Observed Family Interactions among Subtypes of Eating Disorders Using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Laura Lynn

1989-01-01

Compared observations of family interactions among anorexic, bulimic-anorexic, bulimic, and normal families (N=74 families) consisting of father, mother, and teenage daughter. Benjamin's structural analysis of social behavior methodology differentiated clinical from normal families. Found unique patterns among subtypes of eating disorders which…

Hypnosis as an Adjunct to Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy: A Meta-Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirsch, Irving; And Others

1995-01-01

Performed a meta-analysis on 18 studies in which a cognitive-behavioral therapy was compared with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. Results indicated that hypnosis substantially enhanced treatment outcome, even though there were few procedural differences between the hypnotic and nonhypnotic treatments. Effects seemed particularly…

Primates, computation, and the path to language. Reply to comments on "Towards a Computational Comparative Neuroprimatology: Framing the language-ready brain"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbib, Michael A.

2016-03-01

The target article [6], henceforth TA, had as its main title Towards a Computational Comparative Neuroprimatology. This unpacks into three claims: Comparative Primatology: If one wishes to understand the behavior of any one primate species (whether monkey, ape or human - TA did not discuss, e.g., lemurs but that study could well be of interest), one will gain new insight by comparing behaviors across species, sharpening one's analysis of one class of behaviors by analyzing similarities and differences between two or more species.

Identifying configurations of behavior change techniques in effective medication adherence interventions: a qualitative comparative analysis.

PubMed

Kahwati, Leila; Viswanathan, Meera; Golin, Carol E; Kane, Heather; Lewis, Megan; Jacobs, Sara

2016-05-04

Interventions to improve medication adherence are diverse and complex. Consequently, synthesizing this evidence is challenging. We aimed to extend the results from an existing systematic review of interventions to improve medication adherence by using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to identify necessary or sufficient configurations of behavior change techniques among effective interventions. We used data from 60 studies in a completed systematic review to examine the combinations of nine behavior change techniques (increasing knowledge, increasing awareness, changing attitude, increasing self-efficacy, increasing intention formation, increasing action control, facilitation, increasing maintenance support, and motivational interviewing) among studies demonstrating improvements in adherence. Among the 60 studies, 34 demonstrated improved medication adherence. Among effective studies, increasing patient knowledge was a necessary but not sufficient technique. We identified seven configurations of behavior change techniques sufficient for improving adherence, which together accounted for 26 (76 %) of the effective studies. The intervention configuration that included increasing knowledge and self-efficacy was the most empirically relevant, accounting for 17 studies (50 %) and uniquely accounting for 15 (44 %). This analysis extends the completed review findings by identifying multiple combinations of behavior change techniques that improve adherence. Our findings offer direction for policy makers, practitioners, and future comparative effectiveness research on improving adherence.

A Comparative Study of Behavior Problems among Left-Behind Children, Migrant Children and Local Children.

PubMed

Hu, Hongwei; Gao, Jiamin; Jiang, Haochen; Jiang, Haixia; Guo, Shaoyun; Chen, Kun; Jin, Kaili; Qi, Yingying

2018-04-01

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of behavioral problems among left-behind children, migrant children and local children in China, and to compare the risks of behavioral problems among the three types of children. Data on 4479 children aged 6-16 used in this study were from a survey conducted in China in 2017. The school-age version of the Children Behavior Checklist was used to measure children's behavioral problems. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regressions were conducted. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 18.80% and 13.59% for left-behind children and migrant children, respectively, both of which were higher than that of local children. Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustments for individual and environmental variables, the likelihood of total, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems for left-behind children and migrant children were higher than those for local children; left-behind children had a higher likelihood of internalizing problems than externalizing problems, while migrant children had a higher prevalence of externalizing problems. Left-behind children had a higher prevalence of each specific syndrome than migrant and local children. Both individual and environmental factors were associated with child behavioral problems, and family migration may contribute to the increased risks. Left-behind and migrant children were more vulnerable than local children to behavioral problems.

A Comparative Study of Behavior Problems among Left-Behind Children, Migrant Children and Local Children

PubMed Central

Hu, Hongwei; Gao, Jiamin; Jiang, Haochen; Jiang, Haixia; Guo, Shaoyun; Chen, Kun; Jin, Kaili; Qi, Yingying

2018-01-01

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of behavioral problems among left-behind children, migrant children and local children in China, and to compare the risks of behavioral problems among the three types of children. Data on 4479 children aged 6–16 used in this study were from a survey conducted in China in 2017. The school-age version of the Children Behavior Checklist was used to measure children’s behavioral problems. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regressions were conducted. The prevalence of behavioral problems was 18.80% and 13.59% for left-behind children and migrant children, respectively, both of which were higher than that of local children. Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustments for individual and environmental variables, the likelihood of total, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems for left-behind children and migrant children were higher than those for local children; left-behind children had a higher likelihood of internalizing problems than externalizing problems, while migrant children had a higher prevalence of externalizing problems. Left-behind children had a higher prevalence of each specific syndrome than migrant and local children. Both individual and environmental factors were associated with child behavioral problems, and family migration may contribute to the increased risks. Left-behind and migrant children were more vulnerable than local children to behavioral problems. PMID:29614783

Poor peer relations predict parent- and self-reported behavioral and emotional problems of adolescents with gender dysphoria: a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis.

PubMed

de Vries, Annelou L C; Steensma, Thomas D; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; VanderLaan, Doug P; Zucker, Kenneth J

2016-06-01

This study is the third in a series to examine behavioral and emotional problems in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria in a comparative analysis between two clinics in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In the present study, we report Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) data on adolescents assessed in the Toronto clinic (n = 177) and the Amsterdam clinic (n = 139). On the CBCL and the YSR, we found that the percentage of adolescents with clinical range behavioral and emotional problems was higher when compared to the non-referred standardization samples but similar to the referred adolescents. On both the CBCL and the YSR, the Toronto adolescents had a significantly higher Total Problem score than the Amsterdam adolescents. Like our earlier studies of CBCL data of children and Teacher's Report Form data of children and adolescents, a measure of poor peer relations was the strongest predictor of CBCL and YSR behavioral and emotional problems in gender dysphoric adolescents.

Meta-Analysis of the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) to Understanding Health Behaviors.

PubMed

McEachan, Rosemary; Taylor, Natalie; Harrison, Reema; Lawton, Rebecca; Gardner, Peter; Conner, Mark

2016-08-01

Reasoned action approach (RAA) includes subcomponents of attitude (experiential/instrumental), perceived norm (injunctive/descriptive), and perceived behavioral control (capacity/autonomy) to predict intention and behavior. To provide a meta-analysis of the RAA for health behaviors focusing on comparing the pairs of RAA subcomponents and differences between health protection and health-risk behaviors. The present research reports a meta-analysis of correlational tests of RAA subcomponents, examination of moderators, and combined effects of subcomponents on intention and behavior. Regressions were used to predict intention and behavior based on data from studies measuring all variables. Capacity and experiential attitude had large, and other constructs had small-medium-sized correlations with intention; all constructs except autonomy were significant independent predictors of intention in regressions. Intention, capacity, and experiential attitude had medium-large, and other constructs had small-medium-sized correlations with behavior; intention, capacity, experiential attitude, and descriptive norm were significant independent predictors of behavior in regressions. The RAA subcomponents have utility in predicting and understanding health behaviors.

Systematic comparison of the behaviors produced by computational models of epileptic neocortex.

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

Warlaumont, A. S.; Lee, H. C.; Benayoun, M.

2010-12-01

Two existing models of brain dynamics in epilepsy, one detailed (i.e., realistic) and one abstract (i.e., simplified) are compared in terms of behavioral range and match to in vitro mouse recordings. A new method is introduced for comparing across computational models that may have very different forms. First, high-level metrics were extracted from model and in vitro output time series. A principal components analysis was then performed over these metrics to obtain a reduced set of derived features. These features define a low-dimensional behavior space in which quantitative measures of behavioral range and degree of match to real data canmore » be obtained. The detailed and abstract models and the mouse recordings overlapped considerably in behavior space. Both the range of behaviors and similarity to mouse data were similar between the detailed and abstract models. When no high-level metrics were used and principal components analysis was computed over raw time series, the models overlapped minimally with the mouse recordings. The method introduced here is suitable for comparing across different kinds of model data and across real brain recordings. It appears that, despite differences in form and computational expense, detailed and abstract models do not necessarily differ in their behaviors.« less

Agreement between Descriptive and Experimental Analyses of Behavior under Naturalistic Test Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martens, Brian K.; Gertz, Lynne E.; Werder, Candace Susan de Lacy; Rymanowski, Jennifer L.

2010-01-01

We compared the results of a contingency space analysis (CSA) of behavior-consequence recordings to the results of functional analysis (FA) test conditions involving antecedent stimuli and verbal statements that both differed from and mimicked those in the natural environment. Three preschool children with autism spectrum disorder participated.…

Pre Business College Freshman Perception of Classroom Behavior: An Analysis among and between Genders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Melody W.; Mundrake, George A.; Brown, Betty J.

2009-01-01

The focus of this study was 1) to identify pre business college freshman observed classroom behavior (personal, technical, and collaborative behaviors) in high school versus college, and to compare by gender (male to male; female to female), and 2) to identify pre business college freshman perceptions of classroom behavior in college, and to…

Normative Emotional Responses to Behavior Analysis Jargon or How Not to Use Words to Win Friends and Influence People.

PubMed

Critchfield, Thomas S; Doepke, Karla J; Kimberly Epting, L; Becirevic, Amel; Reed, Derek D; Fienup, Daniel M; Kremsreiter, Jamie L; Ecott, Cheryl L

2017-06-01

It has been suggested that non-experts regard the jargon of behavior analysis as abrasive, harsh, and unpleasant. If this is true, excessive reliance on jargon could interfere with the dissemination of effective services. To address this often discussed but rarely studied issue, we consulted a large, public domain list of English words that have been rated by members of the general public for the emotional reactions they evoke. Selected words that behavior analysts use as technical terms were compared to selected words that are commonly used to discuss general science, general clinical work, and behavioral assessment. There was a tendency for behavior analysis terms to register as more unpleasant than other kinds of professional terms and also as more unpleasant than English words generally. We suggest possible reasons for this finding, discuss its relevance to the challenge of deciding how to communicate with consumers who do not yet understand or value behavior analysis, and advocate for systematic research to guide the marketing of behavior analysis.

Comparing the Cognitive Process of Circular Causality in Two Patients with Strokes through Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Derakhshanrad, Seyed Alireza; Piven, Emily; Ghoochani, Bahareh Zeynalzadeh

2017-10-01

Walter J. Freeman pioneered the neurodynamic model of brain activity when he described the brain dynamics for cognitive information transfer as the process of circular causality at intention, meaning, and perception (IMP) levels. This view contributed substantially to establishment of the Intention, Meaning, and Perception Model of Neuro-occupation in occupational therapy. As described by the model, IMP levels are three components of the brain dynamics system, with nonlinear connections that enable cognitive function to be processed in a circular causality fashion, known as Cognitive Process of Circular Causality (CPCC). Although considerable research has been devoted to study the brain dynamics by sophisticated computerized imaging techniques, less attention has been paid to study it through investigating the adaptation process of thoughts and behaviors. To explore how CPCC manifested thinking and behavioral patterns, a qualitative case study was conducted on two matched female participants with strokes, who were of comparable ages, affected sides, and other characteristics, except for their resilience and motivational behaviors. CPCC was compared by matrix analysis between two participants, using content analysis with pre-determined categories. Different patterns of thinking and behavior may have happened, due to disparate regulation of CPCC between two participants.

Electrochemical Behavior Assessment of Micro- and Nano-Grained Commercial Pure Titanium in H2SO4 Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattah-alhosseini, Arash; Ansari, Ali Reza; Mazaheri, Yousef; Karimi, Mohsen

2017-02-01

In this study, the electrochemical behavior of commercial pure titanium with both coarse-grained (annealed sample with the average grain size of about 45 µm) and nano-grained microstructure was compared by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Mott-Schottky analysis. Nano-grained Ti, which typically has a grain size of about 90 nm, is successfully made by six-cycle accumulative roll-bonding process at room temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization plots and impedance measurements revealed that as a result of grain refinement, the passive behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure Ti in H2SO4 solutions. Mott-Schottky analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as n-type semiconductors in H2SO4 solutions and grain refinement did not change the semiconductor type of passive films. Also, Mott-Schottky analysis showed that the donor densities decreased as the grain size of the samples reduced. Finally, all electrochemical tests showed that the electrochemical behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure Ti, mainly due to the formation of thicker and less defective oxide film.

Behavioral economics and empirical public policy.

PubMed

Hursh, Steven R; Roma, Peter G

2013-01-01

The application of economics principles to the analysis of behavior has yielded novel insights on value and choice across contexts ranging from laboratory animal research to clinical populations to national trends of global impact. Recent innovations in demand curve methods provide a credible means of quantitatively comparing qualitatively different reinforcers as well as quantifying the choice relations between concurrently available reinforcers. The potential of the behavioral economic approach to inform public policy is illustrated with examples from basic research, pre-clinical behavioral pharmacology, and clinical drug abuse research as well as emerging applications to public transportation and social behavior. Behavioral Economics can serve as a broadly applicable conceptual, methodological, and analytical framework for the development and evaluation of empirical public policy. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Comparative, Population-Level Analysis of Social Networks in Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Abigail Z.

2017-01-01

As social behavior moves increasingly online, the study of social behavior has followed. Online traces of social systems, whether to study online behavior directly or the online traces of offline activity, have made possible previously unavailable empirical analyses of people, groups and organizations. However, practically observing any social…

Disproportionality of English Learners with Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders: A Comparative Meta-Analysis with English Learners with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gage, Nicholas; Gersten, Russell; Sugai, George; Newman-Gonchar, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Disproportionate representation of English learners in special education has been a longstanding and ongoing concern. However, research examining disproportionate representation of English learners receiving special education services for emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) has been limited. To address this gap, a meta-analysis of…

Analysis of Time-on-Task, Behavior Experiences, and Performance in Two Online Courses with Different Authentic Learning Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sanghoon

2017-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a comparative analysis of online learner behavioral interactions, time-on-task, attendance, and performance at different points throughout a semester (beginning, during, and end) based on two online courses: one course offering authentic discussion-based learning activities and the other course offering authentic…

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Structured Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention for Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaee, Mohammad; Rafiee, Seyed Majid

2014-01-01

Accumulating studies are documenting specific motivational variables that, when combined into a naturalistic teaching paradigm, can positively influence the effectiveness of interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to compare two applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention procedures, a…

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…

A meta-analytic investigation of the relation between interpersonal attraction and enacted behavior.

PubMed

Montoya, R Matthew; Kershaw, Christine; Prosser, Julie L

2018-05-07

We present a meta-analysis that investigated the relation between self-reported interpersonal attraction and enacted behavior. Our synthesis focused on (a) identifying the behaviors related to attraction; (b) evaluating the efficacy of models of the relation between attraction and behavior; (c) testing the impact of several moderators, including evaluative threat salience, cognitive appraisal salience, and the sex composition of the social interaction; and (d) investigating the degree of agreement between the meta-analytic findings and an ethnographic analysis. Using a multilevel modeling approach, an analysis of 309 effect sizes (N = 5,422) revealed a significant association (z = .20) between self-reported attraction and enacted behavior. Key findings include: (a) that the specific behaviors associated with attraction (e.g., eye contact, smiling, laughter, mimicry) are those behaviors research has linked to the development of trust/rapport; (b) direct behaviors (e.g., physical proximity, talking to), compared with indirect behaviors (e.g., eye contact, smiling, mimicry), were more strongly related to self-reported attraction; and (c) evaluative threat salience (e.g., fear of rejection) reduced the magnitude of the relation between direct behavior and affective attraction. Moreover, an ethnographic analysis revealed consistency between the behaviors identified by the meta-analysis and those behaviors identified by ethnographers as predictive of attraction. We discuss the implications of our findings for models of the relation between attraction and behavior, for the behavioral expressions of emotions, and for how attraction is measured and conceptualized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparative cost-effectiveness of the components of a behavior change communication campaign on HIV/AIDS in North India.

PubMed

Sood, Suruchi; Nambiar, Devaki

2006-01-01

Numerous studies show that exposure to entertainment-education-based mass media campaigns is associated with reduction in risk behaviors. Concurrently, there is a growing interest in comparing the cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions taking into account infrastructural and programmatic costs. In such analyses, though few in number, mass media campaigns have fared well. Using data from a mass media communication campaign in the low HIV prevalence states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi in Northern India, in this article we examine the following: (1) factors that mediate behavior change in different components of the campaign, comprising a TV drama, reality show for youth audiences, and TV spots; (2) the relative impact of campaign components on the behavioral outcome: condom use; and (3) the cost-effectiveness calculations arising from this analysis. Results suggest that recall of the TV spots and the TV drama influences behavior change and is strongly associated with interpersonal communication and positive gender attitudes. The TV drama, in spite of being the costliest, emerges as the most cost-effective component when considering the behavioral outcome of interest. The analysis of the comparative cost-effectiveness of individual campaign components provides insights into the planning of resources for communication interventions globally.

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.

Health Behaviors and Quality of Life Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Rohan, Elizabeth A.; Townsend, Julie S.; Fairley, Temeika L.; Stewart, Sherri L.

2015-01-01

Purpose To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Methods We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Results Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. Conclusions CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. PMID:25736006

Health behaviors and quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors.

PubMed

Rohan, Elizabeth A; Townsend, Julie S; Fairley, Temeika L; Stewart, Sherri L

2015-03-01

To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. Copyright © 2015 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Sex Differences in Attitudes toward Homosexual Persons, Behaviors, and Civil Rights: A Meta-analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kite, Mary E.; Whitley, Bernard E., Jr.

1996-01-01

Used meta-analytic techniques to compare men's and women's attitudes toward homosexual persons, homosexual behaviors, and gay people's civil rights. As expected, size of sex differences varied across these categories. Men were more negative than women toward homosexual persons and homosexual behavior, but the sexes viewed gay civil rights…

Very low birth weight children: behavior problems and school difficulty in a national sample.

PubMed

McCormick, M C; Gortmaker, S L; Sobol, A M

1990-11-01

We addressed three questions concerning the behavioral and academic status of low and very low birth weight infants through a secondary analysis of the 1981 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement: (1) in children born with very low birth weight, what is the risk of behavior problems and school difficulty compared with that in heavier low birth weight and normal birth weight children? (2) What are the correlates of school difficulty? (3) Are behavior problems associated with school difficulty when variables are controlled for these correlates? The analysis revealed that 34% of very low birth weight children could be characterized as having school difficulty, compared with 20% and 14% of the other groups, respectively, and that they were more likely to have higher scores on the hyperactive subscale of the Behavior Problems Index. Although a broad array of sociodemographic factors correlated with school difficulty, very low birth weight and hyperactivity scores contributed independently to the risk of academic problems. We conclude that very low birth weight infants are at risk of having school problems that are in part associated with hyperactive behavior.

Characterization of juvenile play in rats: importance of sex of self and sex of partner.

PubMed

Argue, Kathryn J; McCarthy, Margaret M

2015-01-01

Juvenile social play is observed in many mammalian species, and its disruption in several neuropsychiatric disorders has greatly increased interest in understanding the origins and sources of variability in this behavior. We quantified social play behavior in juvenile rats and investigated the impact of sex and familiarity of the play partner. Sex differences in play behavior were investigated by comparing males and females from either same- or mixed-sex pairs with data pooled over 12 days of analysis. Whether play was altered based on the sex of the play partner was assessed using a paired analysis to compare play with a same- or opposite-sex play partner for both males and females. Additionally, a repeated measures design was utilized to determine whether play changed with increasing age. On postnatal day 33, a novel play partner was introduced. We used a repeated measures analysis to compare postnatal day 33 with the previous day. These approaches were used to assess the effects of age, sex, sex of partner, and familiarity of partner on total social play behavior as well as how play was broken down into components, such as pouncing, pinning, chasing, and boxing. There were sex differences in total frequency of play, and specific parameters of play behavior, such as chasing, pouncing, pinning, and boxing. Additionally, males significantly altered their play behavior in response to the sex of their play partner, whereas females were more sensitive to the familiarity of the play partner. This study provides critical groundwork for uncovering factors that regulate social play behavior and can be used to guide future mechanistic based work.

Relative contributions of three descriptive methods: implications for behavioral assessment.

PubMed

Pence, Sacha T; Roscoe, Eileen M; Bourret, Jason C; Ahearn, William H

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods-the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method-to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior participated. Functional analyses indicated that participants' problem behavior was maintained by social positive reinforcement (n = 2), social negative reinforcement (n = 2), or automatic reinforcement (n = 2). Results showed that for all but 1 participant, descriptive analysis outcomes were similar across methods. In addition, for all but 1 participant, the descriptive analysis outcome differed substantially from the functional analysis outcome. This supports the general finding that descriptive analysis is a poor means of determining functional relations.

Cue-reactivity in behavioral addictions: A meta-analysis and methodological considerations.

PubMed

Starcke, Katrin; Antons, Stephanie; Trotzke, Patrick; Brand, Matthias

2018-05-23

Background and aims Recent research has applied cue-reactivity paradigms to behavioral addictions. The aim of the current meta-analysis is to systematically analyze the effects of learning-based cue-reactivity in behavioral addictions. Methods The current meta-analysis includes 18 studies (29 data sets, 510 participants) that have used a cue-reactivity paradigm in persons with gambling (eight studies), gaming (nine studies), or buying (one study) disorders. We compared subjective, peripheral physiological, electroencephal, and neural responses toward addiction-relevant cues in patients versus control participants and toward addiction-relevant cues versus control cues in patients. Results Persons with behavioral addictions showed higher cue-reactivity toward addiction-relevant cues compared with control participants: subjective cue-reactivity (d = 0.84, p = .01) and peripheral physiological and electroencephal measures of cue-reactivity (d = 0.61, p < .01). Increased neural activation was found in the caudate nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, median cingulate cortex, subgenual cingulate, and precentral gyrus. Persons with gambling, gaming, or buying disorders also showed higher cue-reactivity toward addiction-relevant cues compared with control cues: subjective cue-reactivity (d = 0.39, p = .11) and peripheral physiological and electroencephal measures of cue-reactivity (d = 0.47, p = .05). Increased neural activation was found in the caudate nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, inferior network, and precuneus. Discussion and conclusions Cue-reactivity not only exists in substance-use disorders but also in gambling, gaming, and buying disorders. Future research should differentiate between cue-reactivity in addictive behaviors and cue-reactivity in functional excessive behaviors such as passions, hobbies, or professions.

A path analysis model for explaining unsafe behavior in workplaces: the effect of perceived work pressure.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Fakhradin; Kalatpour, Omid; Moghimbeigi, Abbas; Mohhamadfam, Iraj

2018-06-01

Unsafe behavior is closely related to occupational accidents. Work pressure is one the main factors affecting employees' behavior. The aim of the present study was to provide a path analysis model for explaining how work pressure affects safety behavior. Using a self-administered questionnaire, six variables supposed to affect safety employees' behavior were measured. The path analysis model was constructed based on several hypotheses. The goodness of fit of the model was assessed using both absolute and comparative fit indices. Work pressure was determined not to influence safety behavior directly. However, it negatively influenced other variables. Group attitude and personal attitude toward safety were the main factors mediating the effect of work pressure on safety behavior. Among the variables investigated in the present study, group attitude, personal attitude and work pressure had the strongest effects on safety behavior. Managers should consider that in order to improve employees' safety behavior, work pressure should be reduced to a reasonable level, and concurrently a supportive environment, which ensures a positive group attitude toward safety, should be provided. Replication of the study is recommended.

Experimental and analytical assessment of the thermal behavior of spiral bevel gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert F.; Kicher, Thomas P.

1995-01-01

An experimental and analytical study of spiral bevel gears operating in an aerospace environment has been performed. Tests were conducted within a closed loop test stand at NASA Lewis Research Center. Tests were conducted to 537 kW (720 hp) at 14,400 rpm. The effects of various operating conditions on spiral bevel gear steady state and transient temperature are presented. Also, a three-dimensional analysis of the thermal behavior was conducted using a nonlinear finite element analysis computer code. The analysis was compared to the experimental results attained in this study. The results agreed well with each other for the cases compared and were no more than 10 percent different in magnitude.

The effects of preference assessment type on problem behavior.

PubMed

Tung, Sara Beth; Donaldson, Jeanne M; Kahng, SungWoo

2017-10-01

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who engage in problem behavior maintained by access to tangibles may exhibit more problem behavior during certain preference assessments. We compared three common preference assessments to determine which resulted in fewer problem behaviors. The paired stimulus and multiple-stimulus without replacement assessments produced higher rates of problem behavior than the free operant (FO) assessment, suggesting that the FO assessment may be the most appropriate assessment for individuals who engage in problem behavior maintained by access to tangibles. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Enhancing Appropriate Social Behaviors for Children with Autism in General Education Classrooms: An Analysis of Six Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Nancy Kueifen; Schaller, James L.; Huang, Tzu-Ai; Wang, Meei Huey; Tsai, Shu-Fei

2003-01-01

This study compares generalized effects of a social-emotional skills training for girls and boys with autism in resource rooms on promoting positive social behaviors in general education classrooms in Taiwan. A single subject design was used to compare outcomes for 2 girls and 2 boys with autism in the experimental group with 2 boys with autism in…

Analysis of Landing-Gear Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milwitzky, Benjamin; Cook, Francis E

1953-01-01

This report presents a theoretical study of the behavior of the conventional type of oleo-pneumatic landing gear during the process of landing impact. The basic analysis is presented in a general form and treats the motions of the landing gear prior to and subsequent to the beginning of shock-strut deflection. The applicability of the analysis to actual landing gears has been investigated for the particular case of a vertical landing gear in the absence of drag loads by comparing calculated results with experimental drop-test data for impacts with and without tire bottoming. The calculated behavior of the landing gear was found to be in good agreement with the drop-test data.

Statistical analysis of traversal behavior under different types of traffic lights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Boran; Wang, Ziyang; Li, Zhiyin

2017-12-01

According to the video observation, it is found that the traffic signal type signal has a significant effect on the illegal crossing behavior of pedestrians at the intersection. Through the method of statistical analysis and variance analysis, the difference between the violation rate and the waiting position of pedestrians at different intersecting lights is compared, and the influence of traffic signal type on pedestrian crossing behavior is evaluated. The results show that the violation rate of the intersection of the static pedestrian lights is significantly higher than that of the countdown signal lights. There are significant differences in the waiting position of the intersection of different signal lights.

Psychological and Pedagogical Conditions for the Prevention of Deviant Behavior among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vist, Natalya V.

2016-01-01

This article focuses on such a highly relevant subject as the prevention and correction of deviant behavior in the adolescent environment. The study revealed the main vectors for the development of the modern science of deviant behavior, identified the main causes of deviations and carried out a comparative analysis of the work on the prevention…

[Cognitive, linguistic, motoric, and social deficits in schoolstarters with behavioral disorders].

PubMed

Korsch, Franziska; Petermann, Ulrike; Schmidt, Sören; Petermann, Franz

2013-01-01

Studies show that ADHD, conduct disorders, and anxiety disorders are clinical disorders mostly diagnosed in schoolstarters. The preschool medical examination in Bremen was therefore extended by behavioral screenings. Based on their screening results from the SEU (health examination for school entry) 2011 in Bremen, 67 preschoolers were tested for behavioral disorders. Subsequently, children with behavioral or emotional symptoms (N = 56) were compared to symptomfree controls (N = 52) for their cognitive, motoric, linguistic, and social-emotional development. Psychosocial health was obtained through external assessment by the parents and kindergarten teachers. Results of the WPPSI-III, M-ABC-2, and ET 6-6 were included in the analysis. 32 children met the criteria for behavioral disorders. Children with behavioral or emotional symptoms showed significant lower scores on tests measuring cognitive, motoric, linguistic and emotional development compared to controls. Results suggest that there is necessity to screen all preschoolers for behavioral disorders before entering school. Because children with clinical or subclinical behavioral disorders showed major developmental deficits compared to children without behavioral symptoms, it is essential to conduct a multiple assessment on children with suspected behavioral disorders to ensure early developmental support and adequate interventional programs.

The Convergent Validity of the Questions about Behavioral Function Scale and Functional Analysis for Problem Behavior Displayed by Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Nicholas; Rapp, John T.

2013-01-01

Only a few studies have compared the convergent validity of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) scale to the results of functional analyses (FA). In the current study, six participants who emitted problem behaviors participated in either a brief, or a no-interaction-series FA, while each participant's parent completed the QABF. The…

Perceived Effectiveness of Web Conferencing Software in the Digital Environment to Deliver a Graduate Course in Applied Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Tina M.; Knight, Victoria; Collins, Belva C.

2012-01-01

This article provides an overview of the planning and instructional delivery of a course in Applied Behavior Analysis using Adobe Connect Pro™. A description of software features used by course instructors is provided along with how each feature compares to resources found to deliver instruction in a traditional classroom setting. In addition, the…

The trajectories of EAEC countries development: Numerical analysis of competitive strategies in investments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelomentsev, A. G.; Medvedev, M. A.; Isaichik, K. F.; Dyomina, M. I.; Berg, I. A.; Kit, M.

2017-12-01

This paper discusses comparative analysis of trajectories in the development of participating countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC) in a two-dimensional phase space. The coordinates in the space is represented by the value of a dynamic variable that is a key indicator of the country's development, and the rate of its relative growth. This allows for construction of a ternary classification diagram describing competitive behavior strategies of countries in question. The comparative analysis was run for two primary factors: the size of investment in the main capital and R&D spendings. The authors carried out analysis and identification of competitive strategies for the behavior of the EAEC countries, as well as he proposed conclusions and recommendations on improving the policy of economic development.

Statistical description of tectonic motions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agnew, Duncan Carr

1991-01-01

The behavior of stochastic processes was studied whose power spectra are described by power-law behavior. The details of the analysis and the conclusions that were reached are presented. This analysis was extended to compare detection capabilities of different measurement techniques (e.g., gravimetry and GPS for the vertical, and seismometers and GPS for horizontal), both in general and for the specific case of the deformations produced by a dislocation in a half-space (which applies to seismic of preseismic sources). The time-domain behavior of power-law noises is also investigated.

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THREE DESCRIPTIVE METHODS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT

PubMed Central

Pence, Sacha T; Roscoe, Eileen M; Bourret, Jason C; Ahearn, William H

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods—the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method—to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior participated. Functional analyses indicated that participants' problem behavior was maintained by social positive reinforcement (n  =  2), social negative reinforcement (n  =  2), or automatic reinforcement (n  =  2). Results showed that for all but 1 participant, descriptive analysis outcomes were similar across methods. In addition, for all but 1 participant, the descriptive analysis outcome differed substantially from the functional analysis outcome. This supports the general finding that descriptive analysis is a poor means of determining functional relations. PMID:19949536

Parenting Intervention for Prevention of Behavioral Problems in Elementary School-Age Filipino-American Children: A Pilot Study in Churches.

PubMed

Javier, Joyce R; Coffey, Dean M; Schrager, Sheree M; Palinkas, Lawrence A; Miranda, Jeanne

This study aims to test an evidence-based parenting program offered in churches among Filipino-American parents and estimate effect size for a fully powered trial. Twenty-two parents of children aged 6 to 12 years were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a waiting-list control group. Parents' perceptions of child behavior, parenting practices, and parenting stress were obtained at baseline. Parents in the experimental group attended The Incredible Years School Age Program, which consisted of 12 weekly 2-hour sessions. A follow-up assessment was performed after the intervention and 12 weeks later. The intervention was subsequently repeated with the control group. Satisfaction was assessed with a 40-item measure. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the intervention group postintervention versus the control group. Paired t-tests compared mean parenting practices, parenting stress, and child behavior outcomes. Satisfaction was assessed descriptively. Twenty-two parents completed all assessments and the intervention. Analysis of variance comparing intervention and control groups with repeated measures (pre- and post-test measures) revealed that the program has a positive impact on parenting stress, parenting practices (physical punishment, positive verbal discipline), and parent's perception of their child's behavior (internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and number of problematic behaviors). Analyses of all participants comparing pre- and post intervention revealed improvements in parenting stress, positive verbal discipline, and child externalizing and total problem behaviors. Families reported high satisfaction with the content and format of the intervention. Results support the feasibility of providing an evidence-based parenting program to Filipino parents in churches to prevent future behavioral health problems.

A Strategic Culture Assessment of the Transatlantic Divide

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

security divide through the strategic culture lens, taking a comparative case study approach . It analyzes the emergent EU strategic culture by looking...utilize the strategic culture approach in the ensuing case study comparisons. B. WHY THE USE OF STRATEGIC CULTURE? In a study published in 2004...analysis use a comparative cultural approach when a previous comparison of U.S. and EU behavior found these actors’ behavior most aligned with realism’s

Advantages of Anticipated Emotions over Anticipatory Emotions and Cognitions in Health Decisions: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Zhan; Guo, Hao

2018-02-05

Recent persuasion theories and some empirical studies indicate that emotional responses can be more persuasive than cognitive evaluations under certain circumstances. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effects of emotions and perceived risk on health-related intentions and behavior. Ten studies which examined anticipated emotions (AdE) and 19 studies which examined anticipatory emotions (AyE) were included. AdE was moderately associated with health intention (r = 0.38, 95% CI 0.24-0.51) and behavior (r = 0.48, 95% CI 0.43-0.53). The average correlations with AyE were small (with intention r = 0.25, 95% CI 0.18-0.31; with behavior r = 0.18, 95% CI 0.11-0.23). AdE was significantly more likely to lead to ideal intentions and behavior than perceived risk, and was more likely to promote desired behaviors than AyE. AdE had a stronger effect on intentions to prevent disease compared to detect disease. Other moderators were discussed. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.

[Comparative Analysis of Behavior in The Open-field Test in Wild Grey Rats (Rattus norvegicus) and in Grey Rats Subjected to Prolonged Selection for Tame And Aggressive Behavior].

PubMed

Kozhemyakina, R V; Konoshenko, M Yu; Sakharov, D G; Smagin, D A; Markel, A L

2016-01-01

The aim of this work is analysis of the open-field behavior in grey rats selected for the tame and aggressive behavior in comparison with the wild grey rats. Significant influences of the rat group factor on the 13 of 19 behavioral features studied in the open-field were found. This effect, in general, depends on existence of great differences between behaviors of the wild rats from the one hand and behaviors of the tame and aggressive rats from the other. The behaviors of the rats from the last two groups are practically identical. Multidimensional analysis confirms the distinct separation in coordinates of the two main components of the wild rat behavior from the behavior of both the tame and selectively bred aggressive rats. The first main component dimension corresponds to the grade of fear, which was significantly enhanced in the wild rats. So, in spite of the equality of behavioral aggressiveness of the wild rats and the rats selected for aggression with the glove test, the behavior of selected aggressive rats in the open-field is analogous to behavior of the rats selected for tameness. Comparison of behavioral features with the hormonal stress responsiveness allowed us to conclude that the aggressive behavior of the wild and se lected for aggression rats based on different motivational and neuroendocrine processes.

A Typology of Teacher-Rated Child Behavior: Revisiting Subgroups over 10 Years Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiStefano, Christine A.; Kamphaus, Randy W.; Mindrila, Diana L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article was to examine a typology of child behavior using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Teacher Rating Scale (BASC TRS-C, 2nd edition; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). The typology was compared with the solution identified from the 1992 BASC TRS-C norm dataset. Using cluster analysis, a seven-cluster solution…

Chaotic behavior in Malaysian stock market: A study with recurrence quantification analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Betty Voon Wan; Noorani, Mohd Salmi Md; Jaaman, Saiful Hafizah

2016-11-01

The dynamics of stock market has been questioned for decades. Its behavior appeared random yet some found it behaves as chaos. Up to 5000 daily adjusted closing data of FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLSE) was investigated through recurrence plot and recurrence quantification analysis. Results were compared between stochastic system, chaotic system and deterministic system. Results show that KLSE daily adjusted closing data behaves chaotically.

Circular Functions Based Comprehensive Analysis of Plastic Creep Deformations in the Fiber Reinforced Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monfared, Vahid

2016-12-01

Analytically based model is presented for behavioral analysis of the plastic deformations in the reinforced materials using the circular (trigonometric) functions. The analytical method is proposed to predict creep behavior of the fibrous composites based on basic and constitutive equations under a tensile axial stress. New insight of the work is to predict some important behaviors of the creeping matrix. In the present model, the prediction of the behaviors is simpler than the available methods. Principal creep strain rate behaviors are very noteworthy for designing the fibrous composites in the creeping composites. Analysis of the mentioned parameter behavior in the reinforced materials is necessary to analyze failure, fracture, and fatigue studies in the creep of the short fiber composites. Shuttles, spaceships, turbine blades and discs, and nozzle guide vanes are commonly subjected to the creep effects. Also, predicting the creep behavior is significant to design the optoelectronic and photonic advanced composites with optical fibers. As a result, the uniform behavior with constant gradient is seen in the principal creep strain rate behavior, and also creep rupture may happen at the fiber end. Finally, good agreements are found through comparing the obtained analytical and FEM results.

Neural bases of antisocial behavior: a voxel-based meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Inokuchi, Ryota; Nakao, Tomohiro; Yamasue, Hidenori

2014-01-01

Individuals with antisocial behavior place a great physical and economic burden on society. Deficits in emotional processing have been recognized as a fundamental cause of antisocial behavior. Emerging evidence also highlights a significant contribution of attention allocation deficits to such behavior. A comprehensive literature search identified 12 studies that were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, which compared 291 individuals with antisocial problems and 247 controls. Signed Differential Mapping revealed that compared with controls, gray matter volume (GMV) in subjects with antisocial behavior was reduced in the right lentiform nucleus (P < 0.0001), left insula (P = 0.0002) and left frontopolar cortex (FPC) (P = 0.0006), and was increased in the right fusiform gyrus (P < 0.0001), right inferior parietal lobule (P = 0.0003), right superior parietal lobule (P = 0.0004), right cingulate gyrus (P = 0.0004) and the right postcentral gyrus (P = 0.0004). Given the well-known contributions of limbic and paralimbic areas to emotional processing, the observed reductions in GMV in these regions might represent neural correlates of disturbance in emotional processing underlying antisocial behavior. Previous studies have suggested an FPC role in attention allocation during emotional processing. Therefore, GMV deviations in this area may constitute a neural basis of deficits in attention allocation linked with antisocial behavior. PMID:23926170

Mouse Behavior on ISS: The Emergence of Distinctive, Organized Group Circling Behavior Unique to Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronca, A. E.; Moyer, E. L.; Talyansky, Y.; Solomides, P.; Choi, S.; Gong, C.; Globus, R. K.

2017-01-01

As interest in long duration effects of space habitation increases, understanding the behavior of model organisms living within the habitats engineered to fly them is vital for designing, validating, and interpreting future spaceflight studies. Only a handful of papers have previously reported behavior of mice and rats in the weightless environment of space (Andreev-Andrievskiy, et al., 2013; Cancedda et al., 2012; Ronca et al., 2008). The Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation Mission (Rodent Research-1; RR1) utilized the Rodent Habitat (RH) developed at NASA Ames Research Center to fly mice on the ISS. Ten adult (16-week-old) female C57BL6J mice were launched on September 21st, 2014 in an unmanned Dragon Capsule, and spent 37 days in flight. Here we report group behavioral phenotypes of the RR1 Flight (FLT) and environment-matched Ground Control (GC) mice in the RH during this long duration flight. Video was recorded for 34 days on the ISS, permitting daily assessments of overall health and well being of the mice, and providing a valuable repository for detailed behavioral analysis. As compared to GC mice, RR1 FLT mice exhibited the same range of behaviors, including eating, drinking, exploration, self- and allogrooming,and social interactions at similar or greater levels of occurrence. Overallactivity was greater in FLT as compared to GC mice, with spontaneous ambulatory behavior, including organized circling or race-tracking behavior that emerged within thefirst few days of flight following a common developmental sequence, comprising theprimary dark cycle activity of FLT mice. Circling participation by individual micepersisted throughout the mission. Analysis of group behavior over mission days revealed recruitment of mice into the group phenotype, coupled with decreasing numbers of collisions between circling mice. This analysis provides insights into the behavior of mice in microgravity, and clear evidence for the emergence of a distinctive,organized group behavior unique to the weightless space environment.

A tracking system for laboratory mice to support medical researchers in behavioral analysis.

PubMed

Macrì, S; Mainetti, L; Patrono, L; Pieretti, S; Secco, A; Sergi, I

2015-08-01

The behavioral analysis of laboratory mice plays a key role in several medical and scientific research areas, such as biology, toxicology, pharmacology, and so on. Important information on mice behavior and their reaction to a particular stimulus is deduced from a careful analysis of their movements. Moreover, behavioral analysis of genetically modified mice allows obtaining important information about particular genes, phenotypes or drug effects. The techniques commonly adopted to support such analysis have many limitations, which make the related systems particularly ineffective. Currently, the engineering community is working to explore innovative identification and sensing technologies to develop new tracking systems able to guarantee benefits to animals' behavior analysis. This work presents a tracking solution based on passive Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) in Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band. Much emphasis is given to the software component of the system, based on a Web-oriented solution, able to process the raw tracking data coming from a hardware system, and offer 2D and 3D tracking information as well as reports and dashboards about mice behavior. The system has been widely tested using laboratory mice and compared with an automated video-tracking software (i.e., EthoVision). The obtained results have demonstrated the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed solution, which is able to correctly detect the events occurring in the animals' cage, and to offer a complete and user-friendly tool to support researchers in behavioral analysis of laboratory mice.

A Behavioral Economic Reward Index Predicts Drinking Resolutions: Moderation Re-visited and Compared with Other Outcomes

PubMed Central

Tucker, Jalie A.; Roth, David L.; Vignolo, Mary J.; Westfall, Andrew O.

2014-01-01

Data were pooled from three studies of recently resolved community-dwelling problem drinkers to determine whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons distinguished among moderation (n = 30), abstinent (n = 95), and unresolved (n = 77) outcomes. Moderation over 1-2 year prospective follow-up intervals was hypothesized to involve longer term behavior regulation processes compared to abstinence or relapse and to be predicted by more balanced pre-resolution monetary allocations between short- and longer-term objectives (i.e., drinking and saving for the future). Standardized odds ratios (OR) based on changes in standard deviation units from a multinomial logistic regression indicated that increases on this “Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure” index predicted higher rates of both abstinence (OR = 1.93, p = .004) and relapse (OR = 2.89, p < .0001) compared to moderation outcomes. The index had incremental utility in predicting moderation in complex models that included other established predictors. The study adds to evidence supporting a behavioral economic analysis of drinking resolutions and shows that a systematic analysis of pre-resolution spending patterns aids in predicting moderation. PMID:19309182

Culture and Social Relationship as Factors of Affecting Communicative Non-verbal Behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhter Lipi, Afia; Nakano, Yukiko; Rehm, Mathias

The goal of this paper is to link a bridge between social relationship and cultural variation to predict conversants' non-verbal behaviors. This idea serves as a basis of establishing a parameter based socio-cultural model, which determines non-verbal expressive parameters that specify the shapes of agent's nonverbal behaviors in HAI. As the first step, a comparative corpus analysis is done for two cultures in two specific social relationships. Next, by integrating the cultural and social parameters factors with the empirical data from corpus analysis, we establish a model that predicts posture. The predictions from our model successfully demonstrate that both cultural background and social relationship moderate communicative non-verbal behaviors.

Analysis of Adult Female Mouse (Mus musculus) Group Behavior on the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomides, P.; Moyer, E. L.; Talyansky, Y.; Choi, S.; Gong, C.; Globus, R. K.; Ronca, A. E.

2016-01-01

As interest in long duration effects of space habitation increases, understanding the behavior of model organisms living within the habitats engineered to fly them is vital for designing, validating, and interpreting future spaceflight studies. A handful of papers have previously reported behavior of mice and rats in the weightless environment of space. The Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation (Rodent Research-1; RR1) utilized the Rodent Habitat (RH) developed at NASA Ames Research Center to fly mice on the ISS (International Space Station). Ten adult (16-week-old) female C57BL/6 mice were launched on September 21st, 2014 in an unmanned Dragon Capsule, and spent 37 days in microgravity. Here we report group behavioral phenotypes of the RR1 Flight (FLT) and environment-matched Ground Control (GC) mice in the Rodent Habitat (RH) during this long-duration flight. Video was recorded for 33 days on the ISS, permitting daily assessments of overall health and well-being of the mice, and providing a valuable repository for detailed behavioral analysis. We previously reported that, as compared to GC mice, RR1 FLT mice exhibited the same range of behaviors, including eating, drinking, exploration, self- and allo-grooming, and social interactions at similar or greater levels of occurrence. Overall activity was greater in FLT as compared to GC mice, with spontaneous ambulatory behavior, including organized 'circling' or 'race-tracking' behavior that emerged within the first few days of flight following a common developmental sequence, and comprised the primary dark cycle activity persisting throughout the remainder of the experiment. Participation by individual mice increased dramatically over the course of the flight. Here we present a detailed analysis of 'race-tracking' behavior in which we quantified: (1) Complete lap rotations by individual mice; (2) Numbers of collisions between circling mice; (3) Lap directionality; and (4) Recruitment of mice into a group phenotype. This analysis contributes to the first NASA long-duration study of rodent behavior, providing evidence for the emergence of a distinctive, organized group behavior unique to the weightless space environment.

Delayed reward discounting and addictive behavior: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

MacKillop, James; Amlung, Michael T; Few, Lauren R; Ray, Lara A; Sweet, Lawrence H; Munafò, Marcus R

2011-08-01

Delayed reward discounting (DRD) is a behavioral economic index of impulsivity and numerous studies have examined DRD in relation to addictive behavior. To synthesize the findings across the literature, the current review is a meta-analysis of studies comparing DRD between criterion groups exhibiting addictive behavior and control groups. The meta-analysis sought to characterize the overall patterns of findings, systematic variability by sample and study type, and possible small study (publication) bias. Literature reviews identified 310 candidate articles from which 46 studies reporting 64 comparisons were identified (total N=56,013). From the total comparisons identified, a small magnitude effect was evident (d= .15; p< .00001) with very high heterogeneity of effect size. Based on systematic observed differences, large studies assessing DRD with a small number of self-report items were removed and an analysis of 57 comparisons (n=3,329) using equivalent methods and exhibiting acceptable heterogeneity revealed a medium magnitude effect (d= .58; p< .00001). Further analyses revealed significantly larger effect sizes for studies using clinical samples (d= .61) compared with studies using nonclinical samples (d=.45). Indices of small study bias among the various comparisons suggested varying levels of influence by unpublished findings, ranging from minimal to moderate. These results provide strong evidence of greater DRD in individuals exhibiting addictive behavior in general and particularly in individuals who meet criteria for an addictive disorder. Implications for the assessment of DRD and research priorities are discussed.

Delayed reward discounting and addictive behavior: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Amlung, Michael T.; Few, Lauren R.; Ray, Lara A.; Sweet, Lawrence H.; Munafò, Marcus R.

2011-01-01

Rationale Delayed reward discounting (DRD) is a behavioral economic index of impulsivity and numerous studies have examined DRD in relation to addictive behavior. To synthesize the findings across the literature, the current review is a meta-analysis of studies comparing DRD between criterion groups exhibiting addictive behavior and control groups. Objectives The meta-analysis sought to characterize the overall patterns of findings, systematic variability by sample and study type, and possible small study (publication) bias. Methods Literature reviews identified 310 candidate articles from which 46 studies reporting 64 comparisons were identified (total N=56,013). Results From the total comparisons identified, a small magnitude effect was evident (d=.15; p<.00001) with very high heterogeneity of effect size. Based on systematic observed differences, large studies assessing DRD with a small number of self-report items were removed and an analysis of 57 comparisons (n=3,329) using equivalent methods and exhibiting acceptable heterogeneity revealed a medium magnitude effect (d=.58; p<.00001). Further analyses revealed significantly larger effect sizes for studies using clinical samples (d=.61) compared with studies using nonclinical samples (d=.45). Indices of small study bias among the various comparisons suggested varying levels of influence by unpublished findings, ranging from minimal to moderate. Conclusions These results provide strong evidence of greater DRD in individuals exhibiting addictive behavior in general and particularly in individuals who meet criteria for an addictive disorder. Implications for the assessment of DRD and research priorities are discussed. PMID:21373791

A spectral power analysis of driving behavior changes during the transition from nondistraction to distraction.

PubMed

Wang, Yuan; Bao, Shan; Du, Wenjun; Ye, Zhirui; Sayer, James R

2017-11-17

This article investigated and compared frequency domain and time domain characteristics of drivers' behaviors before and after the start of distracted driving. Data from an existing naturalistic driving study were used. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) was applied for the frequency domain analysis to explore drivers' behavior pattern changes between nondistracted (prestarting of visual-manual task) and distracted (poststarting of visual-manual task) driving periods. Average relative spectral power in a low frequency range (0-0.5 Hz) and the standard deviation in a 10-s time window of vehicle control variables (i.e., lane offset, yaw rate, and acceleration) were calculated and further compared. Sensitivity analyses were also applied to examine the reliability of the time and frequency domain analyses. Results of the mixed model analyses from the time and frequency domain analyses all showed significant degradation in lateral control performance after engaging in visual-manual tasks while driving. Results of the sensitivity analyses suggested that the frequency domain analysis was less sensitive to the frequency bandwidth, whereas the time domain analysis was more sensitive to the time intervals selected for variation calculations. Different time interval selections can result in significantly different standard deviation values, whereas average spectral power analysis on yaw rate in both low and high frequency bandwidths showed consistent results, that higher variation values were observed during distracted driving when compared to nondistracted driving. This study suggests that driver state detection needs to consider the behavior changes during the prestarting periods, instead of only focusing on periods with physical presence of distraction, such as cell phone use. Lateral control measures can be a better indicator of distraction detection than longitudinal controls. In addition, frequency domain analyses proved to be a more robust and consistent method in assessing driving performance compared to time domain analyses.

Study on drag coefficient of rising bubble in still water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, M. Y.; Qi, Mei; Yi, C. G.; Liu, D. Y.; Zhang, K. X.

2017-09-01

Research on the behavior of a rising bubble in still water is on the basis of Newton's theory of classical mechanics. Develop a calculation analysis and an experimental process of bubble rising behavior in order to search for an appropriate way of valuing drag coefficient, which is the key element toward this issue. Analyze the adaptability of the drag coefficient; compare the theoretical model to the real experimental model of rising bubble behavior. The result turns out that the change rate of radius could be ignored according to the analysis; the acceleration phase is transient; final velocity and the diameter of bubble do relate to the drag coefficient, but have no obvious relation with the depth of water. After series of inference analysis of the bubble behavior and experimental demonstration, a new drag coefficient and computing method is proposed.

Behavioral Economics and Empirical Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hursh, Steven R.; Roma, Peter G.

2013-01-01

The application of economics principles to the analysis of behavior has yielded novel insights on value and choice across contexts ranging from laboratory animal research to clinical populations to national trends of global impact. Recent innovations in demand curve methods provide a credible means of quantitatively comparing qualitatively…

Darwinism and the Behavioral Theory of Sociocultural Evolution: An Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langdon, John

1979-01-01

Challenges the view that the social sciences are theoretically impoverished disciplines when compared with the natural sciences. Demonstrates that the synthesis of an abstract Darwinian model of systemic adaptation and the behavioral principles of social learning produces a logical theory of sociocultural evolution. (DB)

Digital Parent Training for Children with Disruptive Behaviors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

PubMed

Baumel, Amit; Pawar, Aditya; Kane, John M; Correll, Christoph U

2016-10-01

Digital-based parent training (DPT) programs for parents of children with disruptive behaviors have been developed and tested in randomized trials. The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the efficacy of these programs versus a control condition. We conducted a systematic review and random effects meta-analysis of peer-reviewed randomized studies comparing DPT targeting children with disruptive behaviors versus a control group (wait list or no treatment). Altogether, seven studies (n = 718) were meta-analyzed. Compared to the control groups, DPT resulted in significantly greater improvement in child behavior (effect size [ES] = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.21-0.66, studies = 7), parent behavior (ES = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.25-0.57, studies = 6), and parental confidence (ES = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.12-0.59, studies = 4). The improvement in child behavior was moderated by age group and severity of clinical presentation, which overlapped 100%. While DPT was superior to control conditions in studies of young children (mean age <7 years) with a clinical range of disruptive behaviors (ES = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.40-0.82, studies = 4), results were nonsignificant in studies of older children (mean age >11 years) with a nonclinical range of symptoms (ES = 0.21, 95% CI = -0.01 to 0.42, studies = 3). Analyses yielded similar results of higher ESs favoring studies of young children with clinical range disruptive behaviors for parent behavior and parental confidence, but the differences were not significant. Results further suggested that in studies of younger children, interactive programs (e.g., computerized programs) were more effective in improving child behavior compared to noninteractive programs (e.g., watching video clips) (p < 0.05). Although additional studies are needed, DPT holds promise as a potentially scalable evidence-based treatment of children with disruptive behaviors that can save human resources.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Adult-Driven Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention on Disruptive Behaviors in Public School Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaei, Mohammad; Bakhshi, Enayatolah

2015-01-01

Children with autism often demonstrate disruptive behaviors during demanding teaching tasks. Language intervention can be particularly difficult as it involves social and communicative areas, which are challenging for this population. The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention conditions, a naturalistic approach, Pivotal Response…

Old model organisms and new behavioral end-points: Swimming alteration as an ecotoxicological response.

PubMed

Faimali, Marco; Gambardella, Chiara; Costa, Elisa; Piazza, Veronica; Morgana, Silvia; Estévez-Calvar, Noelia; Garaventa, Francesca

2017-07-01

Behavioral responses of aquatic organisms have received much less attention than developmental or reproductive ones due to the scarce presence of user-friendly tools for their acquisition. The technological development of data acquisition systems for quantifying behavior in the aquatic environment and the increase of studies on the understanding the relationship between the behavior of aquatic organisms and the physiological/ecological activities have generated renewed interest in using behavioral responses also in marine ecotoxicology. Recent reviews on freshwater environment show that behavioral end-points are comparatively fast and sensitive, and warrant further attention as tools for assessing the toxicological effects of environmental contaminants. In this mini-review, we perform a systematic analysis of the most recent works that have used marine invertebrate swimming alteration as behavioral end-point in ecotoxicological studies by assessing the differences between behavioral and acute responses in a wide range of species, in order to compare their sensitivity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Comparison of Outcomes from Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Problem Behavior

PubMed Central

Thompson, Rachel H; Iwata, Brian A

2007-01-01

We compared results of descriptive and functional analyses of problem behavior for 12 participants whose descriptive data have been reported previously (Thompson & Iwata, 2001). Results indicated that in only 3 of the 12 cases was problem behavior maintained by the consequence observed most frequently during the descriptive analysis. Attention was the most common consequence for problem behavior during descriptive analyses for 8 of the 12 participants; however, maintenance of problem behavior by attention was evident for only 2 of these 8 participants. PMID:17624074

Analysis of naturalistic driving videos of fleet services drivers to estimate driver error and potentially distracting behaviors as risk factors for rear-end versus angle crashes.

PubMed

Harland, Karisa K; Carney, Cher; McGehee, Daniel

2016-07-03

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and odds of fleet driver errors and potentially distracting behaviors just prior to rear-end versus angle crashes. Analysis of naturalistic driving videos among fleet services drivers for errors and potentially distracting behaviors occurring in the 6 s before crash impact. Categorical variables were examined using the Pearson's chi-square test, and continuous variables, such as eyes-off-road time, were compared using the Student's t-test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of a driver error or potentially distracting behavior being present in the seconds before rear-end versus angle crashes. Of the 229 crashes analyzed, 101 (44%) were rear-end and 128 (56%) were angle crashes. Driver age, gender, and presence of passengers did not differ significantly by crash type. Over 95% of rear-end crashes involved inadequate surveillance compared to only 52% of angle crashes (P < .0001). Almost 65% of rear-end crashes involved a potentially distracting driver behavior, whereas less than 40% of angle crashes involved these behaviors (P < .01). On average, drivers spent 4.4 s with their eyes off the road while operating or manipulating their cell phone. Drivers in rear-end crashes were at 3.06 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73-5.44) times adjusted higher odds of being potentially distracted than those in angle crashes. Fleet driver driving errors and potentially distracting behaviors are frequent. This analysis provides data to inform safe driving interventions for fleet services drivers. Further research is needed in effective interventions to reduce the likelihood of drivers' distracting behaviors and errors that may potentially reducing crashes.

The effects of variable-time versus contingent reinforcement delivery on problem behavior maintained by escape.

PubMed

Lomas Mevers, Joanna E; Fisher, Wayne W; Kelley, Michael E; Fredrick, Laura D

2014-01-01

Results of previous research indicate that the delivery of positive reinforcement (e.g., food) for an appropriate, alternative target response (e.g., compliance) or delivery of food on a time-based schedule can decrease problem behavior reinforced by escape, even when problem behavior continues to produce negative reinforcement (e.g., Lalli et al., ; Lomas, Fisher, & Kelley, ). In this study, we compared the levels of both compliance and problem behavior when food and praise were delivered either contingent on compliance or on a time-based schedule. Results for 3 of the 4 participants showed that contingent delivery of preferred edible items and praise was more effective in both reducing problem behavior and increasing compliance compared to variable-time delivery of these same items. These findings are discussed in the context of motivating operations and competition between positive and negative reinforcement. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Aggression toward Familiar People, Strangers, and Conspecifics in Gonadectomized and Intact Dogs.

PubMed

Farhoody, Parvene; Mallawaarachchi, Indika; Tarwater, Patrick M; Serpell, James A; Duffy, Deborah L; Zink, Chris

2018-01-01

Gonadectomy is widely used to treat and prevent behavior problems including the aggressive behavior of dogs. The aim of this study was to determine whether aggressive behavior toward familiar people, strangers, or other dogs was significantly different in dogs gonadectomized at various ages vs. intact dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) with multivariate analysis. Of 15,370 initial surveys, those for dogs reported to have been gonadectomized at less than 6 weeks of age or to correct a behavior problem, and those with incomplete answers to questions regarding independent or dependent variables were excluded, leaving 13,795 for the analysis of aggressive behavior toward familiar people: 13,498 for aggressive behavior toward strangers and 13,237 for aggressive behavior toward dogs. Aggressive behavior was defined (a) using mean scores for all questions on the C-BARQ for aggressive behavior (range 0-4) and (b) comparing dogs with no aggressive behavior (all questions answered 0) to dogs with moderate or severe aggression (at least one score of 2, 3, or 4). Data for intact dogs were compared with those for dogs gonadectomized at 6 months or less, 7-12 months, 11-18 months, and >18 months. Neither gonadectomy nor age at gonadectomy showed an association with aggression toward familiar people or dogs. However, there was a low but significant increase in the odds of moderate or severe aggression toward strangers for all gonadectomized dogs compared with intact dogs, but this effect was driven entirely by data for dogs gonadectomized at 7-12 months of age, which were 26% more likely to demonstrate aggression toward strangers. This large, comprehensive study of the relationships between gonadectomy and aggressive behavior in dogs demonstrates that when the many factors affecting aggressive behavior are considered, there is no evidence that gonadectomy at any age alters aggressive behavior toward familiar people or dogs, and there is only a minimal increase in aggression toward strangers. Given the increasing evidence of significant negative health effects of gonadectomy, there is an urgent need to systematically examine other means of preventing unwanted procreation, such as vasectomy and hysterectomy.

Aggression toward Familiar People, Strangers, and Conspecifics in Gonadectomized and Intact Dogs

PubMed Central

Farhoody, Parvene; Mallawaarachchi, Indika; Tarwater, Patrick M.; Serpell, James A.; Duffy, Deborah L.; Zink, Chris

2018-01-01

Gonadectomy is widely used to treat and prevent behavior problems including the aggressive behavior of dogs. The aim of this study was to determine whether aggressive behavior toward familiar people, strangers, or other dogs was significantly different in dogs gonadectomized at various ages vs. intact dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) with multivariate analysis. Of 15,370 initial surveys, those for dogs reported to have been gonadectomized at less than 6 weeks of age or to correct a behavior problem, and those with incomplete answers to questions regarding independent or dependent variables were excluded, leaving 13,795 for the analysis of aggressive behavior toward familiar people: 13,498 for aggressive behavior toward strangers and 13,237 for aggressive behavior toward dogs. Aggressive behavior was defined (a) using mean scores for all questions on the C-BARQ for aggressive behavior (range 0–4) and (b) comparing dogs with no aggressive behavior (all questions answered 0) to dogs with moderate or severe aggression (at least one score of 2, 3, or 4). Data for intact dogs were compared with those for dogs gonadectomized at 6 months or less, 7–12 months, 11–18 months, and >18 months. Neither gonadectomy nor age at gonadectomy showed an association with aggression toward familiar people or dogs. However, there was a low but significant increase in the odds of moderate or severe aggression toward strangers for all gonadectomized dogs compared with intact dogs, but this effect was driven entirely by data for dogs gonadectomized at 7–12 months of age, which were 26% more likely to demonstrate aggression toward strangers. This large, comprehensive study of the relationships between gonadectomy and aggressive behavior in dogs demonstrates that when the many factors affecting aggressive behavior are considered, there is no evidence that gonadectomy at any age alters aggressive behavior toward familiar people or dogs, and there is only a minimal increase in aggression toward strangers. Given the increasing evidence of significant negative health effects of gonadectomy, there is an urgent need to systematically examine other means of preventing unwanted procreation, such as vasectomy and hysterectomy. PMID:29536014

The Effectiveness of Daily Behavior Report Cards for Children With ADHD: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Iznardo, Michelle; Rogers, Maria A; Volpe, Robert J; Labelle, Patrick R; Robaey, Philippe

2017-11-01

This meta-analysis examined group-design studies investigating the effectiveness of Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRC) as a school-based intervention to manage the classroom behavior of students with ADHD. A search of three article databases (PsycINFO, ERIC and Medline) identified seven group design evaluations of DBRC interventions. This meta-analysis included a total of 272 participants, with an average age of 7.9 years old. Three of the studies compared a control group to a treatment group with randomized group assignment, one study compared a control group to three treatment groups, two studies compared pre-and post-treatment scores in the same group, and one study compared pre-and post-treatment results of two intervention groups without random assignment. Dependent measures for these studies were teacher ratings (n = 5) and systematic direct observation of student academic and social behaviour (n = 2). Standardized mean differences ( Hedge's g) were calculated to obtain a pooled effect size using fixed effects. DBRCs were associated with reductions teacher-rated ADHD symptoms, with a Hedge's g of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.12-0.60, z=2.93, p ≤ .005) with low heterogeneity (Q-value: 2.40, I 2 = 0.00). This result excluded two studies that used observational coding instead of standardized tests to evaluate the effects of the intervention. A moderator analysis indicated that the effect size for systematic direct observation was large ( Hedge's G = 1.05[95% CI: 0.66-1.44, z=5.25, p ≤ .00]), with very high heterogeneity (Q-value: 46.34, I 2 : 93.53). A second moderator analysis found differences in the effects of DBRCs for comorbid externalizing symptoms with an overall effect size of 0.34 (95%CI: -0.04-0.72, z=1.76 p =0.08) with high heterogeneity (Q-value: 3.98, I 2 : 74.85). DBRCs effectively reduce the frequency and severity of ADHD symptoms in classroom settings. Additionally, they have a significant effect on co-occuring externalizing behaviors. It appears that systematic direct observation may be a more sensitive measure of treatment effects compared to teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms.

