Whence and Whither Research on Political Diversity? Toward Turning Up the Volume on a More Research-Based Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Irwin

2011-01-01

This research note reviews the very limited historical tradition of empirical enquiry into social workers' political diversity, its correlates, and its consequences. Implications for future research and for social work education are suggested.

Emotional intelligence and job performance: The mediating role of work-family balance.

PubMed

Weinzimmer, Laurence G; Baumann, Heidi M; Gullifor, Daniel P; Koubova, Veronika

2017-01-01

In this study, we examine the dynamics between emotional intelligence, work-family balance, and job performance. A review of the literature to date has shown distinct relationships between emotional intelligence to job performance and work-family balance to job performance. We utilize a sample of 233 respondents to empirically test our set of hypotheses that contend work-family balance mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance. Our results support these hypotheses. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Childcare, Children and Capability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Hazel R.

2012-01-01

Empirical research focused on women studying childcare in an English further education college found the participants strangely contented despite demanding lifestyles. They were intent on integrating their family, work and educational commitments rather than actively seeking future gain, an understanding that led to the development of an original…

Cortical Substrate of Haptic Representation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-24

experience and data from primates , we have developed computational models of short-term active memory. Such models may have technological interest...neurobiological work on primate memory. It is on that empirical work that our current theoretical efforts are 5 founded. Our future physiological research...Academy of Sciences, New York, vol. 608, pp. 318-329, 1990. J.M. Fuster - Behavioral electrophysiology of the prefrontal cortex of the primate . Progress

The Further Evolution of Cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axelrod, Robert; Dion, Douglas

1988-12-01

Axelrod's model of the evolution of cooperation was based on the iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Empirical work following this approach has helped establish the prevalence of cooperation based on reciprocity. Theoretical work has led to a deeper understanding of the role of other factors in the evolution of cooperation: the number of players, the range of possible choices, variation in the payoff structure, noise, the shadow of the future, population dynamics, and population structure.

Governing the quality and safety of healthcare: A conceptual framework.

PubMed

Brown, Alison; Dickinson, Helen; Kelaher, Margaret

2018-04-01

Recent research has advanced understanding of corporate governance of healthcare quality, highlighting the need for future empirical work to develop beyond a focus on board composition to a more detailed exploration of the internal workings of governance that influence board engagement and activities. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to guide empirical research examining the work of board and senior management in governing healthcare quality. To generate this framework, existing conceptual approaches and key constructs influencing effectiveness are identified in the governance literature. Commonalities between governance and team effectiveness literature are mapped and suggest a number of key constructs in the team effectiveness literature are applicable to, but not yet fully explored, within the governance literature. From these we develop a healthcare governance conceptual framework encompassing both literatures, that outlines input and mediating factors influencing governance. The mapping process highlights gaps in research related to board dynamics and external influences that require further investigation. Organizing the multiple complex factors that influence governance of healthcare quality in a conceptual framework brings a new perspective to structuring theory-led research and informing future policy initiatives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leadership: current theories, research, and future directions.

PubMed

Avolio, Bruce J; Walumbwa, Fred O; Weber, Todd J

2009-01-01

This review examines recent theoretical and empirical developments in the leadership literature, beginning with topics that are currently receiving attention in terms of research, theory, and practice. We begin by examining authentic leadership and its development, followed by work that takes a cognitive science approach. We then examine new-genre leadership theories, complexity leadership, and leadership that is shared, collective, or distributed. We examine the role of relationships through our review of leader member exchange and the emerging work on followership. Finally, we examine work that has been done on substitutes for leadership, servant leadership, spirituality and leadership, cross-cultural leadership, and e-leadership. This structure has the benefit of creating a future focus as well as providing an interesting way to examine the development of the field. Each section ends with an identification of issues to be addressed in the future, in addition to the overall integration of the literature we provide at the end of the article.

Workaholism: An overview and current status of the research

PubMed Central

Andreassen, Cecilie Schou

2014-01-01

Aims: This article addresses the stable tendency of excessive and compulsive working (i.e., workaholism). The main aim is to provide an updated oversight of the research area related to definition, prevalence, assessment, causes, outcomes, intervention as well as proposed future research directions. The target-population is both researchers and clinicians. Methods: The findings are identified by narratively reviewing the literature. Results: Research into workaholism has expanded over the last two decades. Several screening instruments to identify workaholics have been developed. The vast majority of these are based on seemingly atheoretical foundations, lacking convergent validity with each other and with related constructs. Research generally shows that workaholism is related to impaired health and well-being as well as to conflicts between work and family life. Workaholism is probably caused and maintained by a range of factors, although solid empirical underpinnings for suggested antecedents are currently sparse. So far no well-evaluated interventions for workaholism exist. Conclusions: At present, workaholism as a construct lacks conceptual and empirical clarity. Future research efforts should prioritize longitudinal studies as well as studies incorporating unbiased, firm parameters of both health and behavior. PMID:25215209

Influence of Peers and Friends on Children’s and Adolescents’ Eating and Activity Behaviors

PubMed Central

Salvy, Sarah-Jeanne; de la Haye, Kayla; Bowker, Julie C.; Hermans, Roel C.J.

