trained. A number of unexamined questions remain in relation to how medical practitioners shift their work across contexts, in particular the tactile nature of adjustment, which has been under-explored in health sociology. This paper examines a procedural skill; a skill in which tools have become almost natural extensions of the doctor's hands. It focuses upon what happens when doctors travel overseas and find unfamiliar equipment, and their habitual practice is interrupted. The paper argues that by studying overseas doctors' bodily adjustment during such moments of mismatch, we learn more about the environment of the doctors' past and present. It suggests that by looking at the rupture between habit and the unfamiliar, we also understand something about the ways in which we adjust to the unexpected. © 2011 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.