Transcriptome analysis of genes and gene networks involved in aggressive behavior in mouse and zebrafish.

PubMed

Malki, Karim; Du Rietz, Ebba; Crusio, Wim E; Pain, Oliver; Paya-Cano, Jose; Karadaghi, Rezhaw L; Sluyter, Frans; de Boer, Sietse F; Sandnabba, Kenneth; Schalkwyk, Leonard C; Asherson, Philip; Tosto, Maria Grazia

2016-09-01

Despite moderate heritability estimates, the molecular architecture of aggressive behavior remains poorly characterized. This study compared gene expression profiles from a genetic mouse model of aggression with zebrafish, an animal model traditionally used to study aggression. A meta-analytic, cross-species approach was used to identify genomic variants associated with aggressive behavior. The Rankprod algorithm was used to evaluated mRNA differences from prefrontal cortex tissues of three sets of mouse lines (N = 18) selectively bred for low and high aggressive behavior (SAL/LAL, TA/TNA, and NC900/NC100). The same approach was used to evaluate mRNA differences in zebrafish (N = 12) exposed to aggressive or non-aggressive social encounters. Results were compared to uncover genes consistently implicated in aggression across both studies. Seventy-six genes were differentially expressed (PFP < 0.05) in aggressive compared to non-aggressive mice. Seventy genes were differentially expressed in zebrafish exposed to a fight encounter compared to isolated zebrafish. Seven genes (Fos, Dusp1, Hdac4, Ier2, Bdnf, Btg2, and Nr4a1) were differentially expressed across both species 5 of which belonging to a gene-network centred on the c-Fos gene hub. Network analysis revealed an association with the MAPK signaling cascade. In human studies HDAC4 haploinsufficiency is a key genetic mechanism associated with brachydactyly mental retardation syndrome (BDMR), which is associated with aggressive behaviors. Moreover, the HDAC4 receptor is a drug target for valproic acid, which is being employed as an effective pharmacological treatment for aggressive behavior in geriatric, psychiatric, and brain-injury patients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neurodevelopmental Status and Adaptive Behaviors in Preschool Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duquette, Peter J.; Hooper, Stephen R.; Icard, Phil F.; Hower, Sarah J.; Mamak, Eva G.; Wetherington, Crista E.; Gipson, Debbie S.

2009-01-01

This study examines the early neurodevelopmental function of infants and preschool children who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Fifteen patients with CKD are compared to a healthy control group using the "Mullen Scales of Early Learning" (MSEL) and the "Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale" (VABS). Multivariate analysis reveals…

Artificial Neural Networks: A New Approach to Predicting Application Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Julie M. Byers; DesJardins, Stephen L.

2002-01-01

Applied the technique of artificial neural networks to predict which students were likely to apply to one research university. Compared the results to the traditional analysis tool, logistic regression modeling. Found that the addition of artificial intelligence models was a useful new tool for predicting student application behavior. (EV)

A meta-analysis of the relations between three types of peer norms and adolescent sexual behavior

PubMed Central

van de Bongardt, Daphne; Reitz, Ellen; Sandfort, Theo; Deković, Maja

2018-01-01

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between three types of peer norms–descriptive norms (peer sexual behaviors), injunctive norms (peer sexual attitudes), and peer pressure to have sex–and two adolescent sexual behavior outcomes (sexual activity and sexual risk behavior). Adolescent sexual activity was more strongly associated with descriptive norms (ESrfixed = .40) than with injunctive norms (ESrfixed = .22) or peer pressure (ESrfixed = .10). Compared with the sexual activity outcome, the effect size for descriptive norms (peer sexual risk behavior) for sexual risk behavior was smaller (ESrfixed = .11). Age, gender, peer type, and socio-cultural context significantly moderated these associations. Additional analyses of longitudinal studies suggested that selection effects were stronger than socialization effects. These findings offer empirical support for the conceptual distinction between three types of peer norms and hold important implications for theory, research, and intervention strategies. PMID:25217363

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis on Privacy Leak Behavior

PubMed Central

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects. PMID:24066046

Comprehensive quantitative analysis on privacy leak behavior.

PubMed

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects.

Species differences in brain gene expression profiles associated with adult behavioral maturation in honey bees.

PubMed

Sen Sarma, Moushumi; Whitfield, Charles W; Robinson, Gene E

2007-06-29

Honey bees are known for several striking social behaviors, including a complex pattern of behavioral maturation that gives rise to an age-related colony division of labor and a symbolic dance language, by which successful foragers communicate the location of attractive food sources to their nestmates. Our understanding of honey bees is mostly based on studies of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, even though there are 9-10 other members of genus Apis, showing interesting variations in social behavior relative to A. mellifera. To facilitate future in-depth genomic and molecular level comparisons of behavior across the genus, we performed a microarray analysis of brain gene expression for A. mellifera and three key species found in Asia, A. cerana, A. florea and A. dorsata. For each species we compared brain gene expression patterns between foragers and adult one-day-old bees on an A. mellifera cDNA microarray and calculated within-species gene expression ratios to facilitate cross-species analysis. The number of cDNA spots showing hybridization fluorescence intensities above the experimental threshold was reduced by an average of 16% in the Asian species compared to A. mellifera, but an average of 71% of genes on the microarray were available for analysis. Brain gene expression profiles between foragers and one-day-olds showed differences that are consistent with a previous study on A. mellifera and were comparable across species. Although 1772 genes showed significant differences in expression between foragers and one-day-olds, only 218 genes showed differences in forager/one-day-old expression between species (p < 0.001). Principal Components Analysis revealed dominant patterns of expression that clearly distinguished between the four species but did not reflect known differences in behavior and ecology. There were species differences in brain expression profiles for functionally related groups of genes. We conclude that the A. mellifera cDNA microarray can be used effectively for cross-species comparisons within the genus. Our results indicate that there is a widespread conservation of the molecular processes in the honey bee brain underlying behavioral maturation. Species differences in brain expression profiles for functionally related groups of genes provide possible clues to the basis of behavioral variation in the genus.

Impact of fall-related behaviors as risk factors for falls among the elderly patients with dementia in a geriatric facility in Japan.

PubMed

Suzuki, Mizue; Kurata, Sadami; Yamamoto, Emiko; Makino, Kumiko; Kanamori, Masao

2012-09-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify potential fall-related behaviors as fall risk factors that may predict the potential for falls among the elderly patients with dementia at a geriatric facility in Japan. This study was conducted from April 2008 to May 2009. A baseline study was conducted in April 2008 to evaluate Mini-Mental State Examination, Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, fall-related behaviors, and other factors. For statistical analysis, paired t test and logistic analysis were used to compare each item between fallers and nonfallers. A total of 135 participants were followed up for 1 year; 50 participants (37.04%) fell during that period. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the total score for fall-related behaviors was significantly related to falls. It was suggested that 11 fall-related behaviors may be effective indicators to predict falls among the elderly patients with dementia.

Environment-friendly cathodes using biopolymer chitosan with enhanced electrochemical behavior for use in lithium ion batteries.

PubMed

Prasanna, K; Subburaj, T; Jo, Yong Nam; Lee, Won Jong; Lee, Chang Woo

2015-04-22

The biopolymer chitosan has been investigated as a potential binder for the fabrication of LiFePO4 cathode electrodes in lithium ion batteries. Chitosan is compared to the conventional binder, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Dispersion of the active material, LiFePO4, and conductive agent, Super P carbon black, is tested using a viscosity analysis. The enhanced structural and morphological properties of chitosan are compared to the PVDF binder using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Using an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis, the LiFePO4 electrode with the chitosan binder is observed to have a high ionic conductivity and a smaller increase in charge transfer resistance based on time compared to the LiFePO4 electrode with the PVDF binder. The electrode with the chitosan binder also attains a higher discharge capacity of 159.4 mAh g(-1) with an excellent capacity retention ratio of 98.38% compared to the electrode with the PVDF binder, which had a discharge capacity of 127.9 mAh g(-1) and a capacity retention ratio of 85.13%. Further, the cycling behavior of the chitosan-based electrode is supported by scrutinizing its charge-discharge behavior at specified intervals and by a plot of dQ/dV.

Gender differences in nonfatal suicidal behavior in Pakistan: significance of sociocultural factors.

PubMed

Khan, M M; Reza, H

1998-01-01

Suicidal behavior is an understudied subject in Pakistan. A variety of social, legal, and religious factors make reporting and data collection on suicide and nonfatal suicidal behavior difficult. To study the problem, a retrospective case-note analysis was carried out in which the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 262 female and 185 male suicidal individuals admitted to a university hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, are compared. Three quarters of the suicidal persons were under the age of 30 years. Compared to men, women were younger and more often married. Both women and men tended to use self-poisoning with benzodiazepines, but more women used organophosphate insecticides. In Pakistani society, legal, social, and economic discrimination predisposes women to psychological distress and subsequent suicidal behavior. The study highlights the need for culture-specific research on suicidal behavior in Pakistan.

A theoretical analysis of deformation behavior of auxetic plied yarn structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Jifang; Hu, Hong

2018-07-01

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the auxetic plied yarn (APY) structure formed with two types of single yarns having different diameter and modulus. A model which can be used to predict its deformation behavior under axial extension is developed based on the theoretical analysis. The developed model is first compared with the experimental data obtained in the previous study, and then used to predict the effects of different structural and material parameters on the auxetic behavior of the APY. The calculation results show that the developed model can correctly predict the variation trend of the auxetic behavior of the APY, which first increases and then decrease with the increase of the axial strain. The calculation results also indicate that the auxetic behavior of the APY simultaneously depends on the diameter ratio of the soft yarn and stiff yarn as well as the ratio between the pitch length and stiff yarn diameter. The study provides a way to design and fabricate APYs with the same auxetic behavior by using different soft and stiff yarns as long as these two ratios are kept unchanged.

Use of an Antecedent Analysis and a Force Sensitive Platform to Compare Stereotyped Movements and Motor Tics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosland, Kimberly A.; Zarcone, Jennifer R.; Schroeder, Stephen; Zarcane, Troy; Fowler, Stephen

2005-01-01

Stereotyped movements displayed by 6 participants and tics displayed by 6 children were evaluated using an antecedent behavioral analysis and a force sensitive platform. We found that tics occurred more often in an alone condition when compared to high preference toy and play conditions, whereas stereotyped movements were more variable across…

Diving into the analysis of time-depth recorder and behavioural data records: A workshop summary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Womble, Jamie N.; Horning, Markus; Lea, Mary-Anne; Rehberg, Michael J.

2013-04-01

Directly observing the foraging behavior of animals in the marine environment can be extremely challenging, if not impossible, as such behavior often takes place beneath the surface of the ocean and in extremely remote areas. In lieu of directly observing foraging behavior, data from time-depth recorders and other types of behavioral data recording devices are commonly used to describe and quantify the behavior of fish, squid, seabirds, sea turtles, pinnipeds, and cetaceans. Often the definitions of actual behavioral units and analytical approaches may vary substantially which may influence results and limit our ability to compare behaviors of interest across taxonomic groups and geographic regions. A workshop was convened in association with the Fourth International Symposium on Bio-logging in Hobart, Tasmania on 8 March 2011, with the goal of providing a forum for the presentation, review, and discussion of various methods and approaches that are used to describe and analyze time-depth recorder and associated behavioral data records. The international meeting brought together 36 participants from 14 countries from a diversity of backgrounds including scientists from academia and government, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and developers of electronic tagging technology and analysis software. The specific objectives of the workshop were to host a series of invited presentations followed by discussion sessions focused on (1) identifying behavioral units and metrics that are suitable for empirical studies, (2) reviewing analytical approaches and techniques that can be used to objectively classify behavior, and (3) identifying cases when temporal autocorrelation structure is useful for identifying behaviors of interest. Outcomes of the workshop included highlighting the need to better define behavioral units and to devise more standardized processing and analytical techniques in order to ensure that results are comparable across studies and taxonomic groups.

[Adolescence, sexual behavior and risk factors to health].

PubMed

Assis, Simone Gonçalves de; Gomes, Romeu; Pires, Thiago de Oliveira

2014-02-01

To analyze the relationships between sexual behavior and risk factors to physical and mental health in adolescents. Study of 3,195 pupils aged 15 to 19 in secondary education, in public and private schools in 10 state capitals in Brazil between 2007 and 2008. Multi-stage (schools and pupils) cluster sampling was used in each city and public and private educational network. All of the students selected completed a questionnaire on the following items: socioeconomic and demographic data; sexual behavior; having sex with those of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both; alcohol and cannabis use; using condoms; traumatic sexual experiences as a child or adolescent; suicidal thoughts. The analysis included describing frequencies, Chi-square test, analysis of multiple and cluster correspondence. Responses to an open ended question in which the adolescent expressed general comments about themselves and their lives were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis. Around 3.0% of adolescents reported homosexual or bisexual behavior, with no difference according to sex, age, skin color, social status family structure or educational network. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior, compared to their heterosexual peers, reported: (p < 0.05): getting drunk (18.7% and 10.5%, respectively), frequent cannabis use (6.1% and 2.1%, respectively), suicidal thoughts (42.5% and 18.7%, respectively), and having been the victim of sexual violence (11.7% and 1.5%; respectively). Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior reported that they used condoms less frequently (74.2%) than their heterosexual peers (48.6%, p < 0.001). In the correspondence analysis, three groups were found, one composed of adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior and experiencing risk factors; suffering sexual violence, never using a condom, suicidal thoughts, frequent cannabis use; another composed of occasional cannabis and condom users, who got drunk frequently, and adolescents with heterosexual behavior and none of the risk factors investigated. More of the risk factors were found in adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior compared with those with heterosexual behavior. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior were more likely to talk about their positive personal experiences and negative relationship experiences that their heterosexual peers, but spoke less about religion. Not only should this issue be studied in more detail, but preventative actions aimed at adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior should be widened.

Adolescence, sexual behavior and risk factors to health

PubMed Central

de Assis, Simone Gonçalves; Gomes, Romeu; Pires, Thiago de Oliveira

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationships between sexual behavior and risk factors to physical and mental health in adolescents. METHODS Study of 3,195 pupils aged 15 to 19 in secondary education, in public and private schools in 10 state capitals in Brazil between 2007 and 2008. Multi-stage (schools and pupils) cluster sampling was used in each city and public and private educational network. All of the students selected completed a questionnaire on the following items: socioeconomic and demographic data; sexual behavior; having sex with those of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both; alcohol and cannabis use; using condoms; traumatic sexual experiences as a child or adolescent; suicidal thoughts. The analysis included describing frequencies, Chi-square test, analysis of multiple and cluster correspondence. Responses to an open ended question in which the adolescent expressed general comments about themselves and their lives were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS Around 3.0% of adolescents reported homosexual or bisexual behavior, with no difference according to sex, age, skin color, social status family structure or educational network. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior, compared to their heterosexual peers, reported: (p < 0.05): getting drunk (18.7% and 10.5%, respectively), frequent cannabis use (6.1% and 2.1%, respectively), suicidal thoughts (42.5% and 18.7%, respectively), and having been the victim of sexual violence (11.7% and 1.5%; respectively). Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior reported that they used condoms less frequently (74.2%) than their heterosexual peers (48.6%, p < 0.001). In the correspondence analysis, three groups were found, one composed of adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior and experiencing risk factors; suffering sexual violence, never using a condom, suicidal thoughts, frequent cannabis use; another composed of occasional cannabis and condom users, who got drunk frequently, and adolescents with heterosexual behavior and none of the risk factors investigated. More of the risk factors were found in adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior compared with those with heterosexual behavior. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior were more likely to talk about their positive personal experiences and negative relationship experiences that their heterosexual peers, but spoke less about religion. CONCLUSIONS Not only should this issue be studied in more detail, but preventative actions aimed at adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior should be widened. PMID:24789636

Age-related changes in behavior in C57BL/6J mice from young adulthood to middle age.

PubMed

Shoji, Hirotaka; Takao, Keizo; Hattori, Satoko; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi

2016-01-28

Aging is considered to be associated with progressive changes in the brain and its associated sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. A large number of studies comparing young and aged animals have reported differences in various behaviors between age-cohorts, indicating behavioral dysfunctions related to aging. However, relatively little is known about behavioral changes from young adulthood to middle age, and the effect of age on behavior during the early stages of life remains to be understood. In order to investigate age-related changes in the behaviors of mice from young adulthood to middle age, we performed a large-scale analysis of the behavioral data obtained from our behavioral test battery involving 1739 C57BL/6J wild-type mice at 2-12 months of age. Significant behavioral differences between age groups (2-3-, 4-5-, 6-7-, and 8-12-month-old groups) were found in all the behavioral tests, including the light/dark transition, open field, elevated plus maze, rotarod, social interaction, prepulse inhibition, Porsolt forced swim, tail suspension, Barnes maze, and fear conditioning tests, except for the hot plate test. Compared with the 2-3-month-old group, the 4-5- and 6-7-month-old groups exhibited decreased locomotor activity to novel environments, motor function, acoustic startle response, social behavior, and depression-related behavior, increased prepulse inhibition, and deficits in spatial and cued fear memory. For most behaviors, the 8-12-month-old group showed similar but more pronounced changes in most of these behaviors compared with the younger age groups. Older groups exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior in the light/dark transition test whereas those groups showed seemingly decreased anxiety-like behavior measured by the elevated plus maze test. The large-scale analysis of behavioral data from our battery of behavioral tests indicated age-related changes in a wide range of behaviors from young adulthood to middle age in C57BL/6J mice, though these results might have been influenced by possible confounding factors such as the time of day at testing and prior test experience. Our results also indicate that relatively narrow age differences can produce significant behavioral differences during adulthood in mice. These findings provide an insight into our understanding of the neurobiological processes underlying brain function and behavior that are subject to age-related changes in early to middle life. The findings also indicate that age is one of the critical factors to be carefully considered when designing behavioral tests and interpreting behavioral differences that might be induced by experimental manipulations.

Food additives and behavior in 8- to 9-year-old children in Hong Kong: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Lok, Kris Y W; Chan, Ruth S M; Lee, Vivian W Y; Leung, Patrick W; Leung, Cynthia; Leung, Jason; Woo, Jean

2013-01-01

To test the individual effect of artificial food colorings (AFCs) and a preservative on the behavior of the general Chinese population. One hundred thirty children (70 boys and 60 girls) in Hong Kong with a mean age of 8.64 years were enlisted to the study with a within-subject crossover between AFCs, a preservative (sodium benzoate), and a placebo capsule. Two behavior scores were used including the strengths and weaknesses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and normal behavior rating scale and the child behavior checklist-teacher report form. Capsule A containing AFCs and Capsule B containing sodium benzoate had no significant adverse effect compared with placebo in both behavior scores. This result persisted when analysis was restricted to children with 85% consumption of capsule (per protocol analysis). There seem to be no significant associations between AFCs and a preservative on Chinese children's behavior at the age of 8 to 9 years. Future directions and implications of this research are discussed.

GVIPS Models and Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M.; Gendy, Atef; Saleeb, Atef F.; Mark, John; Wilt, Thomas E.

2007-01-01

Two reports discuss, respectively, (1) the generalized viscoplasticity with potential structure (GVIPS) class of mathematical models and (2) the Constitutive Material Parameter Estimator (COMPARE) computer program. GVIPS models are constructed within a thermodynamics- and potential-based theoretical framework, wherein one uses internal state variables and derives constitutive equations for both the reversible (elastic) and the irreversible (viscoplastic) behaviors of materials. Because of the underlying potential structure, GVIPS models not only capture a variety of material behaviors but also are very computationally efficient. COMPARE comprises (1) an analysis core and (2) a C++-language subprogram that implements a Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling the core. The GUI relieves the user of the sometimes tedious task of preparing data for the analysis core, freeing the user to concentrate on the task of fitting experimental data and ultimately obtaining a set of material parameters. The analysis core consists of three modules: one for GVIPS material models, an analysis module containing a specialized finite-element solution algorithm, and an optimization module. COMPARE solves the problem of finding GVIPS material parameters in the manner of a design-optimization problem in which the parameters are the design variables.

Empathy and prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress in 6- to 7-year olds diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Deschamps, P K H; Schutter, D J L G; Kenemans, J L; Matthys, W

2015-01-01

Empathy has been associated with decreased antisocial and increased prosocial behavior. This study examined empathy and prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress in disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Six- and 7-year-old children with DBD (with and without ADHD) (n = 67) and with ADHD only (n = 27) were compared to typically developing children (TD) (n = 37). Parents and teachers rated affective empathy in response to sadness and distress on the Griffith Empathy Measure. Children reported affective empathic ability in response to sad story vignettes. Empathy-induced prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress was assessed with a computer task, the Interpersonal Response Task (IRT). Compared to TD, children with DBD (with and without ADHD) and those with ADHD only were rated as less empathic by their teachers, but not by their parents. No differences between groups were observed in children who reported affect correspondence. Children with DBD (with and without ADHD) showed less prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress compared to TD. Children with ADHD only did not differ from TD. An additional analysis comparing all children with a diagnosis to the TD group revealed that the difference in prosocial behavior remained after controlling for ADHD symptoms, but not after controlling for DBD symptoms. These findings of impaired empathy-induced prosocial behavior in response to sadness and distress in young children with DBD suggest that interventions to ameliorate peer relationships may benefit from targeting on increasing prosocial behavior in these children.

The search for cognitive terminology: an analysis of comparative psychology journal titles.

PubMed

Whissell, Cynthia; Abramson, Charles I; Barber, Kelsey R

2013-03-01

This research examines the employment of cognitive or mentalist words in the titles of articles from three comparative psychology journals (Journal of Comparative Psychology, International Journal of Comparative Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes; 8,572 titles, >100,000 words). The Dictionary of Affect in Language, coupled with a word search of titles, was employed to demonstrate cognitive creep. The use of cognitive terminology increased over time (1940-2010) and the increase was especially notable in comparison to the use of behavioral words, highlighting a progressively cognitivist approach to comparative research. Problems associated with the use of cognitive terminology in this domain include a lack of operationalization and a lack of portability. There were stylistic differences among journals including an increased use of words rated as pleasant and concrete across years for Journal of Comparative Psychology, and a greater use of emotionally unpleasant and concrete words in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes.

Dietary and weight-related behaviors and body mass index among Hispanic, Hmong, Somali, and white adolescents.

PubMed

Arcan, Chrisa; Larson, Nicole; Bauer, Kate; Berge, Jerica; Story, Mary; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2014-03-01

The population of the United States is becoming increasingly ethnically and racially diverse, much of it due to immigration patterns. However, little is known about dietary intake and weight-related concerns and behaviors of youth from some ethnic-minority groups, especially Hispanic, Hmong, and Somali adolescents. Our aim was to describe dietary intake and weight-related concerns and behaviors among Hispanic, Hmong, and Somali adolescents and compare them with white adolescents. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from Eating and Activity in Teens 2010, a population-based study in the Minneapolis/St Paul metropolitan area. Current analysis includes 1,672 adolescents (Hispanic: n=562 [33.6%]; Hmong: n=477 [28.5%]; Somali: n=113 [6.8%]; white: n=520 [31.1%]; mean age=15.0 years). Adolescents completed classroom surveys and had their height/weight measured during the 2009-2010 academic year. Multivariable regression models, adjusted for socioeconomic status, age, and school as a random effect were used to examine racial/ethnic differences for each outcome variable for boys and girls. There were numerous differences in the behaviors of Hispanic, Hmong, and Somali adolescents as compared with whites. Hispanic and Somali youth consumed fruit and fast food more frequently. Hmong adolescents consumed sugar-sweetened beverages less frequently, and Somali boys consumed energy and sport drinks more frequently than whites. Compared with white boys, overweight/obesity was higher among Hispanic and Hmong. A higher percentage of Hmong and Somali adolescents engaged in unhealthy weight control behaviors. Body satisfaction was lower for all Hmong adolescents compared with whites. There were varying areas of concern in dietary intake, weight, and weight-related concerns and behaviors among adolescents in all ethnic groups. Future nutrition and physical activity interventions that include adolescents from these ethnic and cultural groups can benefit from, for example, modifying intervention strategies to the specific priority behaviors within the target population. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative peptidomics analysis of neural adaptations in rats repeatedly exposed to amphetamine.

PubMed

Romanova, Elena V; Lee, Ji Eun; Kelleher, Neil L; Sweedler, Jonathan V; Gulley, Joshua M

2012-10-01

Repeated exposure to amphetamine (AMPH) induces long-lasting behavioral changes, referred to as sensitization, that are accompanied by various neuroadaptations in the brain. To investigate the chemical changes that occur during behavioral sensitization, we applied a comparative proteomics approach to screen for neuropeptide changes in a rodent model of AMPH-induced sensitization. By measuring peptide profiles with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and comparing signal intensities using principal component analysis and variance statistics, subsets of peptides are found with significant differences in the dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex of AMPH-sensitized male Sprague-Dawley rats. These biomarker peptides, identified in follow-up analyses using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, suggest that behavioral sensitization to AMPH is associated with complex chemical adaptations that regulate energy/metabolism, neurotransmission, apoptosis, neuroprotection, and neuritogenesis, as well as cytoskeleton integrity and neuronal morphology. Our data contribute to a growing number of reports showing that in addition to the mesolimbic dopamine system, which is the best known signaling pathway involved with reinforcing the effect of psychostimulants, concomitant chemical changes in other pathways and in neuronal organization may play a part in the overall effect of chronic AMPH exposure on behavior. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Neurochemistry © 2012 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Multiple-Respondent Anecdotal Assessments: An Analysis of Interrater Agreement and Correspondence with Analogue Assessment Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Carla M.; Smith, Richard G.; Dracobly, Joseph D.; Pace, Amy Peterson

2012-01-01

We evaluated interrater agreement across multiple respondents on anecdotal assessments and compared cases in which agreement was obtained with outcomes of functional analyses. Experiment 1 evaluated agreement among multiple respondents on the function of problem behavior for 27 individuals across 42 target behaviors using the Motivation Assessment…

Research Base for Improved Classroom Learning: Brain or Behavior? Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruer, John T.

2015-01-01

Implicit in recent Evidence Speaks postings is the need to develop evidence-based interventions for improving student achievement. Comparative analysis of the education research literature versus the educational neuroscience literature suggests that education research, grounded in the behavioral and cognitive sciences, is currently the better…

The Influence of Place-Based Communities on Information Behavior: A Comparative Grounded Theory Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Amelia N.

2013-01-01

This study examines the effect of experiential place and local community on information access and behavior for two communities of parents of children with Down syndrome. It uncovers substantive issues associated with health information seeking, government and education-related information access, and information overload and avoidance within the…

A behavioral economic reward index predicts drinking resolutions: moderation revisited and compared with other outcomes.

PubMed

Tucker, Jalie A; Roth, David L; Vignolo, Mary J; Westfall, Andrew O

2009-04-01

Data were pooled from 3 studies of recently resolved community-dwelling problem drinkers to determine whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons distinguished among moderation (n = 30), abstinent (n = 95), and unresolved (n = 77) outcomes. Moderation over 1- to 2-year prospective follow-up intervals was hypothesized to involve longer term behavior regulation processes than abstinence or relapse and to be predicted by more balanced preresolution monetary allocations between short-term and longer term objectives (i.e., drinking and saving for the future). Standardized odds ratios (ORs) based on changes in standard deviation units from a multinomial logistic regression indicated that increases on this "Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure" index predicted higher rates of abstinence (OR = 1.93, p = .004) and relapse (OR = 2.89, p < .0001) compared with moderation outcomes. The index had incremental utility in predicting moderation in complex models that included other established predictors. The study adds to evidence supporting a behavioral economic analysis of drinking resolutions and shows that a systematic analysis of preresolution spending patterns aids in predicting moderation.

Manual versus Automated Rodent Behavioral Assessment: Comparing Efficacy and Ease of Bederson and Garcia Neurological Deficit Scores to an Open Field Video-Tracking System.

PubMed

Desland, Fiona A; Afzal, Aqeela; Warraich, Zuha; Mocco, J

2014-01-01

Animal models of stroke have been crucial in advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Currently, the standards for determining neurological deficit in rodents are the Bederson and Garcia scales, manual assessments scoring animals based on parameters ranked on a narrow scale of severity. Automated open field analysis of a live-video tracking system that analyzes animal behavior may provide a more sensitive test. Results obtained from the manual Bederson and Garcia scales did not show significant differences between pre- and post-stroke animals in a small cohort. When using the same cohort, however, post-stroke data obtained from automated open field analysis showed significant differences in several parameters. Furthermore, large cohort analysis also demonstrated increased sensitivity with automated open field analysis versus the Bederson and Garcia scales. These early data indicate use of automated open field analysis software may provide a more sensitive assessment when compared to traditional Bederson and Garcia scales.

TRICARE Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Benefit

PubMed Central

Maglione, Margaret; Kadiyala, Srikanth; Kress, Amii; Hastings, Jaime L.; O'Hanlon, Claire E.

2017-01-01

Abstract This study compared the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) benefit provided by TRICARE as an early intervention for autism spectrum disorder with similar benefits in Medicaid and commercial health insurance plans. The sponsor, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, was particularly interested in how a proposed TRICARE reimbursement rate decrease from $125 per hour to $68 per hour for ABA services performed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst compared with reimbursement rates (defined as third-party payment to the service provider) in Medicaid and commercial health insurance plans. Information on ABA coverage in state Medicaid programs was collected from Medicaid state waiver databases; subsequently, Medicaid provider reimbursement data were collected from state Medicaid fee schedules. Applied Behavior Analysis provider reimbursement in the commercial health insurance system was estimated using Truven Health MarketScan® data. A weighted mean U.S. reimbursement rate was calculated for several services using cross-state information on the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Locations of potential provider shortages were also identified. Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursement rates varied considerably across the United States. This project concluded that the proposed $68-per-hour reimbursement rate for services provided by a board certified analyst was more than 25 percent below the U.S. mean. PMID:28845348

The role of behavioral economic incentive design and demographic characteristics in financial incentive-based approaches to changing health behaviors: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Haff, Nancy; Patel, Mitesh S; Lim, Raymond; Zhu, Jingsan; Troxel, Andrea B; Asch, David A; Volpp, Kevin G

2015-01-01

To evaluate the use of behavioral economics to design financial incentives to promote health behavior change and to explore associations with demographic characteristics. Studies performed by the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania published between January 2006 and March 2014. Randomized, controlled trials with available participant-level data. Studies that did not use financial incentives to promote health behavior change were excluded. Participant-level data from seven studies were pooled. Meta-analysis on the pooled sample using a random-effects model with interaction terms to examine treatment effects and whether they varied by incentive structure or demographic characteristics. The pooled study sample comprised 1403 participants, of whom 35% were female, 70% were white, 24% were black, and the mean age was 48 years (standard deviation 11.2 years). In the fully adjusted model, participants offered financial incentives had higher odds of behavior change (odds ratio [OR]: 3.96; p < .01) when compared to control. There were no significant interactions between financial incentives and gender, age, race, income, or education. When further adjusting for incentive structure, blacks had higher odds than whites of achieving behavior change (OR: 1.67; p < .05) with a conditional payment. Compared to lower-income participants, higher-income participants had lower odds of behavior change (OR: 0.46; p = .01) with a regret lottery. Financial incentives designed using concepts from behavioral economics were effective for promoting health behavior change. There were no large and consistent relationships between the effectiveness of financial incentives and observable demographic characteristics. Second-order examinations of incentive structure suggest potential relationships among the effectiveness of financial incentives, incentive structure, and the demographic characteristics of race and income.

Visualization techniques for malware behavior analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grégio, André R. A.; Santos, Rafael D. C.

2011-06-01

Malware spread via Internet is a great security threat, so studying their behavior is important to identify and classify them. Using SSDT hooking we can obtain malware behavior by running it in a controlled environment and capturing interactions with the target operating system regarding file, process, registry, network and mutex activities. This generates a chain of events that can be used to compare them with other known malware. In this paper we present a simple approach to convert malware behavior into activity graphs and show some visualization techniques that can be used to analyze malware behavior, individually or grouped.

Needs Assessment for Behavioral Health Workforce: a State-Level Analysis.

PubMed

Nayar, Preethy; Apenteng, Bettye; Nguyen, Anh T; Shaw-Sutherland, Kelly; Ojha, Diptee; Deras, Marlene

2017-07-01

This study describes trends in the supply and the need for behavioral health professionals in Nebraska. A state-level health workforce database was used to estimate the behavioral health workforce supply and need. Compared with national estimates, Nebraska has a lower proportion of all categories of behavioral health professionals. The majority of Nebraska counties have unusually high needs for mental health professionals, with rural areas experiencing a decline in the supply of psychiatrists over the last decade. Availability of robust state-level health workforce data can assist in crafting effective policy for successful systems change, particularly for behavioral health.

Mouse Behavior on ISS: The Emergence of a Distinctive, Organized Group Circling Behavior Unique to Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronca, A. E.; Moyer, E. L.; Talyansky, Y.; Solomides, P.; Choi, S.; Gong, C.; Globus, R. K.

2017-01-01

As interest in long duration effects of space habitation increases, understanding the behavior of model organisms living within the habitats engineered to fly them is vital for designing, validating, and interpreting future spaceflight studies. Only a handful of papers have previously reported behavior of mice and rats in the weightless environment of space (Andreev-Andrievskiy, et al., 2013; Cancedda et al., 2012; Ronca et al., 2008). The Rodent Research Hardware and Operations Validation Mission (Rodent Research-1; RR1) utilized the Rodent Habitat (RH) developed at NASA Ames Research Center to fly mice on the ISS. Ten adult (16-week-old) female C57BL6J mice were launched on September 21st, 2014 in an unmanned Dragon Capsule, and spent 37 days in flight. Here we report group behavioral phenotypes of the RR1 Flight (FLT) and environment-matched Ground Control (GC) mice in the RH during this long duration flight. Video was recorded for 34 days on the ISS, permitting daily assessments of overall health and well being of the mice, and providing a valuable repository for detailed behavioral analysis. As compared to GC mice, RR1 FLT mice exhibited the same range of behaviors, including eating, drinking, exploration, self- and allogrooming, and social interactions at similar or greater levels of occurrence. Overall activity was greater in FLT as compared to GC mice, with spontaneous ambulatory behavior, including organized circling or race-tracking behavior that emerged within the first few days of flight following a common developmental sequence, comprising the primary dark cycle activity of FLT mice. Circling participation by individual mice persisted throughout the mission. Analysis of group behavior over mission days revealed recruitment of mice into the group phenotype, coupled with decreasing numbers of collisions between circling mice. This analysis provides insights into the behavior of mice in microgravity, and clear evidence for the emergence of a distinctive, organized group behavior unique to the weightless space environment. Supported by the NASA Rodent Research Project, Space Biology Program, and Space Life Sciences Training Program.

Analysis of a deflating soap bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, David P.; Sleyman, Sarah

2010-10-01

A soap bubble on the end of a cylindrical tube is seen to deflate as the higher pressure air inside the bubble escapes through a tube. We perform an experiment to measure the radius of the slowly deflating bubble and observe that the radius decreases to a minimum before quickly increasing. This behavior reflects the fact that the bubble ends up as a flat surface over the end of the tube. A theoretical analysis reproduces this behavior and compares favorably with the experimental data.

Thermal behavior spiral bevel gears. Ph.D. Thesis - Case Western Univ., Aug. 1993

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert F.

1995-01-01

An experimental and analytical study of the thermal behavior of spiral bevel gears is presented. Experimental data were taken using thermocoupled test hardware and an infrared microscope. Many operational parameters were varied to investigate their effects on the thermal behavior. The data taken were also used to validate the boundary conditions applied to the analytical model. A finite element-based solution sequence was developed. The three-dimensional model was developed based on the manufacturing process for these gears. Contact between the meshing gears was found using tooth contact analysis to describe the location, curvatures, orientations, and surface velocities. This information was then used in a three-dimensional Hertzian contact analysis to predict contact ellipse size and maximum pressure. From these results, an estimate of the heat flux magnitude and the location on the finite element model was made. The finite element model used time-averaged boundary conditions to permit the solution to attain steady state in a computationally efficient manner.Then time- and position-varying boundary conditions were applied to the model to analyze the cyclic heating and cooling due to the gears meshing and transferring heat to the surroundings, respectively. The model was run in this mode until the temperature behavior stabilized. The transient flash temperature on the surface was therefore described. The analysis can be used to predict the overall expected thermal behavior of spiral bevel gears. The experimental and analytical results were compared for this study and also with a limited number of other studies. The experimental and analytical results attained in the current study were basically within 10% of each other for the cases compared. The experimental comparison was for bulk thermocouple locations and data taken with an infrared microscope. The results of a limited number of other studies were compared with those obtained herein and predicted the same basic behavior.

Training Needs Analysis: Weaknesses in the Conventional Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leat, Michael James; Lovel, Murray Jack

1997-01-01

Identification of the training and development needs of administrative support staff is not aided by conventional performance appraisal, which measures summary or comparative effectiveness. Meaningful diagnostic evaluation integrates three levels of analysis (organization, task, and individual), using behavioral expectation scales. (SK)

Estimation of the behavior factor of existing RC-MRF buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vona, Marco; Mastroberti, Monica

2018-01-01

In recent years, several research groups have studied a new generation of analysis methods for seismic response assessment of existing buildings. Nevertheless, many important developments are still needed in order to define more reliable and effective assessment procedures. Moreover, regarding existing buildings, it should be highlighted that due to the low knowledge level, the linear elastic analysis is the only analysis method allowed. The same codes (such as NTC2008, EC8) consider the linear dynamic analysis with behavior factor as the reference method for the evaluation of seismic demand. This type of analysis is based on a linear-elastic structural model subject to a design spectrum, obtained by reducing the elastic spectrum through a behavior factor. The behavior factor (reduction factor or q factor in some codes) is used to reduce the elastic spectrum ordinate or the forces obtained from a linear analysis in order to take into account the non-linear structural capacities. The behavior factors should be defined based on several parameters that influence the seismic nonlinear capacity, such as mechanical materials characteristics, structural system, irregularity and design procedures. In practical applications, there is still an evident lack of detailed rules and accurate behavior factor values adequate for existing buildings. In this work, some investigations of the seismic capacity of the main existing RC-MRF building types have been carried out. In order to make a correct evaluation of the seismic force demand, actual behavior factor values coherent with force based seismic safety assessment procedure have been proposed and compared with the values reported in the Italian seismic code, NTC08.

A Comparison of Descriptive and Functional Analyses of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior.

PubMed

Borrero, Carrie S W; England, Jennie D; Sarcia, Ben; Woods, Julia N

2016-12-01

In recent years, rather than being used to assess the potential function of a response, descriptive assessment methods have been applied to evaluate potential consequences or contingencies for problem behavior (Borrero, Woods, Borrero, Masler, & Lesser in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43 , 71-88. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2010.43-71, 2010) or to assist with designing baseline conditions to approximate caregiver behavior (Casey et al. in Behavior Modification, 33 , 537-558. doi: 10.1177/0145445509341457, 2009). It has been shown that descriptive assessments of some forms of problem behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression) are not good indicators of behavioral function and should not be used exclusively when conducting functional behavior assessments (Thompson & Iwata in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40 , 333-338. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2007.56.06/epdf, 2007). However, the extent to which descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior can predict behavioral function is not yet clear. We conducted descriptive assessments of inappropriate mealtime behavior and compared the results to functional analyses for ten children with severe food refusal. Results showed that, for 71 % of participants, the descriptive and functional analyses matched. These results suggest that the correspondence between descriptive and functional analyses, at least for inappropriate mealtime behavior, may be higher than that for other forms of problem behavior.

An animal tracking system for behavior analysis using radio frequency identification.

PubMed

Catarinucci, Luca; Colella, Riccardo; Mainetti, Luca; Patrono, Luigi; Pieretti, Stefano; Secco, Andrea; Sergi, Ilaria

2014-09-01

Evaluating the behavior of mice and rats has substantially contributed to the progress of research in many scientific fields. Researchers commonly observe recorded video of animal behavior and manually record their observations for later analysis, but this approach has several limitations. The authors developed an automated system for tracking and analyzing the behavior of rodents that is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) in an ultra-high-frequency bandwidth. They provide an overview of the system's hardware and software components as well as describe their technique for surgically implanting passive RFID tags in mice. Finally, the authors present the findings of two validation studies to compare the accuracy of the RFID system versus commonly used approaches for evaluating the locomotor activity and object exploration of mice.

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.

The Relationship Between Coat Color and Aggressive Behaviors in the Domestic Cat.

PubMed

Stelow, Elizabeth A; Bain, Melissa J; Kass, Philip H

2016-01-01

The authors explored a possible relationship between coat color and aggressive behaviors in the domestic cat. This study used an Internet-based survey to collect information on coat color, affiliative behaviors toward cats/humans, agonistic behaviors toward cats/humans, other "problem" behaviors, and cat and guardian demographic data. A total of 1,432 cat guardians completed the online survey; after exclusions based on study protocol, data analysis included 1,274 completed surveys. Guardians reported sex-linked orange female (tortoiseshells, calicos, and "torbies"), black-and-white, and gray-and-white cats to be more frequently aggressive toward humans in 3 settings: during everyday interactions, during handling, and during veterinary visits. Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare possible differences between the 2 sexes and among different coat colors. Analyses of aggression due to handling, as well as aggression displayed during veterinarian visits, showed little difference among coat colors in these settings.

Comparisons of synthesized and individual reinforcement contingencies during functional analysis.

PubMed

Fisher, Wayne W; Greer, Brian D; Romani, Patrick W; Zangrillo, Amanda N; Owen, Todd M

2016-09-01

Researchers typically modify individual functional analysis (FA) conditions after results are inconclusive (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003). Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014) introduced a marked departure from this practice, using an interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA). In the test condition, they delivered multiple contingencies simultaneously (e.g., attention and escape) after each occurrence of problem behavior; in the control condition, they delivered those same reinforcers noncontingently and continuously. In the current investigation, we compared the results of the IISCA with a more traditional FA in which we evaluated each putative reinforcer individually. Four of 5 participants displayed destructive behavior that was sensitive to the individual contingencies evaluated in the traditional FA. By contrast, none of the participants showed a response pattern consistent with the assumption of the IISCA. We discuss the implications of these findings on the development of accurate and efficient functional analyses. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Aspects of conversational style—linguistic versus behavioral analysis

PubMed Central

Hall, Genae A.

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and “meaning” of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different “conversation styles”—that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches. PMID:22477048

Aspects of conversational style-linguistic versus behavioral analysis.

PubMed

Hall, G A

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and "meaning" of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different "conversation styles"-that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches.

Using Zipf-Mandelbrot law and graph theory to evaluate animal welfare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, Caprice G. L.; Miranda, José G. V.; Japyassú, Hilton F.; El-Hani, Charbel N.

2018-02-01

This work deals with the construction and testing of metrics of welfare based on behavioral complexity, using assumptions derived from Zipf-Mandelbrot law and graph theory. To test these metrics we compared yellow-breasted capuchins (Sapajus xanthosternos) (Wied-Neuwied, 1826) (PRIMATES CEBIDAE) found in two institutions, subjected to different captive conditions: a Zoobotanical Garden (hereafter, ZOO; n = 14), in good welfare condition, and a Wildlife Rescue Center (hereafter, WRC; n = 8), in poor welfare condition. In the Zipf-Mandelbrot-based analysis, the power law exponent was calculated using behavior frequency values versus behavior rank value. These values allow us to evaluate variations in individual behavioral complexity. For each individual we also constructed a graph using the sequence of behavioral units displayed in each recording (average recording time per individual: 4 h 26 min in the ZOO, 4 h 30 min in the WRC). Then, we calculated the values of the main graph attributes, which allowed us to analyze the complexity of the connectivity of the behaviors displayed in the individuals' behavioral sequences. We found significant differences between the two groups for the slope values in the Zipf-Mandelbrot analysis. The slope values for the ZOO individuals approached -1, with graphs representing a power law, while the values for the WRC individuals diverged from -1, differing from a power law pattern. Likewise, we found significant differences for the graph attributes average degree, weighted average degree, and clustering coefficient when comparing the ZOO and WRC individual graphs. However, no significant difference was found for the attributes modularity and average path length. Both analyses were effective in detecting differences between the patterns of behavioral complexity in the two groups. The slope values for the ZOO individuals indicated a higher behavioral complexity when compared to the WRC individuals. Similarly, graph construction and the calculation of its attributes values allowed us to show that the complexity of the connectivity among the behaviors was higher in the ZOO than in the WRC individual graphs. These results show that the two measuring approaches introduced and tested in this paper were capable of capturing the differences in welfare levels between the two conditions, as shown by differences in behavioral complexity.

A Comparison of Voting Behavior on Tax Initiatives with Different Perceived Distribution Consequences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Mickey D.

1979-01-01

Reports on a socioeconomic analysis of voter behavior on California's Proposition 13 and compares those results with voting on Proposition 1, a 1973 initiative in which the voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have limited state taxes and expenditures to a percentage of California's net product. Available from NTA-TIA, 21 East…

The Effectiveness of Mentoring Youth with Externalizing and Internalizing Behavioral Problems on Youth Outcomes and Parenting Stress: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Valle, Chelsea

2015-01-01

Parents of children with significant externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems habitually report greater parenting stress compared to parents of children without these challenges. One avenue to alleviate parenting stress and ameliorate youth outcomes is youth mentoring, which includes a supportive adult paired with a child with the…

Comparing Parent-Child Interactions in the Clinic and at Home: An Exploration of the Validity of Clinical Behavior Observations Using Sequential Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shriver, Mark D.; Frerichs, Lynae J.; Williams, Melissa; Lancaster, Blake M.

2013-01-01

Direct observation is often considered the "gold standard" for assessing the function, frequency, and intensity of problem behavior. Currently, the literature investigating the construct validity of direct observation conducted in the clinic setting reveals conflicting results. Previous studies on the construct validity of clinic-based…

Who Benefits from Honors: An Empirical Analysis of Honors and Non-Honors Students' Backgrounds, Academic Attitudes, and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimeyer, Ted M.; Schueths, April M.; Smith, William L.

2014-01-01

Supporters of university honors programs argue that these programs benefit the university and entire student body while critics argue that honors programs reproduce socioeconomic and racial privileges. In an attempt to address these issues, researchers used quantitative survey data to compare the background characteristics, behaviors, and…

Hypnosis as an Adjunct to Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for Obesity: A Meta-analytic Reappraisal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, David B.; Faith, Myles S.

1996-01-01

A meta-analysis for six weight-loss studies comparing the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) alone to CBT plus hypnotherapy. Notes that "the addition of hypnosis substantially enhanced treatment outcome." Concludes that the addition of hypnosis to CBT for weight loss results in, at most, a small enhancement of treatment…

Telephone-Based Mental Health Interventions for Child Disruptive Behavior or Anxiety Disorders: Randomized Trials and Overall Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Patrick J.; Lingley-Pottie, Patricia; Thurston, Catherine; MacLean, Cathy; Cunningham, Charles; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Watters, Carolyn; Stewart, Sherry; Bagnell, Alexa; Santor, Darcy; Chaplin, William

2011-01-01

Objective: Most children with mental health disorders do not receive timely care because of access barriers. These initial trials aimed to determine whether distance interventions provided by nonprofessionals could significantly decrease the proportion of children diagnosed with disruptive behavior or anxiety disorders compared with usual care.…

Meta-Analysis of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Comparison with Pharmacotherapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitte, Kristin

2005-01-01

The efficacy of (cognitive) behavioral therapy ([C]BT) for generalized anxiety disorder was investigated and compared with the efficacy of pharmacological therapy using meta-analytic techniques. A total of 65 (C)BT studies and pharmacological studies were included. (C)BT was more effective than control conditions. The results of the comparison…

Comparing Active Pediatric Obesity Treatments Using Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Allyson; Cassano, Michael; Shepherd, Elizabeth J.; Higgins, Diana; Hecker, Jeffrey E.; Nangle, Douglas W.

2008-01-01

The current meta-analysis reviews research on the treatment of pediatric obesity focusing on studies that have been published since 1994. Eleven studies (22 comparisons, 115 effect sizes, N = 447) were included in the present meta-analysis. Results indicated that comprehensive behavioral interventions may be improved in at least two ways:…

Race/Ethnicity and gender differences in health intentions and behaviors regarding exercise and diet for adults with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Self-management is the cornerstone of diabetes control and prevention of complications; however, it is undetermined whether differences in intention to adopt healthy lifestyles and actual healthy behavior exist across race/ethnic groups. This study evaluated the differences across racial-ethnic groups in self-reported medical advice received and health intentions and behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 SHIELD US survey ascertained self-reported health intentions and behaviors for regular exercise, diet, and weight management among Non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 2526), Non-Hispanic African-American (n = 706), and Hispanic (n = 179) respondents with type 2 diabetes. Results A similar proportion of respondents from each race-gender group (43%-56%) reported receiving healthcare advice to increase their exercise (P = 0.32). Significantly more minorities reported an intention to follow the exercise recommendation compared with Non-Hispanic Caucasians (P = 0.03). More Non-Hispanic African-American (29%) and Hispanic (27%) men reported exercising regularly compared with other race-gender groups (P = 0.02). Significantly more Non-Hispanic Caucasian women (74%) and Hispanic women (79%) reported trying to lose weight compared with other groups (P < 0.0001). Conclusions Differences in health intentions and healthy behaviors were noted across race-gender groups. More Non-Hispanic African-American men reported an intention to follow advice on exercising and self-report of exercising regularly was also higher compared with other race-gender groups. More Hispanic men reported high physical activity levels than other groups. Despite an increased willingness to follow healthcare recommendations for diet, >50% of respondents were obese among all race-gender groups. PMID:21729303

Race/Ethnicity and gender differences in health intentions and behaviors regarding exercise and diet for adults with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Gavin, James R; Fox, Kathleen M; Grandy, Susan

2011-07-05

Self-management is the cornerstone of diabetes control and prevention of complications; however, it is undetermined whether differences in intention to adopt healthy lifestyles and actual healthy behavior exist across race/ethnic groups. This study evaluated the differences across racial-ethnic groups in self-reported medical advice received and health intentions and behaviors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 SHIELD US survey ascertained self-reported health intentions and behaviors for regular exercise, diet, and weight management among Non-Hispanic Caucasian (n = 2526), Non-Hispanic African-American (n = 706), and Hispanic (n = 179) respondents with type 2 diabetes. A similar proportion of respondents from each race-gender group (43%-56%) reported receiving healthcare advice to increase their exercise (P = 0.32). Significantly more minorities reported an intention to follow the exercise recommendation compared with Non-Hispanic Caucasians (P = 0.03). More Non-Hispanic African-American (29%) and Hispanic (27%) men reported exercising regularly compared with other race-gender groups (P = 0.02). Significantly more Non-Hispanic Caucasian women (74%) and Hispanic women (79%) reported trying to lose weight compared with other groups (P < 0.0001). Differences in health intentions and healthy behaviors were noted across race-gender groups. More Non-Hispanic African-American men reported an intention to follow advice on exercising and self-report of exercising regularly was also higher compared with other race-gender groups. More Hispanic men reported high physical activity levels than other groups. Despite an increased willingness to follow healthcare recommendations for diet, >50% of respondents were obese among all race-gender groups.

A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Three Types of Peer Norms and Adolescent Sexual Behavior.

PubMed

van de Bongardt, Daphne; Reitz, Ellen; Sandfort, Theo; Deković, Maja

2015-08-01

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between three types of peer norms-descriptive norms (peer sexual behaviors), injunctive norms (peer sexual attitudes), and peer pressure to have sex-and two adolescent sexual behavior outcomes (sexual activity and sexual risk behavior). Adolescent sexual activity was more strongly associated with descriptive norms (ESrfixed=.40) than with injunctive norms (ESrfixed=.22) or peer pressure (ESrfixed=.10). Compared with the sexual activity outcome, the effect size for descriptive norms (peer sexual risk behavior) for sexual risk behavior was smaller (ESrfixed=.11). Age, gender, peer type, and socio-cultural context significantly moderated these associations. Additional analyses of longitudinal studies suggested that selection effects were stronger than socialization effects. These findings offer empirical support for the conceptual distinction between three types of peer norms and hold important implications for theory, research, and intervention strategies. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Spatial distribution and cluster analysis of retail drug shop characteristics and antimalarial behaviors as reported by private medicine retailers in western Kenya: informing future interventions.

PubMed

Rusk, Andria; Highfield, Linda; Wilkerson, J Michael; Harrell, Melissa; Obala, Andrew; Amick, Benjamin

2016-02-19

Efforts to improve malaria case management in sub-Saharan Africa have shifted focus to private antimalarial retailers to increase access to appropriate treatment. Demands to decrease intervention cost while increasing efficacy requires interventions tailored to geographic regions with demonstrated need. Cluster analysis presents an opportunity to meet this demand, but has not been applied to the retail sector or antimalarial retailer behaviors. This research conducted cluster analysis on medicine retailer behaviors in Kenya, to improve malaria case management and inform future interventions. Ninety-seven surveys were collected from medicine retailers working in the Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Site. Survey items included retailer training, education, antimalarial drug knowledge, recommending behavior, sales, and shop characteristics, and were analyzed using Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic. The Bernoulli purely spatial model for binomial data was used, comparing cases to controls. Statistical significance of found clusters was tested with a likelihood ratio test, using the null hypothesis of no clustering, and a p value based on 999 Monte Carlo simulations. The null hypothesis was rejected with p values of 0.05 or less. A statistically significant cluster of fewer than expected pharmacy-trained retailers was found (RR = .09, p = .001) when compared to the expected random distribution. Drug recommending behavior also yielded a statistically significant cluster, with fewer than expected retailers recommending the correct antimalarial medication to adults (RR = .018, p = .01), and fewer than expected shops selling that medication more often than outdated antimalarials when compared to random distribution (RR = 0.23, p = .007). All three of these clusters were co-located, overlapping in the northwest of the study area. Spatial clustering was found in the data. A concerning amount of correlation was found in one specific region in the study area where multiple behaviors converged in space, highlighting a prime target for interventions. These results also demonstrate the utility of applying geospatial methods in the study of medicine retailer behaviors, making the case for expanding this approach to other regions.

Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kirsch, I; Montgomery, G; Sapirstein, G

1995-04-01

A meta-analysis was performed on 18 studies in which a cognitive-behavioral therapy was compared with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. The results indicated that the addition of hypnosis substantially enhanced treatment outcome, so that the average client receiving cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy showed greater improvement than at least 70% of clients receiving nonhypnotic treatment. Effects seemed particularly pronounced for treatments of obesity, especially at long-term follow-up, indicating that unlike those in nonhypnotic treatment, clients to whom hypnotic inductions had been administered continued to lose weight after treatment ended. These results were particularly striking because of the few procedural differences between the hypnotic and nonhypnotic treatments.

Second-generation antipsychotic use in schizophrenia and associated weight gain: a critical review and meta-analysis of behavioral and pharmacologic treatments.

PubMed

Das, Chandan; Mendez, Guillermo; Jagasia, Sonal; Labbate, Lawrence A

2012-08-01

Weight gain in schizophrenia, particularly secondary to second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) use, is a common adverse effect and often is associated with significant physical and psychological morbidity. We performed a critical literature review of all controlled clinical trials for pharmacologic and/or behavioral management of SGA-induced weight gain in schizophrenia patients by searching PubMed and Google Scholar. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate and compare weight changes for various medications and behavioral interventions. Sample sizes generally were small. Clinical trials were 6 weeks to 1 year, and weight loss was modest with any treatment. Although several adjunctive pharmacologic treatments showed no weight loss, sibutramine, metformin, and topiramate showed some benefit. Amantadine and orlistat were somewhat less effective and had lower rates of tolerability. Among the behavioral therapies, nutritional counseling combined with exercise showed the most benefit. Behavioral therapies, although modest, showed the most consistent benefits compared with controls. Scheduled pharmacologic treatment to prevent weight gain or promote weight loss in schizophrenia patients on SGA therapy is limited based on current studies. Switching antipsychotic agents has not been established as a long-term solution. Additional long-term studies are required to influence clinical practice.

A Comparative Analysis for Wilderness User Fee Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leuschner, William A.; And Others

1987-01-01

Two similar wilderness areas, one of which charges user fees, were sampled in order to compare user characteristics, trip characteristics, and travel cost demand functions. The purpose was to examine the effect fees had on user behavior and choices of area. Results are presented. (MT)

Comparing Help-Seeking Behavior of Male and Female Survivors of Sexual Assault: A Content Analysis of a Hotline.

PubMed

Young, Stephen M; Pruett, Jana A; Colvin, Marianna L

2018-06-01

This content analysis examines written documentation of telephone calls to a regional sexual assault hotline over a 5-year period. All male callers identified as primary victims were selected for analysis ( n = 58) and a corresponding sample of female primary victims ( n = 58) were randomly selected for comparison to better understand the help-seeking behavior of sexual assault survivors and inform services accordingly. A summative content analysis revealed significant contrasting themes between male and female victims, including females significantly receiving more referrals and males accessing the hotline to tell their experience of being sexually assaulted due to perceived limited support. Implications for training, practice, and future research are discussed.

The relation of serotonin-related gene and COMT gene polymorphisms with criminal behavior in schizophrenic disorder.

PubMed

Koh, Kyung Bong; Choi, Eun Hee; Lee, Young-joon; Han, Mooyoung; Choi, Sang-Sup; Kim, So Won; Lee, Min Goo

2012-02-01

It has been suggested that patients with schizophrenia might be involved in criminal behavior, such as homicidal and violent behavior. However, the relationship between criminal behavior and genes in patients with schizophrenia has not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to examine the relation between criminal behavior and serotonin-related gene or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms in patients with schizophrenia. Serotonin-related and COMT polymorphic markers were assessed by using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Ninety-nine crime-related inpatients with schizophrenia (57 homicidal and 42 nonhomicidal violent) and 133 healthy subjects were enrolled between October 2005 and May 2008. Diagnoses were made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. The genotype frequencies of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) A218C and COMT V158M were compared between groups. The TPH1 CC genotype had 2.7-fold higher odds of crime-related schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.22 - 5.91; P = .01). In addition, the TPH1 CC genotype had 3.4-fold higher odds of homicidal schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.40 - 8.18; P = .007). However, no significant differences were found in the frequencies of genotype of COMT polymorphism between criminal schizophrenics and healthy subjects, nor were any significant differences found between nonhomicidal schizophrenics and healthy subjects. These results indicate that the TPH1 CC recessive genotype is likely to be a genetic risk factor for criminal behavior, especially homicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia. However, COMT gene polymorphisms were not associated with criminal behavior in schizophrenic patients. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

GENOMIC DIVERSITY AND THE MICROENVIRONMENT AS DRIVERS OF PROGRESSION IN DCIS

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

stains, including quantitative analysis, 7) Identification of upstaged DCIS cases for the radiology aim, 8) Development of image analysis methods for...goals of the project? Aim 1. Determine whether genetic diversity of DCIS is greater in DCIS with adjacent invasive disease compared to DCIS without... compared to DCIS without IDC. Since genomics is not the sole driver of tumor behavior, we will phenotypically characterize DCIS and its

When do financial incentives reduce intrinsic motivation? comparing behaviors studied in psychological and economic literatures.

PubMed

Promberger, Marianne; Marteau, Theresa M

2013-09-01

To review existing evidence on the potential of incentives to undermine or "crowd out" intrinsic motivation, in order to establish whether and when it predicts financial incentives to crowd out motivation for health-related behaviors. We conducted a conceptual analysis to compare definitions and operationalizations of the effect, and reviewed existing evidence to identify potential moderators of the effect. In the psychological literature, we find strong evidence for an undermining effect of tangible rewards on intrinsic motivation for simple tasks when motivation manifest in behavior is initially high. In the economic literature, evidence for undermining effects exists for a broader variety of behaviors, in settings that involve a conflict of interest between parties. By contrast, for health related behaviors, baseline levels of incentivized behaviors are usually low, and only a subset involve an interpersonal conflict of interest. Correspondingly, we find no evidence for crowding out of incentivized health behaviors. The existing evidence does not warrant a priori predictions that an undermining effect would be found for health-related behaviors. Health-related behaviors and incentives schemes differ greatly in moderating characteristics, which should be the focus of future research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

When Do Financial Incentives Reduce Intrinsic Motivation? Comparing Behaviors Studied in Psychological and Economic Literatures

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objective: To review existing evidence on the potential of incentives to undermine or “crowd out” intrinsic motivation, in order to establish whether and when it predicts financial incentives to crowd out motivation for health-related behaviors. Method: We conducted a conceptual analysis to compare definitions and operationalizations of the effect, and reviewed existing evidence to identify potential moderators of the effect. Results: In the psychological literature, we find strong evidence for an undermining effect of tangible rewards on intrinsic motivation for simple tasks when motivation manifest in behavior is initially high. In the economic literature, evidence for undermining effects exists for a broader variety of behaviors, in settings that involve a conflict of interest between parties. By contrast, for health related behaviors, baseline levels of incentivized behaviors are usually low, and only a subset involve an interpersonal conflict of interest. Correspondingly, we find no evidence for crowding out of incentivized health behaviors. Conclusion: The existing evidence does not warrant a priori predictions that an undermining effect would be found for health-related behaviors. Health-related behaviors and incentives schemes differ greatly in moderating characteristics, which should be the focus of future research. PMID:24001245

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta‐analysis

PubMed Central

Benson, Sarah; Johnson, Sean J.; Alford, Chris; Godefroy, Samuel Benrejeb; Scholey, Andrew

2018-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to critically review the (1) prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) consumption, (2) motives for AMED consumption, (3) correlates of AMED consumption, and (4) whether AMED consumption has an impact on (a) alcohol consumption, (b) subjective intoxication, and (c) risk‐taking behavior. Overall a minority of the population consumes AMED, typically infrequently. Motives for AMED consumption are predominantly hedonistic and social. Meta‐analyses revealed that AMED consumers drink significantly more alcohol than alcohol‐only (AO) consumers. Within‐subject comparisons restricted to AMED consumers revealed that alcohol consumption does not significantly differ between typical AMED and AO occasions. On past month heaviest drinking occasions, AMED users consume significantly less alcohol on AMED occasions when compared to AO occasions. AMED consumers experience significantly fewer negative consequences and risk‐taking behavior on AMED occasions compared with AO occasions. Meta‐analyses of subjective intoxication studies suggest that AMED consumption does not differentially affect subjective intoxication when compared to AO consumption. In conclusion, when compared to AO consumption, mixing alcohol with energy drink does not affect subjective intoxication and seems unlikely to increase total alcohol consumption, associated risk‐taking behavior, nor other negative alcohol‐related consequences. Further research may be necessary to fully reveal the effects of AMED. PMID:29417616

Guyana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from Costa Rica emit whistles that vary with surface behaviors.