2012-01-01

Obesity during childhood and adolescence is a growing problem in the United States, Canada, and around the world that leads to significant physical, psychological, and social consequences. Peer experiences have been theoretically and empirically related to the “Big Two” contributors to the obesity epidemic, unhealthy eating and physical inactivity [1]. In this article, we synthesize the empirical literature on the influence of peers and friends on youth’s eating and physical activity. Limitations and issues in the theoretical and empirical literatures are also discussed, along with future research directions. In conclusion, we argue that the involvement of children’s and adolescents’ peer networks in prevention and intervention efforts may be critical for promoting and maintaining positive behavioral health trajectories. However, further theoretical and empirical work is needed to better understand the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of peers on youth’s eating and physical activity. PMID:22480733

The development, evolution, and status of Holland's theory of vocational personalities: Reflections and future directions for counseling psychology.

PubMed

Nauta, Margaret M

2010-01-01

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of the introduction of John L. Holland's (1959) theory of vocational personalities and work environments by describing the theory's development and evolution, its instrumentation, and its current status. Hallmarks of Holland's theory are its empirical testability and its user-friendliness. By constructing measures for operationalizing the theory's constructs, Holland and his colleagues helped ensure that the theory could be implemented in practice on a widespread basis. Empirical data offer considerable support for the existence of Holland's RIASEC types and their ordering among persons and environments. Although Holland's congruence hypotheses have received empirical support, congruence appears to have modest predictive power. Mixed support exists for Holland's hypotheses involving the secondary constructs of differentiation, consistency, and vocational identity. Evidence of the continued impact of Holland's theory on the field of counseling psychology, particularly in the area of interest assessment, can be seen from its frequent implementation in practice and its use by scholars. Ideas for future research and practice using Holland's theory are suggested.

Toward using alpha and theta brain waves to quantify programmer expertise.

PubMed

Crk, Igor; Kluthe, Timothy

2014-01-01

Empirical studies of programming language learnability and usability have thus far depended on indirect measures of human cognitive performance, attempting to capture what is at its essence a purely cognitive exercise through various indicators of comprehension, such as the correctness of coding tasks or the time spent working out the meaning of code and producing acceptable solutions. Understanding program comprehension is essential to understanding the inherent complexity of programming languages, and ultimately, having a measure of mental effort based on direct observation of the brain at work will illuminate the nature of the work of programming. We provide evidence of direct observation of the cognitive effort associated with programming tasks, through a carefully constructed empirical study using a cross-section of undergraduate computer science students and an inexpensive, off-the-shelf brain-computer interface device. This study presents a link between expertise and programming language comprehension, draws conclusions about the observed indicators of cognitive effort using recent cognitive theories, and proposes directions for future work that is now possible.

Physical Activity and Pregnancy: Past and Present Evidence and Future Recommendations

PubMed Central

Downs, Danielle Symons; Chasan-Taber, Lisa; Evenson, Kelly R.; Leiferman, Jenn; Yeo, SeonAe

2012-01-01

Purpose This review provides researchers and practitioners with an overview of the physical activity and pregnancy literature to promote prenatal physical activity, improve measurement, further elucidate the role of activity in reducing maternal health complications, and inform future research. Methods We examined past and present physical activity and pregnancy studies and highlight key papers with a particular focus on maternal health outcomes to best inform physical activity promotion efforts. Results This review discusses: (a) historical overview of prenatal physical activity with a specific focus on the physical activity guidelines, how they have changed over time, and how evidence of the effect of prenatal activity on maternal/fetal health outcomes has impacted clinical recommendations; (b) existing tools and challenges associated with measuring prenatal physical activity; (c) empirical evidence on the multi-level determinants of prenatal activity to help guide future intervention work; (d) empirical evidence of prenatal activity on adverse maternal outcomes (gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, excessive gestational weight gain) from observational and intervention studies; and (e) summary/recommendations for future research and practice. Conclusions The physical activity and pregnancy literature has evolved over the past 50 years and there is currently sufficient empirical evidence to support the promotion of moderate to vigorous prenatal physical activity for maternal health benefits. Future studies and interventions should be carefully-designed, theoretically driven, and include validated and reliable measures of activity. Researchers and practitioners should also consider the multifaceted determinants and outcomes of prenatal physical activity and intervening to promote physical activity before, during, and after pregnancy. PMID:23367811

Willingness of the Local Health Department Workforce to Respond to Infectious Disease Events: Empirical, Ethical, and Legal Considerations

PubMed Central

Rutkow, Lainie; Barnett, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

According to the Institute of Medicine, the local health department workforce is at the hub of the public health emergency preparedness system. A growing body of research has pointed to troubling attitudinal gaps among local health department workers, a vital response cohort, regarding willingness to respond to emergent infectious disease threats, ranging from naturally occurring pandemics to bioterrorism events. A summary of relevant literature on the empirical evidence, ethical norms, and legal standards applicable to the willingness of public health professionals to respond to an infectious disease emergency is presented. Recommendations are proposed for future work to be done to bring the relevant empirical, ethical, and legal considerations together to develop practical guidance for the local response to infectious disease emergencies. PMID:24963648

The Development, Evolution, and Status of Holland's Theory of Vocational Personalities: Reflections and Future Directions for Counseling Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nauta, Margaret M.