PubMed

May-Collado, Laura J

2013-10-01

Guyana dolphins show remarkable intraspecific whistle variation. This variation has been largely explained in terms of distance among populations; however, other factors such as behavior may also be important. A broadband recording system recorded the whistles of Guyana dolphins under three behavioral states. A discriminant analysis found that during social and travel events, dolphins emit whistles with high delta and minimum frequency, respectively. Whistle duration was also important in discriminating behaviors. This study indicates that behavior is an important factor contributing to whistle variation of Guyana dolphins. Understanding how dolphin whistles vary with behavioral context will advance our understanding of dolphin communication and enable appropriate comparative studies.

Some anemonefish lack personality: a comparative assessment of behavioral variation and repeatability in relation to environmental and social factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Marian Y. L.; Beasley, Amanda L.; Douglass, Tasman; Whalan, Steve; Scott, Anna

2017-12-01

Determining the extent of repeatable differences in the behavior of animals and the factors that influence behavioral expression is important for understanding individual fitness and population processes, thereby aiding in species conservation. However, little is known about the causes of variation in the repeatability of behavioral differences among species because rarely have comparative studies been undertaken to examine the repeatability of behavioral differences among individuals within their natural ecological settings. Using two species of endemic subtropical anemonefishes, Amphiprion mccullochi and A. latezonatus at Lord Howe and North Solitary Islands, Australia, we conducted an in situ comparative analysis of personality traits, examining the repeatability of boldness, sociability and aggression as well as the potential role of environmental and social factors on behavioral expression. For A. mccullochi, only boldness and aggression were highly repeatable and these behaviors formed a behavioral syndrome. For A. latezonatus, none of the three behaviors were repeatable due to low-inter-individual variation in behavior. We suggest that the harsher and more variable environmental and social conditions experienced by A. latezonatus have resulted in reduced repeatability in behavior, in contrast to A. mccullochi which typically inhabits a more stable lagoonal reef environment. Additionally, group size and size rank, rather than nearest-neighbor distance and anemone size, influenced the expression of these behaviors in both species, suggesting that behavioral variation was more sensitive to social than environmental factors. Overall, differences in repeatability between these closely related species likely reflect adaptations to contrasting environmental and social conditions, although alternative explanations must be considered. The differences in behavioral consistency between these two endemic anemonefishes could lead to disparity in their resilience to environmental or social change in the future.

Behaviorism, Private Events, and the Molar View of Behavior

PubMed Central

Baum, William M

2011-01-01

Viewing the science of behavior (behavior analysis) to be a natural science, radical behaviorism rejects any form of dualism, including subjective–objective or inner–outer dualism. Yet radical behaviorists often claim that treating private events as covert behavior and internal stimuli is necessary and important to behavior analysis. To the contrary, this paper argues that, compared with the rejection of dualism, private events constitute a trivial idea and are irrelevant to accounts of behavior. Viewed in the framework of evolutionary theory or for any practical purpose, behavior is commerce with the environment. By its very nature, behavior is extended in time. The temptation to posit private events arises when an activity is viewed in too small a time frame, obscuring what the activity does. When activities are viewed in an appropriately extended time frame, private events become irrelevant to the account. This insight provides the answer to many philosophical questions about thinking, sensing, and feeling. Confusion about private events arises in large part from failure to appreciate fully the radical implications of replacing mentalistic ideas about language with the concept of verbal behavior. Like other operant behavior, verbal behavior involves no agent and no hidden causes; like all natural events, it is caused by other natural events. In a science of behavior grounded in evolutionary theory, the same set of principles applies to verbal and nonverbal behavior and to human and nonhuman organisms. PMID:22532740

Evaluation of two-dimensional accelerometers to monitor behavior of beef calves after castration.

PubMed

White, Brad J; Coetzee, Johann F; Renter, David G; Babcock, Abram H; Thomson, Daniel U; Andresen, Daniel

2008-08-01

To determine the accuracy of accelerometers for measuring behavior changes in calves and to determine differences in beef calf behavior from before to after castration. 3 healthy Holstein calves and 12 healthy beef calves. 2-dimensional accelerometers were placed on 3 calves, and data were logged simultaneous to video recording of animal behavior. Resulting data were used to generate and validate predictive models to classify posture (standing or lying) and type of activity (standing in place, walking, eating, getting up, lying awake, or lying sleeping). The algorithms developed were used to conduct a prospective trial to compare calf behavior in the first 24 hours after castration (n = 6) with behavior of noncastrated control calves (6) and with presurgical readings from the same castrated calves. On the basis of the analysis of the 2-dimensional accelerometer signal, posture was classified with a high degree of accuracy (98.3%) and the specific activity was estimated with a reasonably low misclassification rate (23.5%). Use of the system to compare behavior after castration revealed that castrated calves spent a significantly larger amount of time standing (82.2%), compared with presurgical readings (46.2%). 2-dimensional accelerometers provided accurate classification of posture and reasonable classification of activity. Applying the system in a castration trial illustrated the usefulness of accelerometers for measuring behavioral changes in individual calves.

An evaluation of interrupted and uninterrupted measurement of vocal stereotypy on perceived treatment outcomes.

PubMed

Carroll, Regina A; Kodak, Tiffany

2014-01-01

The type of procedure used to measure a target behavior may directly influence the perceived treatment outcomes. In the present study, we examined the influence of different data-analysis procedures on the outcomes of two commonly used treatments on the vocal stereotypy of 2 children with an autism spectrum disorder. In Study 1, we compared an interrupted and uninterrupted data-analysis procedure to measure vocal stereotypy during the implementation of response interruption and redirection (RIRD). The results showed that the interrupted data-analysis procedure overestimated the effectiveness of RIRD. In Study 2, we examined the influence of different data-analysis procedures on the interpretation of the relative effects of 2 different treatments for vocal stereotypy. Specifically, we compared interrupted and uninterrupted data-analysis procedures during the implementation of RIRD and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) as a treatment for vocal stereotypy. The results showed that, as in Study 1, the interrupted data-analysis procedure overestimated the effectiveness of RIRD; however, this effect was not apparent with NCR. These findings suggest that different types of data analysis can influence the perceived success of a treatment. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Miniaturization of Micro-Solder Bumps and Effect of IMC on Stress Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Soud Farhan; Ladani, Leila

2016-07-01

As the joints become smaller in more advanced packages and devices, intermetallic (IMCs) volume ratio increases, which significantly impacts the overall mechanical behavior of joints. The existence of only a few grains of Sn (Tin) and IMC materials results in anisotropic elastic and plastic behavior which is not detectable using conventional finite element (FE) simulation with average properties for polycrystalline material. In this study, crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) simulation is used to model the whole joint including copper, Sn solder and Cu6Sn5 IMC material. Experimental lap-shear test results for solder joints from the literature were used to validate the models. A comparative analysis between traditional FE, CPFE and experiments was conducted. The CPFE model was able to correlate the experiments more closely compared to traditional FE analysis because of its ability to capture micro-mechanical anisotropic behavior. Further analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of IMC thickness on stress distribution in micro-bumps using a systematic numerical experiment with IMC thickness ranging from 0% to 80%. The analysis was conducted on micro-bumps with single crystal Sn and bicrystal Sn. The overall stress distribution and shear deformation changes as the IMC thickness increases. The model with higher IMC thickness shows a stiffer shear response, and provides a higher shear yield strength.

Exploring ambivalence in motivational interviewing with obese African American adolescents and their caregivers: A mixed methods analysis

PubMed Central

Carcone, April Idalski; Barton, Ellen; Eggly, Susan; Brogan Hartlieb, Kathryn E.; Thominet, Luke; Naar, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Objective We conducted an exploratory mixed methods study to describe the ambivalence African-American adolescents and their caregivers expressed during motivational interviewing sessions targeting weight loss. Methods We extracted ambivalence statements from 37 previously coded counseling sessions. We used directed content analysis to categorize ambivalence related to the target behaviors of nutrition, activity, or weight. We compared adolescent-caregiver dyads’ ambivalence using the paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We then used conventional content analysis to compare the specific content of adolescents’ and caregivers’ ambivalence statements. Results Adolescents and caregivers expressed the same number of ambivalence statements overall, related to activity and weight, but caregivers expressed more statements about nutrition. Content analysis revealed convergences and divergences in caregivers’ and adolescents’ ambivalence about weight loss. Conclusion Understanding divergences in adolescent-caregiver ambivalence about the specific behaviors to target may partially explain the limited success of family-based weight loss interventions targeting African American families and provides a unique opportunity for providers to enhance family communication, foster teamwork, and build self-efficacy to promote behavior change. Practice implications Clinicians working in family contexts should explore how adolescents and caregivers converge and diverge in their ambivalence in order to recommend weight loss strategies that best meet families’ needs. PMID:26916012

The role of health-related behaviors in the socioeconomic disparities in oral health.

PubMed

Sabbah, Wael; Tsakos, Georgios; Sheiham, Aubrey; Watt, Richard G

2009-01-01

This study aimed to examine the socioeconomic disparities in health-related behaviors and to assess if behaviors eliminate socioeconomic disparities in oral health in a nationally representative sample of adult Americans. Data are from the US Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Behaviors were indicated by smoking, dental visits, frequency of eating fresh fruits and vegetables and extent of calculus, used as a marker for oral hygiene. Oral health outcomes were gingival bleeding, loss of periodontal attachment, tooth loss and perceived oral health. Education and income indicated socioeconomic position. Sex, age, ethnicity, dental insurance and diabetes were adjusted for in the regression analysis. Regression analysis was used to assess socioeconomic disparities in behaviors. Regression models adjusting and not adjusting for behaviors were compared to assess the change in socioeconomic disparities in oral health. The results showed clear socioeconomic disparities in all behaviors. After adjusting for behaviors, the association between oral health and socioeconomic indicators attenuated but did not disappear. These findings imply that improvement in health-related behaviors may lessen, but not eliminate socioeconomic disparities in oral health, and suggest the presence of more complex determinants of these disparities which should be addressed by oral health preventive policies.

Application of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Behavioral Patterns of Response to Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions in Overweight and Obese Adults

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Stephanie L.; Coughlin, Janelle W.; Appel, Lawrence J.; Tyson, Crystal; Stevens, Victor J.; Jerome, Gerald J.; Dalcin, Arlene; Brantley, Phillip J.; Hill-Briggs, Felicia

2016-01-01

Background Examining responders and non-responders to behavioral lifestyle interventions among overweight/obese adults with additional comorbidities may aid in refining and tailoring obesity treatment. Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of latent class analysis to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions based on adherence to diet and exercise recommendations. Method Repeated measures latent class analysis was applied to two clinical trial datasets, combination of two active interventions in the PREMIER Trial (n=501) and phase 1 of the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM; n=1685), to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions. Treatment response was based on adherence to daily recommendations for fruit/vegetable, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and exercise at baseline and 6 months. Results In PREMIER, three distinct latent classes emerged: responders (45.9 %), non-responders (23.6 %), and early adherers (30.5 %). Responders and Early Adherers had greater weight loss at 6 and 18 months and were more likely to meet behavioral recommendations at 18 months than Non-responders. For WLM, there were four latent classes: partial responders (16 %), non-responders (40 %), early adherers (2 %), and fruit/veggie only responders (41 %). Non-responders in WLM had significantly less weight loss at 6 months compared to that of the other three latent classes. Conclusion Latent class analysis is a useful method to apply to clinical trial data to identify distinct patterns of response to behavioral interventions. Overweight/ obese participants who respond to behavioral lifestyle treatment (i.e., meet behavioral recommendations) have significantly greater weight loss than that of participants who do not make behavioral changes. PMID:25331853

Application of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Behavioral Patterns of Response to Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions in Overweight and Obese Adults.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Stephanie L; Coughlin, Janelle W; Appel, Lawrence J; Tyson, Crystal; Stevens, Victor J; Jerome, Gerald J; Dalcin, Arlene; Brantley, Phillip J; Hill-Briggs, Felicia

2015-08-01

Examining responders and non-responders to behavioral lifestyle interventions among overweight/obese adults with additional comorbidities may aid in refining and tailoring obesity treatment. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of latent class analysis to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions based on adherence to diet and exercise recommendations. Repeated measures latent class analysis was applied to two clinical trial datasets, combination of two active interventions in the PREMIER Trial (n = 501) and phase 1 of the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM; n = 1685), to identify patterns of response to behavioral lifestyle interventions. Treatment response was based on adherence to daily recommendations for fruit/vegetable, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and exercise at baseline and 6 months. In PREMIER, three distinct latent classes emerged: responders (45.9%), non-responders (23.6%), and early adherers (30.5%). Responders and Early Adherers had greater weight loss at 6 and 18 months and were more likely to meet behavioral recommendations at 18 months than Non-responders. For WLM, there were four latent classes: partial responders (16%), non-responders (40%), early adherers (2%), and fruit/veggie only responders (41%). Non-responders in WLM had significantly less weight loss at 6 months compared to that of the other three latent classes. Latent class analysis is a useful method to apply to clinical trial data to identify distinct patterns of response to behavioral interventions. Overweight/ obese participants who respond to behavioral lifestyle treatment (i.e., meet behavioral recommendations) have significantly greater weight loss than that of participants who do not make behavioral changes.

Risk taking in first and second generation Afro-Caribbean adolescents: an emerging challenge for school nurses.

PubMed

Jolly, Kim; Archibald, Cynthia; Liehr, Patricia

2013-10-01

School nurses are well positioned to address risk-taking behaviors for adolescents in their care. The purpose of this mixed-method exploratory study was to explore risk taking in Afro-Caribbean adolescents in South Florida, comparing first- to second-generation adolescents. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from an immigrant group using the adolescent risk-taking instrument to evaluate risk-taking attitudes, behaviors, and self-described riskiest activities. One-hundred and six adolescents participated; 44% were first generation Afro-Caribbean. Data analysis included analysis of variance, frequencies, and content analysis. There were no differences in risk-taking attitudes; smaller percentages of first generation Afro-Caribbean adolescents reported sexual activity, substance use, and violence. Over one third of the sample, regardless of generational status, reported alcohol use, but did not note alcohol or other health-compromising behaviors as "riskiest" activities. It is important to better understand Afro-Caribbean adolescents' perspectives about risky behaviors, and school-based venues offer the best promise for reaching these adolescents.

Comparative Initial and Sustained Engagement in Web-based Training by Behavioral Healthcare Providers in New York State.

PubMed

Talley, Rachel; Chiang, I-Chin; Covell, Nancy H; Dixon, Lisa

2018-06-01

Improved dissemination is critical to implementation of evidence-based practice in community behavioral healthcare settings. Web-based training modalities are a promising strategy for dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings. Initial and sustained engagement of these modalities in large, multidisciplinary community provider samples is not well understood. This study evaluates comparative engagement and user preferences by provider type in a web-based training platform in a large, multidisciplinary community sample of behavioral health staff in New York State. Workforce make-up among platform registrants was compared to the general NYS behavioral health workforce. Training completion by functional job type was compared to characterize user engagement and preferences. Frequently completed modules were classified by credit and requirement incentives. High initial training engagement across professional role was demonstrated, with significant differences in initial and sustained engagement by professional role. The most frequently completed modules across functional job types contained credit or requirement incentives. The analysis demonstrated that high engagement of a web-based training in a multidisciplinary provider audience can be achieved without tailoring content to specific professional roles. Overlap between frequently completed modules and incentives suggests a role for incentives in promoting engagement of web-based training. These findings further the understanding of strategies to promote large-scale dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings.

Does a pre-intervention functional assessment increase intervention effectiveness? A meta-analysis of within-subject interrupted time-series studies.

PubMed

Hurl, Kylee; Wightman, Jade; Haynes, Stephen N; Virues-Ortega, Javier

2016-07-01

This study examined the relative effectiveness of interventions based on a pre-intervention functional behavioral assessment (FBA), compared to interventions not based on a pre-intervention FBA. We examined 19 studies that included a direct comparison between the effects of FBA- and non-FBA-based interventions with the same participants. A random effects meta-analysis of effect sizes indicated that FBA-based interventions were associated with large reductions in problem behaviors when using non-FBA-based interventions as a reference intervention (Effect size=0.85, 95% CI [0.42, 1.27], p<0.001). In addition, non-FBA based interventions had no effect on problem behavior when compared to no intervention (0.06, 95% CI [-0.21, 0.33], p=0.664). Interestingly, both FBA-based and non-FBA-based interventions had significant effects on appropriate behavior relative to no intervention, albeit the overall effect size was much larger for FBA-based interventions (FBA-based: 1.27, 95% CI [0.89, 1.66], p<0.001 vs. non-FBA-based: 0.35, 95% CI [0.14, 0.56], p=0.001). In spite of the evidence in favor of FBA-based interventions, the limited number of comparative studies with high methodological standards underlines the need for further comparisons of FBA-based versus non-FBA-based interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driving behaviors and on-duty road accidents: a French case-control study.

PubMed

Fort, Emmanuel; Chiron, Mireille; Davezies, Philippe; Bergeret, Alain; Charbotel, Barbara

2013-01-01

A case-control study was carried out to identify driving behaviors associated with the risk of on-duty road accident and to compare driving behaviors according to the type of journey (on duty, commuting, and private) for on-duty road accident victims. Cases were recruited from the Rhône Road Trauma Registry between January 2004 and October 2005 and were on duty at the time of the accident. Control subjects were recruited from the electoral rolls of the case subjects' constituencies of residence. Cases' and controls' driving behavior data were collected by self-administered questionnaire. A logistic regression was performed to identify behavioral risk factors for on-duty road accidents, taking into account age, sex, place of residence, road accident risk exposure, socio-occupational category, and type of road user. A second analysis focused specifically on the case subjects, comparing their self-assessed usual behaviors according to the type of journey. Significant factors for multivariate analysis of on-duty road accidents were female gender, history of on-duty road accidents during the previous 10 years, severe time pressure at work, and driving a vehicle not belonging to the driver. On-duty road accident victims reported behavioral risk factors more frequently in relation to driving for work than driving for private reasons or commuting: nonsystematic seat belt use, cell phone use at least once daily while driving, and history of accidents with injury during the previous 10 years. This study provides knowledge on behavioral risk factors for on-duty road accidents and differences in behavior according to the type of journey for subjects who have been on-duty road accident victims. These results will be useful for the design of on-duty road risk prevention.

Behavioral and cognitive outcomes for clinical trials in children with neurofibromatosis type 1.

PubMed

van der Vaart, Thijs; Rietman, André B; Plasschaert, Ellen; Legius, Eric; Elgersma, Ype; Moll, Henriëtte A

2016-01-12

To evaluate the appropriateness of cognitive and behavioral outcome measures in clinical trials in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) by analyzing the degree of deficits compared to reference groups, test-retest reliability, and how scores correlate between outcome measures. Data were analyzed from the Simvastatin for cognitive deficits and behavioral problems in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1-SIMCODA) trial, a randomized placebo-controlled trial of simvastatin for cognitive deficits and behavioral problems in children with NF1. Outcome measures were compared with age-specific reference groups to identify domains of dysfunction. Pearson r was computed for before and after measurements within the placebo group to assess test-retest reliability. Principal component analysis was used to identify the internal structure in the outcome data. Strongest mean score deviations from the reference groups were observed for full-scale intelligence (-1.1 SD), Rey Complex Figure Test delayed recall (-2.0 SD), attention problems (-1.2 SD), and social problems (-1.1 SD). Long-term test-retest reliability were excellent for Wechsler scales (r > 0.88), but poor to moderate for other neuropsychological tests (r range 0.52-0.81) and Child Behavioral Checklist subscales (r range 0.40-0.79). The correlation structure revealed 2 strong components in the outcome measures behavior and cognition, with no correlation between these components. Scores on psychosocial quality of life correlate strongly with behavioral problems and less with cognitive deficits. Children with NF1 show distinct deficits in multiple domains. Many outcome measures showed weak test-retest correlations over the 1-year trial period. Cognitive and behavioral outcomes are complementary. This analysis demonstrates the need to include reliable outcome measures on a variety of cognitive and behavioral domains in clinical trials for NF1. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

The influence of tutor training for peer tutors in the dissection course on the learning behavior of students.

PubMed

Shiozawa, T; Hirt, B; Lammerding-Koeppel, M

2016-11-01

Student tutors in the dissection course are expected to meet high demands in their job, to fulfill these expectations they receive training. Combined tutor training is well accepted by tutors and tutees, however, it is not known how tutor training influences student learning. Deduced from the learning goals of the tutor training, a randomized, controlled, single-blinded study was set up with a quantitative cross-sectional analysis to compare student learning behavior. A total of 197 medical students, coached either by ten trained or ten untrained tutors, were enlisted in the study. To assess the students' learning behavior we employed the LIST questionnaire. A common factor analysis was calculated to extract dimensions. Factor scores of the extracted dimensions were calculated for both groups to estimate differences in learning behavior. Factor analysis of the LIST questionnaire revealed eight factors explaining 47.57% of the overall variance. The eight factors comprise: deep learning, attention, learning organization, cooperative learning, time management, learning effort, superficial learning and learning environment. Comparing the factor scores of the extracted dimensions, students coached by trained tutors learned significantly more with their fellow students (factor score in cooperative learning 0.194 vs. -0.205, p<0.05), than students trained by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors also tend to be better organized in their learning (factor score in learning organization 0.115 vs. -0.122, p=0.16). The learning behavior of students coached by trained tutors differs from the learning behavior of students coached by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors learn significantly more often in teams than their colleagues and are better organized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Comparing Videotapes and Written Narrative Records of Second Grade Reading Classes: Selecting Methods for Particular Observational Goals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, C. H.; And Others

The classroom behaviors recorded during three second grade reading lessons provide suitable evidence for comparing the relative merits of using narrative observations versus videotapes as data collection techniques. The comparative analysis illustrates the detail and precision of videotape. Primarily, videotape gives a true picture of linear time,…

Electrochemical Behavior of Pure Copper in Phosphate Buffer Solutions: A Comparison Between Micro- and Nano-Grained Copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imantalab, O.; Fattah-alhosseini, A.; Keshavarz, M. K.; Mazaheri, Y.

2016-02-01

In this work, electrochemical behavior of annealed (micro-) and nano-grained pure copper (fabricated by accumulative roll bonding process) in phosphate buffer solutions of various pH values ranging from 10.69 to 12.59 has been studied. Before any electrochemical measurements, evaluation of microstructure was obtained by optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy. To investigate the electrochemical behavior of the samples, the potentiodynamic polarization, Mott-Schottky analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out. Potentiodynamic polarization plots and EIS measurements revealed that as a result of grain refinement, the passive behavior of the nano-grained sample was improved compared to that of annealed pure copper. Also, Mott-Schottky analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as p-type semiconductors and grain refinement did not change the semiconductor type of passive films.

Scaled boundary finite element simulation and modeling of the mechanical behavior of cracked nanographene sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honarmand, M.; Moradi, M.

2018-06-01

In this paper, by using scaled boundary finite element method (SBFM), a perfect nanographene sheet or cracked ones were simulated for the first time. In this analysis, the atomic carbon bonds were modeled by simple bar elements with circular cross-sections. Despite of molecular dynamics (MD), the results obtained from SBFM analysis are quite acceptable for zero degree cracks. For all angles except zero, Griffith criterion can be applied for the relation between critical stress and crack length. Finally, despite the simplifications used in nanographene analysis, obtained results can simulate the mechanical behavior with high accuracy compared with experimental and MD ones.

Social Networks and Mourning: A Comparative Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Nissan

1990-01-01

Suggests using social network theory to explain varieties of mourning behavior in different societies. Compares participation in funeral ceremonies of members of different social circles in American society and Israeli kibbutz. Concludes that results demonstrated validity of concepts deriving from social network analysis in study of bereavement,…

The effect of pre-travel advice on sexual risk behavior abroad: a systematic review.

PubMed

Croughs, Mieke; Remmen, Roy; Van den Ende, Jef

2014-01-01

Travelers often have casual sex abroad and the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) associated with casual travel sex is considered to be threefold higher compared to the risk of casual sex in the home country. Consequently, international guidelines recommend including STI advice in the pre-travel consultation. We performed a systematic review on the effect of a pre-travel STI intervention on sexual risk behavior abroad. In September 2012, a systematic analysis and meta-analysis of peer reviewed literature were performed on the relation between pre-travel STI advice for travelers and sexual risk behavior abroad. Primary outcome measure consisted of the number of travelers with a new sexual partner abroad; secondary outcome measure entailed the proportion of consistent condom use. Six studies were identified for inclusion in the review, of which three clinical trials on the effect of a motivational intervention compared to standard pre-travel STI advice qualified for the meta-analysis. Two of these trials were performed in US marines deployed abroad and one in visitors of a travel clinic. The extensive motivational training program of the marines led to a reduction in sexual risk behavior, while the brief motivational intervention in the travel clinic was not superior to standard advice. The meta-analysis established no overall effect on risk behavior abroad. No clinical trials on the effect of a standard pre-travel STI discussion were found, but a cohort study reported that no relation was found between the recall of a nonstructured pre-travel STI discussion and sexual risk behavior, while the recall of reading the STI information appeared to be related to more consistent condom use. Motivational pre-travel STI intervention was not found to be superior to standard STI advice, while no clinical trials on the effect of standard pre-travel STI advice were found. © 2013 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Comparison of behavioral characteristics of dogs in the United States and Japan.

PubMed

Nagasawa, Miho; Kanbayashi, Shunichi; Mogi, Kazutaka; Serpell, James A; Kikusui, Takefumi

2016-02-01

This study examined the difference in dog owning between Japan and the United States, and the effect of these differences on dogs' behavioral characteristics. Behavioral evaluations of privately-owned dogs were obtained by using online questionnaire. We compared background and demographic information from the two countries and analyzed the effects of these differences on behavioral characteristics in dogs. The results indicated that there was a bias in the dog breeds kept in Japan compared to the United States and that Japanese dogs' body weight was lower than the US dogs. The main source of dog acquisition was pet stores in Japan and breeders and/or shelters in the United States. Multiple linear regression analysis found that Japanese dogs showed more aggression to household members and higher energy, restlessness and fear of non-social stimuli than US dogs, while US dogs showed more fear of unfamiliar persons, separation-related behavior and excitability. US dogs also showed higher levels of trainability and attachment to owners. The lower dog's body weight was, the higher the behavioral scores except for trainability were. When dogs that were obtained under 3 months of age were analyzed, the younger the dogs were when their owners obtained them, the higher the scores on some behavioral problem factors were. The higher rates of problem behaviors among Japanese dogs compared with US dogs suggest that the preference for small breed dogs and poor early development environment influenced the behavioral characteristics of dogs.

A Comparison of Health-Risk Behaviors of Rural Migrants with Rural Residents and Urban Residents in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xinguang; Stanton, Bonita; Li, Xiaoming; Fang, Xiaoyi; Lin, Danhua; Xiong, Qing

2009-01-01

Objective: To determine whether rural-to-urban migrants in China are more likely than rural and urban residents to engage in risk behaviors. Methods: Comparative analysis of survey data between migrants and rural and urban residents using age standardized rate and multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence and frequency of tobacco…

Analysis of Mother-Infant Interaction in Infants with Down Syndrome and Typically Developing Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slonims, Vicky; McConachie, Helen

2006-01-01

Delays in development of early social behaviors in babies with Down syndrome are likely to affect patterns of interaction with their caregivers. We videotaped 23 babies in face-to-face interaction with their mothers at 8 and 20 weeks of age and compared them to 23 typically developing infants and their mothers. Social behaviors, mothers'…

HIV Risk Behavior among Amphetamine Injectors at U.S. Syringe Exchange Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braine, Naomi; Des Jarlais, Don C.; Goldblatt, Cullen; Zadoretzky, Cathy; Turner, Charles

2005-01-01

The goal of this study was to compare HIV risk behaviors of amphetamine and non-amphetamine injectors at syringe exchange programs (SEP) in the United States and to identify factors associated with injection risk. This analysis is based on data from a random cross-section of participants at 13 SEPs in different parts of the country. All interviews…

Microstructure, Tensile Properties and Work Hardening Behavior of GTA-Welded Dual-Phase Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashrafi, H.; Shamanian, M.; Emadi, R.; Saeidi, N.

2017-03-01

In the present study, microstructure, tensile properties and work hardening behavior of a DP700 steel after gas tungsten arc welding were investigated. Formation of bainite in the fusion zone resulted in a hardness increase compared to that for the base metal (BM), whereas tempering of the pre-existing martensite in the subcritical heat-affected zone (HAZ) led to softening. The GTA-welded joint exhibited a continuous yielding behavior and a yield strength close to that for the BM, while its ultimate tensile strength and total elongation were lower than those for the BM owing to the formation of soft zone in the HAZ. A joint efficiency of about 81% was obtained for the GTA-welded joint, and it failed in the softened HAZ. Analysis of work hardening based on the Kocks-Mecking approach showed one stage of hardening behavior corresponding to the stage III for both the DP700 BM and welded sample. It was also revealed that the DP700 BM has larger values of work hardening exponent and magnitude of work hardening compared with the welded sample. Analysis of fractured surfaces showed that the dominant fracture mode for both the DP700 BM and welded joint was ductile.

Real-Time Cameraless Measurement System Based on Bioelectrical Ventilatory Signals to Evaluate Fear and Anxiety.

PubMed

Soh, Zu; Matsuno, Motoki; Yoshida, Masayuki; Tsuji, Toshio

2018-04-01

Fear and anxiety in fish are generally evaluated by video-based behavioral analysis. However, it is difficult to distinguish the psychological state of fish exclusively through video analysis, particularly whether the fish are freezing, which represents typical fear behavior, or merely resting. We propose a system that can measure bioelectrical signals called ventilatory signals and simultaneously analyze swimming behavior in real time. Experimental results comparing the behavioral analysis of the proposed system and the camera system showed a low error level with an average absolute position error of 9.75 ± 3.12 mm (about one-third of the body length) and a correlation between swimming speeds of r = 0.93 ± 0.07 (p < 0.01). We also exposed the fish to zebrafish skin extracts containing alarm substances that induce fear and anxiety responses to evaluate their emotional changes. The results confirmed that this solution significantly changed all behavioral and ventilatory signal indices obtained by the proposed system (p < 0.01). By combining the behavioral and ventilatory signal indices, we could detect fear and anxiety with a discrimination rate of 83.3% ± 16.7%. Furthermore, we found that the decreasing fear and anxiety over time could be detected according to the peak frequency of the ventilatory signals, which cannot be measured through video analysis.

Disinhibited social engagement in postinstitutionalized children: differentiating normal from atypical behavior.

PubMed

Lawler, Jamie M; Hostinar, Camelia E; Mliner, Shanna B; Gunnar, Megan R

2014-05-01

The most commonly reported socially aberrant behavior in postinstitutionalized (PI) children is disinhibited social engagement (DSE; also known as indiscriminate friendliness). There is no gold standard for measurement of this phenomenon nor agreement on how to differentiate it from normative behavior. We adopted a developmental psychopathology approach (Cicchetti, 1984) to study this phenomenon by comparing it to normative social development and by studying its patterns over time in 50 newly adopted PI children (16-36 months at adoption) compared with 41 children adopted early from foster care overseas and 47 nonadopted (NA) controls. Using coded behavioral observations of the child's interaction with an unfamiliar adult, atypical behaviors were differentiated from normative behaviors. Principal components analysis identified two dimensions of social disinhibition. The nonphysical social dimension (e.g., initiations, proximity) showed wide variation in NA children and is therefore considered a typical form of sociability. Displays of physical contact and intimacy were rare in NA children, suggesting that they represent an atypical pattern of behavior. Both adopted groups demonstrated more physical DSE behavior than NA children. There were no group differences on the nonphysical factor, and it increased over time in all groups. Implications for understanding the etiology of DSE and future directions are discussed.

Evaluation of Cyclic Behavior of Aircraft Turbine Disk Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shahani, V.; Popp, H. G.

1978-01-01

An evaluation of the cyclic behavior of three aircraft engine turbine disk materials was conducted to compare their relative crack initiation and crack propagation resistance. The disk alloys investigated were Inconel 718, hot isostatically pressed and forged powder metallurgy Rene '95, and as-hot-isostatically pressed Rene '95. The objective was to compare the hot isostatically pressed powder metallurgy alloy forms with conventionally processed superalloys as represented by Inconel 718. Cyclic behavior was evaluated at 650 C both under continuously cycling and a fifteen minute tensile hold time cycle to simulate engine conditions. Analysis of the test data were made to evaluate the strain range partitioning and energy exhaustion concepts for predicting hold time effects on low cycle fatigue.

Child Sexual Abuse and Adolescent Prostitution: A Comparative Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seng, Magnus J.

1989-01-01

Explored relationship between sexual abuse and adolescent prostitution by comparing 70 sexually abused children with 35 prostitution-involved children on 22 variables. Findings suggest that relationship is not direct, but involves runaway behavior as intervening variable. Concludes that it is not so much sexual abuse that leads to prostitution, as…

Steep Delay Discounting and Addictive Behavior: A Meta-Analysis of Continuous Associations

PubMed Central

Amlung, Michael; Vedelago, Lana; Acker, John; Balodis, Iris; MacKillop, James

2016-01-01

Aims To synthesize continuous associations between delayed reward discounting (DRD) and both addiction severity and quantity-frequency (QF); to examine moderators of these relationships; and to investigate publication bias. Methods Meta-analysis of published studies examining continuous associations between DRD and addictive behaviors. Published, peer-reviewed studies on addictive behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, opiates, and gambling) were identified via PubMed, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo. Studies were restricted to DRD measures of monetary gains. Random effects meta-analysis was conducted using Pearson’s r as the effect size. Publication bias was evaluated using fail-safe N, Begg-Mazumdar and Egger’s tests, meta-regression of publication year and effect size, and imputation of missing studies. Results The primary meta-analysis revealed a small magnitude effect size that was highly significant (r = 0.14, p < 10−14). Significantly larger effect sizes were observed for studies examining severity compared with QF (p = 0.01), but not between the type of addictive behavior (p = 0.30) or DRD assessment (p = 0.90). Indices of publication bias suggested a modest impact of unpublished findings. Conclusions Delayed reward discounting is robustly associated with continuous measures of addiction severity and quantity-frequency. This relation is generally robust across type of addictive behavior and delayed reward discounting assessment modality. PMID:27450931

Interpersonal Problems Predict Differential Response to Cognitive Versus Behavioral Treatment in a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Newman, Michelle G.; Jacobson, Nicholas C.; Erickson, Thane M.; Fisher, Aaron J.

2016-01-01

Objective We examined dimensional interpersonal problems as moderators of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) versus its components (cognitive therapy [CT] and behavioral therapy [BT]). We predicted that people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) whose interpersonal problems reflected more dominance and intrusiveness would respond best to a relaxation-based BT compared to CT or CBT, based on studies showing that people with personality features associated with a need for autonomy respond best to treatments that are more experiential, concrete, and self-directed compared to therapies involving abstract analysis of one’s problems (e.g., containing CT). Method This was a secondary analysis of Borkovec, Newman, Pincus, and Lytle (2002). Forty-seven participants with principal diagnoses of GAD were assigned randomly to combined CBT (n = 16), CT (n = 15), or BT (n = 16). Results As predicted, compared to participants with less intrusiveness, those with dimensionally more intrusiveness responded with greater GAD symptom reduction to BT than to CBT at posttreatment and greater change to BT than to CT or CBT across all follow-up points. Similarly, those with more dominance responded better to BT compared to CT and CBT at all follow-up points. Additionally, being overly nurturant at baseline was associated with GAD symptoms at baseline, post, and all follow-up time-points regardless of therapy condition. Conclusions Generally anxious individuals with domineering and intrusive problems associated with higher need for control may respond better to experiential behavioral interventions than to cognitive interventions, which may be perceived as a direct challenge of their perceptions. PMID:28077221

Interpersonal Problems Predict Differential Response to Cognitive Versus Behavioral Treatment in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Newman, Michelle G; Jacobson, Nicholas C; Erickson, Thane M; Fisher, Aaron J

2017-01-01

We examined dimensional interpersonal problems as moderators of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) versus its components (cognitive therapy [CT] and behavioral therapy [BT]). We predicted that people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) whose interpersonal problems reflected more dominance and intrusiveness would respond best to a relaxation-based BT compared to CT or CBT, based on studies showing that people with personality features associated with a need for autonomy respond best to treatments that are more experiential, concrete, and self-directed compared to therapies involving abstract analysis of one's problems (e.g., containing CT). This was a secondary analysis of Borkovec, Newman, Pincus, and Lytle (2002). Forty-seven participants with principal diagnoses of GAD were assigned randomly to combined CBT (n = 16), CT (n = 15), or BT (n = 16). As predicted, compared to participants with less intrusiveness, those with dimensionally more intrusiveness responded with greater GAD symptom reduction to BT than to CBT at posttreatment and greater change to BT than to CT or CBT across all follow-up points. Similarly, those with more dominance responded better to BT compared to CT and CBT at all follow-up points. Additionally, being overly nurturant at baseline was associated with GAD symptoms at baseline, post, and all follow-up time-points regardless of therapy condition. Generally anxious individuals with domineering and intrusive problems associated with higher need for control may respond better to experiential behavioral interventions than to cognitive interventions, which may be perceived as a direct challenge of their perceptions. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Meta-Analysis of Motivational Interviewing: Twenty-Five Years of Empirical Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundahl, Brad W.; Kunz, Chelsea; Brownell, Cynthia; Tollefson, Derrik; Burke, Brian L.

2010-01-01

Objective: The authors investigated the unique contribution motivational interviewing (MI) has on counseling outcomes and how MI compares with other interventions. Method: A total of 119 studies were subjected to a meta-analysis. Targeted outcomes included substance use (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, marijuana), health-related behaviors (diet,…

Test-specific control conditions for functional analyses.

PubMed

Fahmie, Tara A; Iwata, Brian A; Querim, Angie C; Harper, Jill M

2013-01-01

Most functional analyses of problem behavior include a common condition (play or noncontingent reinforcement) as a control for both positive and negative reinforcement. However, test-specific conditions that control for each potential source of reinforcement may be beneficial occasionally. We compared responding during alone, ignore, play, and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) control conditions for individuals whose problem behavior was maintained by positive or negative reinforcement. Results showed that all of the conditions were effective controls for problem behavior maintained by positive reinforcement; however, the DRO condition was consistently ineffective as a control for problem behavior maintained by negative reinforcement. Implications for the design of functional analyses and future research are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style

PubMed Central

Connors, Brenda L.; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic – the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts – and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns. PMID:24999336

Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style.

PubMed

Connors, Brenda L; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic - the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts - and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns.

A comparative appraisal of hydrological behavior of SRTM DEM at catchment level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Arabinda; Tiwari, K. N.

2014-11-01

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data has emerged as a global elevation data in the past one decade because of its free availability, homogeneity and consistent accuracy compared to other global elevation dataset. The present study explores the consistency in hydrological behavior of the SRTM digital elevation model (DEM) with reference to easily available regional 20 m contour interpolated DEM (TOPO DEM). Analysis ranging from simple vertical accuracy assessment to hydrological simulation of the studied Maithon catchment, using empirical USLE model and semidistributed, physical SWAT model, were carried out. Moreover, terrain analysis involving hydrological indices was performed for comparative assessment of the SRTM DEM with respect to TOPO DEM. Results reveal that the vertical accuracy of SRTM DEM (±27.58 m) in the region is less than the specified standard (±16 m). Statistical analysis of hydrological indices such as topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), slope length factor (SLF) and geometry number (GN) shows a significant differences in hydrological properties of the two studied DEMs. Estimation of soil erosion potentials of the catchment and conservation priorities of microwatersheds of the catchment using SRTM DEM and TOPO DEM produce considerably different results. Prediction of soil erosion potential using SRTM DEM is far higher than that obtained using TOPO DEM. Similarly, conservation priorities determined using the two DEMs are found to be agreed for only 34% of microwatersheds of the catchment. ArcSWAT simulation reveals that runoff predictions are less sensitive to selection of the two DEMs as compared to sediment yield prediction. The results obtained in the present study are vital to hydrological analysis as it helps understanding the hydrological behavior of the DEM without being influenced by the model structural as well as parameter uncertainty. It also reemphasized that SRTM DEM can be a valuable dataset for hydrological analysis provided any error/uncertainty therein is being properly evaluated and characterized.

Bariatric Surgery Candidates' Peer and Romantic Relationships and Associations with Health Behaviors.

PubMed

Pratt, Keeley J; Balk, Elizabeth K; Ferriby, Megan; Wallace, Lorraine; Noria, Sabrena; Needleman, Bradley

2016-11-01

The aim was to assess the romantic and peer relationships of bariatric surgery candidates and associations with health behaviors. Adults seeking bariatric surgery (N = 120) completed surveys addressing health behaviors and social relationships at information sessions. Analysis was done to compare male/female differences in peer and romantic relationships and associations with health behaviors. Previously published reference (REF) data on the Relationship Structures questionnaire was used for comparison, and to split our sample into those ≤ or > REF mean for relationship anxiety and avoidance. Our sample reported higher avoidance and lower anxiety in their close friendships and romantic relationships compared to the REF sample. Men in our sample had higher peer and romantic relationships avoidance compared to the REF sample and had significantly higher close friendship avoidance than women in our sample. Participants with lower anxiety in their romantic relationships (≤ REF) had higher uncontrolled eating and physical activity; those with more anxiety in their romantic relationships (> REF) had a higher BMI. Our findings highlight the potential influence that social relationships may have on health behaviors within the bariatric surgery population. Further investigation is warranted to explore male bariatric surgery candidates' relationships to inform understanding and intervention development.

Feeding behavior of Aplysia: a model system for comparing cellular mechanisms of classical and operant conditioning.

PubMed

Baxter, Douglas A; Byrne, John H

2006-01-01

Feeding behavior of Aplysia provides an excellent model system for analyzing and comparing mechanisms underlying appetitive classical conditioning and reward operant conditioning. Behavioral protocols have been developed for both forms of associative learning, both of which increase the occurrence of biting following training. Because the neural circuitry that mediates the behavior is well characterized and amenable to detailed cellular analyses, substantial progress has been made toward a comparative analysis of the cellular mechanisms underlying these two forms of associative learning. Both forms of associative learning use the same reinforcement pathway (the esophageal nerve, En) and the same reinforcement transmitter (dopamine, DA). In addition, at least one cellular locus of plasticity (cell B51) is modified by both forms of associative learning. However, the two forms of associative learning have opposite effects on B51. Classical conditioning decreases the excitability of B51, whereas operant conditioning increases the excitability of B51. Thus, the approach of using two forms of associative learning to modify a single behavior, which is mediated by an analytically tractable neural circuit, is revealing similarities and differences in the mechanisms that underlie classical and operant conditioning.

Stroke preparedness in children: translating knowledge into behavioral intent: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ottawa, Cassandra; Sposato, Luciano A; Nabbouh, Fadl; Saposnik, Gustavo

2015-10-01

If translated into behavioral intent, improving stroke knowledge may potentially impact on better outcomes. Children are an attractive target population since they can drive familial behavioral changes. However, the impact of interventions on stroke knowledge among children is unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether educational interventions targeting children improve stroke knowledge and lead to behavioral changes. We searched Ovid, PubMed, and Embase between January 2000 and December 2014. We included studies written in English reporting the number of children aged 6-15 years undergoing educational interventions on stroke and providing the results for baseline and early and late postintervention tests. We compared the proportion of correct answers between baseline, early, and late responses for two endpoints: knowledge and behavioral intent. Of the initial 58 articles found, we included nine that met the inclusion criteria. Compared with baseline tests (51·7%, 95% confidence interval 40·9-62·4), there was improvement in stroke knowledge in early (74·0%, 95% confidence interval 64·4-82·5, P = 0·002) and late (67·3%, 95% confidence interval 55·4-78·2, P = 0·027) responses. There was improvement in the early (92·1%, 95% confidence interval 86·0-96·6, P < 0·001) and late (83·9%, 95% confidence interval 73·5-92·1, P = 0·001) responses for behavioral intent compared with the baseline assessment (63·8%, 95% confidence interval 53·5-73·4). Children are a potentially attractive target population for improvement in stroke knowledge and behavioral intent, both in the short and long term. Our findings may support the implementation of large-scale stroke educational initiatives targeting children. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.

A novel system for tracking social preference dynamics in mice reveals sex- and strain-specific characteristics.

PubMed

Netser, Shai; Haskal, Shani; Magalnik, Hen; Wagner, Shlomo

2017-01-01

Deciphering the biological mechanisms underlying social behavior in animal models requires standard behavioral paradigms that can be unbiasedly employed in an observer- and laboratory-independent manner. During the past decade, the three-chamber test has become such a standard paradigm used to evaluate social preference (sociability) and social novelty preference in mice. This test suffers from several caveats, including its reliance on spatial navigation skills and negligence of behavioral dynamics. Here, we present a novel experimental apparatus and an automated analysis system which offer an alternative to the three-chamber test while solving the aforementioned caveats. The custom-made apparatus is simple for production, and the analysis system is publically available as an open-source software, enabling its free use. We used this system to compare the dynamics of social behavior during the social preference and social novelty preference tests between male and female C57BL/6J mice. We found that in both tests, male mice keep their preference towards one of the stimuli for longer periods than females. We then employed our system to define several new parameters of social behavioral dynamics in mice and revealed that social preference behavior is segregated in time into two distinct phases. An early exploration phase, characterized by high rate of transitions between stimuli and short bouts of stimulus investigation, is followed by an interaction phase with low transition rate and prolonged interactions, mainly with the preferred stimulus. Finally, we compared the dynamics of social behavior between C57BL/6J and BTBR male mice, the latter of which are considered as asocial strain serving as a model for autism spectrum disorder. We found that BTBR mice ( n  = 8) showed a specific deficit in transition from the exploration phase to the interaction phase in the social preference test, suggesting a reduced tendency towards social interaction. We successfully employed our new experimental system to unravel previously unidentified sex- and strain-specific differences in the dynamics of social behavior in mice. Thus, the system presented here facilitates a more thorough and detailed analysis of social behavior in small rodent models, enabling a better comparison between strains and treatments.

Implementation of DSC model and application for analysis of field pile tests under cyclic loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Changming; Desai, Chandra S.

2000-05-01

The disturbed state concept (DSC) model, and a new and simplified procedure for unloading and reloading behavior are implemented in a nonlinear finite element procedure for dynamic analysis for coupled response of saturated porous materials. The DSC model is used to characterize the cyclic behavior of saturated clays and clay-steel interfaces. In the DSC, the relative intact (RI) behavior is characterized by using the hierarchical single surface (HISS) plasticity model; and the fully adjusted (FA) behavior is modeled by using the critical state concept. The DSC model is validated with respect to laboratory triaxial tests for clay and shear tests for clay-steel interfaces. The computer procedure is used to predict field behavior of an instrumented pile subjected to cyclic loading. The predictions provide very good correlation with the field data. They also yield improved results compared to those from a HISS model with anisotropic hardening, partly because the DSC model allows for degradation or softening and interface response.

Embedding Multilevel Survival Analysis of Dyadic Social Interaction in Structural Equation Models: Hazard Rates as Both Outcomes and Predictors

PubMed Central

Snyder, James

2014-01-01

Objective Demonstrate multivariate multilevel survival analysis within a larger structural equation model. Test the 3 hypotheses that when confronted by a negative parent, child rates of angry, sad/fearful, and positive emotion will increase, decrease, and stay the same, respectively, for antisocial compared with normal children. This same pattern will predict increases in future antisocial behavior. Methods Parent–child dyads were videotaped in the fall of kindergarten in the laboratory and antisocial behavior ratings were obtained in the fall of kindergarten and third grade. Results Kindergarten antisocial predicted less child sad/fear and child positive but did not predict child anger given parent negative. Less child positive and more child neutral given parent negative predicted increases in third-grade antisocial behavior. Conclusions The model is a useful analytic tool for studying rates of social behavior. Lack of positive affect or excess neutral affect may be a new risk factor for child antisocial behavior. PMID:24133296

The association between sleep disturbances and suicidal behaviors in patients with psychiatric diagnoses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Malik, Shaista; Kanwar, Amrit; Sim, Leslie A; Prokop, Larry J; Wang, Zhen; Benkhadra, Khalid; Murad, Mohammad Hassan

2014-02-25

Identifying patients with increased risk of suicidal behaviors is a constant challenge and concern for clinicians caring for patients with psychiatric conditions. We conducted a systematic review to assess the association between suicidal behaviors and sleep disturbances in psychiatric patients. A systematic literature search of Ovid Medline In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycInfo, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus was conducted using earliest inclusive dates to 28 June 2013. Eligible studies were comparative observational studies that reported sleep disturbances in psychiatric patients and the outcome of interest (any type of suicidal behaviors). Pairs of reviewers extracted descriptive data, study quality, and outcomes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled across studies using the random-effects model. Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to critically appraise study quality. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Compared to those without sleep disturbances, patients with psychiatric diagnoses and co-morbid sleep disturbances were significantly more likely to report suicidal behaviors (OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.72, 2.30, P <0.001). The association was also demonstrated across several psychiatric conditions including depression (OR = 3.05, 95% CI 2.07, 4.48, P <0.001), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.91, 3.43, P <0.001), panic disorder (OR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.09, 9.45, P = 0.03), and schizophrenia (OR = 12.66, 95% CI 1.40, 114.44, P = 0.02). In subgroup analysis based on the type of sleep disorder, we also found suicidal behavior to be significantly associated with the presence of insomnia, parasomnias, and sleep-related breathing disorders, but not hypersomnias. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that in patients with psychiatric diagnoses, sleep disturbances are associated with the increased risk of suicidal behaviors.

Sociability and gazing toward humans in dogs and wolves: Simple behaviors with broad implications.

PubMed

Bentosela, Mariana; Wynne, C D L; D'Orazio, M; Elgier, A; Udell, M A R

2016-01-01

Sociability, defined as the tendency to approach and interact with unfamiliar people, has been found to modulate some communicative responses in domestic dogs, including gaze behavior toward the human face. The objective of this study was to compare sociability and gaze behavior in pet domestic dogs and in human-socialized captive wolves in order to identify the relative influence of domestication and learning in the development of the dog-human bond. In Experiment 1, we assessed the approach behavior and social tendencies of dogs and wolves to a familiar and an unfamiliar person. In Experiment 2, we compared the animal's duration of gaze toward a person's face in the presence of food, which the animals could see but not access. Dogs showed higher levels of interspecific sociability than wolves in all conditions, including those where attention was unavailable. In addition, dogs gazed longer at the person's face than wolves in the presence of out-of-reach food. The potential contributions of domestication, associative learning, and experiences during ontogeny to prosocial behavior toward humans are discussed. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Prevalence of traumatic brain injury in incarcerated groups compared to the general population: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Farrer, Thomas J; Hedges, Dawson W

2011-03-30

Traumatic brain injury can cause numerous behavioral abnormalities including aggression, violence, impulsivity, and apathy, factors that can be associated with criminal behavior and incarceration. To better characterize the association between traumatic brain injury and incarceration, we pooled reported frequencies of lifetime traumatic brain injury of any severity among incarcerated samples and compared the pooled frequency to estimates of the lifetime prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the general population. We found a significantly higher prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the incarcerated groups compared to the general population. As such, there appears to be an association between traumatic brain injury and incarceration. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New Treatments for Autism: Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet on Rate of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Jennifer B.; Velez, Denise M.; Chambliss, Catherine

This study assessed the effects of a gluten-free diet over one year on learning patterns in three autistic children (ages 5 to 8) participating in an applied behavioral analysis program. Rates of learning for five behavioral targets 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after the start of the diet were compared using a within-subjects…

Understanding Cultural Differences in the Antecedents of Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Business Students in the United States and Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordano, Mark; Welcomer, Stephanie; Scherer, Robert; Pradenas, Lorena; Parada, Victor

2010-01-01

We surveyed business students in the U. S. (n = 256) and Chile (n = 310). The survey included measures drawn from studies of pro-environmental behavior using Schwartz's norm activation theory (Schwartz, 1977), the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), and a values-beliefs-norms model created by Stern, Dietz, Abel, Guagnano, and…

Time perspective and environmental engagement: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Milfont, Taciano L; Wilson, Jessie; Diniz, Pollyane

2012-01-01

Environmental issues entail both a social conflict (private vs. public interests) and a temporal conflict (short- vs. long-term interests). This paper focuses on the role temporal concerns play in influencing environmental engagement by quantitatively integrating results of studies that assessed the associations between time perspective and proenvironmental attitudes and behaviors. The meta-analysis included a total of 19 independent samples and 6,301 participants from seven countries (Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States). Results showed that the associations between time perspective and proenvironmental behaviors were higher than those for proenvironmental attitudes. Supporting predictions, the associations between future time perspective and proenvironmental behaviors were strong and nontrivial compared to those for the combined past-present time perspective. The findings indicate that future time perspective seems to play an important role in influencing individuals' attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Single aggressive and non-aggressive social interactions elicit distinct behavioral patterns to the context in mice.

PubMed

Crestani, Ariela M; Cipriano, Ana C; Nunes-de-Souza, Ricardo L

2018-04-16

Aggressive interactions between conspecific animals have been used as a social stressor with ethological characteristics to study how social interactions can modulate animal's behavior. Here, a new protocol based on aggressive and non-aggressive interactions was developed to study how different social interactions can alter the behavioral profile of animals re-exposed to the context in which the interaction occurred. We used factor analysis to trace the behavioral profile of socially defeated and non-defeated mice when they were re-exposed to the apparatus [three interconnected chambers: home chamber, tunnel and surface area]; we also compared the behavior presented before (habituation) and 24 h after (re-exposure) the non-aggressive or aggressive interactions. A final factor analysis from defeated animals yielded 4 factors that represented 72.09% of total variance; whereas non-defeated animal's analysis was loaded with 5 factors that represented 85.46% of total variance. A 5-min non-aggressive interaction reduced the frequency of stretched attend behavior in the tunnel, whereas a single social defeat reduced time in the tunnel and increased time spent performing self-grooming in the home chamber without conditioning any other spatio-temporal and complementary measures. Together, these results suggest that different social interactions may modulate distinct behavioral profiles in animals when re-exposed to the context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Electrochemical Behavior of Ti and Nanostructured Ti-Coated AISI 304 Stainless Steel in Strongly Acidic Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attarzadeh, Farid Reza; Elmkhah, Hassan; Fattah-Alhosseini, Arash

2017-02-01

In this study, the electrochemical behaviors of pure titanium (Ti) and nanostructured (NS) Ti-coated AISI 304 stainless steel (SS) in strongly acidic solutions of H2SO4 were investigated and compared. A type of physical vapor deposition method, cathodic arc evaporation, was applied to deposit NS Ti on 304 SS. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize surface coating morphology. Potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis were used to evaluate the passive behavior of the samples. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the passive behavior of NS Ti coating was better than that of pure Ti in 0.1 and 0.01 M H2SO4 solutions. M-S analysis indicated that the passive films behaved as n-type semiconductors in H2SO4 solutions and the deposition method did not affect the semiconducting type of passive films formed on the coated samples. In addition, this analysis showed that the NS Ti coating had lower donor densities. Finally, all electrochemical tests showed that the passive behavior of the Ti-coated samples was superior, mainly due to the formation of thicker, yet less defective passive films.

Aggression from Patients or Next of Kin and Exposure to Bullying Behaviors: A Conglomerate Experience?

PubMed Central

Notelaers, Guy; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Moen, Bente Elisabeth; Einarsen, Ståle

2017-01-01

Although workplace violence and aggression have been identified as important stressors in the nursing profession, studies simultaneously comparing patient-initiated aggression and exposure to bullying behaviors at work are rather scarce. The aim of this study was to compare aggression from patients or next of kin and exposure to bullying behaviors in terms of prevalence, health-related quality of life outcomes, and potential overlap in those targeted. In the period of 2008-2009, data were collected among 2059 members of the Norwegian Nurses Organization. Latent class (LC) analysis and a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to investigate the proposed relationships. The results showed that aggression from patients or next of kin and exposure to bullying behaviors were perceived as separate and independent stressors. Although aggression from patients or next of kin was more frequent than workplace bullying, the latter was the only significant stressor related to health-related quality of life in terms of reduced mental health functioning. Although being a rather infrequent experience, exposure to bullying behaviors seems to have more severe health-related outcomes for nurses than aggression from patients or next of kin. Hence, the results of the study strengthen previous findings and suggest that managers must aim to maintain a positive psychosocial work environment with zero-tolerance for bullying. PMID:28270936

[A Study on the Classification of Nursing Management Competencies and Development of related Behavioral Indicators in Hospitals].

PubMed

Kim, Seong Yeol; Kim, Jong Kyung

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to classify nursing management competencies and develop behavioral indicators for nurse managers in hospitals. Also, levels of importance and performance based on developed criteria were to be identified and compared. Using expert survey we classified nursing management competencies and behavioral indicators with data from 34 nurse managers and professors. Subsequently, data from a survey of 216 nurse managers in 7 cities was used to analyze the importance-performance comparison of the classified nursing management competencies and behavioral indicators. Forty-two nursing management competencies were identified together with 181 behavioral indicators. The mean score for importance of nursing management competency was higher than the mean score for performance. According to the importance-performance analysis, 5 of the 42 nursing management competencies require further development: vision-building, analysis, change management, human resource development, and self-management competency. The classification of nursing management competencies and behavioral indicators for nurse managers in hospitals provides basic data for the development and evaluation of programs designed to increase the competency of nurse managers in hospitals.

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Verster, Joris C; Benson, Sarah; Johnson, Sean J; Alford, Chris; Godefroy, Samuel Benrejeb; Scholey, Andrew

2018-03-01

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to critically review the (1) prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) consumption, (2) motives for AMED consumption, (3) correlates of AMED consumption, and (4) whether AMED consumption has an impact on (a) alcohol consumption, (b) subjective intoxication, and (c) risk-taking behavior. Overall a minority of the population consumes AMED, typically infrequently. Motives for AMED consumption are predominantly hedonistic and social. Meta-analyses revealed that AMED consumers drink significantly more alcohol than alcohol-only (AO) consumers. Within-subject comparisons restricted to AMED consumers revealed that alcohol consumption does not significantly differ between typical AMED and AO occasions. On past month heaviest drinking occasions, AMED users consume significantly less alcohol on AMED occasions when compared to AO occasions. AMED consumers experience significantly fewer negative consequences and risk-taking behavior on AMED occasions compared with AO occasions. Meta-analyses of subjective intoxication studies suggest that AMED consumption does not differentially affect subjective intoxication when compared to AO consumption. In conclusion, when compared to AO consumption, mixing alcohol with energy drink does not affect subjective intoxication and seems unlikely to increase total alcohol consumption, associated risk-taking behavior, nor other negative alcohol-related consequences. Further research may be necessary to fully reveal the effects of AMED. © 2018 The Authors Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Computer-Delivered Interventions for Health Promotion and Behavioral Risk Reduction: A Meta-Analysis of 75 Randomized Controlled Trials, 1988 – 2007

PubMed Central

Portnoy, David B.; Scott-Sheldon, Lori A. J.; Johnson, Blair T.; Carey, Michael P.

2008-01-01

Objective Use of computers to promote healthy behavior is increasing. To evaluate the efficacy of these computer-delivered interventions, we conducted a meta-analysis of the published literature. Method Studies examining health domains related to the leading health indicators outlined in Healthy People 2010 were selected. Data from 75 randomized controlled trials, published between 1988 and 2007, with 35,685 participants and 82 separate interventions were included. All studies were coded independently by two raters for study and participant characteristics, design and methodology, and intervention content. We calculated weighted mean effect sizes for theoretically-meaningful psychosocial and behavioral outcomes; moderator analyses determined the relation between study characteristics and the magnitude of effect sizes for heterogeneous outcomes. Results Compared with controls, participants who received a computer-delivered intervention improved several hypothesized antecedents of health behavior (knowledge, attitudes, intentions); intervention recipients also improved health behaviors (nutrition, tobacco use, substance use, safer sexual behavior, binge/purge behaviors) and general health maintenance. Several sample, study and intervention characteristics moderated the psychosocial and behavioral outcomes. Conclusion Computer-delivered interventions can lead to improved behavioral health outcomes at first post-intervention assessment. Interventions evaluating outcomes at extended assessment periods are needed to evaluate the longer-term efficacy of computer-delivered interventions. PMID:18403003

Application of Survival Analysis and Multistate Modeling to Understand Animal Behavior: Examples from Guide Dogs

PubMed Central

Asher, Lucy; Harvey, Naomi D.; Green, Martin; England, Gary C. W.

2017-01-01

Epidemiology is the study of patterns of health-related states or events in populations. Statistical models developed for epidemiology could be usefully applied to behavioral states or events. The aim of this study is to present the application of epidemiological statistics to understand animal behavior where discrete outcomes are of interest, using data from guide dogs to illustrate. Specifically, survival analysis and multistate modeling are applied to data on guide dogs comparing dogs that completed training and qualified as a guide dog, to those that were withdrawn from the training program. Survival analysis allows the time to (or between) a binary event(s) and the probability of the event occurring at or beyond a specified time point. Survival analysis, using a Cox proportional hazards model, was used to examine the time taken to withdraw a dog from training. Sex, breed, and other factors affected time to withdrawal. Bitches were withdrawn faster than dogs, Labradors were withdrawn faster, and Labrador × Golden Retrievers slower, than Golden Retriever × Labradors; and dogs not bred by Guide Dogs were withdrawn faster than those bred by Guide Dogs. Multistate modeling (MSM) can be used as an extension of survival analysis to incorporate more than two discrete events or states. Multistate models were used to investigate transitions between states of training to qualification as a guide dog or behavioral withdrawal, and from qualification as a guide dog to behavioral withdrawal. Sex, breed (with purebred Labradors and Golden retrievers differing from F1 crosses), and bred by Guide Dogs or not, effected movements between states. We postulate that survival analysis and MSM could be applied to a wide range of behavioral data and key examples are provided. PMID:28804710

An inelastic analysis of a welded aluminum joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaughan, R. E.

1994-09-01

Butt-weld joints are most commonly designed into pressure vessels which then become as reliable as the weakest increment in the weld chain. In practice, weld material properties are determined from tensile test specimen and provided to the stress analyst in the form of a stress versus strain diagram. Variations in properties through the thickness of the weld and along the width of the weld have been suspect but not explored because of inaccessibility and cost. The purpose of this study is to investigate analytical and computational methods used for analysis of welds. The weld specimens are analyzed using classical elastic and plastic theory to provide a basis for modeling the inelastic properties in a finite-element solution. The results of the analysis are compared to experimental data to determine the weld behavior and the accuracy of prediction methods. The weld considered in this study is a multiple-pass aluminum 2219-T87 butt weld with thickness of 1.40 in. The weld specimen is modeled using the finite-element code ABAQUS. The finite-element model is used to produce the stress-strain behavior in the elastic and plastic regimes and to determine Poisson's ratio in the plastic region. The value of Poisson's ratio in the plastic regime is then compared to experimental data. The results of the comparisons are used to explain multipass weld behavior and to make recommendations concerning the analysis and testing of welds.

An inelastic analysis of a welded aluminum joint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, R. E.

1994-01-01

Butt-weld joints are most commonly designed into pressure vessels which then become as reliable as the weakest increment in the weld chain. In practice, weld material properties are determined from tensile test specimen and provided to the stress analyst in the form of a stress versus strain diagram. Variations in properties through the thickness of the weld and along the width of the weld have been suspect but not explored because of inaccessibility and cost. The purpose of this study is to investigate analytical and computational methods used for analysis of welds. The weld specimens are analyzed using classical elastic and plastic theory to provide a basis for modeling the inelastic properties in a finite-element solution. The results of the analysis are compared to experimental data to determine the weld behavior and the accuracy of prediction methods. The weld considered in this study is a multiple-pass aluminum 2219-T87 butt weld with thickness of 1.40 in. The weld specimen is modeled using the finite-element code ABAQUS. The finite-element model is used to produce the stress-strain behavior in the elastic and plastic regimes and to determine Poisson's ratio in the plastic region. The value of Poisson's ratio in the plastic regime is then compared to experimental data. The results of the comparisons are used to explain multipass weld behavior and to make recommendations concerning the analysis and testing of welds.

Scaling behavior of online human activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhi-Dan; Cai, Shi-Min; Huang, Junming; Fu, Yan; Zhou, Tao

2012-11-01

The rapid development of the Internet technology enables humans to explore the web and record the traces of online activities. From the analysis of these large-scale data sets (i.e., traces), we can get insights about the dynamic behavior of human activity. In this letter, the scaling behavior and complexity of human activity in the e-commerce, such as music, books, and movies rating, are comprehensively investigated by using the detrended fluctuation analysis technique and the multiscale entropy method. Firstly, the interevent time series of rating behaviors of these three types of media show similar scaling properties with exponents ranging from 0.53 to 0.58, which implies that the collective behaviors of rating media follow a process embodying self-similarity and long-range correlation. Meanwhile, by dividing the users into three groups based on their activities (i.e., rating per unit time), we find that the scaling exponents of the interevent time series in the three groups are different. Hence, these results suggest that a stronger long-range correlations exist in these collective behaviors. Furthermore, their information complexities vary in the three groups. To explain the differences of the collective behaviors restricted to the three groups, we study the dynamic behavior of human activity at the individual level, and find that the dynamic behaviors of a few users have extremely small scaling exponents associated with long-range anticorrelations. By comparing the interevent time distributions of four representative users, we can find that the bimodal distributions may bring forth the extraordinary scaling behaviors. These results of the analysis of the online human activity in the e-commerce may not only provide insight into its dynamic behaviors but may also be applied to acquire potential economic interest.

Patterns of HIV Risks and Related Factors among People Who Inject Drugs in Kermanshah, Iran: A Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Sharifi, Hamid; Mirzazadeh, Ali; Noroozi, Alireza; Marshall, Brandon D L; Farhoudian, Ali; Higgs, Peter; Vameghi, Meroe; Mohhamadi Shahboulaghi, Farahnaz; Qorbani, Mostafa; Massah, Omid; Armoon, Bahram; Noroozi, Mehdi

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore patterns of drug use and sexual risk behaviors among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran. We surveyed 500 PWID in Kermanshah concerning demographic characteristics, sexual risk behaviors, and drug-related risk behaviors in the month prior to study. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to establish a baseline model of risk profiles and to identify the optimal number of latent classes, and we used ordinal regression to identify factors associated with class membership. Three classes of multiple HIV risk were identified. The probability of membership in the high-risk class was 0.33, compared to 0.26 and 0.40 for the low- and moderate-risk classes, respectively. Compared to members in the lowest-risk class (reference group), the highest-risk class members had higher odds of being homeless (OR = 4.5, CI: 1.44-8.22; p = 0.001) in the past 12 months. Members of the high-risk class had lower odds of regularly visiting a needle and syringe exchange program as compared to the lowest-risk class members (AOR = 0.42, CI: 0.2-0.81; p = 0.01). Findings show the sexual and drug-related HIV risk clusters among PWID in Iran, and emphasize the importance of developing targeted prevention and harm reduction programs for all domains of risk behaviors, both sexual and drug use related.

Some observations on the behavior of the Langley model rotor blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rehfield, L. W.; Atilgan, A. R.

1986-01-01

The design of the model rotor and the comparative study of coupled beam theory and the finite element analysis performed earlier at the Aerostructures Directorate by Robert Hodges and Mark Nixon is examined. Attention is focused upon two matters: (1) an examination of the small discrepancies between twist angle predictions under pure torque and radial loading, and (2) an assessment of nonclassical effects in bending behavior. The primary objective is understanding, particularly with regard to cause and effect relationships. Understanding, together with the simple, affordable nature of the coupled beam analysis, provides a sound basis for design.

A constitutive material model for nonlinear finite element structural analysis using an iterative matrix approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koenig, Herbert A.; Chan, Kwai S.; Cassenti, Brice N.; Weber, Richard

1988-01-01

A unified numerical method for the integration of stiff time dependent constitutive equations is presented. The solution process is directly applied to a constitutive model proposed by Bodner. The theory confronts time dependent inelastic behavior coupled with both isotropic hardening and directional hardening behaviors. Predicted stress-strain responses from this model are compared to experimental data from cyclic tests on uniaxial specimens. An algorithm is developed for the efficient integration of the Bodner flow equation. A comparison is made with the Euler integration method. An analysis of computational time is presented for the three algorithms.

Reactive Behavior of Explosive Billets in Deflagration Tube of Varied Confinements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Haibo; Guo, Yingwen; Li, Tao; Fu, Hua; Shang, Hailin; Wen, Shanggang; Qiu, Tian; LaboratoryShock Wave; Detonation Physics Research Team

2017-06-01

The deflagration process of small size cylinder billets of pressed HMX-based explosive JO-9159 and the deflagration tube wall deformation is recorded by combined pressure velocity-meter high-speed frame photographic and radiographic diagnostic system. The influence of confinement structure strength on deflagration evolution behavior is compared with analysis of convective flame propagation along the slot between explosive billet and confinement wall.The follow-up reaction inside the cracks on the initiation site end surface on the side surfaces and between the end surfaces of explosive billets is restored with the analysis results of post experimental explosive billet remains.

A Comparative Analysis of the Audience for Broadcast Sports and In-Person Sports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melton, Gary Warren; Galician, Mary-Lou

A study examined the uses and functions of broadcast sports programming as compared with in-person attendance of sporting events by focusing on the motivations, behavior, and attitudes of audiences toward such activities. Subjects, 219 students from a major western university, completed a survey instrument. Findings indicated that: (1) sports…

Linear modeling of steady-state behavioral dynamics.

PubMed Central

Palya, William L; Walter, Donald; Kessel, Robert; Lucke, Robert

2002-01-01

The observed steady-state behavioral dynamics supported by unsignaled periods of reinforcement within repeating 2,000-s trials were modeled with a linear transfer function. These experiments employed improved schedule forms and analytical methods to improve the precision of the measured transfer function, compared to previous work. The refinements include both the use of multiple reinforcement periods that improve spectral coverage and averaging of independently determined transfer functions. A linear analysis was then used to predict behavior observed for three different test schedules. The fidelity of these predictions was determined. PMID:11831782

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Compared with Non-specialized Therapy for Alleviating the Effect of Auditory Hallucinations in People with Reoccurring Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kennedy, Laura; Xyrichis, Andreas

2017-02-01

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is recommended as a psychological intervention for those diagnosed with schizophrenia. The prevalence of auditory hallucinations is high among this group, many of whom are cared for by community mental health teams that may not have easy access to qualified CBT practitioners. This systematic review examined the evidence for the superiority of CBT compared to non-specialized therapy in alleviating auditory hallucinations in community patients with schizophrenia. Two RCTs met the inclusion criteria totaling 105 participants. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)-Positive Scale was the outcome measure examined. A meta-analysis revealed a pooled mean difference of -0.86 [95 % CI -2.38, 0.65] in favor of CBT, although this did not reach statistical significance. This systematic review concluded there is no clinically significant difference in the reduction of positive symptoms of schizophrenia when treated by CBT compared to a non-specialized therapy for adults experiencing auditory hallucinations.

Investigation of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing.

PubMed

Falland-Cheung, Lisa; Piccione, Neil; Zhao, Tianqi; Lazarjan, Milad Soltanipour; Hanlin, Suzanne; Jermy, Mark; Waddell, J Neil

2016-06-01

Routine forensic research into in vitro skin/skull/brain ballistic blood backspatter behavior has traditionally used gelatin at a 1:10 Water:Powder (W:P) ratio by volume as a brain simulant. A limitation of gelatin is its high elasticity compared to brain tissue. Therefore this study investigated the use of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing. Fresh deer brain, alginate (W:P ratio 91.5:8.5) and agar (W:P ratio 81:19) specimens (n=10) (11×22×33mm) were placed in transparent Perspex boxes of the same internal dimensions prior to shooting with a 0.22inch caliber high velocity air gun. Quantitative analysis to establish kinetic energy loss, vertical displacement elastic behavior and qualitative analysis to establish elasticity behavior was done via high-speed camera footage (SA5, Photron, Japan) using Photron Fastcam Viewer software (Version 3.5.1, Photron, Japan) and visual observation. Damage mechanisms and behavior were qualitatively established by observation of the materials during and after shooting. The qualitative analysis found that of the two simulant materials tested, agar behaved more like brain in terms of damage and showed similar mechanical response to brain during the passage of the projectile, in terms of energy absorption and vertical velocity displacement. In conclusion agar showed a mechanical and subsequent damage response that was similar to brain compared to alginate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summary of Utility Studies: Smart Grid Investment Grant Consumer Behavior Study Analysis

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

Cappers, Peter; Todd, Annika; Goldamn, Charles A.

2013-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) program is working with a subset of the 99 SGIG projects to assess the response of mass market consumers (i.e., residential and small commercial customers) to time-varying electricity prices (referred to herein as time-based rate programs) in conjunction with the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and associated technologies. The effort provides an opportunity to advance the electric industry’s understanding of consumer behavior. In addition, DOE is attempting to apply a consistent study design and analysis framework for the SGIG Consumer Behavior Studies (CBS). The aim is to collectmore » information across the studies on variables and impacts that have been defined in a consistent manner. This will enable Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), as DOE’s principal investigator for these Consumer Behavior Studies, to leverage the data from the individual studies and conduct comparative analysis of the impacts of AMI, time-based rate programs and enabling technologies that facilitate customer control, automation and information/feedback on customer energy usage.« less

A comparison of a modified sequential oral sensory approach to an applied behavior-analytic approach in the treatment of food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Peterson, Kathryn M; Piazza, Cathleen C; Volkert, Valerie M

2016-09-01

Treatments of pediatric feeding disorders based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) have the most empirical support in the research literature (Volkert & Piazza, 2012); however, professionals often recommend, and caregivers often use, treatments that have limited empirical support. In the current investigation, we compared a modified sequential oral sensory approach (M-SOS; Benson, Parke, Gannon, & Muñoz, 2013) to an ABA approach for the treatment of the food selectivity of 6 children with autism. We randomly assigned 3 children to ABA and 3 children to M-SOS and compared the effects of treatment in a multiple baseline design across novel, healthy target foods. We used a multielement design to assess treatment generalization. Consumption of target foods increased for children who received ABA, but not for children who received M-SOS. We subsequently implemented ABA with the children for whom M-SOS was not effective and observed a potential treatment generalization effect during ABA when M-SOS preceded ABA. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Low-cost three-dimensional gait analysis system for mice with an infrared depth sensor.

PubMed

Nakamura, Akihiro; Funaya, Hiroyuki; Uezono, Naohiro; Nakashima, Kinichi; Ishida, Yasumasa; Suzuki, Tomohiro; Wakana, Shigeharu; Shibata, Tomohiro

2015-11-01

Three-dimensional (3D) open-field gait analysis of mice is an essential procedure in genetic and nerve regeneration research. Existing gait analysis systems are generally expensive and may interfere with the natural behaviors of mice because of optical markers and transparent floors. In contrast, the proposed system captures the subjects shape from beneath using a low-cost infrared depth sensor (Microsoft Kinect) and an opaque infrared pass filter. This means that we can track footprints and 3D paw-tip positions without optical markers or a transparent floor, thereby preventing any behavioral changes. Our experimental results suggest with healthy mice that they are more active on opaque floors and spend more time in the center of the open-field, when compared with transparent floors. The proposed system detected footprints with a comparable performance to existing systems, and precisely tracked the 3D paw-tip positions in the depth image coordinates. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Enabling rapid behavioral ecotoxicity studies using an integrated lab-on-a-chip systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yushi; Nugegoda, Dayanthi; Wlodkowic, Donald

2015-12-01

Behavioral ecotoxicity tests are gaining an increasing recognition in environmental toxicology. Behavior of sensitive bioindicator species can change rapidly in response to an acute exposure to contaminants and thus has a much higher sensitivity as compared to conventional LC50 mortality tests. Furthermore, behavioral endpoints seems to be very good candidates to develop early-warning biomonitoring systems needed for rapid chemical risk assessment. Behavioral tests are non-invasive, fast, do not harm indicator organisms (behavioural changes are very rapid) and are thus fully compatible with 3R (Replacement - Reduction - Refinement) principle encouraging alternatives to conventional animal testing. These characteristics are essential when designing improved ecotoxicity tests for chemical risk assessment. In this work, we present a pilot development of miniaturized Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices for studying toxin avoidance behaviors of small aquatic crustaceans. As an investigative tool, LOCs represent a new direction that may miniaturize and revolutionize behavioral ecotoxicology. Specifically our innovative microfluidic prototype: (i) enables convening "caging" of specimens for real-time videomicroscopy; (ii) eliminates the evaporative water loss thus providing an opportunity for long-term behavioral studies; (iii) exploits laminar fluid flow under low Reynolds numbers to generate discrete domains and gradients enabling for the first time toxin avoidance studies on small aquatic crustaceans; (iv) integrates off-the-chip mechatronic interfaces and video analysis algorithms for single animal movement analysis. We provide evidence that by merging innovative bioelectronic and biomicrofluidic technologies we can deploy inexpensive and reliable systems for culture, electronic tracking and complex computational analysis of behavior of bioindicator organisms.

Battling on the Home Front: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Conflict Behavior among Military Couples

PubMed Central

Knobloch-Fedders, Lynne M.; Caska-Wallace, Catherine; Smith, Timothy W.; Renshaw, Keith

2016-01-01

This study evaluated interpersonal behavior differences among male military service members with and without PTSD and their female partners. Couples (N = 64) completed a 17-minute videotaped conflict discussion, and their interaction behavior was coded using the circumplex-based Structural Analysis of Social Behavior model (SASB; Benjamin, 1979; 1987; 2000). Within couples, the behavior of partners was very similar. Compared to military couples without PTSD, couples with PTSD displayed more interpersonal hostility and control. Couples with PTSD also exhibited more sulking, blaming, and controlling behavior, and less affirming and connecting behavior, than couples without PTSD. Results advance our understanding of the relational impacts of PTSD on military service members and their partners, and underscore the value of couple-based interventions for PTSD in the context of relationship distress. PMID:28270334

Feeding Behavior of Subadult Sixgill Sharks (Hexanchus griseus) at a Bait Station

PubMed Central

McNeil, Bryan; Lowry, Dayv; Larson, Shawn; Griffing, Denise

2016-01-01

This is the first in-situ study of feeding behaviors exhibited by bluntnose sixgill sharks. Bait was placed beneath the Seattle Aquarium pier situated on the waterfront in Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, Washington at 20m of water depth. Cameras and lights were placed around the bait box to record sixgill shark presence and behavior while feeding. Analysis of feeding behavior revealed that sixgills utilize a bite comparable to many other elasmobranchs and aquatic vertebrates, have the ability to protrude their upper jaw, change their feeding behavior based on the situation, and employ sawing and lateral tearing during manipulation. The versatility of their feeding mechanism and the ability of sixgills to change their capture and food manipulation behaviors may have contributed to the species’ worldwide distribution and evolutionary success. PMID:27243237

Fluoride release and recharge behavior of a nano-filled resin-modified glass ionomer compared with that of other fluoride releasing materials.

PubMed

Mitra, Sumita B; Oxman, Joe D; Falsafi, Afshin; Ton, Tiffany T

2011-12-01

To compare the long-term fluoride release kinetics of a novel nano-filled two-paste resin-modified glass-ionomer (RMGI), Ketac Nano (KN) with that of two powder-liquid resin-modified glass-ionomers, Fuji II LC (FLC) and Vitremer (VT) and one conventional glass-ionomer, Fuji IX (FIX). Fluoride release was measured in vitro using ion-selective electrodes. Kinetic analysis was done using regression analysis and compared with existing models for GIs and compomers. In a separate experiment the samples of KN and two conventional glass-ionomers, FIX and Ketac Molar (KM) were subjected to a treatment with external fluoride source (Oral-B Neutra-Foam) after 3 months of fluoride release and the recharge behavior studied for an additional 7-day period. The cumulative amount of fluoride released from KN, VT and FLC and the release profiles were statistically similar but greater than that for FIX at P < 0.05. All four materials, including KN, showed a burst of fluoride ions at shorter times (t) and an overall rate dependence on t1/2 typical for glass-ionomers. The coating of KN with its primer and of DY with its adhesive did not significantly alter the fluoride release behavior of the respective materials. The overall rate for KN was significantly higher than for the compomer DY. DY showed a linear rate of release vs. t and no burst effect as expected for compomers. The nanoionomer KN showed fluoride recharge behavior similar to the conventional glass ionomers FIX and KM. Thus, it was concluded that the new RMGI KN exhibits fluoride ion release behavior similar to typical conventional and RMGIs and that the primer does not impede the release of fluoride.

Sex differences in behavioral outcome following neonatal hypoxia ischemia: insights from a clinical meta-analysis and a rodent model of induced hypoxic ischemic brain injury.

PubMed

Smith, Amanda L; Alexander, Michelle; Rosenkrantz, Ted S; Sadek, Mona Lisa; Fitch, R Holly

2014-04-01

Hypoxia ischemia (HI; reduced oxygen and/or blood flow to the brain) is one of the most common injuries among preterm infants and term infants with birth complications. Both populations show cognitive/behavioral deficits, including impairments in sensory, learning/memory, and attention domains. Clinical data suggests a sex difference in HI outcomes, with males exhibiting more severe cognitive/behavioral deficits relative to matched females. Our laboratory has also reported more severe behavioral deficits among male rats with induced HI relative to females with comparable injury (Hill et al., 2011a,b). The current study initially examined published clinical studies from the past 20years where long-term IQ outcome scores for matched groups of male and female premature infants were reported separately (IQ being the most common outcome measure). A meta-analysis revealed a female "advantage," as indicated by significantly better scores on performance and full scale IQ (but not verbal IQ) for premature females. We then utilized a rodent model of neonatal HI injury to assess sham and postnatal day 7 (P7) HI male and female rats on a battery of behavioral tasks. Results showed expected deficits in HI male rats, but also showed task-dependent sex differences, with HI males having significantly larger deficits than HI females on some tasks but equivalent deficits on other tasks. In contrast to behavioral results, post mortem neuropathology associated with HI was comparable across sex. These findings suggest: 1) neonatal female "protection" in some behavioral domains, as indexed by superior outcome following early injury relative to males; and 2) female protection may entail sex-specific plasticity or compensation, rather than a reduction in gross neuropathology. Further exploration of the mechanisms underlying this sex effect could aid in neuroprotection efforts for at-risk neonates in general, and males in particular. Moreover, our current report of comparable anatomical damage coupled with differences in cognitive outcomes (by sex) provides a framework for future studies to examine neural mechanisms underlying sex differences in cognition and behavior in general. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Genomics meets ethology: a new route to understanding domestication, behavior, and sustainability in animal breeding.

PubMed

Jensen, Per; Andersson, Leif

2005-06-01

Animal behavior is a central part of animal welfare, a keystone in sustainable animal breeding. During domestication, animals have adapted with respect to behavior and an array of other traits. We compared the behavior of junglefowl and White Leghorn layers, selected for egg production (and indirectly for growth). Jungle-fowl had a more active behavior in social, exploratory, anti-predatory, and feeding tests. A genome scan for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) in a junglefowl x White Leghorn intercross revealed several significant or suggestive QTLs for different traits. Some production QTLs coincided with QTLs for behavior, suggesting that pleiotropic effects may be important for the development of domestication phenotypes. One gene has been located, which has a strong effect on the risk of being a victim of feather pecking, a detrimental behavior disorder. Modern genomics paired with analysis of behavior may help in designing more sustainable and robust breeding in the future.

Characteristics of stress-coping behaviors in patients with bipolar disorders.

PubMed

Moon, Eunsoo; Chang, Jae Seung; Choi, Sungwon; Ha, Tae Hyon; Cha, Boseok; Cho, Hyun Sang; Park, Je Min; Lee, Byung Dae; Lee, Young Min; Choi, Yoonmi; Ha, Kyooseob

2014-08-15

Appropriate stress-coping strategies are needed to improve the outcome in the treatment of bipolar disorders, as stressful life events may aggravate the course of the illness. The aim of this study was to compare stress-coping behaviors between bipolar patients and healthy controls. A total of 206 participants comprising 103 bipolar patients fulfilling the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Axis I disorder fourth edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for bipolar I and II disorders and controls matched by age and sex were included in this study. Stress-coping behaviors were assessed using a 53-item survey on a newly-designed behavioral checklist. The characteristics of stress-coping behaviors between the two groups were compared by using t-test and factor analysis. Social stress-coping behaviors such as 'journey', 'socializing with friends', and 'talking something over' were significantly less frequent in bipolar patients than controls. On the other hand, pleasurable-seeking behaviors such as 'smoking', 'masturbation', and 'stealing' were significantly more frequent in bipolar patients than controls. These results suggest that bipolar patients may have more maladaptive stress-coping strategies than normal controls. It is recommended to develop and apply psychosocial programs to reduce maladaptive stress-coping behaviors of bipolar patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disinhibited Social Engagement in Postinstitutionalized Children: Differentiating Normal from Atypical Behavior

PubMed Central

Lawler, Jamie M.; Hostinar, Camelia E.; Mliner, Shanna B.; Gunnar, Megan R.

2015-01-01

The most commonly reported socially aberrant behavior in postinstitutionalized (PI) children is disinhibited social engagement (DSE; also known as indiscriminate friendliness). There is no gold standard for measurement of this phenomenon or agreement on how to differentiate it from normative behavior. We adopted a developmental psychopathology approach (Cicchetti, 1984) to study this phenomenon by comparing it to normative social development and by studying its patterns over time in 50 newly adopted PI children (16–36 months at adoption) compared with 41 children adopted early from foster care overseas and 47 nonadopted (NA) controls. Using coded behavioral observations of the child’s interaction with an unfamiliar adult, atypical behaviors were differentiated from normative behaviors. Principal components analysis identified two dimensions of social disinhibition. The nonphysical social dimension (e.g., initiations, proximity) showed wide variation in NA children and is therefore considered a typical form of sociability. Displays of physical contact and intimacy were rare in NA children, suggesting that they represent an atypical pattern of behavior. Both adopted groups demonstrated more physical DSE behavior than NA children. There were no group differences on the nonphysical factor, and it increased over time in all groups. Implications for understanding the etiology of DSE and future directions are discussed. PMID:24621789

Comparing Insider IT Sabotage and Espionage: A Model-Based Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

had drawn attention by displaying concerning behaviors prior to the act of sabotage [Keeney 2005]. These behaviors included • tardiness , truancy... Philippines , Joseph Estrada, visiting the presidential palace with his wife and traveling to the Philippines to visit Estrada in the hospital. This...Aragoncillo was not authorized to view, access, download, or print information related to the Philippines —he had no need to know. However, this lack

Upgrading from VVI to DDD pacing Mode during elective replacement of pulse generator: a comparative clinical-functional analysis.

PubMed

Teno, Luiz Antonio Castilho; Costa, Roberto; Martinelli Filho, Martino; Castilho, Fabian Cecchi Teno; Ruiz, Ivan

2007-02-01

Evaluate the clinical and functional behavior of the ventricular and atrioventricular stimulation modes in the elective replacement of pulse generator in patients with chagasic cardiopathy and atrioventricular block. Twenty-seven patients under ventricular and atrioventricular stimulation were comparatively evaluated at the beginning of the study, and alternately in ventricular and atrioventricular modes in two 90-day phases, with regard to: the clinical behavior evaluated according to quality of life and functional class, and the functional behavior evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography and the six-minute walk test. The statistical analysis was performed with patients at baseline, and under ventricular and atrioventricular modes, using the chi-square test and the repeated measures analysis of variance, and taking into consideration a 0.05 level of significance. The mean quality-of-life scores were: functional capacity (VVI 71.3+/-18.2 , DDD 69.3+/-20.4); overall health status (VVI 68.1+/-21.8, DDD 69.4+/-19.4) and vitality (VVI 64.8+/-24.6 , DDD 67.6+/-25.5); on echocardiography: LVEF (VVI 52.5+/-12.8 , DDD 51.8+/-14.9), LVDD (VVI 53.0+/-7.7 , DDD 42.4+/-7.8), LA (VVI 38.6+/-5.4 DDD 38.5+/-5.1), and in the six-minute walk test: distance walked (VVI 463.4+/-84.7, DDD 462.6+/-63.4). There were four cases of complications, three of them associated with the change in stimulation mode. This study showed no differences between the two stimulation modes in the clinical behavior assessed by quality of life and functional class, and in the functional behavior, evaluated according to the ecochardiographic findings and the six-minute walk test.

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-06-14

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18-64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample ( n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, " Traditional DP ", " Mediterranean DP ", " Snack DP " and " Dairy-sweet DP ". Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern ", " Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " and " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". A higher proportion of people aged 18-30 years was classified into the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " was significantly lower compared to those in the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants.

Steep delay discounting and addictive behavior: a meta-analysis of continuous associations.

PubMed

Amlung, Michael; Vedelago, Lana; Acker, John; Balodis, Iris; MacKillop, James

2017-01-01

To synthesize continuous associations between delayed reward discounting (DRD) and both addiction severity and quantity-frequency (QF); to examine moderators of these relationships; and to investigate publication bias. Meta-analysis of published studies examining continuous associations between DRD and addictive behaviors. Published, peer-reviewed studies on addictive behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, stimulants, opiates and gambling) were identified via PubMed, MEDLINE and PsycInfo. Studies were restricted to DRD measures of monetary gains. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using Pearson's r as the effect size. Publication bias was evaluated using fail-safe N, Begg-Mazumdar and Egger's tests, meta-regression of publication year and effect size and imputation of missing studies. The primary meta-analysis revealed a small magnitude effect size that was highly significant (r = 0.14, P < 10 -14 ). Significantly larger effect sizes were observed for studies examining severity compared with QF (P = 0.01), but not between the type of addictive behavior (P = 0.30) or DRD assessment (P = 0.90). Indices of publication bias suggested a modest impact of unpublished findings. Delayed reward discounting is associated robustly with continuous measures of addiction severity and quantity-frequency. This relation is generally robust across type of addictive behavior and delayed reward discounting assessment modality. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Self-Care Behaviors in Heart Failure.

PubMed

Cavalcante, Agueda Maria Ruiz Zimmer; Lopes, Camila Takao; Brunori, Evelise Fadini Reis; Swanson, Elizabeth; Moorhead, Sue Ann; Bachion, Maria Márcia; de Barros, Alba Lucia Bottura Leite

2017-05-18

To identify self-care behaviors, instruments, techniques, parameters for the assessment of self-care behaviors in people with heart failure, compare these behaviors with the indicators of the Nursing Outcomes Classification outcome, Self Management: Cardiac Disease. Integrative literature review performed in Lilacs, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane, including publications from 2009 to 2015. One thousand six hundred ninety-one articles were retrieved from the search, of which 165 were selected for analysis. Ten self-care behaviors and several different assessment instruments, techniques, and parameters were identified. The addition and removal of some indicators are proposed, based on this review. The data provide substrate for the development of conceptual and operational definitions of the indicators, making the outcome more applicable for use in clinical practice. © 2017 NANDA International, Inc.

Qualitative Analysis of Dietary Behaviors in Picture Book Fiction for 4- to 8-Year-Olds.

PubMed

Matvienko, Oksana

2016-10-01

Picture books may facilitate parents' efforts to decrease pickiness and other undesirable food habits in children. This study conducted a content analysis of dietary behaviors and feeding strategies featured in fictional picture books compared with those discussed in the research literature. Several databases were searched for fictional picture books about dietary behavior, published between 2000 and 2016, accessible in the US, available in print format, and designated for 4- to 8-year-olds. Messages about dietary behavior in picture book fiction. Stories were systematically coded using holistic, data-driven, and evaluation coding methods. The final set of codes was examined for themes and patterns. Of the 104 books, 50% featured a specific eating behavior, 21% lifestyle/eating patterns, 20% food-related sensations and emotions, and 9% table manners. Books about dietary behaviors are abundant but the topic coverage is unbalanced. Problem behaviors portrayed in books overlap those discussed in the research literature. However, problem-solving strategies and actions do not align with those endorsed by nutrition professionals. Messages vary in their complexity (in terms of their plot and/or language), ranging from clear and direct to vague, sophisticated, unresolved, conflicting, or controversial. Recommendations for practitioners are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of torsional and bending behavior through finite-element models of 5 Ni-Ti endodontic instruments.

PubMed

Arbab-Chirani, Reza; Chevalier, Valérie; Arbab-Chirani, Shabnam; Calloch, Sylvain

2011-01-01

The objectives of this study were to compare numerically the bending and torsional mechanical behavior of 5 endodontic rotary Ni-Ti instruments with equivalent size and various designs for tapers, pitch, and cutting blades.First, the geometries of Hero (20/0.06), HeroShaper (20/0.06), ProFile (20/0.06), Mtwo (20/0.06), and ProTaper F1 were generated by finite element code. Then, the 2 most representative clinical loadings, i.e., bending and torsion, were studied with an ad hoc model for the superelasticity of Ni-Ti. Bending was generated by tip deflection and torsion by a constant twist-angle of the tip. Mechanical behavior of these 5 endodontic rotary Ni-Ti instruments could be evaluated and compared. Protaper F1 presented the greatest level of bending stress and torque. Hero and HeroShaper were more rigid than ProFile and Mtwo. This numerical comparison evaluated the effects of the geometrical parameters on the instrumental mechanical behavior. The 5 endodontic instruments, investigated in the present study, do not have the same bending and torsional mechanical behavior. Each clinician must be aware of these behavior differences so as to use the adequate file according to the clinical situation and to the manufacturer's recommendations. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of eating behavior on psychological symptoms typical of reactive hypoglycemia. A pilot study comparing women with polycystic ovary syndrome to controls.

PubMed

Barry, John A; Bouloux, Pierre; Hardiman, Paul J

2011-08-01

The idea that diet can affect mood and behavior in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by altering blood glucose levels has become popular in recent years. This paper describes an online survey (N=462) of 24 women with PCOS, 299 healthy control women, 47 women who possibly had undiagnosed PCOS, and 92 men. The groups were compared for symptoms of mood and behavioral symptoms typical of reactive (postprandial) hypoglycemia. The outcome measures were two questionnaires that measure states associated with hypoglycemia: the Hypoglycemia Symptom Checklist-7 (HSC-7), which measures behavioral symptoms and the Mood Adjective Checklist (MACL), which measures emotional states. Controlling for age and body mass index (BMI) using between-groups analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), the women with PCOS scored significantly higher than the other three groups (p<0.001) on the outcome measures. These differences remained statistically significant in a subset of twelve women with PCOS compared to twelve healthy control women closely matched for age, BMI, and eating behavior. The findings are suggestive of hypoglycemia-related mood and behavioral problems in PCOS. Future research should test whether blood glucose levels correlate with these symptoms in PCOS, and whether a low glycemic index ('low-GI') diet improves the symptoms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychological and behavioral differences between low back pain populations: a comparative analysis of chiropractic, primary and secondary care patients.

PubMed

Eklund, Andreas; Bergström, Gunnar; Bodin, Lennart; Axén, Iben

2015-10-19

Psychological, behavioral and social factors have long been considered important in the development of persistent pain. Little is known about how chiropractic low back pain (LBP) patients compare to other LBP patients in terms of psychological/behavioral characteristics. In this cross-sectional study, the aim was to investigate patients with LBP as regards to psychosocial/behavioral characteristics by describing a chiropractic primary care population and comparing this sample to three other populations using the MPI-S instrument. Thus, four different samples were compared. A: Four hundred eighty subjects from chiropractic primary care clinics. B: One hundred twenty-eight subjects from a gainfully employed population (sick listed with high risk of developing chronicity). C: Two hundred seventy-three subjects from a secondary care rehabilitation clinic. D: Two hundred thirty-five subjects from secondary care clinics. The Swedish version of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI-S) was used to collect data. Subjects were classified using a cluster analytic strategy into three pre-defined subgroups (named adaptive copers, dysfunctional and interpersonally distressed). The data show statistically significant overall differences across samples for the subgroups based on psychological and behavioral characteristics. The cluster classifications placed (in terms of the proportions of the adaptive copers and dysfunctional subgroups) sample A between B and the two secondary care samples C and D. The chiropractic primary care sample was more affected by pain and worse off with regards to psychological and behavioral characteristics compared to the other primary care sample. Based on our findings from the MPI-S instrument the 4 samples may be considered statistically and clinically different. Sample A comes from an ongoing trial registered at clinical trials.gov; NCT01539863 , February 22, 2012.

Effects of cognitive behavioral coaching on depressive symptoms in a sample of type 2 diabetic inpatients in Nigeria.

PubMed

Onyechi, Kay Chinonyelum Nwamaka; Eseadi, Chiedu; Okere, Anthony U; Onuigbo, Liziana N; Umoke, Prince C I; Anyaegbunam, Ngozi Joannes; Otu, Mkpoikanke Sunday; Ugorji, Ngozi Juliet

2016-08-01

Depression is one of the mental health problems confronting those with diabetes mellitus and may result from self-defeating thoughts and lifestyles. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive behavioral coaching (CBC) program on depressive symptoms in a sample of the Type 2 diabetic inpatients in Onitsha metropolis of Anambra State, Nigeria. The design of the study was pretest-post-test randomized control group design. The participants were 80 Type 2 diabetic inpatients randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. The primary outcome measures were Beck's Depression Inventory-II and a Diabetic Inpatient's Depressive Symptoms Observation Checklist. Mean, standard deviation, repeated measures analysis of covariance, and partial eta squared were used for data analysis. The results revealed that the baseline of depressive symptoms was similar between the control and treatment groups of the Type 2 diabetic inpatients. But, exposing the Type 2 diabetic inpatients to a cognitive behavioral coaching program significantly reduced the depressive symptoms in the treatment group compared to those in the control group at the end of the intervention. The effects of cognitive behavioral coaching program on the depressive symptoms of those in the treatment group remained consistent at a 6 month follow-up meetings compared to the control group. Given the potential benefits of a cognitive behavioral coaching program, clinicians and mental health professionals are urged to support and implement evidence-based cognitive-behavioral coaching interventions aimed at promoting diabetic inpatients' wellbeing in the Nigerian hospitals.

Comprehensive Behavioral Analysis of Activating Transcription Factor 5-Deficient Mice

PubMed Central

Umemura, Mariko; Ogura, Tae; Matsuzaki, Ayako; Nakano, Haruo; Takao, Keizo; Miyakawa, Tsuyoshi; Takahashi, Yuji

2017-01-01

Activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) is a member of the CREB/ATF family of basic leucine zipper transcription factors. We previously reported that ATF5-deficient (ATF5-/-) mice demonstrated abnormal olfactory bulb development due to impaired interneuron supply. Furthermore, ATF5-/- mice were less aggressive than ATF5+/+ mice. Although ATF5 is widely expressed in the brain, and involved in the regulation of proliferation and development of neurons, the physiological role of ATF5 in the higher brain remains unknown. Our objective was to investigate the physiological role of ATF5 in the higher brain. We performed a comprehensive behavioral analysis using ATF5-/- mice and wild type littermates. ATF5-/- mice exhibited abnormal locomotor activity in the open field test. They also exhibited abnormal anxiety-like behavior in the light/dark transition test and open field test. Furthermore, ATF5-/- mice displayed reduced social interaction in the Crawley’s social interaction test and increased pain sensitivity in the hot plate test compared with wild type. Finally, behavioral flexibility was reduced in the T-maze test in ATF5-/- mice compared with wild type. In addition, we demonstrated that ATF5-/- mice display disturbances of monoamine neurotransmitter levels in several brain regions. These results indicate that ATF5 deficiency elicits abnormal behaviors and the disturbance of monoamine neurotransmitter levels in the brain. The behavioral abnormalities of ATF5-/- mice may be due to the disturbance of monoamine levels. Taken together, these findings suggest that ATF5-/- mice may be a unique animal model of some psychiatric disorders. PMID:28744205

Linking Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat loci to human male impulsive aggression.

PubMed

Yang, Chun; Ba, Huajie; Cao, Yin; Dong, Guoying; Zhang, Shuyou; Gao, Zhiqin; Zhao, Hanqing; Zhou, Xianju

2017-11-01

Men are more susceptible to impulsive behavior than women. Epidemiological studies revealed that the impulsive aggressive behavior is affected by genetic factors, and the male-specific Y chromosome plays an important role in this behavior. In this study, we investigated the association between the impulsive aggressive behavior and Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) loci. The collected biologic samples from 271 offenders with impulsive aggressive behavior and 492 healthy individuals without impulsive aggressive behavior were amplified by PowerPlex R Y23 PCR System and the resultant products were separated by electrophoresis and further genotyped. Then, comparisons in allele and haplotype frequencies of the selected 22 Y-STRs were made in the two groups. Our results showed that there were significant differences in allele frequencies at DYS448 and DYS456 between offenders and controls ( p  < .05). Univariate analysis further revealed significant frequency differences for alleles 18 and 22 at DYS448 (0.18 vs 0.27, compared to the controls, p  = .003, OR=0.57,95% CI=0.39-0.82; 0.03 vs 0.01, compared to the controls, p  = .003, OR=7.45, 95% CI=1.57-35.35, respectively) and for allele 17 at DYS456 (0.07 vs 0.14, compared to the controls, p  = .006, OR=0.48, 95% CI =0.28-0.82) between two groups. Interestingly, the frequency of haploid haplotype 22-15 on the DYS448-DYS456 (DYS448-DYS456-22-15) was significantly higher in offenders than in controls (0.033 vs 0.004, compared to the control, p  = .001, OR = 8.42, 95%CI =1.81-39.24). Moreover, there were no significant differences in allele frequencies of other Y-STRs loci between two groups. Furthermore, the unconditional logistic regression analysis confirmed that alleles 18 and 22 at DYS448 and allele 17 at DYS456 are associated with male impulsive aggression. However, the DYS448-DYS456-22-15 is less related to impulsive aggression. Our results suggest a link between Y-chromosomal allele types and male impulsive aggression.

Methylphenidate Has Superior Efficacy Over Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Preschool Children with Disruptive Behaviors.

PubMed

van der Veen-Mulders, Lianne; van den Hoofdakker, Barbara J; Nauta, Maaike H; Emmelkamp, Paul; Hoekstra, Pieter J

2018-02-01

To compare the effectiveness between parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) and methylphenidate in preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and disruptive behaviors who had remaining significant behavior problems after previous behavioral parent training. We included 35 preschool children, ranging in age between 3.4 and 6.0 years. Participants were randomized to PCIT (n = 18) or methylphenidate (n = 17). Outcome measures were maternal ratings of the intensity and number of behavior problems and severity of ADHD symptoms. Changes from pretreatment to directly posttreatment were compared between groups using two-way mixed analysis of variance. We also made comparisons of both treatments to a nonrandomized care as usual (CAU) group (n = 17) regarding intensity and number of behavior problems. All children who started one of the treatments were included in the analyses. Mothers reported a significantly more decreased intensity of behavior problems after methylphenidate (pre-post effect size d = 1.50) compared with PCIT (d = 0.64). ADHD symptoms reduced significantly over time only after methylphenidate treatment (d = 0.48) and not after PCIT. Changes over time of children in the CAU treatment were nonsignificant. Although methylphenidate was more effective than PCIT, both interventions may be effective in the treatment of preschool children with disruptive behaviors. Our findings are preliminary as our sample size was small and the use of methylphenidate in preschool children lacks profound safety data as reflected by its off-label status. More empirical support is needed from studies with larger sample sizes.

Actual versus perceived peer sexual risk behavior in online youth social networks.

PubMed

Black, Sandra R; Schmiege, Sarah; Bull, Sheana

2013-09-01

Perception of peer behaviors is an important predictor of actual risk behaviors among youth. However, we lack understanding of peer influence through social media and of actual and perceived peer behavior concordance. The purpose of this research is to document the relationship between individual perception of and actual peer sexual risk behavior using online social networks. The data are a result of a secondary analysis of baseline self-reported and peer-reported sexual risk behavior from a cluster randomized trial including 1,029 persons from 162 virtual networks. Individuals (seeds) recruited up to three friends who then recruited additional friends, extending three waves from the seed. ANOVA models compared network means of actual participant behavior across categories of perceived behavior. Concordance varied between reported and perceived behavior, with higher concordance between perceived and reported condom use, multiple partners, concurrent partners, sexual pressure, and drug and alcohol use during sex. Individuals significantly over-reported risk and under-reported protective peer behaviors related to sex.

Diagnostic Value of Isolated Mentalis Versus Mentalis Plus Upper Limb Electromyography in Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Patients Eventually Developing a Neurodegenerative Syndrome.

PubMed

Fernández-Arcos, Ana; Iranzo, Alex; Serradell, Mónica; Gaig, Carles; Guaita, Marc; Salamero, Manel; Santamaria, Joan

2017-04-01

To compare two electromyographic (EMG) montages, isolated mentalis muscle versus mentalis in combination with upper limb muscles in the baseline diagnostic video-polysomnography (V-PSG) of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviors disorder (IRBD) who eventually were diagnosed with a clinically defined neurodegenerative syndrome. Forty-nine patients were included. At baseline, diagnosis of RBD was based on a typical history of dream enactment behaviors plus V-PSG showing REM sleep with qualitative increased EMG activity and/or abnormal behaviors. Quantification of EMG activity (tonic, phasic and "any") in the mentalis and upper limb muscles (biceps brachii-BB, n = 36 or flexor digitorum superficialis-FDS, n = 13) was performed manually and compared with published cut-offs. Nine (18.4%) patients had either tonic or phasic EMG below the cut-offs for the isolated mentalis and four of them (11.1 %) also had values below the cut-off for the mentalis combined with BB. All 13 patients recorded with the FDS were above the mentalis combined with FDS cut-off. For the diagnosis of IRBD, sensitivity of isolated mentalis was 81.6% and of the combination of mentalis plus upper limb muscles was 91.8% (p = .03). Audiovisual analysis showed abnormal REM sleep behaviors in all nine patients with values below the cut-offs. Quantification of EMG activity in the upper limbs combined with the mentalis increases the ability to diagnose IRBD when compared with the isolated measurement of the mentalis. Detection of typical abnormal behaviors during REM sleep with audiovisual analysis is essential for the diagnosis of IRBD in patients with EMG values below the published cut-offs. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

On the Applicability of Cultural Scripts in Teaching L2 Compliments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karimnia, Amin; Afghari, Akbar

2010-01-01

In this study, Natural Semantic Metalanguage (henceforth NSM) was used to carry out a comparative analysis. The compliment response behavior of native Persian speakers was compared with that of Native American English speakers to see if it can provide evidence for applicability of NSM model which is claimed to be universal. The descriptive…

Affective Decision-Making and Tactical Behavior of Under-15 Soccer Players

PubMed Central

Gonzaga, Adeilton dos Santos; Albuquerque, Maicon Rodrigues; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes; Greco, Pablo Juan; Teoldo da Costa, Israel

2014-01-01

Affective decision-making is a type of Executive Function related to cost benefit analysis in situations where gains and losses imply direct consequences for the subject. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the affective decision-making on tactical behavior in soccer players under the age of 15 years old. The System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT) was used to assess tactical behavior. To evaluate affective decision-making, we used the neuropsychological test called The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The values of the offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior of participants were used to create performance groups. The low (≤25%) and high (≥75%) groups, according to offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior, were compared and shown to be different. The values of the IGT net score of the participants with low and high tactical behavior were compared using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for Defensive Tactical Behavior (Z = −3.133; p = 0.002; r = −0.355) and Game Tactical Behavior (Z = −2.267; p = 0.023; r = −0.260). According to these results, it is possible to state that affective decision-making can influence the tactical behavior of under-15 soccer players. PMID:24978030

A meta-analysis of anxiety symptom prevention with cognitive-behavioral interventions.

PubMed

Zalta, Alyson K

2011-06-01

This meta-analysis assessed efficacy of cognitive-behavioral interventions in preventing anxiety symptoms. A systematic review identified 15 independent pretest-posttest randomized or quasi-randomized efficacy trials for analysis. At posttest, intervention groups demonstrated significantly greater symptom reduction compared to control groups resulting in weighted mean effect sizes (Hedges' g) of 0.25 for general anxiety, 0.24 for disorder-specific symptoms, and 0.22 for depression after the removal of outliers. These effects appeared to diminish over 6- and 12-month follow-up. Exploratory moderator analyses indicated that individually administered media interventions were more effective than human-administered group interventions at preventing general anxiety and depression symptoms. Implications of current findings are discussed with attention to existing gaps in the literature.

Fluctuation dynamics of exchange rates on Polish financial market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orłowski, A.; Struzik, Z. R.; Syczewska, E.; Załuska-Kotur, M. A.

2004-12-01

We show results of local fluctuation analysis, probability distributions, and fractional integration analysis for nominal exchange rates of the Polish zloty versus two foreign currencies (US dollar and German mark/euro). The results confirm the rapid change of the volatility pattern in August 1997. We compare the type of the fluctuation behavior before and after this date.

Voices of Hispanic College Students: A Content Analysis of Qualitative Research within the "Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storlie, Cassandra A.; Moreno, Luis S.; Portman, Tarrell Awe Agahe

2014-01-01

As Hispanic students continue to be an underrepresented cultural group in higher education, researchers are called to uncover the challenging and complex experience of this diverse group of students. Using the constant comparative method, these researchers conducted a content analysis of the qualitative research on the experiences of Hispanic…

Use of Multiple Regression and Use-Availability Analyses in Determining Habitat Selection by Gray Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis)

Treesearch

John W. Edwards; Susan C. Loeb; David C. Guynn

1994-01-01

Multiple regression and use-availability analyses are two methods for examining habitat selection. Use-availability analysis is commonly used to evaluate macrohabitat selection whereas multiple regression analysis can be used to determine microhabitat selection. We compared these techniques using behavioral observations (n = 5534) and telemetry locations (n = 2089) of...

Are There Adverse Consequences to Being a Sibling of a Person with a Disability? A Propensity Score Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neely-Barnes, Susan L.; Graff, J. Carolyn

2011-01-01

This study examined whether siblings of children with disabilities have increased mental health problems, behavioral difficulties, or greater mental health service use as compared to siblings of children without disabilities. Data come from the 2006 National Health Interview Survey. Propensity score matching was used to complete the analysis.…

Analysis of Intentional Communication in Severely Handicapped Children with Cornelia-de-Lange Syndrome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarimski, Klaus

2002-01-01

Intentional communicative acts were assessed in 13 children (ages 2-8) with Cornelia-de-Lange syndrome with a severe mental disability and compared to children with Down and 5p syndromes. The mean number of intentional communicative acts was significantly lower. Analysis of play behaviors revealed the differences were specific for the…

Physical Behavior in Older Persons during Daily Life: Insights from Instrumented Shoes.

PubMed

Moufawad El Achkar, Christopher; Lenoble-Hoskovec, Constanze; Paraschiv-Ionescu, Anisoara; Major, Kristof; Büla, Christophe; Aminian, Kamiar

2016-08-03

Activity level and gait parameters during daily life are important indicators for clinicians because they can provide critical insights into modifications of mobility and function over time. Wearable activity monitoring has been gaining momentum in daily life health assessment. Consequently, this study seeks to validate an algorithm for the classification of daily life activities and to provide a detailed gait analysis in older adults. A system consisting of an inertial sensor combined with a pressure sensing insole has been developed. Using an algorithm that we previously validated during a semi structured protocol, activities in 10 healthy elderly participants were recorded and compared to a wearable reference system over a 4 h recording period at home. Detailed gait parameters were calculated from inertial sensors. Dynamics of physical behavior were characterized using barcodes that express the measure of behavioral complexity. Activity classification based on the algorithm led to a 93% accuracy in classifying basic activities of daily life, i.e., sitting, standing, and walking. Gait analysis emphasizes the importance of metrics such as foot clearance in daily life assessment. Results also underline that measures of physical behavior and gait performance are complementary, especially since gait parameters were not correlated to complexity. Participants gave positive feedback regarding the use of the instrumented shoes. These results extend previous observations in showing the concurrent validity of the instrumented shoes compared to a body-worn reference system for daily-life physical behavior monitoring in older adults.

A novel method linking neural connectivity to behavioral fluctuations: Behavior-regressed connectivity.

PubMed

Passaro, Antony D; Vettel, Jean M; McDaniel, Jonathan; Lawhern, Vernon; Franaszczuk, Piotr J; Gordon, Stephen M

2017-03-01

During an experimental session, behavioral performance fluctuates, yet most neuroimaging analyses of functional connectivity derive a single connectivity pattern. These conventional connectivity approaches assume that since the underlying behavior of the task remains constant, the connectivity pattern is also constant. We introduce a novel method, behavior-regressed connectivity (BRC), to directly examine behavioral fluctuations within an experimental session and capture their relationship to changes in functional connectivity. This method employs the weighted phase lag index (WPLI) applied to a window of trials with a weighting function. Using two datasets, the BRC results are compared to conventional connectivity results during two time windows: the one second before stimulus onset to identify predictive relationships, and the one second after onset to capture task-dependent relationships. In both tasks, we replicate the expected results for the conventional connectivity analysis, and extend our understanding of the brain-behavior relationship using the BRC analysis, demonstrating subject-specific BRC maps that correspond to both positive and negative relationships with behavior. Comparison with Existing Method(s): Conventional connectivity analyses assume a consistent relationship between behaviors and functional connectivity, but the BRC method examines performance variability within an experimental session to understand dynamic connectivity and transient behavior. The BRC approach examines connectivity as it covaries with behavior to complement the knowledge of underlying neural activity derived from conventional connectivity analyses. Within this framework, BRC may be implemented for the purpose of understanding performance variability both within and between participants. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Behavioral economics

PubMed Central

Hursh, Steven R.

1984-01-01

Economics, like behavioral psychology, is a science of behavior, albeit highly organized human behavior. The value of economic concepts for behavioral psychology rests on (1) their empirical validity when tested in the laboratory with individual subjects and (2) their uniqueness when compared to established behavioral concepts. Several fundamental concepts are introduced and illustrated by reference to experimental data: open and closed economies, elastic and inelastic demand, and substitution versus complementarity. Changes in absolute response rate are analyzed in relation to elasticity and intensity of demand. The economic concepts of substitution and complementarity are related to traditional behavioral studies of choice and to the matching relation. The economic approach has many implications for the future of behavioral research and theory. In general, economic concepts are grounded on a dynamic view of reinforcement. The closed-economy methodology extends the generality of behavioral principles to situations in which response rate and obtained rate of reinforcement are interdependent. Analysis of results in terms of elasticity and intensity of demand promises to provide a more direct method for characterizing the effects of “motivational” variables. Future studies of choice should arrange heterogeneous reinforcers with varying elasticities, use closed economies, and modulate scarcity or income. The economic analysis can be extended to the study of performances that involve subtle discriminations or skilled movements that vary in accuracy or quality as opposed to rate or quantity, and thus permit examination of time/accuracy trade-offs. PMID:16812401

Stability analysis for a delay differential equations model of a hydraulic turbine speed governor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halanay, Andrei; Safta, Carmen A.; Dragoi, Constantin; Piraianu, Vlad F.

2017-01-01

The paper aims to study the dynamic behavior of a speed governor for a hydraulic turbine using a mathematical model. The nonlinear mathematical model proposed consists in a system of delay differential equations (DDE) to be compared with already established mathematical models of ordinary differential equations (ODE). A new kind of nonlinearity is introduced as a time delay. The delays can characterize different running conditions of the speed governor. For example, it is considered that spool displacement of hydraulic amplifier might be blocked due to oil impurities in the oil supply system and so the hydraulic amplifier has a time delay in comparison to the time control. Numerical simulations are presented in a comparative manner. A stability analysis of the hydraulic control system is performed, too. Conclusions of the dynamic behavior using the DDE model of a hydraulic turbine speed governor are useful in modeling and controlling hydropower plants.

Apologia of St. Ignatius Loyola's Cura Personalis: Brigham Young University's Positive Behavior Support Initiative Compared to the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School's 7th and 8th Grade Literacy Program: A Qualitative Analysis (Abridgment)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBath, Gabrielle L.

2013-01-01

The following is an abridged version of the author's original Master's thesis written in 2008 for LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. This qualitative, structural, comparison determined if twelve Character Education studies of Brigham Young University, specifically the Positive Behavioral Support Initiative, assessed the same literacy program…

Mechanical behavior and fracture characteristics of off-axis fiber composites. 2: Theory and comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Sinclair, J. H.

1978-01-01

The mechanical behavior and stresses inducing fracture modes of unidirectional high-modulus graphite-fiber/epoxy composites subjected to off-axis tensile loads were investigated theoretically. The investigation included the use of composite mechanics, combined-stress failure criteria, and finite-element stress analysis. The results are compared with experimental data and led to the formulation of criteria and convenient plotting procedures for identifying, characterizing, and quantifying these fracture modes.

[The problem of abortions and enhancement of analysis of reproductive behavior of women].

PubMed

Maksimova, T M; Belov, V B; Lushkina, N P; Nikitina, S Iu; Redina, M A

2012-01-01

The article deals with the study of actual rate of abortions in Russia. It is established that multi-aspect statistical information is needed to compare with the data of international organizations. The regular monitoring is important to control the different characteristics of population reproductive behavior abortion prevalence and the all-inclusive participation in the reporting activity of all medical institutions involved independently of property forms and sectorial membership.

The role of depression and anxiety in impulsive and obsessive-compulsive behaviors among anorexic and bulimic patients.

PubMed

Finzi-Dottan, Ricky; Zubery, Eynat

2009-01-01

Eating disorders are believed to range across a spectrum of varying degrees of obsessive-compulsive and impulsive behavior. Sixty anorexic (mean age = 19.8; sd = 5.9) and 109 bulimic (mean age = 26.9; sd = 11.3) female patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing obsessive-compulsiveness, impulsivity, depression and anxiety, as well as two eating disorder scales. Results yielded significantly higher levels of impulsivity and negative body image in the bulimic compared to the anorexic group. Regression analysis predicting impulsivity showed that bulimia and negative body image were the main contributors. Regression analysis for predicting obsessive-compulsive behavior suggested that depression and anxiety obscure the link between anorexia and obsessive-compulsive behavior, and a high BMI intensifies the association between anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behavior. The high rates of both impulsivity and obsessive-compulsiveness found in both groups, and their association with the severity of the eating disorder, may suggest that impulsivity and obsessive-compulsiveness are not mutually exclusive and can both be found among anorexic and bulimic patients.

Behavioral Implications of Piezoelectric Stack Actuators for Control of Micromanipulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldfarb, Michael; Celanovic, Nikola

1996-01-01

A lumped-parameter model of a piezoelectric stack actuator has been developed to describe actuator behavior for purposes of control system analysis and design, and in particular for microrobotic applications requiring accurate position and/or force control. In addition to describing the input-output dynamic behavior, the proposed model explains aspects of non-intuitive behavioral phenomena evinced by piezoelectric actuators, such as the input-output rate-independent hysteresis and the change in mechanical stiffness that results from altering electrical load. The authors incorporate a generalized Maxwell resistive capacitor as a lumped-parameter causal representation of rate-independent hysteresis. Model formulation is validated by comparing results of numerical simulations to experimental data.

Universal bursty behavior in the air transportation system.

PubMed

Ito, Hidetaka; Nishinari, Katsuhiro

2015-12-01

Social activities display bursty behavior characterized by heavy-tailed interevent time distributions. We examine the bursty behavior of airplanes' arrivals in hub airports. The analysis indicates that the air transportation system universally follows a power-law interarrival time distribution with an exponent α=2.5 and an exponential cutoff. Moreover, we investigate the mechanism of this bursty behavior by introducing a simple model to describe it. In addition, we compare the extent of the hub-and-spoke structure and the burstiness of various airline networks in the system. Remarkably, the results suggest that the hub-and-spoke network of the system and the carriers' strategy to facilitate transit are the origins of this universality.

Yield Behavior of Solution Treated and Aged Ti-6Al-4V

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ring, Andrew J.; Baker, Eric H.; Salem, Jonathan A.; Thesken, John C.

2014-01-01

Post yield uniaxial tension-compression tests were run on a solution treated and aged (STA), titanium 6-percent aluminum 4-percent vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy to determine the yield behavior on load reversal. The material exhibits plastic behavior almost immediately on load reversal implying a strong Bauschinger effect. The resultant stress-strain data was compared to a 1D mechanics model and a finite element model used to design a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV). Although the models and experimental data compare well for the initial loading and unloading in the tensile regime, agreement is lost in the compressive regime due to the Bauschinger effect and the assumption of perfect plasticity. The test data presented here are being used to develop more accurate cyclic hardening constitutive models for future finite element design analysis of COPVs.

A comparison of positive and negative reinforcement for compliance to treat problem behavior maintained by escape.

PubMed

Slocum, Sarah K; Vollmer, Timothy R

2015-09-01

Previous research has shown that problem behavior maintained by escape can be treated using positive reinforcement. In the current study, we directly compared functional (escape) and nonfunctional (edible) reinforcers in the treatment of escape-maintained problem behavior for 5 subjects. In the first treatment, compliance produced a break from instructions. In the second treatment, compliance produced a small edible item. Neither treatment included escape extinction. Results suggested that the delivery of a positive reinforcer for compliance was effective for treating escape-maintained problem behavior for all 5 subjects, and the delivery of escape for compliance was ineffective for 3 of the 5 subjects. Implications and future directions related to the use of positive reinforcers in the treatment of escape behavior are discussed. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison Between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Adult-Driven Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention on Disruptive Behaviors in Public School Children with Autism.

PubMed

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaei, Mohammad; Bakhshi, Enayatolah

2015-09-01

Children with autism often demonstrate disruptive behaviors during demanding teaching tasks. Language intervention can be particularly difficult as it involves social and communicative areas, which are challenging for this population. The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention conditions, a naturalistic approach, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with an adult-directed ABA approach on disruptive behavior during language intervention in the public schools. A randomized clinical trial design was used with two groups of children, matched according to age, sex and mean length of utterance. The data showed that the children demonstrated significantly lower levels of disruptive behavior during the PRT condition. The results are discussed with respect to antecedent manipulations that may be helpful in reducing disruptive behavior.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparison Between Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Adult-Driven Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Intervention on Disruptive Behaviors in Public School Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Mohammadzaheri, Fereshteh; Koegel, Lynn Kern; Rezaei, Mohammad; Bakhshi, Enayatolah

2015-01-01

Children with autism often demonstrate disruptive behaviors during demanding teaching tasks. Language intervention can be particularly difficult as it involves social and communicative areas, which are challenging for this population. The purpose of this study was to compare two intervention conditions, a naturalistic approach, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with a structured ABA approach on disruptive behavior during language intervention in the public schools. A Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) design was used with two groups of children, matched according to age, sex and mean length of utterance. The data showed that the children demonstrated significantly lower levels of disruptive behavior during the PRT condition. The results are discussed with respect to antecedent manipulations that may be helpful in reducing disruptive behavior. PMID:25953148

A Two-Dimensional Variational Analysis Method for NSCAT Ambiguity Removal: Methodology, Sensitivity, and Tuning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, R. N.; Leidner, S. M.; Henderson, J. M.; Atlas, R.; Ardizzone, J. V.; Bloom, S. C.; Atlas, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

In this study, we apply a two-dimensional variational analysis method (2d-VAR) to select a wind solution from NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) ambiguous winds. 2d-VAR determines a "best" gridded surface wind analysis by minimizing a cost function. The cost function measures the misfit to the observations, the background, and the filtering and dynamical constraints. The ambiguity closest in direction to the minimizing analysis is selected. 2d-VAR method, sensitivity and numerical behavior are described. 2d-VAR is compared to statistical interpolation (OI) by examining the response of both systems to a single ship observation and to a swath of unique scatterometer winds. 2d-VAR is used with both NSCAT ambiguities and NSCAT backscatter values. Results are roughly comparable. When the background field is poor, 2d-VAR ambiguity removal often selects low probability ambiguities. To avoid this behavior, an initial 2d-VAR analysis, using only the two most likely ambiguities, provides the first guess for an analysis using all the ambiguities or the backscatter data. 2d-VAR and median filter selected ambiguities usually agree. Both methods require horizontal consistency, so disagreements occur in clumps, or as linear features. In these cases, 2d-VAR ambiguities are often more meteorologically reasonable and more consistent with satellite imagery.

[C57BL/6 mice open field behaviour qualitatively depends on arena size].

PubMed

Lebedev, I V; Pleskacheva, M G; Anokhin, K V

2012-01-01

Open field behavior is well known to depend on physical characteristics of the apparatus. However many of such effects are poorly described especially with using of modern methods of behavioral registration and analysis. The previous results of experiments on the effect of arena size on behavior are not numerous and contradictory. We compared the behavioral scores of four groups of C57BL/6 mice in round open field arenas of four different sizes (diameter 35, 75, 150 and 220 cm). The behavior was registered and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision, WinTrack and SegmentAnalyzer software. A significant effect of arena size was found. Traveled distance and velocity increased, but not in proportion to increase of arena size. Moreover a significant effect on segment characteristics of the trajectory was revealed. Detailed behavior analysis revealed drastic differences in trajectory structure and number of rears between smaller (35 and 75 cm) and bigger (150 and 220 cm) arenas. We conclude, that the character of exploration in smaller and bigger arenas depends on relative size of central open zone in arena. Apparently its extension increases the motivational heterogeneity of space, that requires another than in smaller arenas, strategy of exploration.

Volatility Behaviors of Financial Time Series by Percolation System on Sierpinski Carpet Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Anqi; Wang, Jun

2015-01-01

The financial time series is simulated and investigated by the percolation system on the Sierpinski carpet lattice, where percolation is usually employed to describe the behavior of connected clusters in a random graph, and the Sierpinski carpet lattice is a graph which corresponds the fractal — Sierpinski carpet. To study the fluctuation behavior of returns for the financial model and the Shanghai Composite Index, we establish a daily volatility measure — multifractal volatility (MFV) measure to obtain MFV series, which have long-range cross-correlations with squared daily return series. The autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) model is used to analyze the MFV series, which performs better when compared to other volatility series. By a comparative study of the multifractality and volatility analysis of the data, the simulation data of the proposed model exhibits very similar behaviors to those of the real stock index, which indicates somewhat rationality of the model to the market application.

Nonlinear behavior of shells of revolution under cyclic loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, H. S.; Armen, H., Jr.; Winter, R.; Pifko, A.