2010-01-01

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of the introduction of John L. Holland's (1959) theory of vocational personalities and work environments by describing the theory's development and evolution, its instrumentation, and its current status. Hallmarks of Holland's theory are its empirical testability and its user-friendliness. By…

Predictors of Complicated Grief: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lobb, Elizabeth A.; Kristjanson, Linda J.; Aoun, Samar M.; Monterosso, Leanne; Halkett, Georgia K. B.; Davies, Anna

2010-01-01

A systematic review of the literature on predictors of complicated grief (CG) was undertaken with the aim of clarifying the current knowledge and to inform future planning and work in CG following bereavement. Predictors of CG prior to the death include previous loss, exposure to trauma, a previous psychiatric history, attachment style, and the…

Asserting the Right to Belong: Feminist Co-Mentoring among Graduate Student Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godbee, Beth; Novotny, Julia C.

2013-01-01

This empirical case study aims to identify how graduate student women mentor each other when tutoring writing and, through doing so, assert their right to belong in the academy. Much existing literature on feminist mentoring emphasizes the need for better mentoring for women, whether in work or school environments, in current or future faculty…

Understanding Teenagers' Personal Contexts to Design Technology That Supports Learning about Energy Consumption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avramides, Katerina; Craft, Brock; Luckin, Rosemary

2016-01-01

Energy sustainability is prevalent in political and popular rhetoric and yet energy consumption is rising. Teenagers are an important category of future energy consumers, but little is known of their conceptions about energy and energy saving. We report on empirical research with two groups of teenagers. This is part of ongoing work to design…

Siting of prison complex above abandoned underground coal mine

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

Marino, G.G.

1998-10-01

This paper discusses in detail the process undertaken to mitigate the effects of any future mine subsidence on prison structures proposed above old abandoned underground workings. The site for a proposed prison complex purchased by the state of Indiana was located in west-central Indiana and was undermined by an old abandoned room and pillar mine. Based on a study of the mine map and subsurface verification of the extent of mining it was determined that all prison buildings and important structures could be placed above solid coal to the north. However, one masonry building was located within the potential drawmore » zone of mine works that still contained significant mine voids. Based on empirical data the subsidence potential was estimated and the building was designed accordingly to be mine subsidence resistant. It was decided that a phase 2 prison complex should be constructed adjacent to and just south of the phase 1 complex. This complex would be directly above the underground workings. Subsequently, an extensive subsurface investigation program was undertaken to (1) ascertain whether or not mine areas where buildings would be located were already collapsed and thus only nominal, if any, subsidence could occur in the future and (2) verify the presence of solid coal areas within the mine as indicated on the mine map. Based on all the site information gathered subsidence profiles were developed from an empirical database of subsidence events in the Illinois coal basin. As a result of this work many structures on the site required no or nominal subsidence considerations. However, for others that could be affected potentially by future subsidence movement preliminary subsidence resistant designs were completed using the expected level of potential subsidence movement.« less

A tension between genuine care and other duties: Swedish nursing students' views of their future work.

PubMed

Holmström, Inger; Larsson, Jan

2005-02-01

There is a current need for nurses to take on new roles due to changing health care policies, economic cut-backs and shortage of staff. It is therefore important to study nursing students' view of their future profession. The theoretical framework was contemporary theories of competence development, which has shown that people's understanding of their work is expressed in their actions. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students' understanding of their future professional role in health care. A purposeful sample of 12 nursing students wrote narratives. The texts were condensed in five steps using the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological Method. The essence of the students' view of their future work was A tension between genuine nursing care and other duties. Four themes constituted this essence: professional status, working conditions and stress, evidence-based nursing contra holistic care, teamwork, co-operation and disrespect, and intensive care instead of geriatrics. This study highlights pedagogic and practical problems that need to be constructively addressed. The nursing students' eagerness to care in a holistic way needs to be acknowledged and used in a fruitful way. This core function of nursing needs to be integrated with up-to-date nursing research.

Clarification? Yes! Standarization? No. Or: What Kind of Cooperation for the Sociology of Culture?

PubMed

Krause, Monika

2016-01-01

Christian Smith's paper "The Incoherence of 'Culture' in American Sociology" is a valuable provocation that can prompt us to reflect on the role of concepts and on the role of agreement on the definition of concepts in scientific research. In this comment paper, I raise questions about Smith's empirical expectation that sociologists should agree on a concept of culture based on debates in the sociology of science. I also suggest that in terms of the future agenda for the sociology of culture, we should distinguish between dialogue and clarification on the one hand, which I agree is needed, and standardization on the other hand, which seems incompatible with open-minded empirical research. Rather than work on agreement on what culture is, we might work on clarifying relevant distinctions among dimensions of culture.

The U.S. Earthquake Prediction Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wesson, R.L.; Filson, J.R.