1972-01-01

A large deflection elastic-plastic analysis is presented, applicable to orthotropic axisymmetric plates and shells of revolution subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. The analysis is based on the finite-element method. It employs a new higher order, fully compatible, doubly curved orthotropic shell-of-revolution element using cubic Hermitian expansions for both meridional and normal displacements. Both perfectly plastic and strain hardening behavior are considered. Strain hardening is incorporated through use of the Prager-Ziegler kinematic hardening theory, which predicts an ideal Bauschinger effect. Numerous sample problems involving monotonic and cyclic loading conditions are analyzed. The monotonic results are compared with other theoretical solutions.

Round and Round and Round We Go: Behavior of Adult Female Mice on the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronca, April E.

2016-01-01

The NASA Decadal Survey (2011) emphasized the importance of long duration rodent experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). To accomplish this objective, flight hardware and science capabilities supporting mouse studies in space were developed at Ames Research Center. Here we present a video-based behavioral analysis of ten C57BL6 female adult mice exposed to a total of 37 days in space compared with identically housed Ground Controls. Flight and Control mice exhibited the same range of behaviors, including feeding, drinking, exploratory behavior, grooming, and social interactions. Mice propelled themselves freely and actively throughout the Habitat using their forelimbs to push off or by floating from one cage area to another. Overall activity was greater in Flt as compared to GC mice. Spontaneous, organized circling or race-tracking behavior emerged within the first few days of flight and encompassed the primary dark cycle activity for the remainder of the experiment. I will summarize qualitative observations and quantitative comparisons of mice in microgravity and 1g conditions. Behavioral phenotyping revealed important insights into the overall health and adaptation of mice to the space environment, and identified unique behaviors that can guide future habitat development and research on rodents in space.

Heart rate and treatment effect in children with disruptive behavior disorders.

PubMed

Stadler, Christina; Grasmann, Dörte; Fegert, Jörg M; Holtmann, Martin; Poustka, Fritz; Schmeck, Klaus

2008-09-01

To examine whether children with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs; hyperkinetic conduct disorder, conduct disorder, hyperkinetic disorder) characterized by low heart rate profit less from an intensive cognitive behavioral intervention aimed at reducing impulsive, oppositional and aggressive behavior problems. Basal heart rate was studied in twenty-three children (aged 7-12 years) with DBD at the beginning of intervention comprising an intensive day-care treatment and parent training. The disruptive behavior of the child was assessed before treatment and after termination (12 weeks later). Therapy responders and non-responders were compared in regard to heart rate and other risk factors (cognitive functioning and socio-economic status). Statistical analyses yielded evidence for a significant reduction of disruptive problem behaviors (aggression, delinquency) that is more prominent in DBD children with high heart rate scores compared to patients with low heart rate scores. Heart rate was significantly lower in children who did not profit from therapy. A logistic regression analysis revealed that heart rate is a significant predictor for therapy success whereas other risk factors had no impact on therapy success. Further studies investigating biological and psychosocial predictors of treatment effectiveness are necessary. In addition, it might be helpful to consider different subtypes of aggressive behavior for selecting the best possible treatment options.

User Experience of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Apps for Depression: An Analysis of App Functionality and User Reviews.

PubMed

Stawarz, Katarzyna; Preist, Chris; Tallon, Debbie; Wiles, Nicola; Coyle, David

2018-06-06

Hundreds of mental health apps are available to the general public. With increasing pressures on health care systems, they offer a potential way for people to support their mental health and well-being. However, although many are highly rated by users, few are evidence-based. Equally, our understanding of what makes apps engaging and valuable to users is limited. The aim of this paper was to analyze functionality and user opinions of mobile apps purporting to support cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and to explore key factors that have an impact on user experience and support engagement. We systematically identified apps described as being based on cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. We then conducted 2 studies. In the first, we analyzed the therapeutic functionality of apps. This corroborated existing work on apps' fidelity to cognitive behavioral therapy theory, but we also extended prior work by examining features designed to support user engagement. Engagement features found in cognitive behavioral therapy apps for depression were compared with those found in a larger group of apps that support mental well-being in a more general sense. Our second study involved a more detailed examination of user experience, through a thematic analysis of publicly available user reviews of cognitive behavioral therapy apps for depression. We identified 31 apps that purport to be based on cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. Functionality analysis (study 1) showed that they offered an eclectic mix of features, including many not based on cognitive behavioral therapy practice. Cognitive behavioral therapy apps used less varied engagement features compared with 253 other mental well-being apps. The analysis of 1287 user reviews of cognitive behavioral therapy apps for depression (study 2) showed that apps are used in a wide range of contexts, both replacing and augmenting therapy, and allowing users to play an active role in supporting their mental health and well-being. Users, including health professionals, valued and used apps that incorporated both core cognitive behavioral therapy and non-cognitive behavioral therapy elements, but concerns were also expressed regarding the unsupervised use of apps. Positivity was seen as important to engagement, for example, in the context of automatic thoughts, users expressed a preference to capture not just negative but also positive ones. Privacy, security, and trust were crucial to the user experience. Cognitive behavioral therapy apps for depression need to improve with respect to incorporating evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy elements. Equally, a positive user experience is dependent on other design factors, including consideration of varying contexts of use. App designers should be able to clearly identify the therapeutic basis of their apps, but they should also draw on evidence-based strategies to support a positive and engaging user experience. The most effective apps are likely to strike a balance between evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy strategies and evidence-based design strategies, including the possibility of eclectic therapeutic techniques. ©Katarzyna Stawarz, Chris Preist, Debbie Tallon, Nicola Wiles, David Coyle. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 06.06.2018.

A gender perspective on sleeplessness behavior, effects of sleep loss, and coping resources in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Edéll-Gustafsson, Ulla; Svanborg, Eva; Swahn, Eva

2006-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to systematically compare perceived sleep quality, sleeplessness behavior, sense of mastery, self-esteem, depression, subjective health, and effects of sleep loss in men and women with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Further aims were to determine possible predictors of poor sleep quality and sense of mastery, as well as the consequences of too little sleep. Comparative-correlation and predictive design were used. Patients with a history of stable angina pectoris scheduled to undergo coronary angiography at Linköping University Hospital in Sweden were included. There were 47 women and 88 men (mean age 62.4 years) with CAD. Structured interviews using validated questionnaires covered sleep quality and sleep habits, effects of sleep loss, psychologic resources, and depression. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that sleeplessness behavior, depressed mood, female gender, and pharmacologic treatments with inflammation inhibitors significantly (P<.0001) accounted for the variance of poorer sleep quality. The analysis also showed that the following factors in descending order significantly accounted (P<.0001) for the outcome of sleep quality: inability to feel refreshed by sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, gastrointestinal problems, too little sleep, final morning awakening time, sleep onset latency, lying down because of daytime tiredness, and daytime physical tiredness. Compared with men, women with stable CAD may be especially at risk of experiencing poor sleep quality, even when sleeplessness behavior and pharmacologic treatments with inflammation inhibitors are controlled. It is also possible that they may be more at risk of depressed mood.

Clinical needs of in-treatment pregnant women with co-occurring disorders: implications for primary care.

PubMed

Lee King, Patricia A; Duan, Lei; Amaro, Hortensia

2015-01-01

We investigated social vulnerability and behavioral health clinical profiles (symptom severity) of pregnant women with co-occurring disorders, defined as substance abuse, mental illness, and trauma at treatment entry compared to their nonpregnant counterparts and the role of interpersonal abuse in clinical presentation among pregnant women. Our objective was to provide primary health care providers with insight into the needs of pregnant patients with high behavioral health risks to serve them better during the critical window of opportunity for long-term impact. We conducted cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data from women enrolled in treatment programs in the Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study from nine sites across the United States. We used analysis of variance and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistical analyses to compare means and frequencies of social vulnerability indicators and baseline Addiction Severity Index, Brief Symptom Inventory of mental health, and Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale scores between 152 pregnant and 2,577 nonpregnant women, and between pregnant women with and without current interpersonal abuse. Compared to nonpregnant women, pregnant women evidenced more social vulnerability but better behavioral health clinical profiles at treatment entry. Current interpersonal abuse was associated with increased mental health and trauma symptomatology but not with alcohol or drug abuse severity among pregnant women. The prenatal period is an important time for screening and intervention for factors such as social vulnerability and co-occurring disorders, known to affect pregnancy and infant outcomes; social and behavioral health services are particularly essential among pregnant women with co-occurring disorders.

When things are not the same: A review of research into relations of difference.

PubMed

Ming, Siri; Stewart, Ian

2017-04-01

Responding to stimuli as same and different can be considered a critical component of a variety of language and academic repertoires. Whereas responding to "sameness" and generalized identity matching (i.e., coordination) have been studied extensively, there appears to be a significant gap in behavior analytic research and educational programs with regard to nonmatching relations or relations of difference. We review research on difference relations from a variety of domains, including comparative psychology, as well as experimental, and translational behavior analysis. We examine a range of studies, including research on the perception of difference and oddity responding, as well as investigations on establishing relational frames of distinction. We present suggestions for future research and describe potential methods for teaching skills related to relations of difference. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Graphic analysis and multifractal on percolation-based return interval series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, A. Q.; Wang, J.

2015-05-01

A financial time series model is developed and investigated by the oriented percolation system (one of the statistical physics systems). The nonlinear and statistical behaviors of the return interval time series are studied for the proposed model and the real stock market by applying visibility graph (VG) and multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). We investigate the fluctuation behaviors of return intervals of the model for different parameter settings, and also comparatively study these fluctuation patterns with those of the real financial data for different threshold values. The empirical research of this work exhibits the multifractal features for the corresponding financial time series. Further, the VGs deviated from both of the simulated data and the real data show the behaviors of small-world, hierarchy, high clustering and power-law tail for the degree distributions.

Evidence for a genetic etiology of early-onset delinquency.

PubMed

Taylor, J; Iacono, W G; McGue, M

2000-11-01

Age at onset of antisocial behavior discriminates persistent and transitory offenders. The authors proposed that early-onset delinquency has an underlying genetic influence that manifests in problems related to inhibition, whereas late-onset delinquency is more environmentally mediated. To test these notions, they selected 36 early starters, 86 late starters, and 25 nondelinquent controls from a large sample of 11-year-old twins and compared them on several measures related to inhibition and a peer group measure. As expected, early starters had more psychological, behavioral, and emotional problems related to inhibition than late starters and controls. A longitudinal analysis indicated an increase an antisocial behavior among peers of late starters shortly before their delinquency onset. Family history data and a twin analysis provided evidence of greater genetic influence on early-onset than late-onset delinquency.

The soft constraints hypothesis: a rational analysis approach to resource allocation for interactive behavior.

PubMed

Gray, Wayne D; Sims, Chris R; Fu, Wai-Tat; Schoelles, Michael J

2006-07-01

Soft constraints hypothesis (SCH) is a rational analysis approach that holds that the mixture of perceptual-motor and cognitive resources allocated for interactive behavior is adjusted based on temporal cost-benefit tradeoffs. Alternative approaches maintain that cognitive resources are in some sense protected or conserved in that greater amounts of perceptual-motor effort will be expended to conserve lesser amounts of cognitive effort. One alternative, the minimum memory hypothesis (MMH), holds that people favor strategies that minimize the use of memory. SCH is compared with MMH across 3 experiments and with predictions of an Ideal Performer Model that uses ACT-R's memory system in a reinforcement learning approach that maximizes expected utility by minimizing time. Model and data support the SCH view of resource allocation; at the under 1000-ms level of analysis, mixtures of cognitive and perceptual-motor resources are adjusted based on their cost-benefit tradeoffs for interactive behavior. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

Culture and health reporting: a comparative content analysis of newspapers in the United States and China.

PubMed

Tang, Lu; Peng, Wei

2015-01-01

Health reporting has the potential to educate the public and promote health behaviors. Culture influences the style of such communication. Following the theorization of national cultures by Hofstede and Hofstede (2005) and Wilber (2000), this study compares health reporting in the United States and China through a content analysis of leading newspapers. The authors discover significant differences in health reporting in terms of controllability attribution, temporal orientation, citation of authority sources, and use of statistics. As one of the first comparative content analysis studies of health reporting in Eastern and Western cultures, this study provides a unique cultural lens for health communication scholars to better understand health information in the news media.

Can cognitive processes help explain the success of instructional techniques recommended by behavior analysts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovits, Rebecca A.; Weinstein, Yana

2018-01-01

The fields of cognitive psychology and behavior analysis have undertaken separate investigations into effective learning strategies. These studies have led to several recommendations from both fields regarding teaching techniques that have been shown to enhance student performance. While cognitive psychology and behavior analysis have studied student performance independently from their different perspectives, the recommendations they make are remarkably similar. The lack of discussion between the two fields, despite these similarities, is surprising. The current paper seeks to remedy this oversight in two ways: first, by reviewing two techniques recommended by behavior analysts—guided notes and response cards—and comparing them to their counterparts in cognitive psychology that are potentially responsible for their effectiveness; and second, by outlining some other areas of overlap that could benefit from collaboration. By starting the discussion with the comparison of two specific recommendations for teaching techniques, we hope to galvanize a more extensive collaboration that will not only further the progression of both fields, but also extend the practical applications of the ensuing research.

Therapeutic non-adherence: a rational behavior revealing patient preferences?

PubMed

Lamiraud, Karine; Geoffard, Pierre-Yves

2007-11-01

This paper offers an indirect measure of patient welfare based on whether patients comply with the prescription they receive. Adherence behavior is supposed to reveal patients' subjective valuations of particular therapies. We write a simple theoretical model of patient adherence behavior, that reflects the trade-off between perceived costs and observed regimen efficacy. A discrete choice framework is then used for the estimation, i.e. the comparison of the incremental benefit of drug intake between two regimens. Consequently, the empirical analysis is based on the identification of patient and drug characteristics associated with adherence. The econometric approach is implemented through a bivariate panel two-equation simultaneous system studying jointly the factors associated with adherence and response to treatment. The data come from a randomized clinical trial conducted in France between 1999 and 2001 and comparing the efficacy of two tritherapy strategies in HIV disease. Both the theoretical and empirical results suggest that, for comparable clinical efficacy and toxicity levels, a higher adherence level is associated with higher patient welfare, thus adding valuable information to conclusions drawn by a mere biostatistical analysis. Therefore, from the perspective of the patient, the adherence-enhancing drug must be favored. Our results based on panel data also stress that unobserved patient characteristics account substantially for drug valuation and that the assessment evolves during the course of the treatment. Furthermore, we provide a new framework for the analysis of adherence data. The microeconometric framework highlights that non-adherence is an endogenous behavior, thus suggesting new ways for improving adherence. (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Do the parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors differ between families with a child with and without chronic illness? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pinquart, Martin

2013-08-01

The present meta-analysis compared the quality of the parent-child relationship as well as parenting behaviors and styles of families with a child with chronic physical illness with families of healthy children or test norms. Empirical studies were identified with the help of electronic databases and cross-referencing. Based on 325 included studies, random-effects meta-analysis was performed. Although most effect sizes were small or very small, the parent-child relationship tended to be less positive if a child had a chronic physical illness (g = -.16 standard deviation units). In addition, lower levels of parental responsiveness (emotional warmth; g = -.22) as well as higher levels of demandingness (control, monitoring; g = .18) and overprotection (g = .39) were observed in these families. However, effect sizes were heterogeneous and only significant for a limited number of diseases. There was also some evidence for higher levels of authoritarian (g = .24) and neglectful parenting (g = .51) as well as lower levels of authoritative parenting compared with families with healthy children (g = -.13). Effect sizes varied, in part, by length of illness, child age, rater, assessment method, and target of comparison. We conclude that most families with a child with chronic physical illness adapt well with regard to the parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors/styles. Nonetheless, some families of children with specific diseases-such as epilepsy, hearing impairment, and asthma-may have difficulties finding appropriate levels of protective behaviors, control, and parental warmth and building positive mutual relationships between parents and children.

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study

PubMed Central

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M.; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-01-01

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18–64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample (n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, “Traditional DP”, “Mediterranean DP”, “Snack DP” and “Dairy-sweet DP”. Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern”, “Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” and “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. A higher proportion of people aged 18–30 years was classified into the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” was significantly lower compared to those in the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants. PMID:28613259

Transparency of Outcome Reporting and Trial Registration of Randomized Controlled Trials Published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

PubMed Central

Azar, Marleine; Riehm, Kira E.; McKay, Dean; Thombs, Brett D.

2015-01-01

Background Confidence that randomized controlled trial (RCT) results accurately reflect intervention effectiveness depends on proper trial conduct and the accuracy and completeness of published trial reports. The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) is the primary trials journal amongst American Psychological Association (APA) journals. The objectives of this study were to review RCTs recently published in JCCP to evaluate (1) adequacy of primary outcome analysis definitions; (2) registration status; and, (3) among registered trials, adequacy of outcome registrations. Additionally, we compared results from JCCP to findings from a recent study of top psychosomatic and behavioral medicine journals. Methods Eligible RCTs were published in JCCP in 2013–2014. For each RCT, two investigators independently extracted data on (1) adequacy of outcome analysis definitions in the published report, (2) whether the RCT was registered prior to enrolling patients, and (3) adequacy of outcome registration. Results Of 70 RCTs reviewed, 12 (17.1%) adequately defined primary or secondary outcome analyses, whereas 58 (82.3%) had multiple primary outcome analyses without statistical adjustment or undefined outcome analyses. There were 39 (55.7%) registered trials. Only two trials registered prior to patient enrollment with a single primary outcome variable and time point of assessment. However, in one of the two trials, registered and published outcomes were discrepant. No studies were adequately registered as per Standard Protocol Items: Recommendation for Interventional Trials guidelines. Compared to psychosomatic and behavioral medicine journals, the proportion of published trials with adequate outcome analysis declarations was significantly lower in JCCP (17.1% versus 32.9%; p = 0.029). The proportion of registered trials in JCCP (55.7%) was comparable to behavioral medicine journals (52.6%; p = 0.709). Conclusions The quality of published outcome analysis definitions and trial registrations in JCCP is suboptimal. Greater attention to proper trial registration and outcome analysis definition in published reports is needed. PMID:26581079

Transparency of Outcome Reporting and Trial Registration of Randomized Controlled Trials Published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

PubMed

Azar, Marleine; Riehm, Kira E; McKay, Dean; Thombs, Brett D

2015-01-01

Confidence that randomized controlled trial (RCT) results accurately reflect intervention effectiveness depends on proper trial conduct and the accuracy and completeness of published trial reports. The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (JCCP) is the primary trials journal amongst American Psychological Association (APA) journals. The objectives of this study were to review RCTs recently published in JCCP to evaluate (1) adequacy of primary outcome analysis definitions; (2) registration status; and, (3) among registered trials, adequacy of outcome registrations. Additionally, we compared results from JCCP to findings from a recent study of top psychosomatic and behavioral medicine journals. Eligible RCTs were published in JCCP in 2013-2014. For each RCT, two investigators independently extracted data on (1) adequacy of outcome analysis definitions in the published report, (2) whether the RCT was registered prior to enrolling patients, and (3) adequacy of outcome registration. Of 70 RCTs reviewed, 12 (17.1%) adequately defined primary or secondary outcome analyses, whereas 58 (82.3%) had multiple primary outcome analyses without statistical adjustment or undefined outcome analyses. There were 39 (55.7%) registered trials. Only two trials registered prior to patient enrollment with a single primary outcome variable and time point of assessment. However, in one of the two trials, registered and published outcomes were discrepant. No studies were adequately registered as per Standard Protocol Items: Recommendation for Interventional Trials guidelines. Compared to psychosomatic and behavioral medicine journals, the proportion of published trials with adequate outcome analysis declarations was significantly lower in JCCP (17.1% versus 32.9%; p = 0.029). The proportion of registered trials in JCCP (55.7%) was comparable to behavioral medicine journals (52.6%; p = 0.709). The quality of published outcome analysis definitions and trial registrations in JCCP is suboptimal. Greater attention to proper trial registration and outcome analysis definition in published reports is needed.

Ramifications of projectile velocity on the ballistic dart penetration of sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sable, Peter Anthony

With the advent of novel in-situ experimental measurement techniques, highly resolved quantitative observations of dynamic events within granular media can now be made. In particular, high speed imagery and digital analysis now allow for the ballistic behaviors of sand to be examined not only across a range of event velocities but across multiple length scales. In an attempt to further understand the dynamic behavior of granular media, these new experimental developments were implemented utilizing high speed photography coupled with piezo-electric stress gauges to observe visually accessible ballistic events of a dart penetrating Ottawa sand. Projectile velocities ranged from 100 to over 300 meters per second with two distinct chosen fields of view to capture bulk and grain-scale behaviors. Each event was analyzed using the digital image correlation technique, particle image velocimetry from which two dimensional, temporally resolved, velocity fields were extracted, from which bulk granular flow and compaction wave propagation were observed and quantified. By comparing bulk, in situ, velocity field behavior resultant from dart penetration, momentum transfer could be quantified measuring radius of influence or dilatant fluid approximations from which a positive correlation was found across the explored velocity regime, including self similar tendencies. This was, however, not absolute as persistent scatter was observed attributed to granular heterogeneous effects. These were tentatively measured in terms of an irreversible energy amount calculated via energy balance. Grain scale analysis reveals analogous behavior to the bulk response with more chaotic structure, though conclusions were limited by the image processing method to qualitative observations. Even so, critical granular behaviors could be seen, such as densification, pore collapse, and grain fracture from which basic heterogeneous phenomena could be examined. These particularly dominated near nose interactions at high projectile velocities. Resulting empirical models and observations from all approaches provide a baseline from which other studies across may be compared, a metric against which penetrator effectiveness may be evaluated, and an alternative way to validate computationally based analyses. Velocity analysis was further contrasted with piezo-resistive stress gauge data in an effort to pair heterogeneous mechanisms in the bulk stress response. Phenomena such as grain fracture and densification were successfully observed in conjunction with a unique stress signature. Comparing stress responses across the tested velocity spectrum confirm conditional similitude with deviations a low projectile velocities attributed to domination by heterogeneous mechanisms.

The mass media are an important context for adolescents' sexual behavior.

PubMed

L'Engle, Kelly Ladin; Brown, Jane D; Kenneavy, Kristin

2006-03-01

This study compared influences from the mass media (television, music, movies, magazines) on adolescents' sexual intentions and behaviors to other socialization contexts, including family, religion, school, and peers. A sample of 1011 Black and White adolescents from 14 middle schools in the Southeastern United States completed linked mail surveys about their media use and in-home Audio-CASI interviews about their sexual intentions and behaviors. Analysis of the sexual content in 264 media vehicles used by respondents was also conducted. Exposure to sexual content across media, and perceived support from the media for teen sexual behavior, were the main media influence measures. Media explained 13% of the variance in intentions to initiate sexual intercourse in the near future, and 8-10% of the variance in light and heavy sexual behaviors, which was comparable to other contexts. Media influences also demonstrated significant associations with intentions and behaviors after all other factors were considered. All contextual factors, including media, explained 54% of the variance in sexual intentions and 21-33% of the variance in sexual behaviors. Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in the media, and who perceive greater support from the media for teen sexual behavior, report greater intentions to engage in sexual intercourse and more sexual activity. Mass media are an important context for adolescents' sexual socialization, and media influences should be considered in research and interventions with early adolescents to reduce sexual activity.

Latent class analysis of eating and impulsive behavioral symptoms in Taiwanese women with bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Tseng, Mei-Chih Meg; Hu, Fu-Chang

2012-01-01

The implications of impulsivity in its relationship with binge-eating or purging behaviors remain unclear. This study examined the patterns of eating behaviors and co-morbid impulsive behaviors in individuals with bulimia nervosa n optimally homogeneous classes using latent class analysis (LCA). All participants (n=180) were asked to complete a series of self-reported inventories of impulsive behaviors and other psychological measures. Information regarding the lifetime presence of symptoms of eating disorder was assessed by clinical interviews. LCA was conducted using eating disorder symptoms, impulsive behaviors, and the number of purging methods. Three latent classes of bulimic women were identified. These were women who exhibited relatively higher rates of purging, symptoms of impulsive behavior, and multiple purging methods (17.8%), women who used no more than one purging method with a low occurrence of impulsive behavior (41.7%), and women who showed higher rates of purging behaviors and the use of multiple purging methods with a low rate of impulsive behavior (41.7%). The impulsive sub-group had comparable severity of eating-related measures, frequency of binge-eating, and higher levels of general psychopathology than that of the other two sub-groups. This study provides empirical support for the existence of an impulsive subgroup with distinctive features among a non-Western group of BN patients. This study also suggests that mechanisms other than impulse dysregulation may exist for the development of binge-eating and purging behaviors in bulimia nervosa patients, or the mechanisms contributing to binge-eating and impulsive behaviors may be different. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Voluntary Running in Young Adult Mice Reduces Anxiety-Like Behavior and Increases the Accumulation of Bioactive Lipids in the Cerebral Cortex

PubMed Central

Santos-Soto, Iván J.; Chorna, Nataliya; Carballeira, Néstor M.; Vélez-Bartolomei, José G.; Méndez-Merced, Ana T.; Chornyy, Anatoliy P.; de Ortiz, Sandra Peña

2013-01-01

Combinatorial therapies using voluntary exercise and diet supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids have synergistic effects benefiting brain function and behavior. Here, we assessed the effects of voluntary exercise on anxiety-like behavior and on total FA accumulation within three brain regions: cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of running versus sedentary young adult male C57/BL6J mice. The running group was subjected to one month of voluntary exercise in their home cages, while the sedentary group was kept in their home cages without access to a running wheel. Elevated plus maze (EPM), several behavioral postures and two risk assessment behaviors (RABs) were then measured in both animal groups followed immediately by blood samplings for assessment of corticosterone levels. Brains were then dissected for non-targeted lipidomic analysis of selected brain regions using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Results showed that mice in the running group, when examined in the EPM, displayed significantly lower anxiety-like behavior, higher exploratory and risky behaviors, compared to sedentary mice. Notably, we found no differences in blood corticosterone levels between the two groups, suggesting that the different EPM and RAB behaviors were not related to reduced physiological stress in the running mice. Lipidomics analysis revealed a region-specific cortical decrease of the saturated FA: palmitate (C16:0) and a concomitant increase of polyunsaturated FA, arachidonic acid (AA, omega 6-C20: 4) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, omega 3-C22: 6), in running mice compared to sedentary controls. Finally, we found that running mice, as opposed to sedentary animals, showed significantly enhanced cortical expression of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) protein, a signaling molecule required in the production of both AA and DHA. In summary, our data support the anxiolytic effects of exercise and provide insights into the molecular processes modulated by exercise that may lead to its beneficial effects on mood. PMID:24349072

Online interventions for social marketing health behavior change campaigns: a meta-analysis of psychological architectures and adherence factors.

PubMed

Cugelman, Brian; Thelwall, Mike; Dawes, Phil

2011-02-14

Researchers and practitioners have developed numerous online interventions that encourage people to reduce their drinking, increase their exercise, and better manage their weight. Motivations to develop eHealth interventions may be driven by the Internet's reach, interactivity, cost-effectiveness, and studies that show online interventions work. However, when designing online interventions suitable for public campaigns, there are few evidence-based guidelines, taxonomies are difficult to apply, many studies lack impact data, and prior meta-analyses are not applicable to large-scale public campaigns targeting voluntary behavioral change. This meta-analysis assessed online intervention design features in order to inform the development of online campaigns, such as those employed by social marketers, that seek to encourage voluntary health behavior change. A further objective was to increase understanding of the relationships between intervention adherence, study adherence, and behavioral outcomes. Drawing on systematic review methods, a combination of 84 query terms were used in 5 bibliographic databases with additional gray literature searches. This resulted in 1271 abstracts and papers; 31 met the inclusion criteria. In total, 29 papers describing 30 interventions were included in the primary meta-analysis, with the 2 additional studies qualifying for the adherence analysis. Using a random effects model, the first analysis estimated the overall effect size, including groupings by control conditions and time factors. The second analysis assessed the impacts of psychological design features that were coded with taxonomies from evidence-based behavioral medicine, persuasive technology, and other behavioral influence fields. These separate systems were integrated into a coding framework model called the communication-based influence components model. Finally, the third analysis assessed the relationships between intervention adherence and behavioral outcomes. The overall impact of online interventions across all studies was small but statistically significant (standardized mean difference effect size d=0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.11-0.28, P<.001, number of interventions k=30). The largest impact with a moderate level of efficacy was exerted from online interventions when compared with waitlists and placebos (d=0.28, 95% CI=0.17-0.39, P<.001, k=18), followed by comparison with lower-tech online interventions (d=0.16, 95% CI=0.00-0.32, P=.04, k=8); no significant difference was found when compared with sophisticated print interventions (d=-0.11, 95% CI=-0.34 to 0.12, P=.35, k=4), though online interventions offer a small effect with the advantage of lower costs and larger reach. Time proved to be a critical factor, with shorter interventions generally achieving larger impacts and greater adherence. For psychological design, most interventions drew from the transtheoretical approach and were goal orientated, deploying numerous influence components aimed at showing users the consequences of their behavior, assisting them in reaching goals, and providing normative pressure. Inconclusive results suggest a relationship between the number of influence components and intervention efficacy. Despite one contradictory correlation, the evidence suggests that study adherence, intervention adherence, and behavioral outcomes are correlated. These findings demonstrate that online interventions have the capacity to influence voluntary behaviors, such as those routinely targeted by social marketing campaigns. Given the high reach and low cost of online technologies, the stage may be set for increased public health campaigns that blend interpersonal online systems with mass-media outreach. Such a combination of approaches could help individuals achieve personal goals that, at an individual level, help citizens improve the quality of their lives and at a state level, contribute to healthier societies.

Virtual reality exposure therapy in anxiety disorders: a quantitative meta-analysis.

PubMed

Opriş, David; Pintea, Sebastian; García-Palacios, Azucena; Botella, Cristina; Szamosközi, Ştefan; David, Daniel

2012-02-01

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a promising intervention for the treatment of the anxiety disorders. The main objective of this meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy of VRET, used in a behavioral or cognitive-behavioral framework, with that of the classical evidence-based treatments, in anxiety disorders. A comprehensive search of the literature identified 23 studies (n = 608) that were included in the final analysis. The results show that in the case of anxiety disorders, (1) VRET does far better than the waitlist control; (2) the post-treatment results show similar efficacy between the behavioral and the cognitive behavioral interventions incorporating a virtual reality exposure component and the classical evidence-based interventions, with no virtual reality exposure component; (3) VRET has a powerful real-life impact, similar to that of the classical evidence-based treatments; (4) VRET has a good stability of results over time, similar to that of the classical evidence-based treatments; (5) there is a dose-response relationship for VRET; and (6) there is no difference in the dropout rate between the virtual reality exposure and the in vivo exposure. Implications are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of ZrO2/20%Y2O3 and Al2O3 deposited coatings to the behavior of an aluminum alloy subjected to mechanical shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pintilei, G. L.; Crismaru, V. I.; Abrudeanu, M.; Munteanu, C.; Luca, D.; Istrate, B.

2015-10-01

Aluminum alloys are used in the aerospace industry due to their good mechanical properties and their low density compared with the density of steels. Usually the parts made of aluminum alloys contribute to the structural frame of aircrafts and they must withstand static and variable mechanical loads and also mechanical loads applied in a very short time which determine different phenomenon's in the material behavior then static or fatigue loads. This paper analysis the resilience of a 2024 aluminum alloy subjected to shock loads and the way how a coating can improve its behavior. For improving the behavior two coatings were considered: Al2O3 with 99.5% purity and ZrO2/20%Y2O3. The coatings were deposited on the base material by plasma spraying. The samples with and without coating were subject to mechanical shock to determine the resilience of the materials and the cracks propagation was investigated using SEM analysis. To highlight the physical phenomenon's that appear in the samples during the mechanical shock, explicit finite element analysis were done using Ansys 14.5 software.

Using Social Network Analysis to Better Understand Compulsive Exercise Behavior Among a Sample of Sorority Members.

PubMed

Patterson, Megan S; Goodson, Patricia

2017-05-01

Compulsive exercise, a form of unhealthy exercise often associated with prioritizing exercise and feeling guilty when exercise is missed, is a common precursor to and symptom of eating disorders. College-aged women are at high risk of exercising compulsively compared with other groups. Social network analysis (SNA) is a theoretical perspective and methodology allowing researchers to observe the effects of relational dynamics on the behaviors of people. SNA was used to assess the relationship between compulsive exercise and body dissatisfaction, physical activity, and network variables. Descriptive statistics were conducted using SPSS, and quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) analyses were conducted using UCINET. QAP regression analysis revealed a statistically significant model (R 2 = .375, P < .0001) predicting compulsive exercise behavior. Physical activity, body dissatisfaction, and network variables were statistically significant predictor variables in the QAP regression model. In our sample, women who are connected to "important" or "powerful" people in their network are likely to have higher compulsive exercise scores. This result provides healthcare practitioners key target points for intervention within similar groups of women. For scholars researching eating disorders and associated behaviors, this study supports looking into group dynamics and network structure in conjunction with body dissatisfaction and exercise frequency.

Comparative Analysis of the Biaxial Mechanical Behavior of Carotid Wall Tissue and Biological and Synthetic Materials Used for Carotid Patch Angioplasty

PubMed Central

Kamenskiy, Alexey V.; Pipinos, Iraklis I.; MacTaggart, Jason N.; Jaffar Kazmi, Syed A.; Dzenis, Yuris A.

2011-01-01

Patch angioplasty is the most common technique used for the performance of carotid endarterectomy. A large number of patching materials are available for use while new materials are being continuously developed. Surprisingly little is known about the mechanical properties of these materials and how these properties compare with those of the carotid artery wall. Mismatch of the mechanical properties can produce mechanical and hemodynamic effects that may compromise the long-term patency of the endarterectomized arterial segment. The aim of this paper was to systematically evaluate and compare the biaxial mechanical behavior of the most commonly used patching materials. We compared PTFE (n = 1), Dacron (n = 2), bovine pericardium (n = 10), autogenous greater saphenous vein (n = 10), and autogenous external jugular vein (n = 9) with the wall of the common carotid artery (n = 18). All patching materials were found to be significantly stiffer than the carotid wall in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. Synthetic patches demonstrated the most mismatch in stiffness values and vein patches the least mismatch in stiffness values compared to those of the native carotid artery. All biological materials, including the carotid artery, demonstrated substantial nonlinearity, anisotropy, and variability; however, the behavior of biological and biologically-derived patches was both qualitatively and quantitatively different from the behavior of the carotid wall. The majority of carotid arteries tested were stiffer in the circumferential direction, while the opposite anisotropy was observed for all types of vein patches and bovine pericardium. The rates of increase in the nonlinear stiffness over the physiological stress range were also different for the carotid and patching materials. Several carotid wall samples exhibited reverse anisotropy compared to the average behavior of the carotid tissue. A similar characteristic was observed for two of 19 vein patches. The obtained results quantify, for the first time, significant mechanical dissimilarity of the currently available patching materials and the carotid artery. The results can be used as guidance for designing more efficient patches with mechanical properties resembling those of the carotid wall. The presented systematic comparative mechanical analysis of the existing patching materials provides valuable information for patch selection in the daily practice of carotid surgery and can be used in future clinical studies comparing the efficacy of different patches in the performance of carotid endarterectomy. PMID:22168740

Latent classes of sexual behaviors: Prevalence, predictors, and consequences

PubMed Central

Wesche, Rose; Lefkowitz, Eva S.; Vasilenko, Sara A.

2016-01-01

Scholars of adolescent and emerging adult sexuality have recently begun to study how diverse patterns of sexual behaviors contribute to development and well-being. A person-oriented approach to studying sexual behaviors provides a nuanced understanding of sexual repertoires. The goals of this paper were to document patterns of sexual behaviors ranging from kissing to penetrative sex, and to examine how latent classes of behaviors, gender, and partner type (romantic vs. nonromantic) predict intra- and interpersonal consequences of sexual behaviors. Latent class analysis of a stratified random sample of U.S. college students revealed four classes of sexual behaviors: Kissing Only, Kissing and Touching, All Behaviors, and Oral and Penetrative Only. Compared to individuals in the All Behaviors class, individuals in the Kissing Only class were less likely to experience a positive or a negative intrapersonal consequence of sexual behaviors. Men were less likely to report a negative intrapersonal consequence than women were. Partner type predicted negative interpersonal consequences for the All Behaviors class. Implications are discussed in terms of normative sexual development, prevention, and sexual and relationship education. PMID:28163800

SIR/CAR Analysis Technique for Voluntary School Sport or Amateur Athletic Organizations. A SIR/CAR Application.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moriarty, Dick; Zarebski, John

This paper delineates the exact methodology developed by the Sports Institute for Research/Change Agent Research (SIR/CAR) for applying a systems analysis technique to a voluntary mutual benefit organization, such as a school or amateur athletic group. The functions of the technique are to compare avowed and actual behavior, to utilize group…

Dynamic analysis of heart rate may predict subsequent ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Makikallio, T. H.; Seppanen, T.; Airaksinen, K. E.; Koistinen, J.; Tulppo, M. P.; Peng, C. K.; Goldberger, A. L.; Huikuri, H. V.

1997-01-01

Dynamics analysis of RR interval behavior and traditional measures of heart rate variability were compared between postinfarction patients with and without vulnerability to ventricular tachyarrhythmias in a case-control study. Short-term fractal correlation of heart rate dynamics was better than traditional measures of heart rate variability in differentiating patients with and without life-threatening arrhythmias.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment: Findings of a 17-Year Prospective Study of Officially Recorded and Self-Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jocelyn; Cohen, Patricia; Johnson, Jeffrey G.; Salzinger, Suzanne

1998-01-01

Repeated surveys assessing demographic variables, family relationships, parental behavior, and parent/child characteristics were administered to 664 families and compared with child abuse and neglect data from state records and retrospective self-reports. Analysis found maternal youth and sociopathy predicted general child maltreatment, but…

The Use of Trial-Based Functional Analysis in Public School Classrooms for Two Students with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rispoli, Mandy J.; Davis, Heather S.; Goodwyn, Fara D.; Camargo, Siglia

2013-01-01

Analogue functional analyses are a well-researched means of determining behavioral function in research and clinical contexts. However, conducting analogue functional analyses in school settings can be problematic and may lead to inconclusive results. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a trial-based functional analysis with…

Equilibrium Phase Behavior of the Square-Well Linear Microphase-Forming Model.

PubMed

Zhuang, Yuan; Charbonneau, Patrick

2016-07-07

We have recently developed a simulation approach to calculate the equilibrium phase diagram of particle-based microphase formers. Here, this approach is used to calculate the phase behavior of the square-well linear model for different strengths and ranges of the linear long-range repulsive component. The results are compared with various theoretical predictions for microphase formation. The analysis further allows us to better understand the mechanism for microphase formation in colloidal suspensions.

Elastic/viscoplastic behavior of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, C.; Sun, C. T.; Gates, T. S.

1990-01-01

An elastic/viscoplastic constitutive model was used to characterize the nonlinear and rate dependent behavior of a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite. This model was incorporated into a finite element program for the analysis of laminated plates and shells. Details on the finite element formulation with the proposed constitutive model were presented. The numerical results were compared with experimental data for uniaxial tension and three-point bending tests of (+ or - 45 deg)3s APC-2 laminates.

Effects of a food advertising literacy intervention on Taiwanese children's food purchasing behaviors.

PubMed

Liao, Li-Ling; Lai, I-Ju; Chang, Li-Chun; Lee, Chia-Kuei

2016-08-01

Unhealthy food advertising is an important contributor to childhood obesity. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a food advertising literacy program that incorporated components of health-promoting media literacy education on fifth-grade children. Participants were 140 fifth-graders (10 and 11 years old) from one school who were randomly divided into three groups. Experimental Group A received a food advertising literacy program, experimental Group B received a comparable knowledge-based nutrition education program and the control group did not receive any nutrition education. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to test mean changes between pretest, posttest and follow-up on participants' nutritional knowledge, food advertising literacy and food purchasing behavior. Results showed that, as compared with Group B and the control groups, Group A showed higher nutritional knowledge, food advertising literacy and food purchasing behavior at post-intervention, but had no significant improvements in nutritional knowledge and food purchasing behavior at the 1-month follow-up. Although some improvements were observed, future studies should consider a long-term, settings-based approach that is closely connected with children's daily lives, as this might be helpful to solidify children's skills in recognizing, evaluating and understanding unhealthy food advertising. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Distinctive Features of NREM Parasomnia Behaviors in Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple System Atrophy

PubMed Central

Ratti, Pietro-Luca; Sierra-Peña, Maria; Manni, Raffaele; Simonetta-Moreau, Marion; Bastin, Julien; Mace, Harrison; Rascol, Olivier; David, Olivier

2015-01-01

Objective To characterize parasomnia behaviors on arousal from NREM sleep in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). Methods From 30 patients with PD, Dementia with Lewy Bodies/Dementia associated with PD, or MSA undergoing nocturnal video-polysomnography for presumed dream enactment behavior, we were able to select 2 PD and 2 MSA patients featuring NREM Parasomnia Behviors (NPBs). We identified episodes during which the subjects seemed to enact dreams or presumed dream-like mentation (NPB arousals) versus episodes with physiological movements (no-NPB arousals). A time-frequency analysis (Morlet Wavelet Transform) of the scalp EEG signals around each NPB and no- NPB arousal onset was performed, and the amplitudes of the spectral frequencies were compared between NPB and no-NPB arousals. Results 19 NPBs were identified, 12 of which consisting of ‘elementary’ NPBs while 7 resembling confusional arousals. With quantitative EEG analysis, we found an amplitude reduction in the 5-6 Hz band 40 seconds before NPBs arousal as compared to no-NPB arousals at F4 and C4 derivations (p<0.01). Conclusions Many PD and MSA patients feature various NREM sleep-related behaviors, with clinical and electrophysiological differences and similarities with arousal parasomnias in the general population. Significance This study help bring to attention an overlooked phenomenon in neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:25756280

Comparative phylogenetic analysis of male alternative reproductive tactics in ray-finned fishes.

PubMed

Mank, Judith E; Avise, John C

2006-06-01

Using comparative phylogenetic analysis, we analyzed the evolution of male alternative reproductive tactics (MARTs) in ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). Numerous independent origins for each type of MART (involving sneaker males, female mimics, pirates, and satellite males) indicate that these behaviors have been highly labile across actinopterygiian evolution, consistent with a previous notion that convergent selection in fishes can readily mold the underlying suites of reproductive hormones into similar behaviors. The evolutionary appearance of MARTs was significantly correlated with the presence of sexually selected traits in bourgeois males (P = 0.001) but not with the presence of male parental care. This suggests that MARTs often arise from selection on some males to circumvent bourgeois male investment in mate monopolization, rather than to avoid male brood care per se. We found parsimony evidence for an evolutionary progression of MARTs wherein sneaking is usually the evolutionary precursor to the presumably more complex MARTs of female mimicry and cooperative satellite behavior. Nest piracy appears not to be part of this evolutionary progression, possibly because its late onset in the life cycle of most ray-finned fishes reduces the effects of selection on this reproductive tactic.

The coupling between gaze behavior and opponent kinematics during anticipation of badminton shots.

PubMed

Alder, David; Ford, Paul R; Causer, Joe; Williams, A Mark

2014-10-01

We examined links between the kinematics of an opponent's actions and the visual search behaviors of badminton players responding to those actions. A kinematic analysis of international standard badminton players (n = 4) was undertaken as they completed a range of serves. Video of these players serving was used to create a life-size temporal occlusion test to measure anticipation responses. Expert (n = 8) and novice (n = 8) badminton players anticipated serve location while wearing an eye movement registration system. During the execution phase of the opponent's movement, the kinematic analysis showed between-shot differences in distance traveled and peak acceleration at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and racket. Experts were more accurate at responding to the serves compared to novice players. Expert players fixated on the kinematic locations that were most discriminating between serve types more frequently and for a longer duration compared to novice players. Moreover, players were generally more accurate at responding to serves when they fixated vision upon the discriminating arm and racket kinematics. Findings extend previous literature by providing empirical evidence that expert athletes' visual search behaviors and anticipatory responses are inextricably linked to the opponent action being observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fractographic study of the behavior of different ceramic veneers on full coverage crowns in relation to supporting core materials

PubMed Central

Agustín-Panadero, Rubén; Román-Rodriguez, Juan L.; Solá-Ruíz, María F.; Granell-Ruíz, María; Fons-Font, Antonio

2013-01-01

Objectives: To observe porcelain veneer behavior of zirconia and metal-ceramic full coverage crowns when subjected to compression testing, comparing zirconia cores to metal cores. Study Design: The porcelain fracture surfaces of 120 full coverage crowns (60 with a metal core and 60 with a zirconia core) subjected to static load (compression) testing were analyzed. Image analysis was performed using macroscopic processing with 8x and 12x enlargement. Five samples from each group were prepared and underwent scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis in order to make a fractographic study of fracture propagation in the contact area and composition analysis in the most significant areas of the specimen. Results: Statistically significant differences in fracture type (cohesive or adhesive) were found between the metal-ceramic and zirconia groups: the incidence of adhesive fracture was seen to be greater in metal-ceramic groups (92%) and cohesive fracture was more frequent in zirconium oxide groups (72%). The fracture propagation pattern was on the periphery of the contact area in the full coverage crown restorations selected for fractographic study. Conclusions: The greater frequency of cohesive fracture in restorations with zirconia cores indicates that their behavior is inadequate compared to metal-ceramic restorations and that further research is needed to improve their clinical performance. Key words:Zirconia, zirconium oxide, fractography, composition, porcelain veneers, fracture, cohesive, adhesive. PMID:24455092

Active Control of Radiated Sound with Integrated Piezoelectric Composite Structures. Volume 3: Appendices (Concl.)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-11-06

after many iterations of analysis , development, construction and testing was found to provide amplification ratios of around 250:1 and generate...IEEE International Symposium on Application of Ferroelectrics 2, 767-770 (1996). 11. "A Comparative Analysis of Piezoelectric Bending Mode Actuators...Active 95, 359-368, Newport Beach, CA(1995) 21. "Multiple Reference Feedforward Active Noise Control. Part I. Analysis and Simulation of Behavior," Y

A dictionary of behavioral motifs reveals clusters of genes affecting Caenorhabditis elegans locomotion.

PubMed

Brown, André E X; Yemini, Eviatar I; Grundy, Laura J; Jucikas, Tadas; Schafer, William R

2013-01-08

Visible phenotypes based on locomotion and posture have played a critical role in understanding the molecular basis of behavior and development in Caenorhabditis elegans and other model organisms. However, it is not known whether these human-defined features capture the most important aspects of behavior for phenotypic comparison or whether they are sufficient to discover new behaviors. Here we show that four basic shapes, or eigenworms, previously described for wild-type worms, also capture mutant shapes, and that this representation can be used to build a dictionary of repetitive behavioral motifs in an unbiased way. By measuring the distance between each individual's behavior and the elements in the motif dictionary, we create a fingerprint that can be used to compare mutants to wild type and to each other. This analysis has revealed phenotypes not previously detected by real-time observation and has allowed clustering of mutants into related groups. Behavioral motifs provide a compact and intuitive representation of behavioral phenotypes.

Patterns of Service Use in Two Types of Managed Behavioral Health Care Plan

PubMed Central

Merrick, Elizabeth Levy; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M.; Azzone, Vanessa; McCann, Bernard; Ritter, Grant; Zolotusky, Galina; McGuire, Thomas G.; Reif, Sharon

2009-01-01

Objective To describe service use patterns by level of care in two managed care products: employee assistance program (EAP) combined with behavioral health benefits, and standard behavioral health benefits. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of administrative data for 2004 from a national managed behavioral health care organization (MBHO). Utilization of 11 specific service categories was compared across products. The weighted sample reflected exact matching on sociodemographics (N= 710,014 unweighted; 286,750 weighted). Results In the EAP/behavioral health product,, the proportion of enrollees with outpatient mental health and substance abuse office visits (including EAP) was higher (p<.01), as was substance abuse day treatment/intensive outpatient care (p<.05). Use of residential substance abuse rehabilitation was lower (p<.05). Other differences were also found. Conclusion EAP/behavioral health and standard behavioral health care products had distinct utilization patterns in this large MBHO. In particular, greater use of certain outpatient services was observed within the EAP/behavioral health product. PMID:20044425

Conjoint analysis on the purchase intent for traditional fermented soy product (natto) among Japanese housewives.

PubMed

Kimura, Atsushi; Kuwazawa, Shigetaka; Wada, Yuji; Kyutoku, Yasushi; Okamoto, Masako; Yamaguchi, Yui; Masuda, Tomohiro; Dan, Ippeita

2011-04-01

The effect of sensory and extrinsic attributes on consumer intentions to purchase the Japanese traditional fermented soybean product natto was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Six attributes with 2 levels each were chosen and manipulated: price (high compared with low), the country of origin of the soybeans (domestic compared with imported), stickiness (strong compared with moderate), smell (rich compared with moderate), attached seasonings (attached compared with no attached seasonings), and the environmental friendliness of the packaging (high compared with low). A fractional factorial design was applied and 8 hypothetical product labels were produced. A sample of 479 Japanese housewives ranked these product labels based on their purchase intentions. Overall purchase intention was affected by country of origin, attached seasonings, and price; those attributes accounted for 81.0%, while the sensory attributes of the product accounted for 19.0% of purchase intents. In order to estimate market segments for the natto products based on consumer preference, a cluster analysis was performed. It identified 4 segments of consumers: 1 oriented to attached seasonings, another conscious of the price, and the other 2 oriented to origins. The behavioral and demographic characteristics of the respondents had a limited influence on segment membership.   This research was conducted to understand how consumers valuate various sensory and nonsensory product attributes based on their assessment of the overall product in the case of Japanese fermented soy product (natto). The data of this research would be of great importance both in understanding consumer behavior and in designing strategies for product development.

Creep-Rupture Data Analysis - Engineering Application of Regression Techniques. Ph.D. Thesis - North Carolina State Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rummler, D. R.

1976-01-01

The results are presented of investigations to apply regression techniques to the development of methodology for creep-rupture data analysis. Regression analysis techniques are applied to the explicit description of the creep behavior of materials for space shuttle thermal protection systems. A regression analysis technique is compared with five parametric methods for analyzing three simulated and twenty real data sets, and a computer program for the evaluation of creep-rupture data is presented.

FT-Raman spectroscopy, µ-EDXRF spectrometry, and microhardness analysis of the dentin of primary and permanent teeth.

PubMed

Torres, Carolina Paes; Miranda Gomes-Silva, Jaciara; Menezes-Oliveira, Maria Angélica Hueb; Silva Soares, Luís Eduardo; Palma-Dibb, Regina Guenka; Borsatto, Maria Cristina

2018-05-01

The chemical compositions (organic and inorganic contents) and mechanical behaviors of the dentin of permanent and deciduous teeth were analyzed and compared using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (µ-EDXRF) Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman) and a microhardness test (HD). Healthy fresh human primary and permanent molars (n = 10) were selected, The buccal surfaces facing upwards were stabilized in an acrylic plate, flattened, polished, and submitted to the µ-EDXRF, FT-Raman, and HD analysis. The results of the analysis were subjected to ANOVAs and Mann-Whitney U/Student's t multiple comparisons tests. The data showed similar values for the dentin of the primary and permanent teeth in P content, organic content (amide I peak), inorganic content ( PO43- - 430 and 590), and microhardness, Nevertheless, Ca content and Ca/P weight ratio were higher, and the CO32- peak was lower in the dentin of the permanent teeth compared to primary teeth. It be concluded that despite permanent teeth showed more Ca element, both substrates showed similar behavior of chemical and physical properties. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of adolescents' beliefs about the outcome of using dental floss and drinking non-sugared mineral water.

PubMed

Astrøm, A N; Rise, J

1996-06-01

Using an expectancy value approach, personal and normative beliefs about the outcome of using dental floss and drinking non-sugared mineral water were studied in a sample of 970 15-year-old adolescents in the county of Hordaland in Norway. The data stem from a survey performed in October 1992. A detailed analysis of these beliefs provides information about which of them should be targeted in a persuasive communication directed at changing behavior. The adolescents evaluated six outcomes of each behavior in terms of how much they wanted or feared them, and rated the probability of each outcomes happening. The adolescents also rated the probability that four significant referents would approve the performance of each behavior and how much they valued the approval of each referent. Subjects with relatively strong and relatively weak intentions to use dental floss and to drink non-sugared mineral water (intenders and non-intenders) were compared with respect to their scores on each measure. A one-way analysis of variance showed consistent differences between intenders and non-intenders. Intenders were more likely to believe that the specified behaviors would result in positive outcomes and they evaluated these outcomes as more desirable than non-intenders. Intenders believed their referens, in particular dentists and parents, to be more concerned about whether or not to perform the specified behaviors than non-intenders. The most promising candidates for persuasive communication among behavioral beliefs with respect to the specified behaviors appeared to be reduced tooth decay and several non, health beliefs in terms of immediate social and sensory concerns.

Lack of association between parental alcohol or drug addiction and behavioral inhibition in children.

PubMed

Biederman, J; Hirshfeld-Becker, D R; Rosenbaum, J F; Perenick, S G; Wood, J; Faraone, S V

2001-10-01

"Behavioral inhibition to the unfamiliar" has been proposed as a precursor to anxiety. A recent study proposed that it may also be a precursor to alcoholism. The authors sought to replicate the latter finding through a secondary analysis of data from a large study of young children (age 2-6 years)-offspring of parents with panic and depressive disorders-who had been assessed for behavioral inhibition through laboratory-based observations. The offspring were stratified on the basis of presence or absence of parental lifetime history of DSM-III-R alcohol dependence (N=115 versus N=166, respectively) or drug dependence (N=78 versus N=203). The rates of behavioral inhibition were then compared between groups. Despite adequate power to detect associations, neither parental alcohol dependence nor drug dependence was associated with a higher risk for behavioral inhibition in the offspring. These results are not consistent with the hypothesis linking behavioral inhibition to addictions.

Influence of motivating operations and discriminative stimuli on challenging behavior maintained by positive reinforcement.

PubMed

Edrisinha, Chaturi; O'Reilly, Mark; Sigafoos, Jeff; Lancioni, Giulio; Choi, Ha Young

2011-01-01

We examined the effects of an establishing operation (EO) and abolishing operation (AO) on stimulus control of challenging behavior. Two participants with developmental disabilities and challenging behavior participated. In Phase I, a functional analysis was conducted to identify the consequences maintaining challenging behavior. In Phase II, a discrimination between SD and SΔ was trained. In Phase III, pre-session MOs (i.e., EO and AO conditions) were arranged to assess their effects on challenging behavior. Finally in Phase IV, in addition to manipulating pre-session MOs the challenging behavior was evaluated under extinction in both SD and SΔ conditions. Results indicated that in the context of extinction when pre-session EO and AO conditions were manipulated, responding not only became differentiated but was higher in both SD and SΔ conditions in the pre-session EO condition when compared to the pre-session AO condition. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Evaluation of Instructive Feedback to Teach Play Behavior to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Grow, Laura L; Kodak, Tiffany; Clements, Andrea

2017-09-01

Instructive feedback is used to expose learners to secondary targets during skill acquisition programs (Reichow & Wolery, in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44 , 327-340, 2011; Werts, Wolery, Gast, & Holcombe, in Journal of Behavioral Education, 5 , 55-75, 1995). Although unrelated feedback may have clinical utility in practice, very little research has evaluated unrelated instructive feedback, particularly for promoting play behavior (Colozzi, Ward, & Crotty, in Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 43 , 226-248, 2008). The purpose of the study was to determine if play emerged after embedding instructive feedback during the consequence portion of discrete trial training to teach tacts. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare tact training with and without instructive feedback for play behaviors. Instructive feedback resulted in the emergence of play behaviors during tabletop instruction and a play area of a classroom. We discuss the results in terms of clinical practice and future research.

Comparing positive and negative reinforcement: A fantasy experiment.

PubMed

Nevin, John A; Mandell, Charlotte

2017-01-01

We propose quantitative experimental approaches to the question of whether positive and negative reinforcement are functionally different, and discuss scientific and ethical concerns that would arise if these approaches were pursued. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Longitudinal associations between parenting style and adolescent disordered eating behaviors.

PubMed

Zubatsky, Max; Berge, Jerica; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2015-06-01

The main purpose of this study was to identify the longitudinal association between specific parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and neglectful) and adolescent disordered eating behaviors. The current study uses longitudinal data from a 5-year study to examine the associations between parenting style and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents. Data from adolescents (n = 2516) participating in Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a population-based study from 31 Minnesota schools, were used in the analysis. Time 1 data were collected using in-class assessments of adolescents from Minneapolis/St. Paul schools, and Time 2 data were collected using mailed surveys 5 years later. General Linear Models were used to predict adolescent-reported disordered eating behaviors at Time 2 from adolescent-reported parenting style at Time 1. Adolescent boys and girls who had authoritarian mothers at Time 1 had a higher probability of extreme weight control behaviors 5 years later compared to adolescents with authoritative, permissive, or neglectful mothers. Adolescent girls with authoritarian mothers at Time 1 had a higher probability of engaging in binge-eating behaviors at Time 2 compared to adolescent girls with authoritative or permissive mothers. There were no significant associations between paternal parenting style and adolescent disordered eating behaviors. Although authoritarian parenting style served as a possible risk factor for disordered eating behaviors in adolescents, the findings were not conclusive. Future studies should investigate further the association between parenting style and weight control behaviors in adolescents.

Moving Forward: Positive Behavior Support and Applied Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tincani, Matt

2007-01-01

A controversy has emerged about the relationship between positive behavior support and applied behavior analysis. Some behavior analysts suggest that positive behavior support and applied behavior analysis are the same (e.g., Carr & Sidener, 2002). Others argue that positive behavior support is harmful to applied behavior analysis (e.g., Johnston,…

Use of novel sensors combining local positioning and acceleration to measure feeding behavior differences associated with lameness in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Barker, Z E; Vázquez Diosdado, J A; Codling, E A; Bell, N J; Hodges, H R; Croft, D P; Amory, J R

2018-04-25

Time constraints for dairy farmers are an important factor contributing to the under-detection of lameness, resulting in delayed or missed treatment of lame cows within many commercial dairy herds. Hence, a need exists for flexible and affordable cow-based sensor systems capable of monitoring behaviors such as time spent feeding, which may be affected by the onset of lameness. In this study a novel neck-mounted mobile sensor system that combines local positioning and activity (acceleration) was tested and validated on a commercial UK dairy farm. Position and activity data were collected over 5 consecutive days for 19 high-yield dairy cows (10 lame, 9 nonlame) that formed a subset of a larger (120 cow) management group housed in a freestall barn. A decision tree algorithm that included sensor-recorded position and accelerometer data was developed to classify a cow as doing 1 of 3 categories of behavior: (1) feeding, (2) not feeding, and (3) out of pen for milking. For each classified behavior the mean number of bouts, the mean bout duration, and the mean total duration across all bouts was determined on a daily basis, and also separately for the time periods in between milking (morning = 0630-1300 h; afternoon = 1430-2100 h; night = 2230-0500 h). A comparative analysis of the classified cow behaviors was undertaken using a Welch t-test with Benjamini-Hochberg post-hoc correction under the null hypothesis of no differences in the number or duration of behavioral bouts between the 2 test groups of lame and nonlame cows. Analysis showed that mean total daily feeding duration was significantly lower for lame cows compared with non-lame cows. Behavior was also affected by time of day with significantly lower mean total duration of feeding and higher total duration of nonfeeding in the afternoons for lame cows compared with nonlame cows. The results demonstrate how sensors that measure both position and acceleration are capable of detecting differences in feeding behavior that may be associated with lameness. Such behavioral differences could be used in the development of predictive algorithms for the prompt detection of lameness as part of a commercially viable automated behavioral monitoring system. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Behavioral phenomenology in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and late-life depression: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Swartz, J R; Miller, B L; Lesser, I M; Booth, R; Darby, A; Wohl, M; Benson, D F

1997-04-01

Often patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and late-life depression can be difficult to differentiate clinically. Although subtle cognitive distinctions exist between these disorders, noncognitive behavioral phenomenology may provide additional discriminating power. In 19 subjects with AD, 19 with FTD, 16 with late-life psychotic depression (LLPD), and 19 with late-life nonpsychotic depression (LLNPD), noncognitive behavioral symptoms were quantified retrospectively using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and compared using both a one-way ANOVA and a multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis, which utilized a jackknife procedure. The FTD group showed the highest mean total SCAN score, while the AD group showed the lowest. ANOVA showed significant differences in the mean total SCAN scores between the four diagnostic groups (P < .0001). With the discriminant analysis, the four disorders demonstrated different clusters of behavioral abnormalities and were differentiated by these symptoms (P < .0001). A subset of 14 SCAN item group symptoms was identified that collectively classified the following percentages of subjects in each diagnostic category: AD 94.7%, FTD 100%, LLPD 87.5%, and LLNPD 100%. These results indicate that AD, FTD, LLPD, and LLNPD were distinguished retrospectively by the SCAN without using cognitive data. Better definition of the longitudinal course of noncognitive behavioral symptoms in different dementias and psychiatric disorders will be valuable both for diagnosis and to help define behavioral syndromes that are associated with selective neuroanatomic and neurochemical brain pathology.

A Content Analysis of How Sexual Behavior and Reproductive Health are Being Portrayed on Primetime Television Shows Being Watched by Teens and Young Adults.

PubMed

Kinsler, Janni J; Glik, Deborah; de Castro Buffington, Sandra; Malan, Hannah; Nadjat-Haiem, Carsten; Wainwright, Nicole; Papp-Green, Melissa

2018-02-01

Television is a leading source of sexual education for teens and young adults, thus it is important to understand how sexual behavior and reproductive health are portrayed in popular primetime programming. This study is a media content analysis of the 19 top-rated scripted English-language primetime television shows aired between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2015, and viewed by American youth audiences 12-24 years of age. The purpose of this study is to assess how sex/sexuality and reproductive health are being portrayed in a popular medium that reaches many adolescent and young adult audiences. Themes used for this analysis include youth pregnancy/parenting, mentoring/guidance of youth regarding sexual behavior, sex/sexuality, body image/identity, sexual violence/abuse/harassment, gender identity/sexual orientation, and reproductive health. Themes have been classified in one of the following six categories: visual cues, brief mentions, dialogue, minor storylines, major storylines, and multi-episode storylines. Our findings indicate that narratives providing educational information regarding the risks and consequences of sexual behavior were missing from the television shows we analyzed and that storylines promoting low risk sexual behavior were rare. Sexual violence and abuse, casual sex among adults, lack of contraception use, or no portrayal of consequences of risky behaviors were common. Compared to prior research, we found an emergent theme normalizing non-heterosexual gender identity and sexual orientation. Our findings have important implications as exposure to popular media shapes the perceptions and behaviors of teens and young adults. This study has the potential to shed light on the need to create stories and narratives in television shows watched by American teens and young adults with educational messages regarding the risks and consequences of sexual behavior.

Structural & oxidation behavior of TiN & AlxTi1-xN coatings deposited by CA-PVD technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorat, Nirmala; Mundotia, Rajesh; Varma, Ranjana; Kale, Ashwin; Mhatre, Umesh; Patel, Nainesh

2018-04-01

Coatings with thermal stability at elevated temperatures are prerequisite for various high speed machining and high temperature applications. The present work compares the oxidation behavior of the AlxTi1-xN coating prepared with different Al composition. Coated samples were tested at different temperatures in the range of 400 - 800 C to study their oxidation behavior. Percentage weight gain of all the samples were evaluated using high accuracy weighing balance. The depth of oxide layers were studied using Calo-test instrument. The XRD analysis was carried out to specify the phase structure. Higher oxidation rate was observed for TiN coating at all the oxidation temperatures. Oxidation rate was higher for Al13Ti87N and Al70Ti30N coatings compared to Al60Ti40N and Al50Ti50N coatings which exhibits better oxygen diffusion barrier at all the temperature.

Deep brain stimulation of nucleus accumbens region in alcoholism affects reward processing.

PubMed

Heldmann, Marcus; Berding, Georg; Voges, Jürgen; Bogerts, Bernhard; Galazky, Imke; Müller, Ulf; Baillot, Gunther; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Münte, Thomas F

2012-01-01

The influence of bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus nucleus (NAcc) on the processing of reward in a gambling paradigm was investigated using H(2)[(15)O]-PET (positron emission tomography) in a 38-year-old man treated for severe alcohol addiction. Behavioral data analysis revealed a less risky, more careful choice behavior under active DBS compared to DBS switched off. PET showed win- and loss-related activations in the paracingulate cortex, temporal poles, precuneus and hippocampus under active DBS, brain areas that have been implicated in action monitoring and behavioral control. Except for the temporal pole these activations were not seen when DBS was deactivated. These findings suggest that DBS of the NAcc may act partially by improving behavioral control.

Behavioral assessment in youth sports: coaching behaviors and children's attitudes.

PubMed

Smith, R E; Zane, N W; Smoll, F L; Coppel, D B

1983-01-01

To define the characteristics and dimensional patterning of coaching behaviors, 15,449 behaviors of 31 youth basketball coaches were coded in terms of a 10-category system. Post-season attitude and self-esteem data were obtained from players on 23 teams and were related to the behavioral measures. Compared with rates of reinforcement, encouragement, and technical instruction, punitive responses occurred relatively infrequently. Factor analysis of the coaching behaviors indicated that supportive and punitive behavioral dimensions were orthogonal or statistically independent of one another rather than opposite ends of the same dimension. Punitive and instructional categories were part of the same behavior cluster. The relationship between coaching behaviors and the various player attitudes were highly specific in nature. Coaching behaviors accounted for about half of the variance in post-season attitudes toward the coach and the sport, but for significantly less variance in measures of team solidarity and self-esteem. Surprisingly, the rate of positive reinforcement was unrelated to any of the attitudinal measures. Punishment was negatively related to liking for the coach. In general, technical instruction categories were the strongest predictors of basketball player attitudes.

Comparing kept appointment rates when calls are made by physicians versus behavior health technicians in inner city hospital: literature review and cost considerations.

PubMed

Agarin, Taghogho; Okorafor, Ejine; Kailasam, Vasanth; Agarin, Aniefiok; Philias, Willy; Garcia, Dianelys; Osuchukwu, Uzoma; Fluyah, Dimy; Iheagwara, Chinedu; Donovan, Dennis; Roberts, Carol; Singh, Deepika; Nnadi, Charles; Sharif, Zafar

2015-04-01

Dropping out of scheduled care leads to medication non adherence, increased morbidity, relapse and readmission rates. As part of a performance improvement project to increase attendance rates at our outpatient clinic, psychiatric residents and Behavioral Health Technicians made reminder telephone calls under similar circumstances. We compared follow up appointment rates in the two groups. Our analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the rates of kept appointment overall between the two groups. The important finding is physician time could be better spent in other patient care duties and reminder calls could be delegated to other health staff.

Managing Complexity in Evidence Analysis: A Worked Example in Pediatric Weight Management.

PubMed

Parrott, James Scott; Henry, Beverly; Thompson, Kyle L; Ziegler, Jane; Handu, Deepa

2018-05-02

Nutrition interventions are often complex and multicomponent. Typical approaches to meta-analyses that focus on individual causal relationships to provide guideline recommendations are not sufficient to capture this complexity. The objective of this study is to describe the method of meta-analysis used for the Pediatric Weight Management (PWM) Guidelines update and provide a worked example that can be applied in other areas of dietetics practice. The effects of PWM interventions were examined for body mass index (BMI), body mass index z-score (BMIZ), and waist circumference at four different time periods. For intervention-level effects, intervention types were identified empirically using multiple correspondence analysis paired with cluster analysis. Pooled effects of identified types were examined using random effects meta-analysis models. Differences in effects among types were examined using meta-regression. Context-level effects are examined using qualitative comparative analysis. Three distinct types (or families) of PWM interventions were identified: medical nutrition, behavioral, and missing components. Medical nutrition and behavioral types showed statistically significant improvements in BMIZ across all time points. Results were less consistent for BMI and waist circumference, although four distinct patterns of weight status change were identified. These varied by intervention type as well as outcome measure. Meta-regression indicated statistically significant differences between the medical nutrition and behavioral types vs the missing component type for both BMIZ and BMI, although the pattern varied by time period and intervention type. Qualitative comparative analysis identified distinct configurations of context characteristics at each time point that were consistent with positive outcomes among the intervention types. Although analysis of individual causal relationships is invaluable, this approach is inadequate to capture the complexity of dietetics practice. An alternative approach that integrates intervention-level with context-level meta-analyses may provide deeper understanding in the development of practice guidelines. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal Degradation and Combustion Behavior of Polypropylene/MWCNT Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaikov, G. E.; Rakhimkulov, A. D.; Lomakin, S. M.; Dubnikova, I. L.; Shchegolikhin, A. N.; Davidov, E. Ya.

2010-06-01

Studies of thermal and fire-resistant properties of the polypropylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites (PP/MWCNT) prepared by means of melt intercalation are discussed. The sets of the data acquired with the aid of non-isothermal TG experiments have been treated by the model kinetic analysis. The thermal-oxidative degradation behavior of PP/MWCNT and stabilizing effect caused by addition of MWCNT has been investigated by means of TGA and EPR spectroscopy. The results of cone calorimetric tests lead to the conclusion that char formation plays a key role in the mechanism of flame retardation for nanocomposites. This could be explained by the specific antioxidant properties and high thermal conductivity of MWCNT which determine high-performance carbonization during thermal degradation process. Comparative analysis of the flammability characteristics for PP-clay/MWCNT nanocomposites was provided in order to emphasize the specific behavior of the nanocomposites under high-temperature tests.

Older Adults' Opinions on Fall Prevention in Relation to Physical Activity Level.

PubMed

Tuvemo Johnson, Susanna; Martin, Cathrin; Anens, Elisabeth; Johansson, Ann-Christin; Hellström, Karin

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe older adults' opinions regarding actions to prevent falls and to analyze differences in the opinions of highly versus less physically active older adults. An open-ended question was answered by 262 individuals aged 75 to 98 years living in the community. The answers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, and differences in the categories were compared between highly and less physically active persons. Physical activity was measured according to a five-level scale. The content analysis resulted in eight categories: assistive devices, avoiding hazards, behavioral adaptive strategies, being physically active, healthy lifestyle, indoor modifications, outdoor modifications, and seeking assistance. Behavioral adaptive strategies were mentioned to a greater extent by highly active people, and indoor modifications were more often mentioned by less active older adults. Support for active self-directed behavioral strategies might be important for fall prevention among less physically active older adults.

Hispanic Americans and Non-Hispanic White Americans Have a Similar Inflammatory Bowel Disease Phenotype: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Avalos, Danny J; Mendoza-Ladd, Antonio; Zuckerman, Marc J; Bashashati, Mohammad; Alvarado, Andres; Dwivedi, Alok; Damas, Oriana M

2018-06-01

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a devastating immune-mediated disease on the rise in Hispanics living in the USA. Prior observational studies comparing IBD characteristics between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites (NHW) have yielded mixed results. We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies examining IBD phenotype in Hispanics compared to NHW. We conducted a systematic search of US-based studies comparing IBD subtype (Ulcerative Colitis: UC or Crohn's disease: CD) and phenotype (disease location and behavior) between Hispanics and NHW. We evaluated differences in age at IBD diagnosis, the presence of family history and smoking history. A random effects model was chosen "a priori." Categorical and continuous variables were analyzed using odds ratio (OR) or standard mean difference (SMD), respectively. Seven studies were included with 687 Hispanics and 1586 NHW. UC was more common in Hispanics compared to NHW (OR 2.07, CI 1.13-3.79, p = 0.02). Location of disease was similar between Hispanics and NHW except for the presence of upper gastrointestinal CD, which was less common in Hispanics (OR 0.58, CI 0.32-1.06, p = 0.07). Hispanics were less likely to smoke (OR 0.48, CI 0.26-0.89, p = 0.02) or have a family history of IBD (OR 0.35, CI 0.22-0.55, p < 0.001). CD behavior classified by Montreal classification and age at IBD diagnosis were similar between Hispanics and NHW. UC was more common among US Hispanics compared to NHW. Age at IBD diagnosis is similar for both Hispanics and NHW. For CD, disease behavior is similar, but Hispanics show a trend for less upper gastrointestinal involvement. A family history of IBD and smoking history were less common in Hispanics.

Comparative Cost Analysis of Sequential, Adaptive, Behavioral, Pharmacological, and Combined Treatments for Childhood ADHD

PubMed Central

Page, Timothy F.; Fabiano, Gregory A.; Greiner, Andrew R.; Gnagy, Elizabeth M.; Pelham, William E.; Hart, Katie; Coxe, Stefany; Waxmonsky, James G.; Pelham, William E.

2016-01-01

Objective We conducted a cost-analysis of the behavioral, pharmacological, and combined interventions employed in a sequential, multiple assignment randomized, and adaptive trial investigating the sequencing and enhancement of treatment for ADHD children (Pelham et al., under review; N=152, 76% male, 80% Caucasian). Methods The quantity of resources expended on each child’s treatment was determined from records that listed the type, date, location, persons present, and duration of all services provided. The inputs considered were the amount of physician time, clinician time, paraprofessional time, teacher time, parent time, medication, and gasoline. Quantities of these inputs were converted into costs in 2013 USD using national wage estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the prices of 30-day supplies of prescription drugs from the national Express Scripts service, and mean fuel prices from the Energy Information Administration. Results Beginning treatment with a low-intensity regimen of behavior modification (group parent training) was less costly for a school-year of treatment ($961) than beginning treatment with a low dose of stimulant medication ($1689), regardless of whether the initial treatment was intensified with a higher “dose” or if the other modality was added. Conclusions Outcome data from the parent study (Pelham et al., under review) found equivalent or superior outcomes for treatments beginning with low-intensity behavior modification compared to intervention beginning with medication. Combined with the present analyses, these findings document that initiating treatment with behavior modification rather than medication is the more cost-effective option for children with ADHD. PMID:26808137

Respect, trust, and the management of sickle cell disease pain in hospital: comparative analysis of concern-raising behaviors, preliminary model, and agenda for international collaborative research to inform practice

PubMed Central

Elander, James; Beach, Mary Catherine; Haywood, Carlton

2011-01-01

Background/objectives Qualitative interview studies suggest that adult patients’ experiences of hospital treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) pain reflect an absence of respect by providers for patients, and an absence or breakdown of trust. Systematic comparisons between treatment settings could help identify contextual influences on respect and trust. Design Quantitative comparison of concern-raising behaviors (pain treatment outcomes indicating breakdowns of trust) among adult SCD patients in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and London, UK, followed by analysis of potential explanations for differences, including socio-cultural and behavioral factors, with a preliminary model of the processes leading to concern-raising behaviors. Results Rates of concern-raising behaviors were significantly higher in Baltimore than London. The model identifies respect and trust as key factors which could be targeted in efforts to improve the quality of SCD pain management in hospital. Conclusion An agenda for international, interdisciplinary research to improve the treatment of SCD pain in hospital should include: comparative analyses between countries and treatment settings of factors that could influence respect and trust; research to test hypotheses derived from models about the roles of respect and trust in the treatment of pain; studies of the impact of healthcare structures and policy on patients’ experiences of care; research focusing on developmental and interpersonal processes related to respect and trust; applications of attribution and other social psychology theories; and development and evaluation of interventions to improve the hospital treatment of SCD pain by increasing respect and trust. PMID:21797726

Comparison of demographic and behavioral characteristics of men who have sex with men by enrollment venue type in the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System.

PubMed

Voetsch, Andrew C; Lansky, Amy; Drake, Amy J; MacKellar, Duncan; Bingham, Trista A; Oster, Alexandra M; Sullivan, Patrick S

2012-03-01

During 2003-2005, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System (NHBS) enrolled men who have sex with men (MSM) from 12 different venue types in 15 metropolitan areas in the United States. Our goal was to examine whether limiting NHBS enrollment venues to gay bars and dance clubs could increase efficiency without changing the overall results and conclusions. We used logistic regression analysis to compare the demographic characteristics and reported HIV risk behaviors among MSM enrolled in gay bars and dance clubs with those enrolled in sex venues and those enrolled in other venues. Of the 11,471 eligible men included in the analysis, 6419 (56%) were enrolled at bars and clubs, 481 (4%) at sex venues, and 4571 (40%) at other venues. Compared with men enrolled at bars and clubs, men enrolled at sex venues were more likely to be older, of nonwhite race/ethnicity, bisexual, infrequent gay venue attendees, and to have 10 or more male sex partners in the past 12 months. Men enrolled at other venues were more likely to be older and less likely to use noninjecting drugs in the past 12 months. The absolute differences in these characteristics between men enrolled in bars and clubs and those enrolled in comparison venue categories were small in most instances. Although the differences in characteristics by venue category were not large in magnitude, there was evidence that restricting NHBS enrollment to bars and clubs would affect national estimates of behavioral risk factors among MSM.

Post-Buckling and Ultimate Strength Analysis of Stiffened Composite Panel Base on Progressive Damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guofan; Sun, Xiasheng; Sun, Zhonglei

Stiffened composite panel is the typical thin wall structure applied in aerospace industry, and its main failure mode is buckling subjected to compressive loading. In this paper, the development of an analysis approach using Finite Element Method on post-buckling behavior of stiffened composite structures under compression was presented. Then, the numerical results of stiffened panel are obtained by FE simulations. A thorough comparison were accomplished by comparing the load carrying capacity and key position strains of the specimen with test. The comparison indicates that the FEM results which adopted developed methodology could meet the demand of engineering application in predicting the post-buckling behavior of intact stiffened structures in aircraft design stage.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the Management of Pediatric Migraine.

PubMed

Ng, Qin Xiang; Venkatanarayanan, Nandini; Kumar, Lakshmi

2017-03-01

Migraine headaches are common in children and adolescents. Current pharmacologic treatment options are limited despite the prevalence and debilitating effects of pediatric migraine. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based practice that focuses on the development of coping strategies and cognitive restructuring to alter the pain experience. Till date, no meta-analysis has been done to examine the use of CBT in pediatric migraine. Using the keywords (cognitive behavioral therapy OR cognitive behavior therapy OR cognitive behavioral therapy OR cognitive behavior therapy OR CBT) AND (headache OR migraine), a preliminary search on the PubMed and Ovid database yielded 3841 articles published in English between 1 Jan 1980 and 1 May 2016. Full articles were also reviewed for references of interest. After data extraction, 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis well-support the clinical role of CBT in the management of pediatric migraine. The pooled odds ratios of clinically significant improvement, that is, 50% or greater headache activity reduction post-treatment and at follow-up (3 months or later) were OR 9.11 (95% CI: 5.01 to 16.58, P < .001) and OR 9.18 (95% CI: 5.69 to 14.81, P < .001) respectively, demonstrating significant clinical improvement with CBT as compared with wait-list control, placebo, or standard medication. Furthermore, the clinical improvement was stable, even at a 1-year follow-up as evident in some of the studies. There is good evidence that CBT is beneficial to children suffering from migraine, and may also augment the efficacy of standard medications such as amitriptyline. © 2016 American Headache Society.

INFORMATION: THEORY, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR

PubMed Central

Jensen, Greg; Ward, Ryan D.; Balsam, Peter D.

2016-01-01

In the 65 years since its formal specification, information theory has become an established statistical paradigm, providing powerful tools for quantifying probabilistic relationships. Behavior analysis has begun to adopt these tools as a novel means of measuring the interrelations between behavior, stimuli, and contingent outcomes. This approach holds great promise for making more precise determinations about the causes of behavior and the forms in which conditioning may be encoded by organisms. In addition to providing an introduction to the basics of information theory, we review some of the ways that information theory has informed the studies of Pavlovian conditioning, operant conditioning, and behavioral neuroscience. In addition to enriching each of these empirical domains, information theory has the potential to act as a common statistical framework by which results from different domains may be integrated, compared, and ultimately unified. PMID:24122456

Paleointensity Behavior and Intervals Between Geomagnetic Reversals in the Last 167 Ma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurazhkovskii, A. Yu.; Kurazhkovskaya, N. A.; Klain, B. I.

2018-01-01

The results of comparative analysis of the behavior of paleointensity and polarity (intervals between reversals) of the geomagnetic field for the last 167 Ma are presented. Similarities and differences in the behavior of these characteristics of the geomagnetic field are discussed. It is shown that bursts of paleointensity and long intervals between reversals occurred at high mean values of paleointensity in the Cretaceous and Paleogene. However, there are differences between the paleointensity behavior and the reversal regime: (1) the characteristic times of paleointensity variations are less than the characteristic times of the frequency of geomagnetic reversals, (2) the achievement of maximum values of paleointensity at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary and the termination of paleointensity bursts after the boundary of 45-40 Ma are not marked by explicit features in the geomagnetic polarity behavior.

Long-term effect of September 11 on the political behavior of victims’ families and neighbors

PubMed Central

Hersh, Eitan D.

2013-01-01

This article investigates the long-term effect of September 11, 2001 on the political behaviors of victims’ families and neighbors. Relative to comparable individuals, family members and residential neighbors of victims have become—and have stayed—significantly more active in politics in the last 12 years, and they have become more Republican on account of the terrorist attacks. The method used to demonstrate these findings leverages the random nature of the terrorist attack to estimate a causal effect and exploits new techniques to link multiple, individual-level, governmental databases to measure behavioral change without relying on surveys or aggregate analysis. PMID:24324145

Long-term effect of September 11 on the political behavior of victims' families and neighbors.

PubMed

Hersh, Eitan D

2013-12-24

This article investigates the long-term effect of September 11, 2001 on the political behaviors of victims' families and neighbors. Relative to comparable individuals, family members and residential neighbors of victims have become--and have stayed--significantly more active in politics in the last 12 years, and they have become more Republican on account of the terrorist attacks. The method used to demonstrate these findings leverages the random nature of the terrorist attack to estimate a causal effect and exploits new techniques to link multiple, individual-level, governmental databases to measure behavioral change without relying on surveys or aggregate analysis.

Prevalence of behavior problems in three-year-old children living near Three Mile Island: a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Cornely, P; Bromet, E

1986-07-01

The Behavior Screening Questionnaire (BSQ) was used to determine whether 2 1/2-3 1/2 yr old children living near the TMI nuclear reactor were more disturbed than children living near another nuclear plant or near a fossil-fuel facility in Pennsylvania when assessed 2 1/2 yr later. The prevalence of behavior problems was 11%. Differences among the sites in overall rates and individual symptoms were small. Perceptions of environmental stress among the TMI sample of mothers were unrelated to BSQ scores, whereas in the comparison sites, where unemployment was rising, economic concerns were meaningfully related to the BSQ.

Unconstrained and Noninvasive Measurement of Swimming Behavior of Small Fish Based on Ventilatory Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitayama, Shigehisa; Soh, Zu; Hirano, Akira; Tsuji, Toshio; Takiguchi, Noboru; Ohtake, Hisao

Ventilatory signal is a kind of bioelectric signals reflecting the ventilatory conditions of fish, and has received recent attention as an indicator for assessment of water quality, since breathing is adjusted by the respiratory center according to changes in the underwater environment surrounding the fish. The signals are thus beginning to be used in bioassay systems for water examination. Other than ventilatory conditions, swimming behavior also contains important information for water examination. The conventional bioassay systems, however, only measure either ventilatory signals or swimming behavior. This paper proposes a new unconstrained and noninvasive measurement method that is capable of conducting ventilatory signal measurement and behavioral analysis of fish at the same time. The proposed method estimates the position and the velocity of a fish in free-swimming conditions using power spectrum distribution of measured ventilatory signals from multiple electrodes. This allowed the system to avoid using a camera system which requires light sources. In order to validate estimation accuracy, the position and the velocity estimated by the proposed method were compared to those obtained from video analysis. The results confirmed that the estimated error of the fish positions was within the size of fish, and the correlation coefficient between the velocities was 0.906. The proposed method thus not only can measure the ventilatory signals, but also performs behavioral analysis as accurate as using a video camera.

Meta-Analysis of Treatment Outcomes Measured by the Y-OQ and Y-OQ-SR Comparing Wilderness and Non-Wilderness Treatment Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillis, Harold L.; Speelman, Elizabeth; Linville, Noelle; Bailey, Emily; Kalle, Ashley; Oglesbee, Nathan; Sandlin, James; Thompson, Lauren; Jensen, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Background: Monitoring youth treatments requires outcome instruments sensitive to change. The Y-OQ and the Y-OQ-SR measure behavioral change during psychological treatment. Objective: The focus of this study was to compare treatment progress of youth in studies using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ) or the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self…

Understanding Factors Associated with Singaporean Adolescents' Intention to Adopt Privacy Protection Behavior Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Ho, Shirley S; Lwin, May O; Yee, Andrew Z H; Lee, Edmund W J

2017-09-01

Using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study explores how the original TPB variables (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), personality traits, privacy concern, past privacy protection behaviors (PPBs), as well as parental mediation strategies relate to adolescents' intention to engage in privacy protection measures. We administered a cross-sectional survey to a nationally representative sample of adolescents (N = 4,920) in Singapore. The sample comprised 50.5 percent females and 49.5 percent males with age ranging from 13 to 21 years (M = 14.73). Results from the hierarchical regression analysis showed that the proposed extended TPB model received partial support. Subjective norms, among the TPB and other factors, have the strongest relationship with adolescents' intention to engage in PPBs on social network sites. Adolescents' privacy concern and their past PPBs are more important in influencing their future PPB compared with personality traits such as neuroticism and extraversion. Adolescents whose parents have engaged in regulated parental mediation are more likely to protect their privacy on SNSs compared with adolescents whose parents have adopted active mediation style.

Making sense of behavioral irregularities of great apes.

PubMed

Fabrega, Horacio

2006-01-01

Psychopathology, mental illness, and psychiatric treatment are concepts relevant to modern medicine and medical psychology and replete with cumbersome intellectual and literary baggage. They bear the imprint of suppositions, world views, and general beliefs and values exemplified in the science, history, and general culture of Anglo European societies. The study in higher apes of phenomena addressed by such concepts raises conceptual dilemmas, usually termed speciesism and anthropomorphism, not unlike those encountered in comparative human studies of similar phenomena across cultures and historical periods, namely, ethnocentrism and anachronism. The authors' synthesis of literature and their analysis of the implications of higher ape psychopathology represent an epistemically compelling account that broadens the scope of the comparative study of behavioral irregularities, a topic that provides a different slant for examining challenging questions in evolutionary biology and primatology, such as cognition, self awareness, intentional behavior, culture and behavioral traditions, social intelligence, sickness and healing, and altruism. Theoretical and empirical study of this topic expands formulation and can help provide informative answers about human evolution as well as essential features of human psychiatric syndromes, with potential practical implications. The study of psychopathology of higher apes and other non human primates represents an appropriate focus for neuroscience and bio-behavioral sciences.

Investigation of the Structural Behavior and Maximum Bending Strength of Six Multiweb Beams with Three Types of Webs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, James P.; Bruce, Walter E., Jr.

1959-01-01

The results of bending tests on six multiweb beams of optimum weight-strength design are presented. The internal structure of the beams consisted of various combinations of two types of full-depth solid webs and a post-stringer web. The observed structural behavior, buckling load, and failing load of the beams are compared with results obtained by the use of existing methods of analysis and found to be quite predictable.

Mesocortical dopamine depletion and anxiety-related behavior in the rat: sex and hemisphere differences.

PubMed

Sullivan, R M; Dufresne, M M; Siontas, D; Chehab, S; Townsend, J; Laplante, F

2014-10-03

The mesocortical dopamine (DA) system of the rat plays an important role in prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulation of stress and emotion and exhibits functional hemispheric asymmetry for such processing. Since few studies examine sex differences in this context, we compared the effects of left vs. right unilateral PFC DA depletion in males and females in several behavioral situations associated with anxiety or aversion. Adult rats received unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or vehicle in the ventromedial (vm) PFC. Behavioral tests included a predator odor burying test, elevated plus maze and sucrose consumption with simple taste aversion. Tissue analysis confirmed that vmPFCs injected with 6-OHDA were depleted of DA (75-85%) compared to controls. Burying behavior and sucrose consumption were affected only by left lesions, similarly in both sexes. However, risk assessment behaviors were affected by right lesions in opposite directions in males and females. Behaviors modified preferentially by the left cortex thus showed less evidence of sex differences than those modulated by the right. While mesocortical DA depletion effects are lateralized, the nature of these effects can vary with sex and specific behavior. Such findings may be clinically significant, given the large gender differences in the incidence of mood and anxiety disorders, which also show many lateralized prefrontal abnormalities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Different mechanisms of risperidone result in improved interpersonal trust, social engagement and cooperative behavior in patients with schizophrenia compared to trifluoperazine.

PubMed

Tse, Wai Shing; Wong, Ann Siu Wah; Chan, Fu; Pang, Alfred Hin Tat; Bond, Alyson Jane; Chan, Chau Kiu Raymond

2016-05-01

Atypical antipsychotic treatment (e.g. risperidone) has been found to improve social functioning more than standard antipsychotic treatment. However, it is unclear which specific social behaviors are implicated in this improvement. The current study employed an interactive puzzle game to examine how social behaviors contribute to the improvement of social functioning by comparing patients receiving risperidone with those receiving trifluoperazine. Scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, executive functioning, and social functioning were obtained from 24 patients with schizophrenia receiving either risperidone (n = 12) or trifluoperazine (n = 12), before their social behavior was measured in the interactive Tangrams Game. Immediately after the Tangrams Game, participants filled in two questionnaires measuring their interpersonal trust and rejection toward their game partner. Patients receiving risperidone showed more social engagement, cooperative behavior and interpersonal trust toward their game partners than those receiving trifluoperazine. Additional multivariate analysis of variance revealed that lower affiliative behavior was a function of positive symptoms; interpersonal trust had an impact on social engagement but executive functioning did not explain lower interpersonal trust or social disengagement. Improvement of social competence by risperidone might be related to the enhancement of both social behaviors and interpersonal trust as well as better symptom resolution. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Behavioral Interventions to Prevent or Delay Dementia: Protocol for a Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Study

PubMed Central

Chandler, Melanie; Locke, Dona EC; Fields, Julie; Phatak, Vaishali; Crook, Julia; Hanna, Sherrie; Lunde, Angela; Morris, Miranda; Graff-Radford, Michelle; Hughes, Christine A; Lepore, Susan; Cuc, Andrea; Caselli, Maria; Hurst, Duane; Wethe, Jennifer; Francone, Andrea; Eilertsen, Jeanne; Lucas, Pauline; Hoffman Snyder, Charlene; Kuang, LeeAnn; Becker, Marigrace; Dean, Pamela; Diehl, Nancy; Lofquist, Marvin; Vanderhook, Shirley; Myles, Diana; Cochran, Denise

2017-01-01

Background Currently, people at risk for dementia and their caregivers are confronted with confusing choices about what behavioral interventions are most effective. Objective The objective of this study is to determine which empirically supported behavioral interventions most impact the outcomes highly valued by patients with mild cognitive impairment and their partners. Methods This protocol describes a comparative effectiveness trial targeting 300 participants with mild cognitive impairment and their study partners. The trial is being conducted at the Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and the University of Washington in Seattle. The study examines the contribution of five behavioral interventions (yoga, memory compensation training, computerized cognitive training, support groups, and wellness education) on primary outcomes of participant and partner quality of life and self-efficacy. In this unique 10-day multicomponent intervention, groups of couples were randomized to have one of the five interventions withheld while receiving the other four. Although the longitudinal follow-up is still under way, enrollment results are available and reported. Results In total, 272 couples have been enrolled in the trial and follow-up visits continue. Outcomes will be assessed at the end-of-intervention and 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-ups. We anticipate reporting on our primary and secondary outcomes across time points in the next 2 years. Conclusions This paper describes the protocol for a randomized comparative effectiveness study of behavioral interventions to prevent or delay dementia. We describe of the rationale, design, power analysis, and analysis plan. Also because enrollment is complete and we are in follow-up phases of the study, we have included enrollment data from the trial. Trial Registration  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02265757; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ctsshow/ NCT02265757 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ueRfwSYv) PMID:29180344

Mental health and social competencies of 10- to 12-year-old children born at 23 to 25 weeks of gestation in the 1990s: a Swedish national prospective follow-up study.

PubMed

Farooqi, Aijaz; Hägglöf, Bruno; Sedin, Gunnar; Gothefors, Leif; Serenius, Fredrik

2007-07-01

We investigated a national cohort of extremely immature children with respect to behavioral and emotional problems and social competencies, from the perspectives of parents, teachers, and children themselves. We examined 11-year-old children who were born before 26 completed weeks of gestation in Sweden between 1990 and 1992. All had been evaluated at a corrected age of 36 months. At 11 years of age, 86 of 89 survivors were studied and compared with an equal number of control subjects, matched with respect to age and gender. Behavioral and emotional problems, social competencies, and adaptive functioning at school were evaluated with standardized, well-validated instruments, including parent and teacher report questionnaires and a child self-report, administered by mail. Compared with control subjects, parents of extremely immature children reported significantly more problems with internalizing behaviors (anxiety/depression, withdrawn, and somatic problems) and attention, thought, and social problems. Teachers reported a similar pattern. Reports from children showed a trend toward increased depression symptoms compared with control subjects. Multivariate analysis of covariance of parent-reported behavioral problems revealed no interactions, but significant main effects emerged for group status (extremely immature versus control), family function, social risk, and presence of a chronic medical condition, with all effect sizes being medium and accounting for 8% to 12% of the variance. Multivariate analysis of covariance of teacher-reported behavioral problems showed significant effects for group status and gender but not for the covariates mentioned above. According to the teachers' ratings, extremely immature children were less well adjusted to the school environment than were control subjects. However, a majority of extremely immature children (85%) were functioning in mainstream schools without major adjustment problems. Despite favorable outcomes for many children born at the limit of viability, these children are at risk for mental health problems, with poorer school results.

The post-buckling behavior of a beam constrained by springy walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Shmuel; Givli, Sefi

2015-05-01

The post-buckling behavior of a beam subjected to lateral constraints is of practical importance in a variety of applications, such as stent procedures, filopodia growth in living cells, endoscopic examination of internal organs, and deep drilling. Even though in reality the constraining surfaces are often deformable, the literature has focused mainly on rigid and fixed constraints. In this paper, we make a first step to bridge this gap through a theoretical and experimental examination of the post-buckling behavior of a beam constrained by a fixed wall and a springy wall, i.e. one that moves laterally against a spring. The response exhibited by the proposed system is much richer compared to that of the fixed-wall system, and can be tuned by choosing the spring stiffness. Based on small-deformation analysis, we obtained closed-form analytical solutions and quantitative insights. The accuracy of these results was examined by comparison to large-deformation analysis. We concluded that the closed-form solution of the small-deformation analysis provides an excellent approximation, except in the highest attainable mode. There, the system exhibits non-intuitive behavior and non-monotonous force-displacement relations that can only be captured by large-deformation theories. Although closed-form solutions cannot be derived for the large-deformation analysis, we were able to reveal general properties of the solution. In the last part of the paper, we present experimental results that demonstrate various features obtained from the theoretical analysis.

A Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) to assess spatial behavior in open-field and structured mazes.

PubMed

Jarlier, Frédéric; Arleo, Angelo; Petit, Géraldine H; Lefort, Julie M; Fouquet, Céline; Burguière, Eric; Rondi-Reig, Laure

2013-05-15

Spatial navigation calls upon mnemonic capabilities (e.g. remembering the location of a rewarding site) as well as adaptive motor control (e.g. fine tuning of the trajectory according to the ongoing sensory context). To study this complex process by means of behavioral measurements it is necessary to quantify a large set of meaningful parameters on multiple time scales (from milliseconds to several minutes), and to compare them across different paradigms. Moreover, the issue of automating the behavioral analysis is critical to cope with the consequent computational load and the sophistication of the measurements. We developed a general purpose Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) that provides an integrated architecture consisting of a data management system (implemented in MySQL), a core analysis toolbox (in MATLAB), and a graphical user interface (in JAVA). Its extensive characterization of trajectories over time, from exploratory behavior to goal-oriented navigation with decision points using a wide range of parameters, makes NAT a powerful analysis tool. In particular, NAT supplies a new set of specific measurements assessing performances in multiple intersection mazes and allowing navigation strategies to be discriminated (e.g. in the starmaze). Its user interface enables easy use while its modular organization provides many opportunities of extension and customization. Importantly, the portability of NAT to any type of maze and environment extends its exploitation far beyond the field of spatial navigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Premarital sexual behavior among male college students of Kathmandu, Nepal.

PubMed

Adhikari, Ramesh; Tamang, Jyotsna

2009-07-15

In Nepal, as in other Asian countries, the issue of sexuality still remains a taboo. Despite this fact, an increasing number of sexual activities is being reported by Nepalese students. This trend warrants serious and timely attention. Due to the sensitivity of the topic of premarital sexuality, youth receive inadequate education, guidance and services on reproductive health. The main objectives of this paper are to explore the sexual behavior especially focusing on prevalence of premarital sex among college men and to investigate the factors surrounding premarital sexual behavior. A cross-sectional survey of college students was conducted in April-May 2006. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 573 male students. Association between premarital sex and the explanatory variables was assessed in bivariate analysis using Chi-square tests. The associations were further explored using multivariate logistic analysis. Despite the religious and cultural restrictions, about two-fifths of survey respondents (39%) reported that they have had premarital sex. The study has also shown that substantial proportions of students indulge in sexual activities as well as risky sexual behavior. Sex with commercial sex workers, multiple sex partners, and inconsistence use of condom with non-regular partner was common among the students. Less than two in five male students (57%) had used condom at the first sexual intercourse.The prevalence of premarital sex varied on different settings. Older students aged 20 and above were more likely to have premarital sex compared with younger students aged 15-19. Men who had liberal attitude towards male virginity at marriage were almost two times more likely to have engaged in premarital sex compared to their counterparts who have conservative attitude towards male virginity at marriage. Moreover, those students who believe in Hindu religion were more than two times (OR = 2.5) more likely to have premarital sex compared with those who follow other religions. Furthermore, those men who have close unmarried friends who have experienced premarital sexual intercourse were eight times (OR = 8.4) more likely to be sexually active compared to those who did not have such sexually active friends. Prevalence of premarital sexual intercourse and risky sexual behavior are not uncommon in Nepal. Young people are exposed to health hazards due to their sexual behavior; hence sex education should be provided. School or college based sexuality education could benefit even out-of-school youths, because their partners often are students.

Effect of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy Program on the Symptoms of Burnout Syndrome Among Undergraduate Electronics Work Students in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ogbuanya, Theresa C; Eseadi, Chiedu; Orji, Chibueze T; Omeje, Joachim C; Anyanwu, Joy I; Ugwoke, Samuel C; Edeh, Nkechinyere C

2018-01-01

This research aimed to investigate the effect that rational-emotive behavior therapy had on the symptoms of burnout among undergraduate electronics work students in Southeast Nigeria. This study utilized a pretest-posttest design involving a no-intervention group versus an intervention group. Participants were 124 undergraduate electronics work students who met the inclusion criteria of the study. The intervention consisted of 12 weeks of rational-emotive behavior therapy treatment and 2 weeks of follow-up meetings conducted at 6 months. Self-report questionnaire was used for data collection. Repeated measures analysis of variance and t test were used for data analysis. The results show that rational-emotive behavior therapy had a significant effect on the symptoms of burnout syndrome among the electronics work students in the treatment group compared to their counterparts in the no-intervention group. Finally, the positive gains were significantly maintained by the treatment group at the follow-up. The current study suggests that rational-emotive behavior therapy program can be effective for dealing with burnout syndrome among the population of undergraduates in Nigeria. Further clinical evaluation is needed.

Electrochemical and Passive Behaviors of Pure Copper Fabricated by Accumulative Roll-Bonding (ARB) Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imantalab, O.; Fattah-alhosseini, A.

2015-07-01

In the present work, electrochemical and passive behaviors of pure copper fabricated by accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) process in 0.01 M borax solution (pH = 9.1) have been studied. Before any electrochemical measurements, evaluation of microstructure was obtained by Vickers microhardness, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy. The results of microhardness tests revealed that microhardness values increased with the increasing number of ARB cycles. Also a sharp increase was seen in microhardness after the first ARB cycle, whereas mediocre additional increases were observed afterward up to the seven cycles. Moreover, XRD patterns showed that the mean crystallite size values decrease with the increasing number of ARB cycles. To investigate the electrochemical and passive behaviors of the samples, the potentiodynamic polarization, Mott-Schottky analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were carried out. Polarization plots revealed that as a result of ARB, the corrosion behavior of the specimens improves compared with the annealed pure copper. Also, the Mott-Schottky analysis and EIS measurements showed that the increasing number of ARB cycles offer better conditions for forming the passive films with higher protection behavior, due to the growth of less-defective films.

Health Characteristics of Solo Grandparent Caregivers and Single Parents: A Comparative Profile Using the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

PubMed Central

Whitley, Deborah M.

2015-01-01

Objectives. To describe the health characteristics of solo grandparents raising grandchildren compared with single parents. Methods. Using the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, respondents identified as a single grandparent raising a grandchild were categorized as a solo grandparent; grandparent responses were compared with single parents. Descriptive analysis compared health characteristics of 925 solo grandparents with 7,786 single parents. Results. Compared to single parents, grandparents have a higher prevalence of physical health problems (e.g., arthritis). Both parent groups have a high prevalence of lifetime depression. A larger share of grandparents actively smoke and did no recreational physical exercise in the last month. However, grandparents appear to have better access to health services in comparison with single parents. Conclusion. Solo grandparents may be at risk for diminished physical capacity and heightened prevalence of depression. Health professionals can be an important resource to increase grandparents' physical and emotional capacities. PMID:26448744

Health Characteristics of Solo Grandparent Caregivers and Single Parents: A Comparative Profile Using the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

PubMed

Whitley, Deborah M; Fuller-Thomson, Esme; Brennenstuhl, Sarah

2015-01-01

Objectives. To describe the health characteristics of solo grandparents raising grandchildren compared with single parents. Methods. Using the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, respondents identified as a single grandparent raising a grandchild were categorized as a solo grandparent; grandparent responses were compared with single parents. Descriptive analysis compared health characteristics of 925 solo grandparents with 7,786 single parents. Results. Compared to single parents, grandparents have a higher prevalence of physical health problems (e.g., arthritis). Both parent groups have a high prevalence of lifetime depression. A larger share of grandparents actively smoke and did no recreational physical exercise in the last month. However, grandparents appear to have better access to health services in comparison with single parents. Conclusion. Solo grandparents may be at risk for diminished physical capacity and heightened prevalence of depression. Health professionals can be an important resource to increase grandparents' physical and emotional capacities.

Analysis of the environmental behavior of farmers for non-point source pollution control and management in a water source protection area in China.

PubMed

Wang, Yandong; Yang, Jun; Liang, Jiping; Qiang, Yanfang; Fang, Shanqi; Gao, Minxue; Fan, Xiaoyu; Yang, Gaihe; Zhang, Baowen; Feng, Yongzhong

2018-08-15

The environmental behavior of farmers plays an important role in exploring the causes of non-point source pollution and taking scientific control and management measures. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the present study investigated the environmental behavior of farmers in the Water Source Area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. Results showed that TPB could explain farmers' environmental behavior (SMC=0.26) and intention (SMC=0.36) well. Furthermore, the farmers' attitude towards behavior (AB), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) positively and significantly influenced their environmental intention; their environmental intention further impacted their behavior. SN was proved to be the main key factor indirectly influencing the farmers' environmental behavior, while PBC had no significant and direct effect. Moreover, environmental knowledge following as a moderator, gender and age was used as control variables to conduct the environmental knowledge on TPB construct moderated mediation analysis. It demonstrated that gender had a significant controlling effect on environmental behavior; that is, males engage in more environmentally friendly behaviors. However, age showed a significant negative controlling effect on pro-environmental intention and an opposite effect on pro-environmental behavior. In addition, environmental knowledge could negatively moderate the relationship between PBC and environmental intention. PBC had a greater impact on the environmental intention of farmers with poor environmental knowledge, compared to those with plenty environmental knowledge. Altogether, the present study could provide a theoretical basis for non-point source pollution control and management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sexual behavior and awareness of Chinese university students in transition with implied risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Ma, Qiaoqin; Ono-Kihara, Masako; Cong, Liming; Xu, Guozhang; Zamani, Saman; Ravari, Shahrzad Mortazavi; Kihara, Masahiro

2006-01-01

Background The vulnerability of young people to HIV and the recent emergence of the HIV epidemic in China have made it urgent to assess and update the HIV/STD risk profile of Chinese young people. Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey with cross-sectional design was conducted among 22,493 undergraduate students in two universities in Ningbo, China. Bivariate trend analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to compare sexual behaviors and awareness between grades. Results Of respondents, 17.6% of males and 8.6% of females reported being sexually active. Condom was reported never/rarely used by 35% of sexually active students in both genders in the previous year. Pregnancy and induced abortion had each been experienced by about 10% of sexually active female students and the female partners of male students, and about 1.5% of sexually active students of both genders reported being diagnosed with an STD. Multivariate analysis revealed that students in lower grades, compared to those in higher grades, were more likely to have become sexually active before university, to have become aware of sex before high school, and to have been exposed to pornographic media before the age of 17 years, and for sexually active respondents of both genders, to have engaged in sex without using a condom. Conclusion Sexual behaviors of Chinese university students are poorly protected and sexual behaviors and awareness may have been undergoing rapid change, becoming active earlier and more risky. If this trend continues, vulnerable sexual network will grow among them that allow more expansion of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. PMID:16981985

Concurrent Associations of Physical Activity and Screen-Based Sedentary Behavior on Obesity Among US Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Youngdeok; Barreira, Tiago V; Kang, Minsoo

2016-01-01

Independent associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with obesity are well documented. However, little is known about the combined associations of these behaviors with obesity in adolescents. The present study examines the prevalence of concurrent levels of PA and SB, and their associations with obesity among US adolescents. Data from a total of 12 081 adolescents who participated in the Youth Risk Behaviors Survey during 2012-2013 were analyzed. A latent class analysis was performed to identify latent subgroups with varying combined levels of subjectively measured PA and screen-based SB. Follow-up analysis examined the changes in the likelihood of being obese as determined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Chart between latent subgroups. Four latent subgroups with varying combined levels of PA and SB were identified across gender. The likelihood of being obese was significantly greater for the subgroups featuring either or both Low PA or High SB when compared with High PA/Low SB across genders (odds ratio [OR] ranges, 2.1-2.7 for males and 9.6-23.5 for females). Low PA/High SB showed the greater likelihood of being obese compared to subgroups featuring either or both High PA and Low SB (OR ranges, 2.2-23.5) for female adolescents only. The findings imply that promoting sufficient levels of PA while reducing SB should be encouraged in order to reduce obesity risk among adolescents, particularly for males. The risk of obesity for female adolescents can be reduced by engaging in either high levels of PA or low levels of SB.

Behavioral intervention to promote smoking cessation and prevent weight gain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Spring, Bonnie; Howe, Dorothea; Berendsen, Mark; McFadden, H. Gene; Hitchcock, Kristin; Rademaker, Alfred W.; Hitsman, Brian

2009-01-01

Aims The prospect of weight gain discourages many cigarette smokers from quitting. Practice guidelines offer varied advice about managing weight gain after quitting smoking, but no systematic review and meta-analysis have been available. We reviewed evidence to determine whether behavioral weight control intervention compromises smoking cessation attempts, and if it offers an effective way to reduce post-cessation weight gain. Methods We identified randomized controlled trials that compared combined smoking treatment and behavioral weight control to smoking treatment alone for adult smokers. English-language studies were identified through searches of PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Of 779 articles identified and 35 potentially relevant RCTs screened, 10 met criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Results Patients who received both smoking treatment and weight treatment showed increased abstinence (OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.01,1.64) and reduced weight gain (g = -0.30, 95% CI=-0.63, -0.04) in the short term (<3 months) compared with patients who received smoking treatment alone. Differences in abstinence (OR=1.23, 95% CI=0.85, 1.79) and weight control (g= -0.17, 95% CI=-0.42, 0.07) were no longer significant in the long term (>6 months). Conclusions Findings provide no evidence that combining smoking treatment and behavioral weight control produces any harm and significant evidence of short-term benefit for both abstinence and weight control. However, the absence of long-term enhancement of either smoking cessation or weight control by the time-limited interventions studied to date provides insufficient basis to recommend societal expenditures on weight gain prevention treatment for patients who are quitting smoking. PMID:19549058

Alterations in functional brain networks associated with loss-chasing in gambling disorder and cocaine-use disorder.

PubMed

Worhunsky, Patrick D; Potenza, Marc N; Rogers, Robert D

2017-09-01

Continued, persistent gambling to recover accumulating losses, or 'loss-chasing', is a behavioral pattern linked particularly closely to gambling disorder (GD) but may reflect impaired decision-making processes relevant to drug addictions like cocaine-use disorder (CUD). However, little is known regarding the neurocognitive mechanisms of this complex, maladaptive behavior, particularly in individuals with addictive disorders. Seventy participants (25 GD, 18 CUD, and 27 healthy comparison (HC)) completed a loss-chase task during fMRI. Engagement of functional brain networks in response to losing outcomes and during decision-making periods preceding choices to loss-chase or to quit chasing losses were investigated using independent component analysis (ICA). An exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine patterns of coordinated engagement across identified networks. In GD relative to HC and CUD participants, choices to quit chasing were associated with greater engagement of a medial frontal executive-processing network. By comparison, CUD participants exhibited altered engagement of a striato-amygdala motivational network in response to losing outcomes as compared to HC, and during decision-making as compared to GD. Several other networks were differentially engaged during loss-chase relative to quit-chasing choices, but did not differ across participant groups. Exploratory factor analysis identified a system of coordinated activity across prefrontal executive-control networks that was greater in GD and CUD relative to HC participants and was associated with increased chasing persistence across all participants. Results provide evidence of shared and distinct neurobiological mechanisms in substance and behavioral addictions, and lend insight into potential cognitive interventions targeting loss-chasing behavior in GD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parenting Stress through the Lens of Different Clinical Groups: a Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Mendez, Lucybel; Graziano, Paulo A.; Bagner, Daniel M.

2017-01-01

Research has demonstrated an association between parenting stress and child behavior problems, and suggested levels of parenting stress are higher among parents of children at risk for behavior problems, such as those with autism and developmental delay (ASD/DD). The goal of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of parenting stress and child behavior problems among different clinical groups (i.e., ASD/DD, chronic illness, with or at-risk for behavioral and/or mood disorders). We also examined demographic and methodological variables as moderators and differences in overall levels of parenting stress between the clinical groups. This systematic review documents a link between parenting stress and child behavior problems with an emphasis on externalizing behavior. One-hundred thirty-three studies were included for quantitative analysis. Parenting stress was more strongly related to child externalizing (weighted ES r = 0.57, d = 1.39) than internalizing (weighted ES r = 0.37, d = 0.79) problems. Moderation analyses indicated that the association between parenting stress and behavior problems was stronger among studies which had mostly male and clinic-recruited samples. Overall, parenting stress levels were higher for parents of children with ASD/DD compared to parents of children from other clinical groups. Findings document the association between parenting stress and child behavior problems and highlight the importance of assessing parenting stress as part of routine care and throughout behavioral intervention programs, especially for groups of children at high risk for behavior problems, such as children with ASD/DD, in order to identify support for both the parent(s) and child. PMID:28555335

Extreme sexual behavior in dementia as a specific manifestation of disinhibition.

PubMed

Bartelet, Marjukka; Waterink, Wim; van Hooren, Susan

2014-01-01

In nursing homes, extreme sexual behavior is one of the most challenging behaviors in dementia. Despite this, however, there is no conformity in the literature regarding how to label and define this type of behavior. Examples of labels used include inappropriate sexual behavior, improper sexual behavior, sexually disinhibited behavior, or hyper sexuality. According to recent theoretical perspectives, extreme sexual behavior may be regarded as a part of disinhibited behavior or could be considered as an independent neuropsychiatric symptom. In this multicenter study, it was investigated whether there is a relationship between extreme sexual behavior and the typical neuropsychiatric symptoms seen in dementia. In 179 residents diagnosed with dementia, extreme sexual behavior was measured using an observation scale. Twelve neuropsychiatric symptoms were measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Multivariate analysis of covariance with gender showed that residents with observed extreme sexual behavior (n = 43) only showed a higher score on neuropsychiatric symptom 'disinhibition', as compared to residents with non-observed sexual behavior (n = 136). In addition, the effect size was large. These findings indicate that among residents with dementia, extreme sexual behaviors should not be considered as an independent neuropsychiatric symptom. Instead, disinhibition may be an important underlying mechanism for extreme sexual behavior and thus validates the label 'sexually disinhibited behavior'.

Loneliness, Insomnia and Suicidal Behavior among School-Going Adolescents in Western Pacific Island Countries: Role of Violence and Injury.

PubMed

Sharma, Bimala; Lee, Tae Ho; Nam, Eun Woo

2017-07-15

This study aimed to examine whether being bullied, fighting, and injury, regarded in terms of frequency and nature, were significantly associated with psychological distress and suicidal behavior, independent of substance abuse and parental support in adolescents. Secondary analysis of data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey from Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu was conducted. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of being bullied, fighting and injury with psychological health outcomes (loneliness, insomnia, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt) at a 5% level of significance. A total of 4122 students were included; 45.5% were male, and 52.0% were 14 years of age or younger. Of the total, 9.3% felt lonely and 9.5% had insomnia most of the time over the last 12 months; 27.6% had suicidal ideation, and 30.9% reported at least one suicide attempt in the last 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that being bullied, fighting and injury were significantly associated with psychological health outcomes; adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of loneliness, insomnia, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt increased with increased exposure to bullying, fighting, and injury compared to non-exposed group. Among the types of bullying victimization, the highest AORs of insomnia and suicide attempt were among students who were left out of activities, compared to the non-bullied. Among the causes of injury, adolescents injured due to a physical attack were the most likely to report the highest AORs of loneliness, insomnia and suicidal ideation compared to those not injured. Preventing violence and injury among adolescents might contribute to better mental health and reduction of suicidal behavior.

Loneliness, Insomnia and Suicidal Behavior among School-Going Adolescents in Western Pacific Island Countries: Role of Violence and Injury

PubMed Central

Sharma, Bimala; Lee, Tae Ho; Nam, Eun Woo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether being bullied, fighting, and injury, regarded in terms of frequency and nature, were significantly associated with psychological distress and suicidal behavior, independent of substance abuse and parental support in adolescents. Secondary analysis of data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey from Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu was conducted. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of being bullied, fighting and injury with psychological health outcomes (loneliness, insomnia, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt) at a 5% level of significance. A total of 4122 students were included; 45.5% were male, and 52.0% were 14 years of age or younger. Of the total, 9.3% felt lonely and 9.5% had insomnia most of the time over the last 12 months; 27.6% had suicidal ideation, and 30.9% reported at least one suicide attempt in the last 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that being bullied, fighting and injury were significantly associated with psychological health outcomes; adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of loneliness, insomnia, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt increased with increased exposure to bullying, fighting, and injury compared to non-exposed group. Among the types of bullying victimization, the highest AORs of insomnia and suicide attempt were among students who were left out of activities, compared to the non-bullied. Among the causes of injury, adolescents injured due to a physical attack were the most likely to report the highest AORs of loneliness, insomnia and suicidal ideation compared to those not injured. Preventing violence and injury among adolescents might contribute to better mental health and reduction of suicidal behavior. PMID:28714893

Effector peptides of the renin-angiotensin system in the central mechanisms of acquired and innate behavior in thirst in rats.

PubMed

Vlasenko, R Ya; Kotov, A V

2007-03-01

We report here a comparative analysis of the involvement of a number of components of the renin-angiotensin system in the performance of simple and complex forms of drinking behavior and thirst-associated non-drinking types of behavior. On central (intracerebroventricular) microinjection, [des-Asp1]-angiotensin I at doses equieffective to those of angiotensins II and III was found to be involved only in the performance of simple (taking water from the bowl) and linked forms of activity (comfort behavior, stress grooming, orientational-investigative, and feeding behavior). Angiotensin II was involved in the central mechanisms of complex acquired drinking behavior, selectively modulating its key stages (initial, final), while angiotensin III was involved only in the mechanisms of reproduction of the complex skill. All three substances induced "innate patterns of behavior" specific for each compound, these occurring at fixed periods of time after intracerebral microinjection. The effects of these substances were selectively suppressed by the AT1 receptor blocker losartan potassium.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness Intervention on Psychological Behaviors Among Adolescents With Parental HIV Infection: A Group-Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Mon, Myo-Myo; Liabsuetrakul, Tippawan; Htut, Kyaw-Min

2016-11-01

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of mindfulness intervention on the psychological behaviors of adolescents with parental HIV infection and its associated factors in Myanmar. A total of 80 adolescents from 2 intervention townships and 80 adolescents from 2 control townships were enrolled in a group randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline and 6 months follow-up. The mindfulness intervention involved monthly group sessions for 3 consecutive months led by an experienced mindfulness trainer. Three domains of psychological behaviors-namely, emotional, conduct, and social behaviors-were assessed at baseline and compared after 6 months. Multilevel regression analysis was used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention and associated factors for psychological behaviors. The intervention significantly improved emotional and conduct behaviors at 6 months (P < .001) but had no effect on social behavior. The significant effect of the intervention existed after adjusting for gender, family type, child age, and orphan status. © 2016 APJPH.

Comparing topography-based verbal behavior with stimulus selection-based verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Carl T.; Sundberg, Mark L.

1990-01-01

Michael (1985) distinguished between two types of verbal behavior: topography-based and stimulus selection-based verbal behavior. The current research was designed to empirically examine these two types of verbal behavior while addressing the frequently debated question, Which augmentative communication system should be used with the nonverbal developmentally disabled person? Four mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each subject was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (selection-based verbal behavior), or making the corresponding sign (topography-based verbal behavior). They were then taught an intraverbal relation, and were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence relations. The results showed that signed responses were acquired more readily than pointing responses as measured by the acquisition of tacts and intraverbals, and the formation of equivalence classes. These results support Michael's (1985) analysis, and have important implications for the design of language intervention programs for the developmentally disabled. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2 PMID:22477602

On the representativeness of behavior observation samples in classrooms.

PubMed

Tiger, Jeffrey H; Miller, Sarah J; Mevers, Joanna Lomas; Mintz, Joslyn Cynkus; Scheithauer, Mindy C; Alvarez, Jessica

2013-01-01

School consultants who rely on direct observation typically conduct observational samples (e.g., 1 30-min observation per day) with the hopes that the sample is representative of performance during the remainder of the day, but the representativeness of these samples is unclear. In the current study, we recorded the problem behavior of 3 referred students for 4 consecutive school days between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. using duration recording in consecutive 10-min sessions. We then culled 10-min, 20-min, 30-min, and 60-min observations from the complete record and compared these observations to the true daily mean to assess their accuracy (i.e., how well individual observations represented the daily occurrence of target behaviors). The results indicated that when behavior occurred with low variability, the majority of brief observations were representative of the overall levels; however, when behavior occurred with greater variability, even 60-min observations did not accurately capture the true levels of behavior. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

mHealth Technologies to Influence Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors: Behavior Change Techniques, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PubMed

Direito, Artur; Carraça, Eliana; Rawstorn, Jonathan; Whittaker, Robyn; Maddison, Ralph

2017-04-01

mHealth programs offer potential for practical and cost-effective delivery of interventions capable of reaching many individuals. To (1) compare the effectiveness of mHealth interventions to promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behavior (SB) in free-living young people and adults with a comparator exposed to usual care/minimal intervention; (2) determine whether, and to what extent, such interventions affect PA and SB levels and (3) use the taxonomy of behavior change techniques (BCTs) to describe intervention characteristics. A systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines was undertaken to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing mHealth interventions with usual or minimal care among individuals free from conditions that could limit PA. Total PA, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), walking and SB outcomes were extracted. Intervention content was independently coded following the 93-item taxonomy of BCTs. Twenty-one RCTs (1701 participants-700 with objectively measured PA) met eligibility criteria. SB decreased more following mHealth interventions than after usual care (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) -0.53 to -0.00). Summary effects across studies were small to moderate and non-significant for total PA (SMD 0.14, 95 % CI -0.12 to 0.41); MVPA (SMD 0.37, 95 % CI -0.03 to 0.77); and walking (SMD 0.14, 95 % CI -0.01 to 0.29). BCTs were employed more frequently in intervention (mean = 6.9, range 2 to 12) than in comparator conditions (mean = 3.1, range 0 to 10). Of all BCTs, only 31 were employed in intervention conditions. Current mHealth interventions have small effects on PA/SB. Technological advancements will enable more comprehensive, interactive and responsive intervention delivery. Future mHealth PA studies should ensure that all the active ingredients of the intervention are reported in sufficient detail.

Does music therapy enhance behavioral and cognitive function in elderly dementia patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yingshi; Cai, Jiayi; An, Li; Hui, Fuhai; Ren, Tianshu; Ma, Hongda; Zhao, Qingchun

2017-05-01

Demographic aging is a worldwide phenomenon, cognitive and behavioral impairment is becoming global burden of nerve damage. However, the effect of pharmacological treatment is not satisfying. Therefore, we analyzed the efficacy of music therapy in elderly dementia patients, and if so, whether music therapy can be used as first-line non-pharmacological treatment. A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed, EMbase and the Cochrane Library from inception to September 2016. A total of 34 studies (42 analyses, 1757 subjects) were included; all of them had an acceptable quality based on the PEDro and CASP scale scores. Studies based on any type of dementia patient were combined and analyzed by subgroup. The standardized mean difference was -0.42 (-0.74 to -0.11) for disruptive behavior and 0.20 (-0.09 to 0.49) for cognitive function as primary outcomes in random effect models using controls as the comparator; the secondary outcomes were depressive score, anxiety and quality of life. No evidence of publication bias was found based on Begg's and Egger's test. The meta-analysis confirmed that the baseline differences between the two groups were balanced. Subgroup analyses showed that disease sub-type, intervention method, comparator, subject location, trial design, trial period and outcome measure instrument made little difference in outcomes. The meta-regression may have identified the causes of heterogeneity as the intervention method, comparator and trial design. Music therapy was effective when patients received interactive therapy with a compared group. There was positive evidence to support the use of music therapy to treat disruptive behavior and anxiety; there were positive trends supporting the use of music therapy for the treatment of cognitive function, depression and quality of life. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016036153. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alcohol exposure during development: analysis of effects on female sexual behavior.

PubMed

Gass, Justin T; Jenkins, William J; Marino, Melissa D; Lugo, Joaquin N; Kelly, Sandra J

2007-12-01

Alcohol exposure during development has been shown to alter a variety of social behaviors in both humans and rodents. Sexual behavior in rodents has been well characterized and lends itself to a detailed investigation of the manner in which ethanol impacts this particular social behavior. Rats were exposed to ethanol during both the prenatal and early postnatal period (ET). Control groups included rats exposed to the administration procedures alone (intubated-control) and nontreated controls (NC). Sexual behavior of intact naïve female rats in estrus was assessed in adulthood (approximately postnatal day 90) and activity was measured by the number of crossings between chambers in the 3-chamber test apparatus. A separate study examined the olfactory preferences for 4 odors by intact naïve female rats in all 3 groups. The 4 odors were the odors resulting from 1 hour of occupation of the test chamber by an intact male, 1 hour of occupation of the test chamber by a gonadectomized male, 0.5 ml of urine from an intact male, and 0.5 ml of urine from a gonadectomized male. ET female rats showed a reduced return latency after ejaculation compared to both control groups. There was a trend toward a reduction in percent exits after all forms of male behavior in the ET animals compared to the control groups. No significant differences across groups were seen in the lordosis quotient, activity, or the behavior of the nonexperimental male. ET female rats showed a reduced preference for the odor from the intact male compared to both control groups and a reduced preference for the odor from the gonadectomized male compared to NC females only. These data suggest that ethanol exposure during the prenatal and postnatal period in females alters sexual motivation and changes the processing of olfactory cues and possibly coital cues from male rats.

Innovations in primary care behavioral health: a pilot study across the U.S. Air Force.

PubMed

Landoll, Ryan R; Nielsen, Matthew K; Waggoner, Kathryn K; Najera, Elizabeth

2018-05-04

Integrated primary care services have grown in popularity in recent years and demonstrated significant benefits to the patient experience, patient health, and health care operations. However, broader systems-level factors for health care organizations, such as utilization, access, and cost, have been understudied. The current study reviews the results of quality improvement project conducted by the U.S. Air Force, which has practiced integrated primary care behavioral health for over 20 years. This study focuses on exploring how shifting the access point for behavioral from specialty mental health clinics to primary care, along with the use of technicians in patient care, can improve a range of health outcomes. Retrospective data analysis was conducted on an internal Air Force quality improvement project implemented at three military treatment facilities from October 2014 to September 2015. Positive preliminary support for these innovations was seen in the form of expanded patient populations, decreased time to first appointment, increased patient encounters, and decreased purchased community care compared with non-participating sites. Incorporation of behavioral health technicians further increased number of patient encounters while maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction across diverse clinical settings; in fact, patients preferred appointments with both technicians and behavioral health providers, compared with appointments with behavioral health providers only. These findings encourage further systematic review of systems-level factors in primary care behavioral health and adoption of the use of provider extenders in primary care behavioral health clinics.

Preventing Interpersonal Violence on College Campuses: The Effect of One Act Training on Bystander Intervention.

PubMed

Alegría-Flores, Kei; Raker, Kelli; Pleasants, Robert K; Weaver, Mark A; Weinberger, Morris

2015-05-22

Sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and intimate partner violence, herein collectively termed interpersonal violence (IV), are public health problems affecting 20% to 25% of female college students. Currently, One Act is one of the few IV prevention training programs at universities that teach students bystander skills to intervene in low- and high-risk IV situations. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate One Act's effects on date rape attitudes and behaviors, and bystanders' confidence, willingness to help, and behavior, and 2) to compare the effects on bystander skills between One Act and Helping Advocates for Violence Ending Now (HAVEN), an IV response training program with similar participants. Data were collected over 2 years, before and after One Act and HAVEN trainings. We measured outcomes with four scales: College Date Rape Attitudes and Behaviors, Bystander Confidence, Willingness to Help, and Bystander Behavior. The analysis compared within- and between-group mean differences in scale scores pre- and post-trainings using linear mixed models. One Act showed improvements for date rape attitudes and behaviors (p < .001), bystander's confidence (p < .001), and willingness to help (p < .001). One Act participants' bystander confidence improved more (p = .006), on average, than HAVEN's. The differences in the two trainings' effects on bystander willingness to help and behavior had similar patterns but were not statistically significant. We found a larger positive impact on bystander confidence among students who participated in the bystander prevention training compared with the response training. Further research is needed to improve the measures for bystander behavior and measure the bystander trainings' larger impact on the community. © The Author(s) 2015.