1981-01-01

There are two distinct motivations for earthquake prediction. The mechanistic approach aims to understand the processes leading to a large earthquake. The empirical approach is governed by the immediate need to protect lives and property. With our current lack of knowledge about the earthquake process, future progress cannot be made without gathering a large body of measurements. These are required not only for the empirical prediction of earthquakes, but also for the testing and development of hypotheses that further our understanding of the processes at work. The earthquake prediction program is basically a program of scientific inquiry, but one which is motivated by social, political, economic, and scientific reasons. It is a pursuit that cannot rely on empirical observations alone nor can it carried out solely on a blackboard or in a laboratory. Experiments must be carried out in the real Earth. 

Aging Well and the Environment: Toward an Integrative Model and Research Agenda for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahl, Hans-Werner; Iwarsson, Susanne; Oswald, Frank

2012-01-01

Purpose of the Study: The effects of the physical-spatial-technical environment on aging well have been overlooked both conceptually and empirically. In the spirit of M. Powell Lawton's seminal work on aging and environment, this article attempts to rectify this situation by suggesting a new model of how older people interact with their…

Life Stories of Pre-Service Teachers: Bids, Invitations, Resistance and Redemption, and the Hidden Alliance of Blessers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Thomas Alan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine how pre-service teachers' negative and/or positive life stories inform their future teaching practices. This study used Gee's (2000) theoretical work on identity, particularly his concepts of bids and invitations; and McAdams and Bowman's (2001) empirical study from life story research, focusing on the…

Public Experiments and Their Analysis with the Replication Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heering, Peter

2007-01-01

One of those who failed to establish himself as a natural philosopher in 18th century Paris was the future revolutionary Jean Paul Marat. He did not only publish several monographs on heat, optics and electricity in which he attempted to characterise his work as being purely empirical but he also tried to establish himself as a public lecturer.…

Re-reading nursing and re-writing practice: towards an empirically based reformulation of the nursing mandate.

PubMed

Allen, Davina

2004-12-01

This article examines field studies of nursing work published in the English language between 1993 and 2003 as the first step towards an empirically based reformulation of the nursing mandate. A decade of ethnographic research reveals that, contrary to contemporary theories which promote an image of nursing work centred on individualised unmediated caring relationships, in real-life practice the core nursing contribution is that of the healthcare mediator. Eight bundles of activity that comprise this intermediary role are described utilising evidence from the literature. The mismatch between nursing's culture and ideals and the structure and constraints of the work setting is a chronic source of practitioner dissatisfaction. It is argued that the profession has little to gain by pursuing an agenda of holistic patient care centred on emotional intimacy and that an alternative occupational mandate focused on the healthcare mediator function might make for more humane health services and a more viable professional future.

The Impact of Urban US Policing Practices on Black Men Who Have Sex with Men's HIV Vulnerability: Ethnographic Findings and a Conceptual Model for Future Research.

PubMed

Parker, Caroline M; Parker, Richard G; Philbin, Morgan M; Hirsch, Jennifer S

2018-04-01

This paper advances research on racism and health by presenting a conceptual model that delineates pathways linking policing practices to HIV vulnerability among Black men who have sex with men in the urban USA. Pathways include perceived discrimination based on race, sexuality and gender performance, mental health, and condom-carrying behaviors. The model, intended to stimulate future empirical work, is based on a review of the literature and on ethnographic data collected in 2014 in New York City. This paper contributes to a growing body of work that examines policing practices as drivers of racial health disparities extending far beyond violence-related deaths.

Why are you telling me that? A conceptual model of the social function of autobiographical memory.

PubMed

Alea, Nicole; Bluck, Susan

2003-03-01

In an effort to stimulate and guide empirical work within a functional framework, this paper provides a conceptual model of the social functions of autobiographical memory (AM) across the lifespan. The model delineates the processes and variables involved when AMs are shared to serve social functions. Components of the model include: lifespan contextual influences, the qualitative characteristics of memory (emotionality and level of detail recalled), the speaker's characteristics (age, gender, and personality), the familiarity and similarity of the listener to the speaker, the level of responsiveness during the memory-sharing process, and the nature of the social relationship in which the memory sharing occurs (valence and length of the relationship). These components are shown to influence the type of social function served and/or, the extent to which social functions are served. Directions for future empirical work to substantiate the model and hypotheses derived from the model are provided.

Modular Engine Noise Component Prediction System (MCP) Technical Description and Assessment Document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herkes, William H.; Reed, David H.

2005-01-01

This report describes an empirical prediction procedure for turbofan engine noise. The procedure generates predicted noise levels for several noise components, including inlet- and aft-radiated fan noise, and jet-mixing noise. This report discusses the noise source mechanisms, the development of the prediction procedures, and the assessment of the accuracy of these predictions. Finally, some recommendations for future work are presented.

Technological advances in the treatment of trauma: a review of promising practices.