Using fecal hormonal and behavioral analyses to evaluate the introduction of two sable antelope at Lincoln Park Zoo.

PubMed

Loeding, Erin; Thomas, Jeanette; Bernier, Dave; Santymire, Rachel

2011-01-01

Introductions of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) can be difficult due to the potential ensuing aggression compounded by their large horns. The goal was to use hormonal assays and behavioral analyses to evaluate the success of an introduction of 2 adult females at Lincoln Park Zoo. The objectives were to (a) document behavioral and hormonal changes in 2 female sable antelope during the introduction, (b) compare fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) in each individual during the introduction stages, (c) measure fecal androgen metabolites (FAM) during introduction and compare with dominance rank and observed aggression, and (d) monitor estrous cycle synchronization. Results demonstrate that FGM were higher before than during and after the introduction. Behavioral observations indicated limited aggression between females, although the keeper survey results revealed that the new female was more dominant and had higher mean FGM and FAM than the resident. Both sable antelope were reproductively active throughout the year. Results indicate that fecal hormone analysis can provide zoo management with valuable information to minimize the risk of aggression, injury, and stress during introductions of nonhuman animals.

Devaluation and sequential decisions: linking goal-directed and model-based behavior

PubMed Central

Friedel, Eva; Koch, Stefan P.; Wendt, Jean; Heinz, Andreas; Deserno, Lorenz; Schlagenhauf, Florian

2014-01-01

In experimental psychology different experiments have been developed to assess goal–directed as compared to habitual control over instrumental decisions. Similar to animal studies selective devaluation procedures have been used. More recently sequential decision-making tasks have been designed to assess the degree of goal-directed vs. habitual choice behavior in terms of an influential computational theory of model-based compared to model-free behavioral control. As recently suggested, different measurements are thought to reflect the same construct. Yet, there has been no attempt to directly assess the construct validity of these different measurements. In the present study, we used a devaluation paradigm and a sequential decision-making task to address this question of construct validity in a sample of 18 healthy male human participants. Correlational analysis revealed a positive association between model-based choices during sequential decisions and goal-directed behavior after devaluation suggesting a single framework underlying both operationalizations and speaking in favor of construct validity of both measurement approaches. Up to now, this has been merely assumed but never been directly tested in humans. PMID:25136310

Applying Evolutionary Thinking to the Study of Emotion

PubMed Central

Weisfeld, Glenn E.; Goetz, Stefan M. M.

2013-01-01

This paper argues for invoking evolutionary, functional thinking in analyzing emotions. It suggests that the fitness needs of normal individuals be kept in mind when trying to understand emotional behavior. This point of view is elaborated in sections addressing these topics: defining emotion; applying comparative analysis to the study of emotions; focusing on the elicitors and resulting motivated behaviors mediated by the various affects; recognizing that not all emotions have prominent, distinct facial expressions; acknowledging all of the basic emotions and not just some exemplars; crediting the more sensible Cannon-Bard theory over James-Lange; recognizing the more ancient, fundamental role of the limbic system in emotion compared with that of the neocortex; and analyzing socio-emotional interactions as they occur naturally, not just individual emotional behavior studied under artificial conditions. Describing the various facets and neuroendocrine mechanisms of each basic emotion can provide a framework for understanding the normal and pathological development of each emotion. Such an inventory, or ethogram, would provide a comprehensive list of all of the observable behavioral tendencies of our species. PMID:25379244

A comparison of analysis tools for predicting the inelastic cyclic response of cross-ply titanium matrix composites

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

Kroupa, J.L.; Coker, D.; Neu, R.W.

1996-12-31

Several micromechanical models that are currently being used for predicting the thermal and mechanical behavior of a cross-ply, [0/90], titanium matrix composite are evaluated. Six computer programs or methods are compared: (1) VISCOPLY; (2) METCAN; (3) FIDEP, an enhanced concentric cylinder model; (4) LISOL, a modified method of cells approach; (5) an elementary approach where the [90] ply is assumed to have the same properties as the matrix; and (6) a finite element method. Comparisons are made for the thermal residual stresses at room temperature resulting from processing, as well as for stresses and strains in two isothermal and twomore » thermomechanical fatigue test cases. For each case, the laminate response of the models is compared to experimental behavior, while the responses of the constituents are compared among the models. The capability of each model to predict frequency effects, inelastic cyclic strain (hysteresis) behavior, and strain ratchetting with cycling is shown. The basis of formulation for the micromechanical models, the constitutive relationships used for the matrix and fiber, and the modeling technique of the [90] ply are all found to be important factors for determining the accurate behavior of the [0/90] composite.« less

[The relationship among depression, anxiety, stress and addictive substance use behavior in 5 935 secondary vocational students].

PubMed

Yu, X D; Yu, J C; Wu, Q F; Chen, J Y; Wang, Y C; Yan, D; Teng, S W; Zhao, Y T; Cao, J P; Li, S Q; Yan, Y Q; Gong, J; Yao, K; Zhou, H; Wang, Z Z

2017-03-06

Objective: To investigate the relationship among depression, anxiety, stress and addictive substance use behavior in secondary vocational students. Methods: Cluster sampling method and the Adolescent Health-related Behaviors Questionnaire were used to collect demographic characteristics, psychological symptoms, and addictive substance usage among 5 935 students in nine vocational schools in Chongqing, Zhaoqing, Ningbo, and Taiyuan. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the addictive substance use behavior and psychological factors. Results: The detection rates of depression, anxiety and stress were 46.5% ( n= 2 762), 58.7% ( n= 3 483), and 29.8% ( n= 1 770), respectively. The prevalence of addictive substances was 74.8% ( n =4 440), traditional drugs was 0.8% ( n= 50), new drugs was 2.8% ( n= 166), other addictive drugs was 4.1% ( n= 241). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the normal psychological states of secondary vocational students, the OR value of mild depression tendency alcohol and tobacco use behavior of secondary vocational students was 1.45; the OR values of mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, severe anxiety and very serious anxiety were 1.46, 1.46, 1.71, and 1.83, respectively; the traditional drugs use behaviors were 5.51, and 2.61, respectively, for the severe anxiety and very serious anxiety. Compared with the normal psychological state of secondary vocational students, the OR values of the severe anxiety and very severe anxiety were 2.56, and 2.66, respectively, for severe anxiety and very serious anxiety. Compared with normal psychological status of secondary vocational students, the OR values of mild, moderate, severe, and very severe anxiety were 2.14, 2.47, 2.39, and 3.45, respectively; all P values <0.05. Conclusion: Anxiety and mild depression were risk factors of tobacco and alcohol use in secondary vocational students; severe and above anxiety were the risk factors of drug use in secondary vocational students; anxiety was the risk factor for other addictive drug use in secondary vocational students.

Combinations of techniques that effectively change health behavior: evidence from Meta-CART analysis.

PubMed

Dusseldorp, Elise; van Genugten, Lenneke; van Buuren, Stef; Verheijden, Marieke W; van Empelen, Pepijn

2014-12-01

Many health-promoting interventions combine multiple behavior change techniques (BCTs) to maximize effectiveness. Although, in theory, BCTs can amplify each other, the available meta-analyses have not been able to identify specific combinations of techniques that provide synergistic effects. This study overcomes some of the shortcomings in the current methodology by applying classification and regression trees (CART) to meta-analytic data in a special way, referred to as Meta-CART. The aim was to identify particular combinations of BCTs that explain intervention success. A reanalysis of data from Michie, Abraham, Whittington, McAteer, and Gupta (2009) was performed. These data included effect sizes from 122 interventions targeted at physical activity and healthy eating, and the coding of the interventions into 26 BCTs. A CART analysis was performed using the BCTs as predictors and treatment success (i.e., effect size) as outcome. A subgroup meta-analysis using a mixed effects model was performed to compare the treatment effect in the subgroups found by CART. Meta-CART identified the following most effective combinations: Provide information about behavior-health link with Prompt intention formation (mean effect size ḡ = 0.46), and Provide information about behavior-health link with Provide information on consequences and Use of follow-up prompts (ḡ = 0.44). Least effective interventions were those using Provide feedback on performance without using Provide instruction (ḡ = 0.05). Specific combinations of BCTs increase the likelihood of achieving change in health behavior, whereas other combinations decrease this likelihood. Meta-CART successfully identified these combinations and thus provides a viable methodology in the context of meta-analysis.

A Comparative Analysis of Leadership Skills Development in Marine Corps Training and Education Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

that leaders’ behavioral styles could be depicted along a continuum ranging from authoritarian to democratic leadership (Hersey & Blanchard, 1995...with a definition of autocratic versus democratic leadership styles. The class defines four styles of leadership followed by factors that

Individually Prescribed Instruction: Background Information and Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeRenzis, Joseph J.

The effects of individually prescribed instruction (IPI) in reading as compared to the traditional mode of instruction are examined. The IPI model includes four components: analysis of subject matter content, diagnosis of student preinstructional behavior, sequencing of materials to facilitate learning, and evaluation strategies. Elementary…

Preference Versus Prejudice: A Multimethod Analysis of Children's Discrepant Racial Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teplin, Linda A.

1977-01-01

A study compared 398 children's racial preferences in an imaginary setting with their responses in a more reality-oriented situation. Discrepant responses to the two measurements indicate that racial/ethnic preferences in imagination are neither indicative nor predictive of prejudicial behavior. (Author)

Performance improvement of a binary quantized all-digital phase-locked loop with a new aided-acquisition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoz, J.-P.; Steenaart, W.

1984-12-01

The nonuniform sampling digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) with sequential loop filter, in which the correction sizes are controlled by the accumulated differences of two additional phase comparators, is graphically analyzed. In the absence of noise and frequency drift, the analysis gives some physical insight into the acquisition and tracking behavior. Taking noise into account, a mathematical model is derived and a random walk technique is applied to evaluate the rms phase error and the mean acquisition time. Experimental results confirm the appropriate simplifying hypotheses used in the numerical analysis. Two related performance measures defined in terms of the rms phase error and the acquisition time for a given SNR are used. These measures provide a common basis for comparing different digital loops and, to a limited extent, also with a first-order linear loop. Finally, the behavior of a modified DPLL under frequency deviation in the presence of Gaussian noise is tested experimentally and by computer simulation.

Dicke’s Superradiance in Astrophysics. I. The 21 cm Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, Fereshteh; Houde, Martin

2016-08-01

We have applied the concept of superradiance introduced by Dicke in 1954 to astrophysics by extending the corresponding analysis to the magnetic dipole interaction characterizing the atomic hydrogen 21 cm line. Although it is unlikely that superradiance could take place in thermally relaxed regions and that the lack of observational evidence of masers for this transition reduces the probability of detecting superradiance, in situations where the conditions necessary for superradiance are met (close atomic spacing, high velocity coherence, population inversion, and long dephasing timescales compared to those related to coherent behavior), our results suggest that relatively low levels of population inversion over short astronomical length-scales (e.g., as compared to those required for maser amplification) can lead to the cooperative behavior required for superradiance in the interstellar medium. Given the results of our analysis, we expect the observational properties of 21 cm superradiance to be characterized by the emission of high-intensity, spatially compact, burst-like features potentially taking place over short periods ranging from minutes to days.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Meta-Analysis of Race and Substance Use Outcomes

PubMed Central

Windsor, Liliane Cambraia; Jemal, Alexis; Alessi, Edward

2015-01-01

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective intervention for reducing substance use. However, because CBT trials have included predominantly White samples caution must be used when generalizing these effects to Blacks and Hispanics. This meta-analysis compared the impact of CBT in reducing substance use between studies with a predominantly non-Hispanic White sample (hereafter NHW studies) and studies with a predominantly Black and/or Hispanic sample (hereafter BH studies). From 322 manuscripts identified in the literature, 17 met criteria for inclusion. Effect sizes between CBT and comparison group at posttest had similar effects on substance abuse across NHW and BH studies. However, when comparing pre-posttest effect sizes from groups receiving CBT between NHW and BH studies, CBT’s impact was significantly stronger in NHW studies. T-test comparisons indicated reduced retention/engagement in BH studies, albeit failing to reach statistical significance. Results highlight the need for further research testing CBT’s impact on substance use among Blacks and Hispanics. PMID:25285527

Replica Analysis for Portfolio Optimization with Single-Factor Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinzato, Takashi

2017-06-01

In this paper, we use replica analysis to investigate the influence of correlation among the return rates of assets on the solution of the portfolio optimization problem. We consider the behavior of an optimal solution for the case where the return rate is described with a single-factor model and compare the findings obtained from our proposed methods with correlated return rates with those obtained with independent return rates. We then analytically assess the increase in the investment risk when correlation is included. Furthermore, we also compare our approach with analytical procedures for minimizing the investment risk from operations research.

Effects of Leaching Behavior of Calcium Ions on Compression and Durability of Cement-Based Materials with Mineral Admixtures

PubMed Central

Cheng, An; Chao, Sao-Jeng; Lin, Wei-Ting

2013-01-01

Leaching of calcium ions increases the porosity of cement-based materials, consequently resulting in a negative effect on durability since it provides an entry for aggressive harmful ions, causing reinforcing steel corrosion. This study investigates the effects of leaching behavior of calcium ions on the compression and durability of cement-based materials. Since the parameters influencing the leaching behavior of cement-based materials are unclear and diverse, this paper focuses on the influence of added mineral admixtures (fly ash, slag and silica fume) on the leaching behavior of calcium ions regarding compression and durability of cemented-based materials. Ammonium nitrate solution was used to accelerate the leaching process in this study. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis were employed to analyze and compare the cement-based material compositions prior to and after calcium ion leaching. The experimental results show that the mineral admixtures reduce calcium hydroxide quantity and refine pore structure through pozzolanic reaction, thus enhancing the compressive strength and durability of cement-based materials. PMID:28809247

Ambiguity and judgments of obese individuals: no news could be bad news.

PubMed

Ross, Kathryn M; Shivy, Victoria A; Mazzeo, Suzanne E

2009-08-01

Stigmatization towards obese individuals has not decreased despite the increasing prevalence of obesity. Nonetheless, stigmatization remains difficult to study, given concerns about social desirability. To address this issue, this study used paired comparisons and cluster analysis to examine how undergraduates (n=189) categorized scenarios describing the health-related behaviors of obese individuals. The cluster analysis found that the scenarios were categorized into two distinct clusters. The first cluster included all scenarios with health behaviors indicating high responsibility for body weight. These individuals were perceived as unattractive, lazy, less likeable, less disciplined, and more deserving of their condition compared to individuals in the second cluster, which included all scenarios with health behaviors indicating low responsibility for body weight. Four scenarios depicted obese individuals with ambiguous information regarding health behaviors; three out of these four individuals were categorized in the high-responsibility cluster. These findings suggested that participants viewed these individuals as negatively as those who were responsible for their condition. These results have practical implications for reducing obesity bias, as the etiology of obesity is typically not known in real-life situations.

Decisions, decisions: analysis of age, cohort, and time of testing on framing of risky decision options.

PubMed

Mayhorn, Christopher B; Fisk, Arthur D; Whittle, Justin D

2002-01-01

Decision making in uncertain environments is a daily challenge faced by adults of all ages. Framing decision options as either gains or losses is a common method of altering decision-making behavior. In the experiment reported here, benchmark decision-making data collected in the 1970s by Tversky and Kahneman (1981, 1988) were compared with data collected from current samples of young and older adults to determine whether behavior was consistent across time. Although differences did emerge between the benchmark and the present samples, the effect of framing on decision behavior was relatively stable. The present findings suggest that adults of all ages are susceptible to framing effects. Results also indicated that apparent age differences might be better explained by an analysis of cohort and time-of-testing effects. Actual or potential applications of this research include an understanding of how framing might influence the decision-making behavior of people of all ages in a number of applied contexts, such as product warning interactions and medical decision scenarios.

Psychosocial Modeling of Insider Threat Risk Based on Behavioral and Word Use Analysis

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

Greitzer, Frank L.; Kangas, Lars J.; Noonan, Christine F.

In many insider crimes, managers and other coworkers observed that the offenders had exhibited signs of stress, disgruntlement, or other issues, but no alarms were raised. Barriers to using such psychosocial indicators include the inability to recognize the signs and the failure to record the behaviors so that they can be assessed. A psychosocial model was developed to assess an employee’s behavior associated with an increased risk of insider abuse. The model is based on case studies and research literature on factors/correlates associated with precursor behavioral manifestations of individuals committing insider crimes. A complementary Personality Factor modeling approach was developedmore » based on analysis to derive relevant personality characteristics from word use. Several implementations of the psychosocial model were evaluated by comparing their agreement with judgments of human resources and management professionals; the personality factor modeling approach was examined using email samples. If implemented in an operational setting, these models should be part of a set of management tools for employee assessment to identify employees who pose a greater insider threat.« less

Factors influencing behavioral intention to undergo Papanicolaou testing in early adulthood: Comparison of Japanese and Korean women.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung-Ah; Kim, Shin-Jeong; Kaneko, Noriyo

2017-12-01

In this study, we identified the factors influencing behavioral intention to undergo Papanicolaou testing among Japanese and Korean women in early adulthood. Their behavioral intentions were compared in this cross-sectional descriptive study. In total, 887 women (Japanese = 498, Korean = 389) aged 20-39 years participated in this study. Using a self-report questionnaire, knowledge, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention were surveyed. There were significant differences between Japanese and Korean women's scores on all main variables. For Japanese women, all the variables moderately correlated with behavioral intention. In comparison, for Korean women, all independent variables, except for knowledge, moderately correlated with behavioral intention. Through a multiple regression analysis, age, undergoing Papanicolaou testing, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were identified as significant predictors of behavioral intention among Japanese women. Among Korean women, job status, undergoing a Papanicolaou test, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were demonstrated as significant predictors of behavioral intention. Health professionals should consider these factors to encourage Papanicolaou testing in women in early adulthood. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Diet Behavior Change Techniques in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cradock, Kevin A; ÓLaighin, Gearóid; Finucane, Francis M; McKay, Rhyann; Quinlan, Leo R; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A; Gainforth, Heather L

2017-12-01

Dietary behavior is closely connected to type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to identify behavior change techniques (BCTs) and specific components of dietary interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes associated with changes in HbA 1c and body weight. The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched. Reports of randomized controlled trials published during 1975-2017 that focused on changing dietary behavior were selected, and methodological rigor, use of BCTs, and fidelity and intervention features were evaluated. In total, 54 studies were included, with 42 different BCTs applied and an average of 7 BCTs used per study. Four BCTs-"problem solving," "feedback on behavior," "adding objects to the environment," and "social comparison"-and the intervention feature "use of theory" were associated with >0.3% (3.3 mmol/mol) reduction in HbA 1c . Meta-analysis revealed that studies that aimed to control or change the environment showed a greater reduction in HbA 1c of 0.5% (5.5 mmol/mol) (95% CI -0.65, -0.34), compared with 0.32% (3.5 mmol/mol) (95% CI -0.40, -0.23) for studies that aimed to change behavior. Limitations of our study were the heterogeneity of dietary interventions and poor quality of reporting of BCTs. This study provides evidence that changing the dietary environment may have more of an effect on HbA 1c in adults with type 2 diabetes than changing dietary behavior. Diet interventions achieved clinically significant reductions in HbA 1c , although initial reductions in body weight diminished over time. If appropriate BCTs and theory are applied, dietary interventions may result in better glucose control. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Preventive behaviors by the level of perceived infection sensitivity during the Korea outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015.

PubMed

Lee, Soon Young; Yang, Hee Jeong; Kim, Gawon; Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Choi, Bo Youl

2016-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between community residents' infection sensitivity and their levels of preventive behaviors during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in Korea. Seven thousands two hundreds eighty one participants from nine areas in Gyeonggi-do including Pyeongtaek, the origin of the outbreak in 2015 agreed to participate in the survey and the data from 6,739 participants were included in the final analysis. The data on the perceived infection sensitivity were subjected to cluster analysis. The levels of stress, reliability/practice of preventive behaviors, hand washing practice and policy credibility during the outbreak period were analyzed for each cluster. Cluster analysis of infection sensitivity due to the MERS outbreak resulted in classification of participants into four groups: the non-sensitive group (14.5%), social concern group (17.4%), neutral group (29.1%), and overall sensitive group (39.0%). A logistic regression analysis found that the overall sensitive group with high sensitivity had higher stress levels (17.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.77 to 23.00), higher reliability on preventive behaviors (5.81; 95% CI, 4.84 to 6.98), higher practice of preventive behaviors (4.53; 95% CI, 3.83 to 5.37) and higher practice of hand washing (2.71; 95% CI, 2.13 to 3.43) during the outbreak period, compared to the non-sensitive group. Infection sensitivity of community residents during the MERS outbreak correlated with gender, age, occupation, and health behaviors. When there is an outbreak in the community, there is need to maintain a certain level of sensitivity while reducing excessive stress, as well as promote the practice of preventive behaviors among local residents. In particular, target groups need to be notified and policies need to be established with a consideration of the socio-demographic characteristics of the community.

Patterns of Self-care in Adults With Heart Failure and Their Associations With Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics, Quality of Life, and Hospitalizations: A Cluster Analysis.

PubMed

Vellone, Ercole; Fida, Roberta; Ghezzi, Valerio; D'Agostino, Fabio; Biagioli, Valentina; Paturzo, Marco; Strömberg, Anna; Alvaro, Rosaria; Jaarsma, Tiny

Self-care is important in heart failure (HF) treatment, but patients may have difficulties and be inconsistent in its performance. Inconsistencies in self-care behaviors may mirror patterns of self-care in HF patients that are worth identifying to provide interventions tailored to patients. The aims of this study are to identify clusters of HF patients in relation to self-care behaviors and to examine and compare the profile of each HF patient cluster considering the patient's sociodemographics, clinical variables, quality of life, and hospitalizations. This was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study in which we enrolled 1192 HF patients across Italy. A cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of patients based on the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale factor scores. Analysis of variance and χ test were used to examine the characteristics of each cluster. Patients were 72.4 years old on average, and 58% were men. Four clusters of patients were identified: (1) high consistent adherence with high consulting behaviors, characterized by younger patients, with higher formal education and higher income, less clinically compromised, with the best physical and mental quality of life (QOL) and lowest hospitalization rates; (2) low consistent adherence with low consulting behaviors, characterized mainly by male patients, with lower formal education and lowest income, more clinically compromised, and worse mental QOL; (3) inconsistent adherence with low consulting behaviors, characterized by patients who were less likely to have a caregiver, with the longest illness duration, the highest number of prescribed medications, and the best mental QOL; (4) and inconsistent adherence with high consulting behaviors, characterized by patients who were mostly female, with lower formal education, worst cognitive impairment, worst physical and mental QOL, and higher hospitalization rates. The 4 clusters identified in this study and their associated characteristics could be used to tailor interventions aimed at improving self-care behaviors in HF patients.

Study nonlinear dynamics of stratospheric ozone concentration at Pakistan Terrestrial region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jan, Bulbul; Zai, Muhammad Ayub Khan Yousuf; Afradi, Faisal Khan; Aziz, Zohaib

2018-03-01

This study investigates the nonlinear dynamics of the stratospheric ozone layer at Pakistan atmospheric region. Ozone considered now the most important issue in the world because of its diverse effects on earth biosphere, including human health, ecosystem, marine life, agriculture yield and climate change. Therefore, this paper deals with total monthly time series data of stratospheric ozone over the Pakistan atmospheric region from 1970 to 2013. Two approaches, basic statistical analysis and Fractal dimension (D) have adapted to study the nature of nonlinear dynamics of stratospheric ozone level. Results obtained from this research have shown that the Hurst exponent values of both methods of fractal dimension revealed an anti-persistent behavior (negatively correlated), i.e. decreasing trend for all lags and Rescaled range analysis is more appropriate as compared to Detrended fluctuation analysis. For seasonal time series all month follows an anti-persistent behavior except in the month of November which shown persistence behavior i.e. time series is an independent and increasing trend. The normality test statistics also confirmed the nonlinear behavior of ozone and the rejection of hypothesis indicates the strong evidence of the complexity of data. This study will be useful to the researchers working in the same field in the future to verify the complex nature of stratospheric ozone.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behavior: A Latent Class Analysis among Young Adults

PubMed Central

Hamza, Chloe A.; Willoughby, Teena

2013-01-01

Although there is a general consensus among researchers that engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with increased risk for suicidal behavior, little attention has been given to whether suicidal risk varies among individuals engaging in NSSI. To identify individuals with a history of NSSI who are most at risk for suicidal behavior, we examined individual variability in both NSSI and suicidal behavior among a sample of young adults with a history of NSSI (N = 439, Mage = 19.1). Participants completed self-report measures assessing NSSI, suicidal behavior, and psychosocial adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms, daily hassles). We conducted a latent class analysis using several characteristics of NSSI and suicidal behaviors as class indicators. Three subgroups of individuals were identified: 1) an infrequent NSSI/not high risk for suicidal behavior group, 2) a frequent NSSI/not high risk for suicidal behavior group, and 3) a frequent NSSI/high risk for suicidal behavior group. Follow-up analyses indicated that individuals in the ‘frequent NSSI/high risk for suicidal behavior’ group met the clinical-cut off score for high suicidal risk and reported significantly greater levels of suicidal ideation, attempts, and risk for future suicidal behavior as compared to the other two classes. Thus, this study is the first to identity variability in suicidal risk among individuals engaging in frequent and multiple methods of NSSI. Class 3 was also differentiated by higher levels of psychosocial impairment relative to the other two classes, as well as a comparison group of non-injuring young adults. Results underscore the importance of assessing individual differences in NSSI characteristics, as well as psychosocial impairment, when assessing risk for suicidal behavior. PMID:23544113

Interdisciplinary Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy as Part of Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Rehabilitation: Experience of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Lindgreen, Pil; Rolving, Nanna; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Lomborg, Kirsten

2016-01-01

Patients receiving lumbar spinal fusion surgery often have persisting postoperative pain negatively affecting their daily life. These patients may be helped by interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral therapy which is recognized as an effective intervention for improving beneficial pain coping behavior, thereby facilitating the rehabilitation process of patients with chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of patients recovering from lumbar spinal fusion surgery and to explore potential similarities and disparities in pain coping behavior between receivers and nonreceivers of interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral group therapy. We conducted semistructured interviews with 10 patients; 5 receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy in connection with their lumbar spinal fusion surgery and 5 receiving usual care. We conducted a phenomenological analysis to reach our first aim and then conducted a comparative content analysis to reach our second aim. Patients' postoperative experience was characterized by the need to adapt to the limitations imposed by back discomfort (coexisting with the back), need for recognition and support from others regarding their pain, a relatively long rehabilitation period during which they "awaited the result of surgery", and ambivalence toward analgesics. The patients in both groups had similar negative perception of analgesics and tended to abstain from them to avoid addiction. Coping behavior apparently differed among receivers and nonreceivers of interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral group therapy. Receivers prevented or minimized pain by resting before pain onset, whereas nonreceivers awaited pain onset before resting. The postoperative experience entailed ambivalence, causing uncertainty, worry and insecurity. This ambivalence was relieved when others recognized the patient's pain and offered support. Cognitive-behavioral therapy as part of rehabilitation may have encouraged beneficial pain coping behavior by altering patients' pain perception and coping behavior, thereby reducing adverse effects of pain.

EXPLAINING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GENDER AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN ADOLESCENTS: AN APPLICATION OF POWER-CONTROL THEORY

PubMed Central

Eitle, Tamela McNulty; Eitle, David

2016-01-01

This study evaluates the utility of Hagan’s power-control theory for explaining substance use behaviors for a sample of American Indian adolescent males and females. Consistent with the theory, we found that patriarchal family form and the affective bond between father and daughter were significant predictors of female substance use behaviors. Compared to results from an analysis of non-Hispanic whites, these results reveal the importance of testing generalist explanations of deviant behavior across racial and ethnic groups. Our findings encourage a more in depth consideration of the gendered nature of work, it’s association with socialization and control in American Indian families, and it’s impact on gender differences in substance use and delinquent behaviors. PMID:27313337

Food Safety Instruction Improves Knowledge and Behavior Risk and Protection Factors for Foodborne Illnesses in Pregnant Populations.

PubMed

Kendall, Patricia; Scharff, Robert; Baker, Susan; LeJeune, Jeffrey; Sofos, John; Medeiros, Lydia

2017-08-01

Objective This study compared knowledge and food-handling behavior after pathogen-specific (experimental treatment) versus basic food safety instruction (active control) presented during nutrition education classes for low-income English- and Spanish-language pregnant women. Methods Subjects (n = 550) were randomly assigned to treatment groups in two different locations in the United States. Food safety instruction was part of an 8-lesson curriculum. Food safety knowledge and behavior were measured pre/post intervention. Descriptive data were analyzed by Chi-Square or ANOVA; changes after intervention were analyzed by regression analysis. Results Knowledge improved after intervention in the pathogen-specific treatment group compared to active control, especially among Spanish-language women. Behavior change after intervention for the pathogen-specific treatment group improved for thermometer usage, refrigeration and consumption of foods at high risk for safety; however, all other improvements in behavior were accounted for by intervention regardless of treatment group. As expected, higher pre-instruction behavioral competency limited potential gain in behavior post-instruction due to a ceiling effect. This effect was more dominant among English-language women. Improvements were also linked to formal education completed, a partner at home, and other children in the home. Conclusions for Practice This study demonstrated that pathogen-specific food safety instruction leads to enhance knowledge and food handling behaviors that may improve the public health of pregnant women and their unborn children, especially among Spanish-language women. More importantly, food safety instruction, even at the most basic level, benefited pregnant women's food safety knowledge and food-handling behavior after intervention.

Trust, conflict, and cooperation: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Balliet, Daniel; Van Lange, Paul A M

2013-09-01

Many theories of trust emphasize that trust is most relevant to behavior in situations involving a conflict of interests. However, it is not clear how trust relates to behavior across situations that differ in the degree of conflicting interest: Does trust matter more when the conflict of interest is small or large? According to an interdependence perspective, trust becomes an especially important determinant of behavior in situations involving larger, compared to smaller, degrees of conflicting interests. To examine this perspective, we conducted a meta-analysis involving 212 effect sizes on the relation between trust (both state and dispositional trust in others) and cooperation in social dilemmas-situations that involve varying degrees of conflict between self-interest and collective interest. Results revealed that the positive relation between trust and cooperation is stronger when there is a larger, compared to smaller, degree of conflict. We also examined several other possible moderators of the relation between trust and cooperation. The relation between trust and cooperation was stronger during individual, compared to intergroup, interactions but did not vary as a function of the situation being either a one-shot or repeated interaction. We also find differences across countries in the extent that people condition their own cooperation based on their trust in others. We discuss how the results support an emerging consensus about trust being limited to situations of conflict and address some theoretical and societal implications for our understanding of how and why trust is so important to social interactions and relationships. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Measurement invariance of TGMD-3 in children with and without mental and behavioral disorders.

PubMed

Magistro, Daniele; Piumatti, Giovanni; Carlevaro, Fabio; Sherar, Lauren B; Esliger, Dale W; Bardaglio, Giulia; Magno, Francesca; Zecca, Massimiliano; Musella, Giovanni

2018-05-24

This study evaluated whether the Test of Gross Motor Development 3 (TGMD-3) is a reliable tool to compare children with and without mental and behavioral disorders across gross motor skill domains. A total of 1,075 children (aged 3-11 years), 98 with mental and behavioral disorders and 977 without (typically developing), were included in the analyses. The TGMD-3 evaluates fundamental gross motor skills of children across two domains: locomotor skills and ball skills. Two independent testers simultaneously observed children's performances (agreement over 95%). Each child completed one practice and then two formal trials. Scores were recorded only during the two formal trials. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested the assumption of TGMD-3 measurement invariance across disability groups. According to the magnitude of changes in root mean square error of approximation and comparative fit index between nested models, the assumption of measurement invariance across groups was valid. Loadings of the manifest indicators on locomotor and ball skills were significant (p < .001) in both groups. Item response theory analysis showed good reliability results across locomotor and the ball skills full latent traits. The present study confirmed the factorial structure of TGMD-3 and demonstrated its feasibility across normally developing children and children with mental and behavioral disorders. These findings provide new opportunities for understanding the effect of specific intervention strategies on this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

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.

Advances in Structural Integrity Analysis Methods for Aging Metallic Airframe Structures with Local Damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starnes, James H., Jr.; Newman, James C., Jr.; Harris, Charles E.; Piascik, Robert S.; Young, Richard D.; Rose, Cheryl A.

2003-01-01

Analysis methodologies for predicting fatigue-crack growth from rivet holes in panels subjected to cyclic loads and for predicting the residual strength of aluminum fuselage structures with cracks and subjected to combined internal pressure and mechanical loads are described. The fatigue-crack growth analysis methodology is based on small-crack theory and a plasticity induced crack-closure model, and the effect of a corrosive environment on crack-growth rate is included. The residual strength analysis methodology is based on the critical crack-tip-opening-angle fracture criterion that characterizes the fracture behavior of a material of interest, and a geometric and material nonlinear finite element shell analysis code that performs the structural analysis of the fuselage structure of interest. The methodologies have been verified experimentally for structures ranging from laboratory coupons to full-scale structural components. Analytical and experimental results based on these methodologies are described and compared for laboratory coupons and flat panels, small-scale pressurized shells, and full-scale curved stiffened panels. The residual strength analysis methodology is sufficiently general to include the effects of multiple-site damage on structural behavior.

Study on prestressed concrete reactor vessel structures. II-5: Crack analysis by three dimensional finite elements method of 1/20 multicavity type PCRV subjected to internal pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A three-dimensional finite elements analysis is reported of the nonlinear behavior of PCRV subjected to internal pressure by comparing calculated results with test results. As the first stage, an analysis considering the nonlinearity of cracking in concrete was attempted. As a result, it is found possible to make an analysis up to three times the design pressure (50 kg/sqcm), and calculated results agree well with test results.

Yokukansan in the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Matsuda, Yuki; Kishi, Taro; Shibayama, Hiroto; Iwata, Nakao

2013-01-01

There is currently no meta-analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of Yokukansan in the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. We used information obtained from the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases until October 2012. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials comparing Yokukansan with usual care (UC, i.e., controls). Standardized mean difference and weighted mean difference were calculated. All studies used the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) for the evaluation of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Four relevant studies (total n = 236) were identified. Yokukansan was superior to UC in the reduction of total NPI scores (p = 0.0009, weighted mean difference = -7.20, I(2) = 0%). In addition, Yokukansan was more efficacious in reducing scores on the NPI subscale (delusions, hallucinations, and agitation/aggression) than UC (p < 0.00001-0.0009). Yokukansan treatment also improved activities of daily living scores compared with UC (p = 0.04, standardized mean difference = -0.32, I(2) = 0%). Mini-mental state examination scores did not differ between the Yokukansan and UC treatment groups. Yokukansan was not different from UC regarding discontinuation due to any cause. Our results suggest that Yokukansan has a beneficial effect on NPI and on ADL scores and that Yokukansan seems to be a well-tolerated treatment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of the Investor's Behavior on the Complexity of the Stock Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atman, A. P. F.; Gonçalves, Bruna Amin

2012-04-01

One of the pillars of the finance theory is the efficient-market hypothesis, which is used to analyze the stock market. However, in recent years, this hypothesis has been questioned by a number of studies showing evidence of unusual behaviors in the returns of financial assets ("anomalies") caused by behavioral aspects of the economic agents. Therefore, it is time to initiate a debate about the efficient-market hypothesis and the "behavioral finances." We here introduce a cellular automaton model to study the stock market complexity, considering different behaviors of the economical agents. From the analysis of the stationary standard of investment observed in the simulations and the Hurst exponents obtained for the term series of stock index, we draw conclusions concerning the complexity of the model compared to real markets. We also investigate which conditions of the investors are able to influence the efficient market hypothesis statements.

PTSD's underlying symptom dimensions and relations with behavioral inhibition and activation.

PubMed

Contractor, Ateka A; Elhai, Jon D; Ractliffe, Kendra C; Forbes, David

2013-10-01

Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) stipulates that individuals have a behavioral activation system (BAS) guiding approach (rewarding) behaviors (Gray, 1971, 1981), and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) guiding conflict resolution between approach and avoidance (punishment) behaviors (Gray & McNaughton, 2000). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity overall relates to both BIS (e.g., Myers, VanMeenen, & Servatius, 2012; Pickett, Bardeen, & Orcutt, 2011) and BAS (Pickett et al., 2011). Using a more refined approach, we assessed specific relations between PTSD's latent factors (Simms, Watson, & Doebbeling, 2002) and observed variables measuring BIS and BAS using 308 adult, trauma-exposed primary care patients. Confirmatory factor analysis and Wald chi-square tests demonstrated a significantly greater association with BIS severity compared to BAS severity for PTSD's dysphoria, avoidance, and re-experiencing factors. Further, PTSD's avoidance factor significantly mediated relations between BIS/BAS severity and PTSD's dysphoria factor. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of Goodwin's business cycle models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonova, A. O.; Reznik, S.; Todorov, M. D.

2016-10-01

We compare the behavior of solutions of Goodwin's business cycle equation in the form of neutral delay differential equation with fixed delay (NDDE model) and in the form of the differential equations of 3rd, 4th and 5th orders (ODE model's). Such ODE model's (Taylor series expansion of NDDE in powers of θ) are proposed in N. Dharmaraj and K. Vela Velupillai [6] for investigation of the short periodic sawthooth oscillations in NDDE. We show that the ODE's of 3rd, 4th and 5th order may approximate the asymptotic behavior of only main Goodwin's mode, but not the sawthooth modes. If the order of the Taylor series expansion exceeds 5, then the approximate ODE becomes unstable independently of time lag θ.

Cross-cultural validity of the theory of planned behavior for predicting healthy food choice in secondary school students of Inner Mongolia.

PubMed

Shimazaki, Takashi; Bao, Hugejiletu; Deli, Geer; Uechi, Hiroaki; Lee, Ying-Hua; Miura, Kayo; Takenaka, Koji

2017-11-01

Unhealthy eating behavior is a serious health concern among secondary school students in Inner Mongolia. To predict their healthy food choices and devise methods of correcting unhealthy choices, we sought to confirm the cross-cultural validity of the theory of planned behavior among Inner Mongolian students. A cross-sectional study, conducted between November and December 2014. Overall, 3047 students were enrolled. We devised a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior to measure its components (intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) in relation to healthy food choices; we also assessed their current engagement in healthy food choices. A principal component analysis revealed high contribution rates for the components (69.32%-88.77%). A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the components of the questionnaire had adequate model fit (goodness of fit index=0.997, adjusted goodness of fit index=0.984, comparative fit index=0.998, and root mean square error of approximation=0.049). Notably, data from participants within the suburbs did not support the theory of planned behavior construction. Several paths did not predict the hypothesis variables. However, attitudes toward healthy food choices strongly predicted behavioral intention (path coefficients 0.49-0.77, p<0.01), regardless of demographic characteristics. Our results support that the theory of planned behavior can apply to secondary school students in urban areas. Furthermore, attitudes towards healthy food choices were the best predictor of behavioral intentions to engage in such choices in Inner Mongolian students. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Epton, Tracy; Harris, Peter R; Kane, Rachel; van Koningsbruggen, Guido M; Sheeran, Paschal

2015-03-01

Self-affirmation (induced by reflecting upon important values, attributes, or social relations) appears to reduce defensive resistance to health-risk information and increase subsequent readiness for health behavior change. However, these effects of self-affirmation have yet to be subjected to formal, quantitative integration. Consequently, the current article reports a meta-analysis of the impact of self-affirmation on outcomes at 3 key points in the process of health-behavior change: (a) message acceptance, (b) intentions to change, and (c) subsequent behavior. The literature search identified 144 experimental tests of the effects of manipulating self-affirmation on these outcomes. Effect sizes were extracted and meta-analyzed. Across 34 tests of message acceptance (N = 3,433), 64 tests of intentions (N = 5,564), and 46 tests of behavior (N = 2,715), random effects models indicated small but reliable positive effects of self-affirmation on each outcome: acceptance, d+ = .17(CI = .03 to .31); intentions, d+ = .14 (CI = .05 to .23); behavior, d+ = .32 (CI = .19 to .44). Findings held across a range of health problems and behaviors. The results suggest that deploying self-affirmation inductions alongside persuasive health information has positive effects, promoting message acceptance, intentions to change, and subsequent behavior. Though the effects are small in magnitude, they are comparable to those obtained in meta-analyses of other health-behavior change interventions. These findings are relevant to researchers and practitioners working to understand why people resist beneficial health information and how such resistance can be reduced. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved

Adolescents' multiple versus single primary attachment figures, reorganization of attachment hierarchy, and adjustments: the important people interview approach.

PubMed

Umemura, Tomotaka; Lacinová, Lenka; Kraus, Jakub; Horská, Eliška; Pivodová, Lenka

2018-04-20

Using 212 adolescents from a central-European country (mean age = 14.02, SD = 2.05, ranged from 11 to 18 years; females = 54%) and a multi-informant method to measure adolescents' behavioral and emotional adjustments, the present study explored three aspects regarding the attachment hierarchy. (1) The three types of behavioral systems of Rosenthal and Kobak's important people interview (IPI) were initially validated using an exploratory factor analysis with a US sample. Using a confirmatory factor analysis with a Czech sample, we replicated these three behavioral systems: attachment bond, support seeking, and affiliation. (2) We found that adolescents who developed attachment bond to multiple primary attachment figures were likely to score lower on both teacher-rated and parent-rated internalizing problems compared to those who had a single primary attachment figure. These multiple primary attachment figures tended to be family members (not peers). (3) Early adolescents who placed parents low in their attachment hierarchy scored higher on self-reported negative affect and lower on self-reported positive affect compared to early adolescents who placed parents high. The present study highlights multiple (vs. single) primary attachment figures as a protective factor and the premature reorganization of attachment hierarchy as a risk factor for adolescents' emotional and affective adjustments.

A Comparative Analysis of Enlisted Career Progression Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

Practice." Unpublished research report, unnumbered, Air Com.and and Staff College, Maxwell AFB AL, May 1977. 23. Ivancevich, John M., Andrew D. Szilagyi ...Jr., and Marc J. Wallace , Jr. Organizational Behavior and Performance. Santa Monica CA: Goodyear Publishing Company, Inc., 1977. 145 24. Jepson, Flight

Accused Murderers: Five MMPI Personality Types.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Wayne P.; Holcomb, William R.

1983-01-01

Identified five types of violent criminals (N=110) using cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scores, and compared them on 24 sociological and behavioral variables. Results showed differences on 16 items including family history, drug and alcohol use, events preceding the crime, and relationship between offender and…

Estimating residential price elasticity of demand for water: A contingent valuation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, John F.; Syme, Geoffrey J.

1988-11-01

Residential households in Perth, Western Australia have access to privately extracted groundwater as well as a public mains water supply, which has been charged through a two-part block tariff. A contingent valuation approach is developed to estimate price elasticity of demand for public supply. Results are compared with those of a multivariate time series analysis. Validation tests for the contingent approach are proposed, based on a comparison of predicted behaviors following hypothesised price changes with relevant independent data. Properly conducted, the contingent approach appears to be reliable, applicable where the available data do not favor regression analysis, and a fruitful source of information about social, technical, and behavioral responses to change in the price of water.

A progress report on UNICOS misuse detection at Los Alamos

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

Thompson, J.L.; Jackson, K.A.; Stallings, C.A.

An effective method for detecting computer misuse is the automatic monitoring and analysis of on-line user activity. During the past year, Los Alamos enhanced its Network Anomaly Detection and Intrusion Reporter (NADIR) to include analysis of user activity on Los Alamos` UNICOS Crays. In near real-time, NADIR compares user activity to historical profiles and tests activity against expert rules. The expert rules express Los Alamos` security policy and define improper or suspicious behavior. NADIR reports suspicious behavior to security auditors and provides tools to aid in follow-up investigations. This paper describes the implementation to date of the UNICOS component ofmore » NADIR, along with the operational experiences and future plans for the system.« less

Evaluation of hydrogen radical treatment for indium surface oxide removal and analysis of re-oxidation behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuyama, Kohta; Yamanaka, Kazuyuki; Higurashi, Eiji; Suga, Tadatomo

2018-02-01

Indium is a commonly used metal for sealing, bonding, and soldering due to its good malleability and ductility even at cryogenic temperatures. The effects of hydrogen radical treatment on indium surface oxide removal were evaluated by the spreading ratio test of indium balls (diameter, 300 µm purity, 99.99%). It was found that hydrogen radical treatment longer than 20 s at temperatures higher than 170 °C results in successful surface oxide removal. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was carried out to study the re-oxidation behavior after treatment, and it was found that hydrogen radical treatment slows down the re-oxidation of indium compared with surface oxide removal realized by physical bombardment with an argon fast atom beam.

Classification of collective behavior: a comparison of tracking and machine learning methods to study the effect of ambient light on fish shoaling.

PubMed

Butail, Sachit; Salerno, Philip; Bollt, Erik M; Porfiri, Maurizio

2015-12-01

Traditional approaches for the analysis of collective behavior entail digitizing the position of each individual, followed by evaluation of pertinent group observables, such as cohesion and polarization. Machine learning may enable considerable advancements in this area by affording the classification of these observables directly from images. While such methods have been successfully implemented in the classification of individual behavior, their potential in the study collective behavior is largely untested. In this paper, we compare three methods for the analysis of collective behavior: simple tracking (ST) without resolving occlusions, machine learning with real data (MLR), and machine learning with synthetic data (MLS). These methods are evaluated on videos recorded from an experiment studying the effect of ambient light on the shoaling tendency of Giant danios. In particular, we compute average nearest-neighbor distance (ANND) and polarization using the three methods and compare the values with manually-verified ground-truth data. To further assess possible dependence on sampling rate for computing ANND, the comparison is also performed at a low frame rate. Results show that while ST is the most accurate at higher frame rate for both ANND and polarization, at low frame rate for ANND there is no significant difference in accuracy between the three methods. In terms of computational speed, MLR and MLS take significantly less time to process an image, with MLS better addressing constraints related to generation of training data. Finally, all methods are able to successfully detect a significant difference in ANND as the ambient light intensity is varied irrespective of the direction of intensity change.

Insight into mental disorders and suicidal behavior: a qualitative and quantitative multimodal investigation.

PubMed

Vilaplana, Marlène; Richard-Devantoy, Stéphane; Turecki, Gustavo; Jaafari, Nematollah; Jollant, Fabrice

2015-03-01

To investigate the association between insight into mental disorders and suicidal behavior. English and French MEDLINE databases up to January 2014 were searched using suicide combined with awareness, consciousness, insight and anosognosia, unawareness, and awareness of illness. We also conducted a cross-sectional study comparing Mood Disorder Insight Scale (MDIS) and 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24), item 17, performance between 22 depressed (DSM-IV-TR criteria) suicide attempters and 22 patient controls. Study selection was based on the STROBE checklist. Selected studies were published in an English- or French-language peer-reviewed journal, included at least 1 measure of insight, and included patients with a history of suicidal behavior. Thirty-two studies were reviewed, of which 12 were longitudinal. A review of the literature and meta-analysis of studies were conducted to compare insight in patients with versus those without a history of suicidal behavior. Most studies (25) were conducted in psychotic disorders. A small majority showed a positive association between 1 measure of insight and higher risk of suicidal ideas or acts in both psychotic and mood disorders. Our study found that suicide attempters, mostly female attempters, tended to have better insight into depression than patient controls according to the HDRS-24 (P = .06, effect size = 1.43 [95% CI, 0.77 to 2.09]) but not MDIS. Finally, a meta-analysis of 7 studies confirmed significantly better insight scores in suicide attempters, with a small effect size (Hedges g = -0.16 [95% CI, -0.3 to -0.03]). Overall, a significant but weak association was found between insight and the risk of suicidal behavior. We also raised methodological and conceptual concerns and discussed new measures (eg, test based). © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Statistical Methodology for the Analysis of Repeated Duration Data in Behavioral Studies.

PubMed

Letué, Frédérique; Martinez, Marie-José; Samson, Adeline; Vilain, Anne; Vilain, Coriandre

2018-03-15

Repeated duration data are frequently used in behavioral studies. Classical linear or log-linear mixed models are often inadequate to analyze such data, because they usually consist of nonnegative and skew-distributed variables. Therefore, we recommend use of a statistical methodology specific to duration data. We propose a methodology based on Cox mixed models and written under the R language. This semiparametric model is indeed flexible enough to fit duration data. To compare log-linear and Cox mixed models in terms of goodness-of-fit on real data sets, we also provide a procedure based on simulations and quantile-quantile plots. We present two examples from a data set of speech and gesture interactions, which illustrate the limitations of linear and log-linear mixed models, as compared to Cox models. The linear models are not validated on our data, whereas Cox models are. Moreover, in the second example, the Cox model exhibits a significant effect that the linear model does not. We provide methods to select the best-fitting models for repeated duration data and to compare statistical methodologies. In this study, we show that Cox models are best suited to the analysis of our data set.

The stepping behavior analysis of pedestrians from different age groups via a single-file experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Shuchao; Zhang, Jun; Song, Weiguo; Shi, Chang'an; Zhang, Ruifang

2018-03-01

The stepping behavior of pedestrians with different age compositions in single-file experiment is investigated in this paper. The relation between step length, step width and stepping time are analyzed by using the step measurement method based on the calculation of curvature of the trajectory. The relations of velocity-step width, velocity-step length and velocity-stepping time for different age groups are discussed and compared with previous studies. Finally effects of pedestrian gender and height on stepping laws and fundamental diagrams are analyzed. The study is helpful for understanding pedestrian dynamics of movement. Meanwhile, it offers experimental data to develop a microscopic model of pedestrian movement by considering stepping behavior.

Comparing Visual and Statistical Analysis in Single-Case Studies Using Published Studies

PubMed Central

Harrington, Magadalena; Velicer, Wayne F.

2015-01-01

Little is known about the extent to which interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA) can be applied to short, single-case study designs and whether those applications produce results consistent with visual analysis (VA). This paper examines the extent to which ITSA can be applied to single-case study designs and compares the results based on two methods: ITSA and VA, using papers published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis in 2010. The study was made possible by the development of software called UnGraph® which facilitates the recovery of raw data from the graphs. ITSA was successfully applied to 94% of the examined graphs with the number of observations ranging from 8 to 136. Moderate to high lag 1 autocorrelations (> .50) were found for 46% of the data series. Effect sizes similar to group-level Cohen’s d were identified based on the tertile distribution. Effects ranging from 0.00 to 0.99 were classified as small, those ranging from 1.00 to 2.49 as medium, and large effect sizes were defined as 2.50 or greater. Comparison of the conclusions from VA and ITSA had a low level of agreement (Kappa = .14, accounting for the agreement expected by chance). The results demonstrate that ITSA can be broadly implemented in applied behavior analysis research. These two methods should be viewed as complimentary and used concurrently. PMID:26609876

Co-Occurrence and Predictors of Three Commonly Occurring Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia: Agitation, Aggression, and Rejection of Care.

PubMed

Choi, Scott Seung W; Budhathoki, Chakra; Gitlin, Laura N

2017-05-01

To investigate co-occurrences of agitation, aggression, and rejection of care in community-dwelling families living with dementia. Cross-sectional, secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial testing a nonpharmacological intervention to reduce behavioral symptoms. We examined frequency of occurrence of presenting behaviors at baseline and their combination. Omnibus tests compared those exhibiting combinations of behaviors on contributory factors. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined relationships of contributory factors to combinations of behaviors. Of 272 persons with dementia (PwDs), 41 (15%) had agitation alone (Agi), 3 (1%) had aggression alone, 5 (2%) had rejection of care alone. For behavioral combinations, 65 (24%) had agitation and aggression (Agi+Aggr), 35 (13%) had agitation and rejection (Agi+Rej), 1 (0%) had aggression and rejection, and 106 (39%) had all three behaviors (All). Four behavioral subgroups (Agi, Agi+Aggr, Agi+Rej, and All) were examined. Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that there were significant group differences in PwD cognition, functional dependence, and caregiver frustration. PwDs in Agi+Rej and All were more cognitively impaired than those in Agi and Agi+Aggr. Also, caregivers in All were more frustrated than those in Agi. In logistic regression analyses, compared with Agi, greater cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of Agi+Rej and All, but not Agi+Aggr. In contrast, greater caregiver frustration was a significant predictor of Agi+Aggr and All, but not Agi+Rej. We found that agitation, aggression, and rejection are common but distinct behaviors. Combinations of these behaviors have different relationships with contributory factors, suggesting the need for targeting treatment approaches to clusters. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and associated behavioral symptoms of depression in mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Van der Mussele, Stefan; Bekelaar, Kim; Le Bastard, Nathalie; Vermeiren, Yannick; Saerens, Jos; Somers, Nore; Mariën, Peter; Goeman, Johan; De Deyn, Peter P; Engelborghs, Sebastiaan

2013-09-01

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical concept that categorizes subjects who are in an intermediate cognitive state between normal aging and dementia. The aims of this study are to determine the prevalence of significant depressive symptoms in MCI and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and to characterize the behavior associated with significant depressive symptoms in MCI and AD patients. A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a prospective, longitudinal study on behavioral symptoms of dementia and MCI was performed. The study population consisted of 270 MCI and 402 AD patients. Behavioral assessment was performed by means of Middelheim Frontality Score, Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (Behave-AD) and Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. The presence of significant depressive symptoms was defined as a Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia total score >7. The prevalence of significant depressive symptoms in AD patients (25%) was higher compared with MCI patients (16%) (p = 0.005). Patients with significant depressive symptoms showed an increased severity of frontal lobe symptoms, behavioral symptoms and agitation (Middelheim Frontality Score, Behave-AD and Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory total scores; p < 0.001). Also, most of the individual frontal lobe and behavioral symptoms were more prevalent and severe, resulting in higher Behave-AD global scores. Mild cognitive impairment patients with depressive symptoms showed more severe behavioral symptoms and more severe verbally agitated behavior than AD patients without depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). Frontal lobe and behavioral symptoms are more prevalent and severe in MCI and AD patients with significant depressive symptoms as compared with patients without depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Direct costs of preventive headache treatments: comparison of behavioral and pharmacologic approaches.

PubMed

Schafer, Allison M; Rains, Jeanetta C; Penzien, Donald B; Groban, Leanne; Smitherman, Todd A; Houle, Timothy T

2011-06-01

This study provides preliminary data and a framework to facilitate cost comparisons for pharmacologic vs behavioral approaches to headache prophylactic treatment. There are few empirical demonstrations of cumulative costs for pharmacologic and behavioral headache treatments, and there are no direct comparisons of short- and long-range (5-year) costs for pharmacologic vs behavioral headache treatments. Two separate pilot surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of behavioral specialists and physicians identified from the membership of the American Headache Society. Costs of prototypical regimens for preventive pharmacologic treatment (PPT), clinic-based behavioral treatment (CBBT), minimal contact behavioral treatment (MCBT), and group behavioral treatment were assessed. Each survey addressed total cost accumulated during treatment (ie, intake, professional fees) excluding costs of acute medications. The total costs of preventive headache therapy by type of treatment were then evaluated and compared over time. During the initial months of treatment, PPT with inexpensive mediations (<0.75 $/day) represents the least costly regimen and is comparable to MCBT in expense until 6 months. After 6 months, PPT is expected to become more costly, particularly when medication cost exceeds 0.75$ a day. When using an expensive medication (>3 $/day), preventive drug treatment becomes more expensive than CBBT after the first year. Long-term, and within year 1, MCBT was found to be the least costly approach to migraine prevention. Through year 1 of treatment, inexpensive prophylactic medications (such as generically available beta-blocker or tricyclic antidepressant medications) and behavioral interventions utilizing limited delivery formats (MCBT) are the least costly of the empirically validated interventions. This analysis suggests that, relative to pharmacologic options, limited format behavioral interventions are cost-competitive in the early phases of treatment and become more cost-efficient as the years of treatment accrue. © 2011 American Headache Society.

Comparative analysis of quantitative efficiency evaluation methods for transportation networks

PubMed Central

He, Yuxin; Hong, Jian

2017-01-01

An effective evaluation of transportation network efficiency could offer guidance for the optimal control of urban traffic. Based on the introduction and related mathematical analysis of three quantitative evaluation methods for transportation network efficiency, this paper compares the information measured by them, including network structure, traffic demand, travel choice behavior and other factors which affect network efficiency. Accordingly, the applicability of various evaluation methods is discussed. Through analyzing different transportation network examples it is obtained that Q-H method could reflect the influence of network structure, traffic demand and user route choice behavior on transportation network efficiency well. In addition, the transportation network efficiency measured by this method and Braess’s Paradox can be explained with each other, which indicates a better evaluation of the real operation condition of transportation network. Through the analysis of the network efficiency calculated by Q-H method, it can also be drawn that a specific appropriate demand is existed to a given transportation network. Meanwhile, under the fixed demand, both the critical network structure that guarantees the stability and the basic operation of the network and a specific network structure contributing to the largest value of the transportation network efficiency can be identified. PMID:28399165

Comparative analysis of quantitative efficiency evaluation methods for transportation networks.

PubMed

He, Yuxin; Qin, Jin; Hong, Jian

2017-01-01

An effective evaluation of transportation network efficiency could offer guidance for the optimal control of urban traffic. Based on the introduction and related mathematical analysis of three quantitative evaluation methods for transportation network efficiency, this paper compares the information measured by them, including network structure, traffic demand, travel choice behavior and other factors which affect network efficiency. Accordingly, the applicability of various evaluation methods is discussed. Through analyzing different transportation network examples it is obtained that Q-H method could reflect the influence of network structure, traffic demand and user route choice behavior on transportation network efficiency well. In addition, the transportation network efficiency measured by this method and Braess's Paradox can be explained with each other, which indicates a better evaluation of the real operation condition of transportation network. Through the analysis of the network efficiency calculated by Q-H method, it can also be drawn that a specific appropriate demand is existed to a given transportation network. Meanwhile, under the fixed demand, both the critical network structure that guarantees the stability and the basic operation of the network and a specific network structure contributing to the largest value of the transportation network efficiency can be identified.

Associations of Health-Risk Behaviors and Health Cognition With Sexual Orientation Among Adolescents in School: Analysis of Pooled Data From Korean Nationwide Survey From 2008 to 2012.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Yun; Kim, Seo-Hee; Woo, Sook Young; Yoon, Byung-Koo; Choi, DooSeok

2016-05-01

Homosexual adolescents may face significant health disparities. We examined health-risk behaviors and health cognition related to homosexual behavior in a representative sample of adolescents.Data were obtained from 129,900 adolescents between 2008 and 2012 over 5 cycles of the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a national survey of students in grades 7 to 12. Various health-risk behaviors and aspects of health cognition were compared between homosexual and heterosexual adolescents and analyzed with multiple logistic regression models.Compared with heterosexual adolescents (n = 127,594), homosexual adolescents (n = 2306) were more likely to engage in various health-risk behaviors and to have poor health cognition. In multiple logistic regression analysis, not living with parents, alcohol experience (adjusted odds ratio, 1.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.78 for males and 1.66; 1.33-2.07 for females), smoking experience (1.80; 1.54-2.10 for males and 3.15; 2.61-3.79 for females), and drug experience (3.65; 2.81-4.80 for males and 3.23; 2.35-4.46 for females) were associated with homosexual behavior. Homosexual adolescents were more likely to use adult internet content (2.82; 2.27-3.50 for males and 7.42; 4.19-13.15 for females), and to be depressed (1.21; 1.03-1.43 for males and 1.32; 1.06-1.64 for females). In addition, suicide ideation (1.51; 1.26-1.81 for males and 1.47; 1.16-1.86 for females) and attempts (1.67; 1.37-2.05 for males and 1.65; 1.34-2.03 for females) were significantly more prevalent among homosexual adolescents.Homosexual adolescents report disparities in various aspects of health-risk behavior and health cognition, including use of multiple substances, adult internet content and inappropriate weight loss methods, suicide ideation and attempts, and depressive mood. These factors should be addressed relevantly to develop specific interventions regarding sexual minorities.

A comparison of procedures for unpairing conditioned reflexive motivating operations.

PubMed

Kettering, Tracy L; Neef, Nancy A; Kelley, Michael E; Heward, William L

2018-03-01

This study compared the effectiveness of two procedures to reduce behavior evoked by a reflexive conditioned motivating operation (CMO-R). Task demands were shown to evoke escape-maintained problem behavior for 4 students with disabilities. Alternative communication responses were taught as an appropriate method to request escape and this treatment combined with extinction for problem behavior led to decreases in problem behavior for all students. A beeping timer was then arranged to temporally precede the task demand to create a CMO-R that evoked communication responses. When data showed that the sound of the timer was functioning as a CMO-R, two methods to reduce behavior evoked by a CMO-R-extinction unpairing and noncontingent unpairing-were evaluated. Results indicated that noncontingent unpairing was an effective method to reduce the evocative effects of the CMO-R. Extinction produced unsystematic effects across participants. Results are discussed in terms of abolishing CMOs and the implications of CMOs. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Surrounding Research on Genetic Contributions to Anti-Social Behavior

PubMed Central

Berryessa, Colleen M.; Martinez-Martin, Nicole A.; Allyse, Megan A.

2013-01-01

Scientific study of genetic contributions to chronic antisocial behavior has stemmed from many lines of research in recent years. Genetic research involving twin, family, and adoption studies have traditionally been used to compare the health and behavior outcomes of individuals who share the same environment or hereditary lineage; several of these studies have concluded that heredity plays some role in the formation of chronic antisocial behavior, including various forms of aggression and chronic norm-defiance. However, the ethical, social, and legal environment surrounding research on the biological contributions to antisocial behavior in the United States is contentious. Although there has been some discussion in the last few decades regarding the ethical, social, and legal concerns around this type of research within academic and policy circles, analysis and discussion of these concerns rarely appear together. This paper explores the main themes that interact to form the basis of much of the resistance to positing biological contributions to antisocial behavior. PMID:24319343

Demographic and Developmental Differences in the Content and Sequence of Adolescents’ Ideal Romantic Relationship Behaviors

PubMed Central

Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Goldberg, Shoshana K.; Widman, Laura; Reese, Bianka M.; Halpern, Carolyn T.