PubMed

Paul, Lisa A; Hassija, Christina M; Clapp, Joshua D

2012-11-01

Given the availability of empirically supported practices for addressing posttraumatic stress disorder and other forms of trauma-related distress, the development and implementation of new technology to deliver these treatments is exciting. Technological innovations in this literature aim to expand availability of empirically based intervention, increase treatment adherence and acceptability, and overcome barriers commonly encountered with conventional trauma-focused treatment. Much of the current research on these technological developments consists of brief reviews and case studies of the separate therapy modalities. Although this work serves to document the appeal and utility of these innovations, it does not provide comprehensive information about the host of options available. To that end, the three general categories of technological advances in trauma therapy (i.e., videoconferencing, e-Health, virtual reality) are reviewed here, including information regarding their empirical support and suggestions for future research and clinical practice.

Threat to life and risk-taking behaviors: a review of empirical findings and explanatory models.

PubMed

Ben-Zur, Hasida; Zeidner, Moshe

2009-05-01

This article reviews the literature focusing on the relationship between perceived threat to life and risk-taking behaviors. The review of empirical data, garnered from field studies and controlled experiments, suggests that personal threat to life results in elevated risk-taking behavior. To account for these findings, this review proposes a number of theoretical explanations. These frameworks are grounded in divergent conceptual models: coping with stress, emotion regulation, replenishing of lost resources through self-enhancement, modifications of key parameters of cognitive processing of risky outcomes, and neurocognitive mechanisms. The review concludes with a number of methodological considerations, as well as directions for future work in this promising area of research.

Fifty Years of Mountain Passes: A Perspective on Dan Janzen's Classic Article.

PubMed

Sheldon, Kimberly S; Huey, Raymond B; Kaspari, Michael; Sanders, Nathan J

2018-05-01

In 1967, Dan Janzen published "Why Mountain Passes Are Higher in the Tropics" in The American Naturalist. Janzen's seminal article has captured the attention of generations of biologists and continues to inspire theoretical and empirical work. The underlying assumptions and derived predictions are broadly synthetic and widely applicable. Consequently, Janzen's "seasonality hypothesis" has proven relevant to physiology, climate change, ecology, and evolution. To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this highly influential article, we highlight the past, present, and future of this work and include a unique historical perspective from Janzen himself.

Empirical research on empathy in medicine-A critical review.

PubMed

Pedersen, Reidar

2009-09-01

There is a growing amount of empirical research on empathy in medicine. This critical review assesses methodological limitations in this body of research that have not received adequate attention. Scientific publications presenting empirical research on medical students' or physicians' empathy were systematically searched for. 206 publications were identified and critically reviewed. Multiple empirical approaches have been used. However, there are some remarkable tendencies given the complexity of the study object: empathy is often not defined. Qualitative approaches are rarely used and the predominant quantitative instruments have a relatively narrow or peripheral scope. For example, the concrete experiences, feelings, and interpretations of the physician and the patient, and empathy in clinical practice, are often neglected. Furthermore, possible influences of medical training and working conditions on empathy have not been adequately explored. The empirical studies of empathy in medicine tend to separate empathy from main parts of clinical perception, judgment, and communication. Thus, important aspects and influences of empathy have been relatively neglected. Future studies should include transparent concepts, more than one method and perspective, qualitative approaches, the physician's and the patient's concrete experiences and interpretations, and the context in which empathy is developed and practiced.

Distress Tolerance and Psychopathological Symptoms and Disorders: A Review of the Empirical Literature among Adults

PubMed Central

Leyro, Teresa M.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Bernstein, Amit

2010-01-01

In the present paper, we review theory and empirical study of distress tolerance, an emerging risk factor candidate for various forms of psychopathology. Despite the long-standing interest in, and promise of work on, distress tolerance for understanding adult psychopathology, there has not been a comprehensive review of the extant empirical literature focused on the construct. As a result, a comprehensive synthesis of theoretical and empirical scholarship on distress tolerance including integration of extant research on the relations between distress tolerance and psychopathology is lacking. Inspection of the scientific literature indicates that there are a number of promising ways to conceptualize and measure distress tolerance, as well as documented relations between distress tolerance factor(s) and psychopathological symptoms and disorders. Although promising, there also is notable conceptual and operational heterogeneity across the distress tolerance literature(s). Moreoever, a number of basic questions remain unanswered regarding the associations between distress tolerance and other risk and protective factors and processes, as well as its putative role(s) in vulnerability for, and resilience to, psychopathology. Thus, the current paper provides a comprehensive review of past and contemporary theory and research and proposes key areas for future empirical study of this construct. PMID:20565169

Empirical analysis of the stress-strain relationship between hydraulic head and subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neff, K. L.; Farr, T.

2016-12-01

Aquifer subsidence due to groundwater abstraction poses a significant threat to aquifer sustainability and infrastructure. The need to prevent permanent compaction to preserve aquifer storage capacity and protect infrastructure begs a better understanding of how compaction is related to groundwater abstraction and aquifer hydrogeology. The stress-strain relationship between hydraulic head changes and aquifer compaction has previously been observed to be hysteretic in both empirical and modeling studies. Here, subsidence data for central California's San Joaquin Valley derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) for the period 2007-2016 is examined relative to hydraulic head levels in monitoring and production wells collected by the California Department of Water Resources. Such a large and long-term data set is available for empirical analysis for the first time thanks to advances in InSAR data collection and geospatial data management. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) funded this work to provide the background and an update on subsidence in the Central Valley to support future policy. Part of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA.

Empirical correlations of the performance of vapor-anode PX-series AMTEC cells

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

Huang, L.; Merrill, J.M.; Mayberry, C.

Power systems based on AMTEC technology will be used for future NASA missions, including a Pluto-Express (PX) or Europa mission planned for approximately year 2004. AMTEC technology may also be used as an alternative to photovoltaic based power systems for future Air Force missions. An extensive development program of Alkali-Metal Thermal-to-Electric Conversion (AMTEC) technology has been underway at the Vehicle Technologies Branch of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1992. Under this program, numerical modeling and experimental investigations of the performance of the various multi-BASE tube, vapor-anode AMTEC cells have been and are being performed.more » Vacuum testing of AMTEC cells at AFRL determines the effects of changing the hot and cold end temperatures, T{sub hot} and T{sub cold}, and applied external load, R{sub ext}, on the cell electric power output, current-voltage characteristics, and conversion efficiency. Test results have traditionally been used to provide feedback to cell designers, and to validate numerical models. The current work utilizes the test data to develop empirical correlations for cell output performance under various working conditions. Because the empirical correlations are developed directly from the experimental data, uncertainties arising from material properties that must be used in numerical modeling can be avoided. Empirical correlations of recent vapor-anode PX-series AMTEC cells have been developed. Based on AMTEC theory and the experimental data, the cell output power (as well as voltage and current) was correlated as a function of three parameters (T{sub hot}, T{sub cold}, and R{sub ext}) for a given cell. Correlations were developed for different cells (PX-3C, PX-3A, PX-G3, and PX-5A), and were in good agreement with experimental data for these cells. Use of these correlations can greatly reduce the testing required to determine electrical performance of a given type of AMTEC cell over a wide range of operating conditions.« less

Balancing the benefits and costs of antibiotic drugs: the TREAT model.

PubMed

Leibovici, L; Paul, M; Andreassen, S

2010-12-01

TREAT is a computerized decision support system aimed at improving empirical antibiotic treatment of inpatients with suspected bacterial infections. It contains a model that balances, for each antibiotic choice (including 'no antibiotics'), expected benefit and expected costs. The main benefit afforded by appropriate, empirical, early antibiotic treatment in moderate to severe infections is a better chance of survival. Each antibiotic drug was consigned three cost components: cost of the drug and administration; cost of side effects; and costs of future resistance. 'No treatment' incurs no costs. The model worked well for decision support. Its analysis showed, yet again, that for moderate to severe infections, a model that does not include costs of resistance to future patients will always return maximum antibiotic treatment. Two major moral decisions are hidden in the model: how to take into account the limited life-expectancy and limited quality of life of old or very sick patients; and how to assign a value for a life-year of a future, unnamed patient vs. the present, individual patient. © 2010 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2010 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Watching the paint dry at work: psychometric examination of the Dutch Boredom Scale.

PubMed

Reijseger, Gaby; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Peeters, Maria C W; Taris, Toon W; van Beek, Ilona; Ouweneel, Else

2013-09-01

Boredom at work is a state of employee unwell-being that is characterized by relatively low arousal and high dissatisfaction. At present little is known about boredom at work. In order to facilitate future research, the current study introduces a brief self-report questionnaire that assesses boredom at work, the Dutch Boredom Scale (DUBS). We argue that (1) boredom at work can be distinguished empirically from related concepts such as work engagement and job burnout; (2) boredom at work results from having an unchallenging, "passive" job; and (3) the subsequent lack of challenge in the form of boredom may result in dissatisfaction with the job and with the organization. Using data from 6315 employees, factor analysis supported the factorial and discriminant validity of the DUBS vis-à-vis engagement and burnout. As expected, structural equation modeling revealed that demands and resources were negatively associated with boredom. Moreover, boredom at work was negatively related with job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and positively with turnover intention. These findings support the validity of the DUBS. Future research may focus on underemployment as an antecedent of boredom at work, and on the effects of boredom on job performance.

Food for contagion: Synthesis and future directions for studying host–parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments

PubMed Central

Altizer, Sonia. M.; Becker, Daniel J.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Forbes, Kristian M.; Gillespie, Thomas R.; Hall, Richard J.; Hawley, Dana; Hernandez, Sonia M.; Martin, Lynn B.; Plowright, Raina K.; Satterfield, Dara A.; Streicker, Daniel G.

2018-01-01

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common, and have profound consequences for wildlife–pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical, and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) inter-specific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modeling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human–wildlife conflicts over shared food resources, and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans. PMID:29531154

Depressive personality disorder: theoretical issues, clinical findings, and future research questions.

PubMed

Huprich, S K

1998-08-01

This article reviews the theoretical construct of depressive personality disorder and its related research. The history of depressive personality disorder is reviewed. It is concluded that differing theories converge on similar descriptions and mechanisms of development for the depressive personality disorder. Substantial empirical work supports the diagnostic distinctiveness of depressive personality disorder in clinical populations. Past and current assessment devices for assessing depressive personality disorder are also described along with their psychometric properties and clinical value. Suggestions are made for future research on the etiology and validity of the depressive personality disorder construct in order to facilitate deciding whether or not to include depressive personality disorder in future editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

A critical evaluation of the validity of episodic future thinking: A clinical neuropsychology perspective.