2015-01-01

This study utilizes data from 18,392 respondents (aged 12–19) in Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to provide a detailed descriptive analysis of U.S. adolescents’ desired behaviors in their ideal romantic relationships. Age, gender, and ethnic group differences in the desire for—and preferred sequence of—a set of activities that could occur in a hypothetical romantic relationship were explored within subsets of heterosexual (n=17,274) and sexual minority adolescents (n=1,118). Non-sexual behaviors were more commonly desired compared to sexual behaviors. The typical desired behavioral sequence was: holding hands, going out alone, telling others they were a couple, kissing, saying “I love you,” sexual touching, and finally having sex. Overall, more similarities than differences emerged across groups, with some notable differences in the percentages who desired sexual behaviors. Results provide a nuanced picture of adolescent relationship scripts, with implications for education and prevention. PMID:26431691

A Qualitative Comparison of Susceptibility and Behavior in Recreational and Occupational Risk Environments: Implications for Promoting Health and Safety.

PubMed

Haas, Emily Joy; Mattson, Marifran

2016-06-01

Although internal factors that influence risk are frequently studied to understand human behavior, external factors, including social, cultural, and institutional factors, should be better utilized to inform ways to efficiently target, tailor, and promote safety messaging to at-risk populations. Semi-structured interviews obtained data from 37 motorcyclists and 18 mineworkers about their risk perceptions and behaviors within their respective dynamic environments. A comparative thematic analysis revealed information about external factors that influence risk perceptions and behaviors. Results support the importance of qualitative approaches for assessing and targeting individuals' risk perceptions and behaviors. In addition, segmenting at-risk subgroups within target populations and tailoring messages for these at-risk groups is critical for safety behavior modification. Practitioners should utilize strategic, culture-centric risk communication that takes into account external factors when determining when, who, and what to communicate via health promotion activities to more accurately disseminate valid, empathetic, and engaging communication with a higher level of fidelity.

Effects of a group rational-emotive behavior therapy program on the Type A behavior pattern.

PubMed

Möller, A T; Botha, H C

1996-06-01

A sample of 44 male Type A insurance representatives, selected by means of the Videotaped Structured Interview, were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 22) and a delayed treatment control group (n = 22). The treatment group participated in 9 weekly sessions of group Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy and were followed up after 10 weeks. After the control period, the delayed treatment control group received the same treatment program. Repeated measurements were obtained by means of the Videotaped Structured Interview, Jenkins Activity Survey, Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, and Type A Cognitive Questionnaire. Self and spouse/friend ratings of Type A behavior were obtained by means of the Bortner Rating Scale. Analysis indicated that, compared to the control condition, the therapy significantly reduced the intensity of Type A behavior and its time urgency component. These improvements were maintained at follow-up and were accompanied by self-reports of significant positive changes in Type A behavior and irrational beliefs.

Dynamic Modeling of ALS Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry

2002-01-01

The purpose of dynamic modeling and simulation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems is to help design them. Static steady state systems analysis provides basic information and is necessary to guide dynamic modeling, but static analysis is not sufficient to design and compare systems. ALS systems must respond to external input variations and internal off-nominal behavior. Buffer sizing, resupply scheduling, failure response, and control system design are aspects of dynamic system design. We develop two dynamic mass flow models and use them in simulations to evaluate systems issues, optimize designs, and make system design trades. One model is of nitrogen leakage in the space station, the other is of a waste processor failure in a regenerative life support system. Most systems analyses are concerned with optimizing the cost/benefit of a system at its nominal steady-state operating point. ALS analysis must go beyond the static steady state to include dynamic system design. All life support systems exhibit behavior that varies over time. ALS systems must respond to equipment operating cycles, repair schedules, and occasional off-nominal behavior or malfunctions. Biological components, such as bioreactors, composters, and food plant growth chambers, usually have operating cycles or other complex time behavior. Buffer sizes, material stocks, and resupply rates determine dynamic system behavior and directly affect system mass and cost. Dynamic simulation is needed to avoid the extremes of costly over-design of buffers and material reserves or system failure due to insufficient buffers and lack of stored material.

An analysis of the wear behavior of SiC whisker reinforced alumina from 25 to 1200 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dellacorte, Christopher

1991-01-01

A model is described for predicting the wear behavior of whisker reinforced ceramics. The model was successfully applied to a silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina ceramic composite subjected to sliding contact. The model compares the friction forces on the whiskers due to sliding, which act to pull or push them out of the matrix, to the clamping or compressive forces on the whiskers due to the matrix, which act to hold the whiskers in the composite. At low temperatures, the whiskers are held strongly in the matrix and are fractured into pieces during the wear process along with the matrix. At elevated temperatures differential thermal expansion between the whiskers and matrix can cause loosening of the whiskers and lead to pullout during the wear process and to higher wear. The model, which represents the combination of elastic stress analysis and a friction heating analysis, predicts a transition temperature at which the strength of the whiskers equals the clamping force holding them in the matrix. Above the transition the whiskers are pulled out of the matrix during sliding, and below the transition the whiskers are simply fractured. The existence of the transition gives rise to a dual wear mode or mechanism behavior for this material which was observed in laboratory experiments. The results from this model correlate well with experimentally observed behavior indicating that the model may be useful in obtaining a better understanding of material behavior and in making material improvements.

An analysis of the wear behavior of SiC whisker-reinforced alumina from 25 to 1200 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dellacorte, Christopher

1993-01-01

A model is described for predicting the wear behavior of whisker reinforced ceramics. The model was successfully applied to a silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina ceramic composite subjected to sliding contact. The model compares the friction forces on the whiskers due to sliding, which act to pull or push them out of the matrix, to the clamping or compressive forces on the whiskers due to the matrix, which act to hold the whiskers in the composite. At low temperatures, the whiskers are held strongly in the matrix and are fractured into pieces during the wear process along with the matrix. At elevated temperatures differential thermal expansion between the whiskers and matrix can cause loosening of the whiskers and lead to pullout during the wear process and to higher wear. The model, which represents the combination of elastic stress analysis and a friction heating analysis, predicts a transition temperature at which the strength of the whiskers equals the clamping force holding them in the matrix. Above the transition the whiskers are pulled out of the matrix during sliding, and below the transition the whiskers are simply fractured. The existence of the transition gives rise to a dual wear mode or mechanism behavior for this material which was observed in laboratory experiments. The results from this model correlate well with experimentally observed behavior indicating that the model may be useful in obtaining a better understanding of material behavior and in making material improvements.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of remotely delivered interventions using self-monitoring or tailored feedback to change dietary behavior.

PubMed

Teasdale, Natalie; Elhussein, Ahmed; Butcher, Frances; Piernas, Carmen; Cowburn, Gill; Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie; Saksena, Rhea; Scarborough, Peter

2018-02-01

Self-monitoring (SM) of diet and tailored feedback (TF) have been suggested as tools for changing dietary behavior. New technologies allow users to monitor behavior remotely, potentially improving reach, adherence, and outcomes. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to address the following question: are remotely delivered standalone (i.e., no human contact) interventions that use SM or TF effective in changing eating behaviors? Five databases were searched in October 2016 (updated in September 2017). Only randomized controlled trials published after 1990 were included. Trials could include any adult population with no history of disordered eating which delivered an SM or TF intervention without direct contact and recorded actual dietary consumption as an outcome. Three assessors independently screened the search results. Two reviewers extracted the study characteristics, intervention details, and outcomes, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool. Results were converted to standardized mean differences and incorporated into a 3-level (individuals and outcomes nested in studies) random effects meta-analysis. Twenty-six studies containing 21,262 participants were identified. The majority of the studies were judged to be unclear or at high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed dietary improvement in the intervention group compared to the control group with a standardized mean difference of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.24; P < 0.0001). The I2 statistic for the meta-analysis was 0.77, indicating substantial heterogeneity in results. A "one study removed" sensitivity analysis showed that no single study excessively influenced the results. Standalone interventions containing self-regulatory methods have a small but significant effect on dietary behavior, and integrating these elements could be important in future interventions. However, there was substantial variation in study results that could not be explained by the characteristics we explored, and there were risk-of-bias concerns with the majority of studies.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of remotely delivered interventions using self-monitoring or tailored feedback to change dietary behavior

PubMed Central

Teasdale, Natalie; Elhussein, Ahmed; Butcher, Frances; Piernas, Carmen; Cowburn, Gill; Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie; Saksena, Rhea; Scarborough, Peter

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Self-monitoring (SM) of diet and tailored feedback (TF) have been suggested as tools for changing dietary behavior. New technologies allow users to monitor behavior remotely, potentially improving reach, adherence, and outcomes. Objective We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to address the following question: are remotely delivered standalone (i.e., no human contact) interventions that use SM or TF effective in changing eating behaviors? Design Five databases were searched in October 2016 (updated in September 2017). Only randomized controlled trials published after 1990 were included. Trials could include any adult population with no history of disordered eating which delivered an SM or TF intervention without direct contact and recorded actual dietary consumption as an outcome. Three assessors independently screened the search results. Two reviewers extracted the study characteristics, intervention details, and outcomes, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool. Results were converted to standardized mean differences and incorporated into a 3-level (individuals and outcomes nested in studies) random effects meta-analysis. Results Twenty-six studies containing 21,262 participants were identified. The majority of the studies were judged to be unclear or at high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed dietary improvement in the intervention group compared to the control group with a standardized mean difference of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.24; P < 0.0001). The I2 statistic for the meta-analysis was 0.77, indicating substantial heterogeneity in results. A “one study removed” sensitivity analysis showed that no single study excessively influenced the results. Conclusions Standalone interventions containing self-regulatory methods have a small but significant effect on dietary behavior, and integrating these elements could be important in future interventions. However, there was substantial variation in study results that could not be explained by the characteristics we explored, and there were risk-of-bias concerns with the majority of studies. PMID:29529158

INTERPRETING PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCORES FROM NEW WORK DISABILITY INSTRUMENTS

PubMed Central

Marfeo, Elizabeth E.; Ni, Pengsheng; Chan, Leighton; Rasch, Elizabeth K.; McDonough, Christine M.; Brandt, Diane E.; Bogusz, Kara; Jette, Alan M.

2015-01-01

Objective To develop a system to guide interpretation of scores generated from 2 new instruments measuring work-related physical and behavioral health functioning (Work Disability – Physical Function (WD-PF) and WD – Behavioral Function (WD-BH)). Design Cross-sectional, secondary data from 3 independent samples to develop and validate the functional levels for physical and behavioral health functioning. Subjects Physical group: 999 general adult subjects, 1,017 disability applicants and 497 work-disabled subjects. Behavioral health group: 1,000 general adult subjects, 1,015 disability applicants and 476 work-disabled subjects. Methods Three-phase analytic approach including item mapping, a modified-Delphi technique, and known-groups validation analysis were used to develop and validate cut-points for functional levels within each of the WD-PF and WD-BH instrument’s scales. Results Four and 5 functional levels were developed for each of the scales in the WD-PF and WD-BH instruments. Distribution of the comparative samples was in the expected direction: the general adult samples consistently demonstrated scores at higher functional levels compared with the claimant and work-disabled samples. Conclusion Using an item-response theory-based methodology paired with a qualitative process appears to be a feasible and valid approach for translating the WD-BH and WD-PF scores into meaningful levels useful for interpreting a person’s work-related physical and behavioral health functioning. PMID:25729901

Music interventions and group participation skills of preschoolers with visual impairments: raising questions about music, arousal, and attention.

PubMed

Robb, Sheri L

2003-01-01

The purposes of this pilot study were two-fold: First, to document and compare attentive behavior during music and play-based group instructional sessions and second, to document and compare 4 group participation behaviors during music and play-based sessions. The 4 group participation behaviors included facing a central speaker, following onestep directions, manipulating objects according to their function, and remaining seated. Six of the 12 children enrolled completed the study, with all participants enrolled in an early intervention program due to visual impairments. Study participants were between the ages of 4 and 6 years inclusively. Children participated in 4, 30-minute instructional sessions. Two instructional sessions were music-based and two were play-based with the 4 sessions equally distributed across a 2-week period. An ABBA design was used to control for possible order effects. Each session was videotaped to facilitate collection of behavioral data. Statistical analysis of these data revealed that attentive behavior was significantly higher during music based-sessions (t(5) = 5.81; p =.002). Mean scores for the remaining group participation behaviors were higher in the music condition, but these differences were not statistically significant. Discussion regarding differential outcomes among participants, as well as an exploration of theories related to music, arousal, and attention are discussed in an effort to guide future research.

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Seyffert, Michael; Lagisetty, Pooja; Landgraf, Jessica; Chopra, Vineet; Pfeiffer, Paul N; Conte, Marisa L; Rogers, Mary A M

2016-01-01

Insomnia is of major public health importance. While cognitive behavioral therapy is beneficial, in-person treatment is often unavailable. We assessed the effectiveness of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The primary objectives were to determine whether online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia could improve sleep efficiency and reduce the severity of insomnia in adults. Secondary outcomes included sleep quality, total sleep time, time in bed, sleep onset latency, wake time after sleep onset, and number of nocturnal awakenings. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Embase, and the Web of Science for randomized trials. Studies were eligible if they were randomized controlled trials in adults that reported application of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia via internet delivery. Mean differences in improvement in sleep measures were calculated using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random effects meta-analysis. We found 15 trials, all utilizing a pretest-posttest randomized control group design. Sleep efficiency was 72% at baseline and improved by 7.2% (95% CI: 5.1%, 9.3%; p<0.001) with internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy versus control. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in a decrease in the insomnia severity index by 4.3 points (95% CI: -7.1, -1.5; p = 0.017) compared to control. Total sleep time averaged 5.7 hours at baseline and increased by 20 minutes with internet-delivered therapy versus control (95% CI: 9, 31; p = 0.004). The severity of depression decreased by 2.3 points (95% CI: -2.9, -1.7; p = 0.013) in individuals who received internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy compared to control. Improvements in sleep efficiency, the insomnia severity index and depression scores with internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy were maintained from 4 to 48 weeks after post-treatment assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and insomnia severity index for internet-delivered versus in-person therapy with a trained therapist. In conclusion, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in improving sleep in adults with insomnia. Efforts should be made to educate the public and expand access to this therapy. Registration Number, Prospero: CRD42015017622.

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Seyffert, Michael; Lagisetty, Pooja; Landgraf, Jessica; Chopra, Vineet; Pfeiffer, Paul N.; Conte, Marisa L.; Rogers, Mary A. M.

2016-01-01

Background Insomnia is of major public health importance. While cognitive behavioral therapy is beneficial, in-person treatment is often unavailable. We assessed the effectiveness of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Objectives The primary objectives were to determine whether online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia could improve sleep efficiency and reduce the severity of insomnia in adults. Secondary outcomes included sleep quality, total sleep time, time in bed, sleep onset latency, wake time after sleep onset, and number of nocturnal awakenings. Data Sources We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Embase, and the Web of Science for randomized trials. Methods Studies were eligible if they were randomized controlled trials in adults that reported application of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia via internet delivery. Mean differences in improvement in sleep measures were calculated using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman method for random effects meta-analysis. Results We found 15 trials, all utilizing a pretest-posttest randomized control group design. Sleep efficiency was 72% at baseline and improved by 7.2% (95% CI: 5.1%, 9.3%; p<0.001) with internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy versus control. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in a decrease in the insomnia severity index by 4.3 points (95% CI: -7.1, -1.5; p = 0.017) compared to control. Total sleep time averaged 5.7 hours at baseline and increased by 20 minutes with internet-delivered therapy versus control (95% CI: 9, 31; p = 0.004). The severity of depression decreased by 2.3 points (95% CI: -2.9, -1.7; p = 0.013) in individuals who received internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy compared to control. Improvements in sleep efficiency, the insomnia severity index and depression scores with internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy were maintained from 4 to 48 weeks after post-treatment assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and insomnia severity index for internet-delivered versus in-person therapy with a trained therapist. Conclusion In conclusion, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in improving sleep in adults with insomnia. Efforts should be made to educate the public and expand access to this therapy. Registration Number, Prospero: CRD42015017622 PMID:26867139

Improving Public Perception of Behavior Analysis.

PubMed

Freedman, David H

2016-05-01

The potential impact of behavior analysis is limited by the public's dim awareness of the field. The mass media rarely cover behavior analysis, other than to echo inaccurate negative stereotypes about control and punishment. The media instead play up appealing but less-evidence-based approaches to problems, a key example being the touting of dubious diets over behavioral approaches to losing excess weight. These sorts of claims distort or skirt scientific evidence, undercutting the fidelity of behavior analysis to scientific rigor. Strategies for better connecting behavior analysis with the public might include reframing the field's techniques and principles in friendlier, more resonant form; pushing direct outcome comparisons between behavior analysis and its rivals in simple terms; and playing up the "warm and fuzzy" side of behavior analysis.

Operational Influence on Thermal Behavior of High-Speed Helical Gear Trains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handschuh, Robert F.; Kilmain, Charles J.

2006-01-01

An experimental effort has been conducted on an aerospace-quality helical gear train to investigate the thermal behavior of the gear system as many important operational conditions were varied. Drive system performance measurements were made at varying speeds and loads (to 5,000 hp and 15,000 rpm). Also, an analytical effort was undertaken for comparison to the measured results. The influence of the various loss mechanisms from the analysis for this high speed helical gear train gearbox will be presented and compared to the experimental results.

Behavioral modeling of VCSELs for high-speed optical interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szczerba, Krzysztof; Kocot, Chris

2018-02-01

Transition from on-off keying to 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) in VCSEL based optical interconnects allows for an increase of data rates, at the cost of 4.8 dB sensitivity penalty. The resulting strained link budget creates a need for accurate VCSEL models for driver integrated circuit (IC) design and system level simulations. Rate equation based equivalent circuit models are convenient for the IC design, but system level analysis requires computationally efficient closed form behavioral models based Volterra series and neural networks. In this paper we present and compare these models.

Behavior change interventions: the potential of ontologies for advancing science and practice.

PubMed

Larsen, Kai R; Michie, Susan; Hekler, Eric B; Gibson, Bryan; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Ahern, David; Cole-Lewis, Heather; Ellis, Rebecca J Bartlett; Hesse, Bradford; Moser, Richard P; Yi, Jean

2017-02-01

A central goal of behavioral medicine is the creation of evidence-based interventions for promoting behavior change. Scientific knowledge about behavior change could be more effectively accumulated using "ontologies." In information science, an ontology is a systematic method for articulating a "controlled vocabulary" of agreed-upon terms and their inter-relationships. It involves three core elements: (1) a controlled vocabulary specifying and defining existing classes; (2) specification of the inter-relationships between classes; and (3) codification in a computer-readable format to enable knowledge generation, organization, reuse, integration, and analysis. This paper introduces ontologies, provides a review of current efforts to create ontologies related to behavior change interventions and suggests future work. This paper was written by behavioral medicine and information science experts and was developed in partnership between the Society of Behavioral Medicine's Technology Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Theories and Techniques of Behavior Change Interventions SIG. In recent years significant progress has been made in the foundational work needed to develop ontologies of behavior change. Ontologies of behavior change could facilitate a transformation of behavioral science from a field in which data from different experiments are siloed into one in which data across experiments could be compared and/or integrated. This could facilitate new approaches to hypothesis generation and knowledge discovery in behavioral science.

Mobility disability and the pattern of accelerometer-derived sedentary and physical activity behaviors in people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Ezeugwu, Victor; Klaren, Rachel E; A Hubbard, Elizabeth; Manns, Patricia Trish; Motl, Robert W

2015-01-01

Low physical activity and high sedentary behavior levels are major concerns in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and these differ depending on the level of mobility disability. However, the manner in which daily activity is accumulated is currently unknown in this population. A secondary analysis was performed on a combined data set of persons with MS from two previous investigations of physical activity and symptomatic or quality of life outcomes in the United States over a two year period (2007-2009). Mobility disability status was determined using the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) while activity behavior was objectively monitored using an ActiGraph accelerometer for 7 days. Persons with MS who have mobility disability were involved in sedentary behavior, light and moderate intensity activity for 65%, 34% and 1% of the day, respectively compared to 60%, 37%, and 3%, respectively in those without mobility disability (p < 0.05). Breaks in sedentary time did not differ by mobility disability status. Compared to those without mobility disability, the average number of sedentary bouts longer than 30 min was greater in those with mobility disability (p = 0.016). Persons with MS with mobility disability are less active, engage in more sedentary behavior and accumulate prolonged sedentary bouts.

A conceptual model of parental behavior change following a child's dental general anesthesia procedure.

PubMed

Amin, Maryam S; Harrison, Rosamurd L

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate parents' challenges to long-term maintenance of healthy behaviors following their child's dental general anesthesia (GA). Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children younger than 6 years of age who had dental treatment under GA. The interviews were scheduled at various time periods following the surgery. Compared were the responses of: (1) "relapse" families, whose child had new cavities at the 6-month recall; and (2) "no relapse" families, who were caries-free at recoil. A grounded theory approach to data analysis was used. "Relapse" parents: (1) valued baby teeth differently; (2) perceived their child to be less susceptible to new cavities; and (3) expressed lower self-efficacy for controlling their child's oral health compared to "no relapse" parents. They also appeared to be: (1) in earlier stages of change; (2) less receptive to advice from others, including professionals; and (3) more permissive regarding their child's desires. "Relapse" parents did not seem to have any immediate plans to change their "home-care" behaviors. GA did not appear to affect long-term preventive behaviors for all parents. Readiness to change seemed to be an important predictor of whether parents adopted and maintained preventive behaviors to improve their child's oral health.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Contextual Behavioral Science: Examining the Progress of a Distinctive Model of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy

PubMed Central

Hayes, Steven C.; Levin, Michael E.; Plumb-Vilardaga, Jennifer; Villatte, Jennifer L.; Pistorello, Jacqueline

2012-01-01

A number of recent authors have compared acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and traditional cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The present article describes ACT as a distinct and unified model of behavior change, linked to a specific strategy of scientific development, which we term “contextual behavioral science.” We outline the empirical progress of ACT and describe its distinctive development strategy. A contextual behavioral science approach is an inductive attempt to build more adequate psychological systems based on philosophical clarity; the development of basic principles and theories; the development of applied theories linked to basic ones; techniques and components linked to these processes and principles; measurement of theoretically key processes; an emphasis on mediation and moderation in the analysis of applied impact; an interest in effectiveness, dissemination, and training; empirical testing of the research program across a broad range of areas and levels of analysis; and the creation of a more effective scientific and clinical community. We argue that this is a reasonable approach, focused on long-term progress, and that in broad terms it seems to be working. ACT is not hostile to traditional CBT, and is not directly buoyed by whatever weaknesses traditional CBT may have. ACT should be measured at least in part against its own goals as specified by its own developmental strategy. PMID:23611068

Assessment of fruit and vegetable intake behavior among adolescents in Hangzhou, China.

PubMed

Mao, Chenjia; Xu, Liangwen; Xu, Li; Ma, Haiyan; Liu, Tingjie; Qu, Xuping; Hu, Hanqiong; Yang, Qifa

2012-09-01

To evaluate the fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of adolescents, assess factors influencing intake and discuss health education strategies related to this behavior. In Hangzhou, China, 861 students aged 13.68 ± 1.03 years were randomly recruited to carry out a cross-sectional, school-based survey. The design of the survey questionnaire was based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Behavior Change. Results of the survey rated FV consumption and children's readiness to assume healthier dietary choices. The study design incorporated the four core constructs of TTM: stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy. Results were assessed by chi-square tests, analysis of variance, Tukey's post-hoc tests and logistic regression analysis. Majority of the participants were in the TTM contemplation stage of change. The average number of FV servings among participants was 3.12 ± 1.41 per day. The specific process of change, number of decisional balance pros (as opposed to cons), and self-efficacy ratings were positively correlated with stage of change transition (Spearman r > 0, P < 0.01). Stage transition, higher scores on self-efficacy and lower scores on cons predicted higher FV consumption (β > 0, P < 0.05). The use of TTM may be a powerful personalized means of decreasing poor dietary behaviors and promoting healthy behaviors, compared to traditional methods of behavioral change.

Acceptance and commitment therapy and contextual behavioral science: examining the progress of a distinctive model of behavioral and cognitive therapy.

PubMed

Hayes, Steven C; Levin, Michael E; Plumb-Vilardaga, Jennifer; Villatte, Jennifer L; Pistorello, Jacqueline

2013-06-01

A number of recent authors have compared acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and traditional cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The present article describes ACT as a distinct and unified model of behavior change, linked to a specific strategy of scientific development, which we term "contextual behavioral science." We outline the empirical progress of ACT and describe its distinctive development strategy. A contextual behavioral science approach is an inductive attempt to build more adequate psychological systems based on philosophical clarity; the development of basic principles and theories; the development of applied theories linked to basic ones; techniques and components linked to these processes and principles; measurement of theoretically key processes; an emphasis on mediation and moderation in the analysis of applied impact; an interest in effectiveness, dissemination, and training; empirical testing of the research program across a broad range of areas and levels of analysis; and the creation of a more effective scientific and clinical community. We argue that this is a reasonable approach, focused on long-term progress, and that in broad terms it seems to be working. ACT is not hostile to traditional CBT, and is not directly buoyed by whatever weaknesses traditional CBT may have. ACT should be measured at least in part against its own goals as specified by its own developmental strategy. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Linardon, Jake; Wade, Tracey D; de la Piedad Garcia, Xochitl; Brennan, Leah

2017-11-01

This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for eating disorders. Randomized controlled trials of CBT were searched. Seventy-nine trials were included. Therapist-led CBT was more efficacious than inactive (wait-lists) and active (any psychotherapy) comparisons in individuals with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Therapist-led CBT was most efficacious when manualized CBT-BN or its enhanced version was delivered. No significant differences were observed between therapist-led CBT for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder and antidepressants at posttreatment. CBT was also directly compared to other specific psychological interventions, and therapist-led CBT resulted in greater reductions in behavioral and cognitive symptoms than interpersonal psychotherapy at posttreatment. At follow-up, CBT outperformed interpersonal psychotherapy only on cognitive symptoms. CBT for binge eating disorder also resulted in greater reductions in behavioral symptoms than behavioral weight loss interventions. There was no evidence that CBT was more efficacious than behavior therapy or nonspecific supportive therapies. CBT is efficacious for eating disorders. Although CBT was equally efficacious to certain psychological treatments, the fact that CBT outperformed all active psychological comparisons and interpersonal psychotherapy specifically, offers some support for the specificity of psychological treatments for eating disorders. Conclusions from this study are hampered by the fact that many trials were of poor quality. Higher quality RCTs are essential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Interteaching: The Effects of Discussion Group Size on Undergraduate Student Performance and Preference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierrez, Michael

2017-01-01

Interteaching is a college teaching method grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis. Research on interteaching demonstrates that it improves academic performance, and students report greater satisfaction with interteaching as compared to traditional teaching styles. The current study investigates whether discussion group size, a…

Meta-Analysis of Suicide-Related Behavior Events in Patients Treated with Atomoxetine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bangs, Mark E.; Tauscher-Wisniewski, Sitra; Polzer, John; Zhang, Shuyu; Acharya, Nayan; Desaiah, Durisala; Trzepacz, Paula T.; Allen, Albert J.

2008-01-01

A study to examine suicide-related events in acute, double-blind, and placebo controlled trials with atomoxetine is conducted. Results conclude that the incidences of suicide were more frequent in children suffering from ADHD treated with atomoxetine as compared to those treated with placebo.

Relative Contributions of Three Descriptive Methods: Implications for Behavioral Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pence, Sacha T.; Roscoe, Eileen M.; Bourret, Jason C.; Ahearn, William H.

2009-01-01

This study compared the outcomes of three descriptive analysis methods--the ABC method, the conditional probability method, and the conditional and background probability method--to each other and to the results obtained from functional analyses. Six individuals who had been diagnosed with developmental delays and exhibited problem behavior…

Treatment of Phobic Disorders Using Cognitive and Exposure Methods: A Self-Efficacy Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biran, Mia; Wilson, G. Terence

1981-01-01

Examined predictions derived from self-efficacy theory in comparing the effects of exposure and cognitive interventions with simple phobics. Guided exposure (GE) was significantly superior to cognitive restructuring (CR) in enhancing approach behavior, increasing level and strength of self-efficacy, reducing subjective fear, and decreasing…

Comparative analysis of partnership behaviors in the National Park Service

Treesearch

Melissa S. Weddell; Brett A. Wright; Kenneth F. Backman

2008-01-01

The partnership phenomenon has received considerable attention as an alternative management strategy for public agencies. The growing use of partnerships has created a need to understand key elements of partnership success and failure, how partnerships address park and recreation management paradoxes, and guidelines for best practices (Mowen & Kerstetter, 2006)....

Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Analysis of a Recent Critique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudiano, Brandon A.

2011-01-01

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a newer psychotherapy that has generated much clinical and research interest in recent years. However, the approach has begun to receive strong criticism from proponents of traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Hofmann and Asmundson (2008) recently compared and contrasted ACT and traditional…

Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Analysis of a Recent Critique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudiano, Brandon A.

2009-01-01

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a newer psychotherapy that has generated much clinical and research interest in recent years. However, the approach has begun to receive strong criticism from proponents of traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Hofmann and Asmundson (2008) recently compared and contrasted ACT and traditional…

Breaking Barriers to Educational Opportunities: A Comparative Analysis of Adolescent Intervention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Rachael Mae

2010-01-01

While access to education may be increasing, equity still eludes the U.S. education system, specifically for low socioeconomic status students. Using both educational and deviance theoretical frames, this study examines the effectiveness of adolescent intervention programs with respect to educational attainment and deviant behaviors. The Education…

Classroom Application of a Trial-Based Functional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Sarah E.; Iwata, Brian A.; Fritz, Jennifer N.; Roscoe, Eileen M.; Carreau, Abbey B.

2011-01-01

We evaluated a trial-based approach to conducting functional analyses in classroom settings. Ten students referred for problem behavior were exposed to a series of assessment trials, which were interspersed among classroom activities throughout the day. Results of these trial-based functional analyses were compared to those of more traditional…

Draft genome assembly of the Bengalese finch, Lonchura striata domestica, a model for motor skill variability and learning

PubMed Central

Mets, David G; Brainard, Michael S

2018-01-01

Abstract Background Vocal learning in songbirds has emerged as a powerful model for sensorimotor learning. Neurobehavioral studies of Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata domestica) song, naturally more variable and plastic than songs of other finch species, have demonstrated the importance of behavioral variability for initial learning, maintenance, and plasticity of vocalizations. However, the molecular and genetic underpinnings of this variability and the learning it supports are poorly understood. Findings To establish a platform for the molecular analysis of behavioral variability and plasticity, we generated an initial draft assembly of the Bengalese finch genome from a single male animal to 151× coverage and an N50 of 3.0 MB. Furthermore, we developed an initial set of gene models using RNA-seq data from 8 samples that comprise liver, muscle, cerebellum, brainstem/midbrain, and forebrain tissue from juvenile and adult Bengalese finches of both sexes. Conclusions We provide a draft Bengalese finch genome and gene annotation to facilitate the study of the molecular-genetic influences on behavioral variability and the process of vocal learning. These data will directly support many avenues for the identification of genes involved in learning, including differential expression analysis, comparative genomic analysis (through comparison to existing avian genome assemblies), and derivation of genetic maps for linkage analysis. Bengalese finch gene models and sequences will be essential for subsequent manipulation (molecular or genetic) of genes and gene products, enabling novel mechanistic investigations into the role of variability in learned behavior. PMID:29618046

Automated classification of self-grooming in mice using open-source software.

PubMed

van den Boom, Bastijn J G; Pavlidi, Pavlina; Wolf, Casper J H; Mooij, Adriana H; Willuhn, Ingo

2017-09-01

Manual analysis of behavior is labor intensive and subject to inter-rater variability. Although considerable progress in automation of analysis has been made, complex behavior such as grooming still lacks satisfactory automated quantification. We trained a freely available, automated classifier, Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator (JAABA), to quantify self-grooming duration and number of bouts based on video recordings of SAPAP3 knockout mice (a mouse line that self-grooms excessively) and wild-type animals. We compared the JAABA classifier with human expert observers to test its ability to measure self-grooming in three scenarios: mice in an open field, mice on an elevated plus-maze, and tethered mice in an open field. In each scenario, the classifier identified both grooming and non-grooming with great accuracy and correlated highly with results obtained by human observers. Consistently, the JAABA classifier confirmed previous reports of excessive grooming in SAPAP3 knockout mice. Thus far, manual analysis was regarded as the only valid quantification method for self-grooming. We demonstrate that the JAABA classifier is a valid and reliable scoring tool, more cost-efficient than manual scoring, easy to use, requires minimal effort, provides high throughput, and prevents inter-rater variability. We introduce the JAABA classifier as an efficient analysis tool for the assessment of rodent self-grooming with expert quality. In our "how-to" instructions, we provide all information necessary to implement behavioral classification with JAABA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Draft genome assembly of the Bengalese finch, Lonchura striata domestica, a model for motor skill variability and learning.

PubMed

Colquitt, Bradley M; Mets, David G; Brainard, Michael S

2018-03-01

Vocal learning in songbirds has emerged as a powerful model for sensorimotor learning. Neurobehavioral studies of Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata domestica) song, naturally more variable and plastic than songs of other finch species, have demonstrated the importance of behavioral variability for initial learning, maintenance, and plasticity of vocalizations. However, the molecular and genetic underpinnings of this variability and the learning it supports are poorly understood. To establish a platform for the molecular analysis of behavioral variability and plasticity, we generated an initial draft assembly of the Bengalese finch genome from a single male animal to 151× coverage and an N50 of 3.0 MB. Furthermore, we developed an initial set of gene models using RNA-seq data from 8 samples that comprise liver, muscle, cerebellum, brainstem/midbrain, and forebrain tissue from juvenile and adult Bengalese finches of both sexes. We provide a draft Bengalese finch genome and gene annotation to facilitate the study of the molecular-genetic influences on behavioral variability and the process of vocal learning. These data will directly support many avenues for the identification of genes involved in learning, including differential expression analysis, comparative genomic analysis (through comparison to existing avian genome assemblies), and derivation of genetic maps for linkage analysis. Bengalese finch gene models and sequences will be essential for subsequent manipulation (molecular or genetic) of genes and gene products, enabling novel mechanistic investigations into the role of variability in learned behavior.

"Big" versus "little" science: comparative analysis of program projects and individual research grants.

PubMed

Baumeister, A A; Bacharach, V R; Baumeister, A A

1997-11-01

Controversy about the amount and nature of funding for mental retardation research has persisted since the creation of NICHD. An issue that has aroused considerable debate, within the mental retardation research community as well as beyond, is distribution of funds between large group research grants, such as the program project (PO1) and the individual grant (RO1). Currently within the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Branch, more money is allocated to the PO1 mechanism than the RO1. We compared the two types of grants, focusing on success rates, productivity, costs, impact, publication practices, and outcome and conducted a comparative analysis of biomedical and behavioral research. Other related issues were considered, including review processes and cost-effectiveness.

Emlen funnel experiments revisited: methods update for studying compass orientation in songbirds.

PubMed

Bianco, Giuseppe; Ilieva, Mihaela; Veibäck, Clas; Öfjäll, Kristoffer; Gadomska, Alicja; Hendeby, Gustaf; Felsberg, Michael; Gustafsson, Fredrik; Åkesson, Susanne

2016-10-01

Migratory songbirds carry an inherited capacity to migrate several thousand kilometers each year crossing continental landmasses and barriers between distant breeding sites and wintering areas. How individual songbirds manage with extreme precision to find their way is still largely unknown. The functional characteristics of biological compasses used by songbird migrants has mainly been investigated by recording the birds directed migratory activity in circular cages, so-called Emlen funnels. This method is 50 years old and has not received major updates over the past decades. The aim of this work was to compare the results from newly developed digital methods with the established manual methods to evaluate songbird migratory activity and orientation in circular cages.We performed orientation experiments using the European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) using modified Emlen funnels equipped with thermal paper and simultaneously recorded the songbird movements from above. We evaluated and compared the results obtained with five different methods. Two methods have been commonly used in songbirds' orientation experiments; the other three methods were developed for this study and were based either on evaluation of the thermal paper using automated image analysis, or on the analysis of videos recorded during the experiment.The methods used to evaluate scratches produced by the claws of birds on the thermal papers presented some differences compared with the video analyses. These differences were caused mainly by differences in scatter, as any movement of the bird along the sloping walls of the funnel was recorded on the thermal paper, whereas video evaluations allowed us to detect single takeoff attempts by the birds and to consider only this behavior in the orientation analyses. Using computer vision, we were also able to identify and separately evaluate different behaviors that were impossible to record by the thermal paper.The traditional Emlen funnel is still the most used method to investigate compass orientation in songbirds under controlled conditions. However, new numerical image analysis techniques provide a much higher level of detail of songbirds' migratory behavior and will provide an increasing number of possibilities to evaluate and quantify specific behaviors as new algorithms will be developed.

Effects of Extraction Methods on In Vitro Biological Capacities and Rheological Properties of Polysaccharides from Red Pepper Stems

PubMed Central

Yoo, Sang-Hun; Chang, Yoon Hyuk

2017-01-01

The purposes of this study were to produce polysaccharides from red pepper stems using different extraction methods and evaluate their chemical composition, in vitro biological capacities, and rheological properties. Two polysaccharides were extracted from red pepper stems using an autoclave and alkali treatments, and the extracts were named PAU and PAL, respectively. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were significantly higher in PAU than those in PAL. PAU exhibited greater scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals, superoxide radicals, and nitrite compared to PAL, suggesting that PAU served as better antioxidants. Similarly, in vitro inhibitory abilities against carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes of PAU were higher than those of PAL. Steady shear rheological analysis demonstrated that PAU showed higher psuedoplastic shear-thinning behavior compared to PAL. Based on the results from dynamic shear rheological properties, it was found that both samples had predominantly viscous behavior rather than elastic behavior. PMID:29043221

Dissociable executive functions in behavioral variant frontotemporal and Alzheimer dementias

PubMed Central

Feigenbaum, Dana; Rankin, Katherine P.; Smith, Glenn E.; Boxer, Adam L.; Wood, Kristie; Hanna, Sherrie M.; Miller, Bruce L.; Kramer, Joel H.

2013-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine which aspects of executive functions are most affected in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and best differentiate this syndrome from Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods: We compared executive functions in 22 patients diagnosed with bvFTD, 26 with AD, and 31 neurologically healthy controls using a conceptually driven and comprehensive battery of executive function tests, the NIH EXAMINER battery (http://examiner.ucsf.edu). Results: The bvFTD and the AD patients were similarly impaired compared with controls on tests of working memory, category fluency, and attention, but the patients with bvFTD showed significantly more severe impairments than the patients with AD on tests of letter fluency, antisaccade accuracy, social decision-making, and social behavior. Discriminant function analysis with jackknifed cross-validation classified the bvFTD and AD patient groups with 73% accuracy. Conclusions: Executive function assessment can support bvFTD diagnosis when measures are carefully selected to emphasize frontally specific functions. PMID:23658382

Characterization of SrCo1.5Ti1.5Fe9O19 hexagonal ferrite synthesized by sol-gel combustion and solid state route

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinaykumar, R.; Mazumder, R.; Bera, J.

2017-05-01

Co-Ti co-substituted SrM hexagonal ferrite (SrCo1.5Ti1.5Fe9O19) was synthesized by sol-gel combustion and solid state route. The effects of sources of TiO2 raw materials; titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TTIP) and titanyl nitrate (TN) on the phase formation behavior and properties of the ferrite were studied. The thermal decomposition behavior of the gel was studied using TG-DSC. The phase formation behavior of the ferrite was studied by using X-ray powder diffraction and FTIR analysis. Phase formation was comparatively easier in the TN-based sol-gel process. The morphology of powder and sintered ferrite was investigated using scanning electron microscope. Magnetic properties like magnetization, coercivity, permeability, tan δμ and dielectric properties were investigated. The ferrite synthesized by sol-gel based chemical route showed higher saturation magnetization, permeability and permittivity compared to the ferrite synthesized by solid state route.

Effects of Extraction Methods on In Vitro Biological Capacities and Rheological Properties of Polysaccharides from Red Pepper Stems.

PubMed

Yoo, Sang-Hun; Chang, Yoon Hyuk

2017-09-01

The purposes of this study were to produce polysaccharides from red pepper stems using different extraction methods and evaluate their chemical composition, in vitro biological capacities, and rheological properties. Two polysaccharides were extracted from red pepper stems using an autoclave and alkali treatments, and the extracts were named PAU and PAL, respectively. The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were significantly higher in PAU than those in PAL. PAU exhibited greater scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals, superoxide radicals, and nitrite compared to PAL, suggesting that PAU served as better antioxidants. Similarly, in vitro inhibitory abilities against carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes of PAU were higher than those of PAL. Steady shear rheological analysis demonstrated that PAU showed higher psuedoplastic shear-thinning behavior compared to PAL. Based on the results from dynamic shear rheological properties, it was found that both samples had predominantly viscous behavior rather than elastic behavior.

A quantitative review of overjustification effects in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Levy, Allison; DeLeon, Iser G; Martinez, Catherine K; Fernandez, Nathalie; Gage, Nicholas A; Sigurdsson, Sigurdur Óli; Frank-Crawford, Michelle A

2017-04-01

The overjustification hypothesis suggests that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic rewards are common in strengthening behavior in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; we examined overjustification effects in this context. A literature search yielded 65 data sets permitting comparison of responding during an initial no-reinforcement phase to a subsequent no-reinforcement phase, separated by a reinforcement phase. We used effect sizes to compare response levels in these two no-reinforcement phases. Overall, the mean effect size did not differ from zero; levels in the second no-reinforcement phase were equally likely to be higher or lower than in the first. However, in contrast to the overjustification hypothesis, levels were higher in the second no-reinforcement phase when comparing the single no-reinforcement sessions immediately before and after reinforcement. Outcomes consistent with the overjustification hypothesis were somewhat more likely when the target behavior occurred at relatively higher levels prior to reinforcement. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Electromechanical Behavior of REBCO Tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, N. C.; Chiesa, L.; Takayasu, M.

2015-12-01

To fully characterize the electromechanical behavior of a Twisted Stacked-Tape Cable (TSTC) it is important to understand the performance of the individual REBCO tapes under various loading conditions. Numerical modeling and experimentation have been used to investigate the electromechanical characteristics of two commercially available REBCO tapes (SuperPower and SuNAM). Tension and combined tension-torsion experiments on single tapes have been continued, from prior preliminary studies, to characterize their critical current behavior and mechanical strength. Additionally, structural finite element analysis was performed on single tapes under tension and combined tension-torsion to investigate the strain dependence of the critical current. The numerical results were compared to the experimental findings for validation. The SuNAM experimental data matched the numerical model very well while the SuperPower tape experienced degradation at lower stress and strain than predicted in the model. The Superpower tape also displayed greater variability in critical current between different samples as compared with the SuNAM tape.

Trust Measurement using Multimodal Behavioral Analysis and Uncertainty Aware Trust Calibration

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-05

to estimate their performance based on their estimation on all prior trials. In the meanwhile via comparing the decisions of participants with the...it is easier compared with situations when more trials have been done. It should be noted that if a participant is good at memorizing the previous...them. The proposed study, being quantitative and explorative, are expected to reveal a number of findings that benefit interaction system design and

Approximate Evaluation of Reliability and Availability via Perturbation Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

generating the dxact answers to which the results of the approximation will be compared are discussed:." - 87 7" 2 04 2LOISTRIGUTIONIAVAILASILITYI OF...appropriately, constructing the Markov process that approximately governs interclass behavior from the result above (this is called the enlarged... compared to a numerical or analytical computation of the aame quantities. This work and its continuation represents our progress so far on Goal 3. 2.4I

Are Suicide Attempters Wired Differently?: A Comparison With Nonsuicidal Depressed Individuals Using Plan Analysis.

PubMed

Brüdern, Juliane; Berger, Thomas; Michel, Konrad; Maillart, Anja Gysin; Held, Isabelle Schmutz; Caspar, Franz

2015-07-01

Limited research exists on internal risk processes in suicide attempters and factors that distinguish them from nonsuicidal depressive individuals. In this qualitative study, we investigated Plans, motives, and underlying self-regulatory processes of the two groups and conducted a comparative analysis. We analyzed narrative interviews of 17 suicide attempters and intake interviews of 17 nonsuicidal depressive patients using Plan Analysis. Then, we developed a prototypical Plan structure for both groups. Suicidal behavior serves various Plans found only in suicide attempters. Plans of this group are especially related to social perfectionism and withdrawal to protect their self-esteem. Depressive patients use several interpersonal control and coping strategies, which might help prevent suicidal behavior. The prototypical Plan structure of suicide attempters may be a valuable tool for clinicians to detect critical Plans and motives in their interaction with patients, which are related to suicide risk.

Recurrence analysis of ant activity patterns

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In this study, we used recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) and recurrence plots (RPs) to compare the movement activity of individual workers of three ant species, as well as a gregarious beetle species. RQA and RPs quantify the number and duration of recurrences of a dynamical system, including a detailed quantification of signals that could be stochastic, deterministic, or both. First, we found substantial differences between the activity dynamics of beetles and ants, with the results suggesting that the beetles have quasi-periodic dynamics and the ants do not. Second, workers from different ant species varied with respect to their dynamics, presenting degrees of predictability as well as stochastic signals. Finally, differences were found among minor and major caste of the same (dimorphic) ant species. Our results underscore the potential of RQA and RPs in the analysis of complex behavioral patterns, as well as in general inferences on animal behavior and other biological phenomena. PMID:29016648

Thermo-mechanically coupled fracture analysis of shape memory alloys using the extended finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatefi Ardakani, S.; Ahmadian, H.; Mohammadi, S.

2015-04-01

In this paper, the extended finite element method is used for fracture analysis of shape memory alloys for both cases of super elastic and shape memory effects. Heat generation during the forward and reverse phase transformations can lead to temperature variation in the material because of strong thermo-mechanical coupling, which significantly influences the SMA mechanical behavior. First, the stationary crack mode is studied and the effects of loading rate on material behavior in the crack tip are examined. Then, the crack propagation analysis is performed in the presence of an initial crack by adopting a weighted averaging criterion, where the direction of crack propagation is determined by weighted averaging of effective stresses at all the integration points in the vicinity of the crack tip. Finally, several numerical examples are analyzed and the obtained results are compared with the available reference results.

Artificial neural network modeling using clinical and knowledge independent variables predicts salt intake reduction behavior

PubMed Central

Isma’eel, Hussain A.; Sakr, George E.; Almedawar, Mohamad M.; Fathallah, Jihan; Garabedian, Torkom; Eddine, Savo Bou Zein

2015-01-01

Background High dietary salt intake is directly linked to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Predicting behaviors regarding salt intake habits is vital to guide interventions and increase their effectiveness. We aim to compare the accuracy of an artificial neural network (ANN) based tool that predicts behavior from key knowledge questions along with clinical data in a high cardiovascular risk cohort relative to the least square models (LSM) method. Methods We collected knowledge, attitude and behavior data on 115 patients. A behavior score was calculated to classify patients’ behavior towards reducing salt intake. Accuracy comparison between ANN and regression analysis was calculated using the bootstrap technique with 200 iterations. Results Starting from a 69-item questionnaire, a reduced model was developed and included eight knowledge items found to result in the highest accuracy of 62% CI (58-67%). The best prediction accuracy in the full and reduced models was attained by ANN at 66% and 62%, respectively, compared to full and reduced LSM at 40% and 34%, respectively. The average relative increase in accuracy over all in the full and reduced models is 82% and 102%, respectively. Conclusions Using ANN modeling, we can predict salt reduction behaviors with 66% accuracy. The statistical model has been implemented in an online calculator and can be used in clinics to estimate the patient’s behavior. This will help implementation in future research to further prove clinical utility of this tool to guide therapeutic salt reduction interventions in high cardiovascular risk individuals. PMID:26090333

Induction of Social Behavior in Zebrafish: Live Versus Computer Animated Fish as Stimuli

PubMed Central

Qin, Meiying; Wong, Albert; Seguin, Diane

2014-01-01

Abstract The zebrafish offers an excellent compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity and has been suggested as a translational research tool for the analysis of human brain disorders associated with abnormalities of social behavior. Unlike laboratory rodents zebrafish are diurnal, thus visual cues may be easily utilized in the analysis of their behavior and brain function. Visual cues, including the sight of conspecifics, have been employed to induce social behavior in zebrafish. However, the method of presentation of these cues and the question of whether computer animated images versus live stimulus fish have differential effects have not been systematically analyzed. Here, we compare the effects of five stimulus presentation types: live conspecifics in the experimental tank or outside the tank, playback of video-recorded live conspecifics, computer animated images of conspecifics presented by two software applications, the previously employed General Fish Animator, and a new application Zebrafish Presenter. We report that all stimuli were equally effective and induced a robust social response (shoaling) manifesting as reduced distance between stimulus and experimental fish. We conclude that presentation of live stimulus fish, or 3D images, is not required and 2D computer animated images are sufficient to induce robust and consistent social behavioral responses in zebrafish. PMID:24575942

Identifying prebariatric subtypes based on temperament traits, emotion dysregulation, and disinhibited eating: A latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Schäfer, Lisa; Hübner, Claudia; Carus, Thomas; Herbig, Beate; Seyfried, Florian; Kaiser, Stefan; Schütz, Tatjana; Dietrich, Arne; Hilbert, Anja

2017-10-01

The efficacy of bariatric surgery has been proven; however, a subset of patients fails to achieve expected long-term weight loss postoperatively. As differences in surgery outcome may be influenced by heterogeneous psychological profiles in prebariatric patients, previous subtyping models differentiated patients based on temperament traits. The objective of this study was to expand these models by additionally considering emotion dysregulation and disinhibited eating behaviors for subtyping, as these factors were associated with maladaptive eating behaviors and poor postbariatric weight loss outcome. Within a prospective multicenter registry, N = 370 prebariatric patients were examined using interview and self-report questionnaires. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify subtypes based on temperament traits, emotion dysregulation, and disinhibited eating behaviors. Five prebariatric subtypes were identified with specific profiles regarding self-control, emotion dysregulation, and disinhibited eating behaviors. Subtypes were associated with different levels of eating disorder psychopathology, depression, and quality of life. The expanded model increased variance explanation compared to temperament-based models. By adding emotion dysregulation and disinhibited eating behaviors to previous subtyping models, specific prebariatric subtypes emerged with distinct psychological deficit patterns. Future investigations should test the predictive value of these subtypes for postbariatric weight loss and health-related outcomes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Use of the Exponential and Exponentiated Demand Equations to Assess the Behavioral Economics of Negative Reinforcement

PubMed Central

Fragale, Jennifer E. C.; Beck, Kevin D.; Pang, Kevin C. H.

2017-01-01

Abnormal motivation and hedonic assessment of aversive stimuli are symptoms of anxiety and depression. Symptoms influenced by motivation and anhedonia predict treatment success or resistance. Therefore, a translational approach to the study of negatively motivated behaviors is needed. We describe a novel use of behavioral economics demand curve analysis to investigate negative reinforcement in animals that separates hedonic assessment of footshock termination (i.e., relief) from motivation to escape footshock. In outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, relief increased as shock intensity increased. Likewise, motivation to escape footshock increased as shock intensity increased. To demonstrate the applicability to anxiety disorders, hedonic and motivational components of negative reinforcement were investigated in anxiety vulnerable Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. WKY rats demonstrated increased motivation for shock cessation with no difference in relief as compared to control SD rats, consistent with a negative bias for motivation in anxiety vulnerability. Moreover, motivation was positively correlated with relief in SD, but not in WKY. This study is the first to assess the hedonic and motivational components of negative reinforcement using behavioral economic analysis. This procedure can be used to investigate positive and negative reinforcement in humans and animals to gain a better understanding of the importance of motivated behavior in stress-related disorders. PMID:28270744

Zebrafish Embryo as an In Vivo Model for Behavioral and Pharmacological Characterization of Methylxanthine Drugs.

PubMed

Basnet, Ram Manohar; Guarienti, Michela; Memo, Maurizio

2017-03-09

Zebrafish embryo is emerging as an important tool for behavior analysis as well as toxicity testing. In this study, we compared the effect of nine different methylxanthine drugs using zebrafish embryo as a model. We performed behavioral analysis, biochemical assay and Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) test in zebrafish embryos after treatment with methylxanthines. Each drug appeared to behave in different ways and showed a distinct pattern of results. Embryos treated with seven out of nine methylxanthines exhibited epileptic-like pattern of movements, the severity of which varied with drugs and doses used. Cyclic AMP measurement showed that, despite of a significant increase in cAMP with some compounds, it was unrelated to the observed movement behavior changes. FET test showed a different pattern of toxicity with different methylxanthines. Each drug could be distinguished from the other based on its effect on mortality, morphological defects and teratogenic effects. In addition, there was a strong positive correlation between the toxic doses (TC 50 ) calculated in zebrafish embryos and lethal doses (LD 50 ) in rodents obtained from TOXNET database. Taken together, all these findings elucidate the potentiality of zebrafish embryos as an in vivo model for behavioral and toxicity testing of methylxanthines and other related compounds.

Induction of social behavior in zebrafish: live versus computer animated fish as stimuli.

PubMed

Qin, Meiying; Wong, Albert; Seguin, Diane; Gerlai, Robert

2014-06-01

The zebrafish offers an excellent compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity and has been suggested as a translational research tool for the analysis of human brain disorders associated with abnormalities of social behavior. Unlike laboratory rodents zebrafish are diurnal, thus visual cues may be easily utilized in the analysis of their behavior and brain function. Visual cues, including the sight of conspecifics, have been employed to induce social behavior in zebrafish. However, the method of presentation of these cues and the question of whether computer animated images versus live stimulus fish have differential effects have not been systematically analyzed. Here, we compare the effects of five stimulus presentation types: live conspecifics in the experimental tank or outside the tank, playback of video-recorded live conspecifics, computer animated images of conspecifics presented by two software applications, the previously employed General Fish Animator, and a new application Zebrafish Presenter. We report that all stimuli were equally effective and induced a robust social response (shoaling) manifesting as reduced distance between stimulus and experimental fish. We conclude that presentation of live stimulus fish, or 3D images, is not required and 2D computer animated images are sufficient to induce robust and consistent social behavioral responses in zebrafish.

Conditions for addressing environmental determinants of health behavior in intersectoral policy networks: A fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis.

PubMed

Peters, D T J M; Verweij, S; Grêaux, K; Stronks, K; Harting, J

2017-12-01

Improving health requires changes in the social, physical, economic and political determinants of health behavior. For the realization of policies that address these environmental determinants, intersectoral policy networks are considered necessary for the pooling of resources to implement different policy instruments. However, such network diversity may increase network complexity and therefore hamper network performance. Network complexity may be reduced by network management and the provision of financial resources. This study examined whether network diversity - amidst the other conditions - is indeed needed to address environmental determinants of health behavior. We included 25 intersectoral policy networks in Dutch municipalities aimed at reducing overweight, smoking, and alcohol/drugs abuse. For our fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis we used data from three web-based surveys among (a) project leaders regarding network diversity and size (n = 38); (b) project leaders and project partners regarding management (n = 278); and (c) implementation professionals regarding types of environmental determinants addressed (n = 137). Data on budgets were retrieved from project application forms. Contrary to their intentions, most policy networks typically addressed personal determinants. If the environment was addressed too, it was mostly the social environment. To address environmental determinants of health behavior, network diversity (>50% of the actors are non-public health) was necessary in networks that were either small (<16 actors) or had small budgets (<€183,172), when both were intensively managed. Irrespective of network diversity, environmental determinants also were addressed by small networks with large budgets, and by large networks with small budgets, when both provided network management. We conclude that network diversity is important - although not necessary - for resource pooling to address environmental determinants of health behavior, but only effective in the presence of network management. Our findings may support intersectoral policy networks in improving health behaviors by addressing a variety of environmental determinants. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Predictors of host specificity among behavior-manipulating parasites.

PubMed

Fredensborg, B L

2014-07-01

A trade-off between resource-specialization and the breadth of the ecological niche is one of the most fundamental biological characteristics. A true generalist (Jack-of-all-trades) displays a broad ecological niche with little resource specialization while the opposite is true for a resource-specialist that has a restricted ecological niche that it masters. Parasites that manipulate hosts' behavior are often thought to represent resource-specialists based on a few spectacular examples of manipulation of the host's behavior. However, the determinants of which, and how many, hosts a manipulating parasite can exploit (i.e., niche breadth) are basically unknown. Here, I present an analysis based on published records of the use of hosts by 67 species from 38 genera of helminths inducing parasite increased trophic transmission, a widespread strategy of parasites that has been reported from many taxa of parasites and hosts. Using individual and multivariate analyses, I examined the effect of the host's and parasite's taxonomy, location of the parasite in the host, type of behavioral change, and the effect of debilitation on host-specificity, measured as the mean taxonomic relatedness of hosts that a parasite can manipulate. Host-specificity varied substantially across taxa suggesting great variation in the level of resource-specialization among manipulating parasites. Location of the parasite, level of debilitation, and type of host were all significant predictors of host-specificity. More specifically, hosts' behavioral modification that involves interaction with the central nervous system presumably restricts parasites to more closely related hosts than does manipulation of the host's behavior via debilitation of the host's physiology. The results of the analysis suggest that phylogenetic relatedness of hosts is a useful measure of host-specificity in comparative studies of the complexity of interactions taking place between manipulating parasites and their hosts. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pollen Processing Behavior of Heliconius Butterflies: A Derived Grooming Behavior

PubMed Central

Hikl, Anna-Laetitia; Krenn, Harald W.

2011-01-01

Pollen feeding behaviors Heliconius and Laparus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) represent a key innovation that has shaped other life history traits of these neotropical butterflies. Although all flower visiting Lepidoptera regularly come in contact with pollen, only Heliconius and Laparus butterflies actively collect pollen with the proboscis and subsequently take up nutrients from the pollen grains. This study focused on the behavior of pollen processing and compared the movement patterns with proboscis grooming behavior in various nymphalid butterflies using video analysis. The proboscis movements of pollen processing behavior consisted of a lengthy series of repeated coiling and uncoiling movements in a loosely coiled proboscis position combined with up and down movements and the release of saliva. The proboscis-grooming behavior was triggered by contamination of the proboscis in both pollen feeding and non-pollen feeding nymphalid butterflies. Proboscis grooming movements included interrupted series of coiling and uncoiling movements, characteristic sideways movements, proboscis lifting, and occasionally full extension of the proboscis. Discharge of saliva was more pronounced in pollen feeding species than in non-pollen feeding butterfly species. We conclude that the pollen processing behavior of Heliconius and Laparus is a modified proboscis grooming behavior that originally served to clean the proboscis after contamination with particles. PMID:22208893

Coagulation dynamics of a blood sample by multiple scattering analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faivre, Magalie; Peltié, Philippe; Planat-Chrétien, Anne; Cosnier, Marie-Line; Cubizolles, Myriam; Nougier, Christophe; Négrier, Claude; Pouteau, Patrick

2011-05-01

We report a new technique to measure coagulation dynamics on whole-blood samples. The method relies on the analysis of the speckle figure resulting from a whole-blood sample mixed with coagulation reagent and introduced in a thin chamber illuminated with a coherent light. A dynamic study of the speckle reveals a typical behavior due to coagulation. We compare our measured coagulation times to a reference method obtained in a medical laboratory.

Brief Embryonic Strychnine Exposure in Zebrafish Causes Long-Term Adult Behavioral Impairment with Indications of Embryonic Synaptic Changes

PubMed Central

Roy, Nicole M.; Arpie, Brianna; Lugo, Joseph; Linney, Elwood; Levin, Edward D.; Cerutti, Daniel

2015-01-01

Zebrafish provide a powerful model of the impacts of embryonic toxicant exposure on neural development that may result in long-term behavioral dysfunction. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with 1.5 mM strychnine for short embryonic time windows to induce transient changes in inhibitory neural signaling, and were subsequently raised in untreated water until adulthood. PCR analysis showed indications that strychnine exposure altered expression of some genes related to glycinergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal synapses during embryonic development. In adulthood, treated fish showed significant changes in swimming speed and tank diving behavior compared to controls. Taken together, these data show that a short embryonic exposure to a neurotoxicant can alter development of neural synapses and lead to changes in adult behavior. PMID:23022260

Brief embryonic strychnine exposure in zebrafish causes long-term adult behavioral impairment with indications of embryonic synaptic changes.

PubMed

Roy, Nicole M; Arpie, Brianna; Lugo, Joseph; Linney, Elwood; Levin, Edward D; Cerutti, Daniel

2012-01-01

Zebrafish provide a powerful model of the impacts of embryonic toxicant exposure on neural development that may result in long-term behavioral dysfunction. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with 1.5mM strychnine for short embryonic time windows to induce transient changes in inhibitory neural signaling, and were subsequently raised in untreated water until adulthood. PCR analysis showed indications that strychnine exposure altered expression of some genes related to glycinergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal synapses during embryonic development. In adulthood, treated fish showed significant changes in swimming speed and tank diving behavior compared to controls. Taken together, these data show that a short embryonic exposure to a neurotoxicant can alter development of neural synapses and lead to changes in adult behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the efficiency of listener and tact instruction for children with autism.

PubMed

Delfs, Caitlin H; Conine, Daniel E; Frampton, Sarah E; Shillingsburg, M Alice; Robinson, Hannah C

2014-01-01

Recent literature reviews have highlighted the need to better understand the relation between speaker and listener behavior when teaching learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current study used a modified parallel-treatments design to compare directly the degree to which tact and listener behavior emerged during instruction in the opposite relation for 4 children with ASD. Results showed tact training to be either equally or more efficient than listener training for all participants. However, varied patterns of emergent responding across participants indicate a need for further research. Data on collateral responding during instruction did not suggest that the presence or absence of overt collateral behaviors were predictive of emergence. The results highlight the importance for clinicians and educators to assess emergent tact and listener repertoires periodically. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Further evaluation of leisure items in the attention condition of functional analyses.

PubMed

Roscoe, Eileen M; Carreau, Abbey; MacDonald, Jackie; Pence, Sacha T

2008-01-01

Research suggests that including leisure items in the attention condition of a functional analysis may produce engagement that masks sensitivity to attention. In this study, 4 individuals' initial functional analyses indicated that behavior was maintained by nonsocial variables (n = 3) or by attention (n = 1). A preference assessment was used to identify items for subsequent functional analyses. Four conditions were compared, attention with and without leisure items and control with and without leisure items. Following this, either high- or low-preference items were included in the attention condition. Problem behavior was more probable during the attention condition when no leisure items or low-preference items were included, and lower levels of problem behavior were observed during the attention condition when high-preference leisure items were included. These findings suggest how preferred items may hinder detection of behavioral function.

Evaluation of the divided attention condition during functional analyses.

PubMed

Fahmie, Tara A; Iwata, Brian A; Harper, Jill M; Querim, Angie C

2013-01-01

A common condition included in most functional analyses (FAs) is the attention condition, in which the therapist ignores the client by engaging in a solitary activity (antecedent event) but delivers attention to the client contingent on problem behavior (consequent event). The divided attention condition is similar, except that the antecedent event consists of the therapist conversing with an adult confederate. We compared the typical and divided attention conditions to determine whether behavior in general (Study 1) and problem behavior in particular (Study 2) were more sensitive to one of the test conditions. Results showed that the divided attention condition resulted in faster acquisition or more efficient FA results for 2 of 9 subjects, suggesting that the divided attention condition could be considered a preferred condition when resources are available. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.