PubMed

Ward, Amanda M

2016-11-01

Episodic future thinking is defined as the ability to mentally simulate a future event. Although episodic future thinking has been studied extensively in neuroscience, this construct has not been explored in depth from the perspective of clinical neuropsychology. The aim of this critical narrative review is to assess the validity and clinical implications of episodic future thinking. A systematic review of episodic future thinking literature was conducted. PubMed and PsycInfo were searched through July 2015 for review and empirical articles with the following search terms: "episodic future thinking," "future mental simulation," "imagining the future," "imagining new experiences," "future mental time travel," "future autobiographical experience," and "prospection." The review discusses evidence that episodic future thinking is important for adaptive functioning, which has implications for neurological populations. To determine the validity of episodic future thinking, the construct is evaluated with respect to related constructs, such as imagination, episodic memory, autobiographical memory, prospective memory, narrative construction, and working memory. Although it has been minimally investigated, there is evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for episodic future thinking. Research has not addressed the incremental validity of episodic future thinking. Practical considerations of episodic future thinking tasks and related constructs in a clinical neuropsychological setting are considered. The utility of episodic future thinking is currently unknown due to the lack of research investigating the validity of episodic future thinking. Future work is discussed, which could determine whether episodic future thinking is an important missing piece in standard clinical neuropsychological assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Work engagement in nursing: a concept analysis.

PubMed

Bargagliotti, L Antoinette

2012-06-01

  This article is a report of an analysis of the concept of work engagement. Background.  Work engagement is the central issue for 21st century professionals and specifically for registered nurses. Conceptual clarity about work engagement gives empirical direction for future research and a theoretical underpinning for the myriad studies about nurses and their work environment.   Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis was used. Nursing, business, psychology and health sciences databases were searched using Science Direct, CINAHL, OVID, Academic One File, ABI INFORM and PsycINFO for publications that were: written in English, published between 1990 and 2010, and described or studied work engagement in any setting with any population.   Work engagement is a positive, fulfilling state of mind about work that is characterized by vigour, dedication and absorption. Trust (organizationally, managerially and collegially) and autonomy are the antecedents of work engagement. The outcomes of nurses' work engagement are higher levels of personal initiative that are contagious, decreased hospital mortality rates and significantly higher financial profitability of organizations.   When work engagement is conceptually removed from a transactional job demands-resources model, the relational antecedents of trust and autonomy have greater explanatory power for work engagement in nurses. Untangling the antecedents, attributes and outcomes of work engagement is important to future research efforts. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Beyond the theoretical rhetoric: a proposal to study the consequences of drug legalization.

PubMed

Yacoubian, G S

2001-01-01

Drug legalization is a frequently-debated drug control policy alternative. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that the arguments in favor of both legalization and prohibition have resulted in a conceptual stalemate. While theoretical deliberations are unquestionably valuable, they seem to have propelled this particular issue to its limit. To date, no works have suggested any empirical studies that might test the framework and potential consequences of drug legalization. In the current study, the arguments surrounding the drug legalization debate are synthesized into a proposal for future research. Such a proposal illustrates that the core elements surrounding drug legalization are not only testable, but that the time may be right to consider such an empirical effort.

Disorders without borders: current and future directions in the meta-structure of mental disorders.

PubMed

Carragher, Natacha; Krueger, Robert F; Eaton, Nicholas R; Slade, Tim

2015-03-01

Classification is the cornerstone of clinical diagnostic practice and research. However, the extant psychiatric classification systems are not well supported by research evidence. In particular, extensive comorbidity among putatively distinct disorders flags an urgent need for fundamental changes in how we conceptualize psychopathology. Over the past decade, research has coalesced on an empirically based model that suggests many common mental disorders are structured according to two correlated latent dimensions: internalizing and externalizing. We review and discuss the development of a dimensional-spectrum model which organizes mental disorders in an empirically based manner. We also touch upon changes in the DSM-5 and put forward recommendations for future research endeavors. Our review highlights substantial empirical support for the empirically based internalizing-externalizing model of psychopathology, which provides a parsimonious means of addressing comorbidity. As future research goals, we suggest that the field would benefit from: expanding the meta-structure of psychopathology to include additional disorders, development of empirically based thresholds, inclusion of a developmental perspective, and intertwining genomic and neuroscience dimensions with the empirical structure of psychopathology.

Consciousness and working memory: Current trends and research perspectives.

PubMed

Velichkovsky, Boris B

2017-10-01

Working memory has long been thought to be closely related to consciousness. However, recent empirical studies show that unconscious content may be maintained within working memory and that complex cognitive computations may be performed on-line. This promotes research on the exact relationships between consciousness and working memory. Current evidence for working memory being a conscious as well as an unconscious process is reviewed. Consciousness is shown to be considered a subset of working memory by major current theories of working memory. Evidence for unconscious elements in working memory is shown to come from visual masking and attentional blink paradigms, and from the studies of implicit working memory. It is concluded that more research is needed to explicate the relationship between consciousness and working memory. Future research directions regarding the relationship between consciousness and working memory are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting future conflict between team-members with parameter-free models of social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovira-Asenjo, Núria; Gumí, Tània; Sales-Pardo, Marta; Guimerà, Roger

2013-06-01

Despite the well-documented benefits of working in teams, teamwork also results in communication, coordination and management costs, and may lead to personal conflict between team members. In a context where teams play an increasingly important role, it is of major importance to understand conflict and to develop diagnostic tools to avert it. Here, we investigate empirically whether it is possible to quantitatively predict future conflict in small teams using parameter-free models of social network structure. We analyze data of conflict appearance and resolution between 86 team members in 16 small teams, all working in a real project for nine consecutive months. We find that group-based models of complex networks successfully anticipate conflict in small teams whereas micro-based models of structural balance, which have been traditionally used to model conflict, do not.

Hospital employee job resourcefulness: an empirical study and implications for health care marketing.

PubMed

Harris, Eric G; Artis, Andrew B; Fogliasso, Chris; Fleming, David E

2007-01-01

In today's competitive hospital marketing environment, it is imperative that administrators ensure that their hospitals are operating as efficiently and as effectively as possible. "Doing more with less" has become a mandate for hospital administrators and employees. The current research replicates and extends previous work devoted to this topic by examining the job resourcefulness construct in a hospital setting. Job resourcefulness, an individual difference variable, assesses the degree to which employees are able to overcome resource constraints in the pursuit of job-related goals. The work builds upon previous work and contributes to the hospital marketing literature by examining the relationships between resourcefulness, personality influencers, role stressors, and job tenure. Research implications and suggestions for future work in the area are presented.

Characteristics of real futures trading networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junjie; Zhou, Shuigeng; Guan, Jihong

2011-01-01

Futures trading is the core of futures business, and it is considered as one of the typical complex systems. To investigate the complexity of futures trading, we employ the analytical method of complex networks. First, we use real trading records from the Shanghai Futures Exchange to construct futures trading networks, in which nodes are trading participants, and two nodes have a common edge if the two corresponding investors appear simultaneously in at least one trading record as a purchaser and a seller, respectively. Then, we conduct a comprehensive statistical analysis on the constructed futures trading networks. Empirical results show that the futures trading networks exhibit features such as scale-free behavior with interesting odd-even-degree divergence in low-degree regions, small-world effect, hierarchical organization, power-law betweenness distribution, disassortative mixing, and shrinkage of both the average path length and the diameter as network size increases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that uses real data to study futures trading networks, and we argue that the research results can shed light on the nature of real futures business.

Publication Trends in Thanatology: An Analysis of Leading Journals.

PubMed

Wittkowski, Joachim; Doka, Kenneth J; Neimeyer, Robert A; Vallerga, Michael

2015-01-01

To identify important trends in thanatology as a discipline, the authors analyzed over 1,500 articles that appeared in Death Studies and Omega over a 20-year period, coding the category of articles (e.g., theory, application, empirical research), their content focus (e.g., bereavement, death attitudes, end-of-life), and for empirical studies, their methodology (e.g., quantitative, qualitative). In general, empirical research predominates in both journals, with quantitative methods outnumbering qualitative procedures 2 to 1 across the period studied, despite an uptick in the latter methods in recent years. Purely theoretical articles, in contrast, decline in frequency. Research on grief and bereavement is the most commonly occurring (and increasing) content focus of this work, with a declining but still substantial body of basic research addressing death attitudes. Suicidology is also well represented in the corpus of articles analyzed. In contrast, publications on topics such as death education, medical ethics, and end-of-life issues occur with lower frequency, in the latter instances likely due to the submission of such work to more specialized medical journals. Differences in emphasis of Death Studies and Omega are noted, and the analysis of publication patterns is interpreted with respect to overall trends in the discipline and the culture, yielding a broad depiction of the field and some predictions regarding its possible future.

Recent Advances in Model-Assisted Probability of Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, R. Bruce; Brasche, Lisa J.; Lindgren, Eric; Swindell, Paul; Winfree, William P.

2009-01-01

The increased role played by probability of detection (POD) in structural integrity programs, combined with the significant time and cost associated with the purely empirical determination of POD, provides motivation for alternate means to estimate this important metric of NDE techniques. One approach to make the process of POD estimation more efficient is to complement limited empirical experiments with information from physics-based models of the inspection process or controlled laboratory experiments. The Model-Assisted Probability of Detection (MAPOD) Working Group was formed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the FAA Technical Center, and NASA to explore these possibilities. Since the 2004 inception of the MAPOD Working Group, 11 meetings have been held in conjunction with major NDE conferences. This paper will review the accomplishments of this group, which includes over 90 members from around the world. Included will be a discussion of strategies developed to combine physics-based and empirical understanding, draft protocols that have been developed to guide application of the strategies, and demonstrations that have been or are being carried out in a number of countries. The talk will conclude with a discussion of future directions, which will include documentation of benefits via case studies, development of formal protocols for engineering practice, as well as a number of specific technical issues.

Exoplanet Biosignatures: Future Directions

PubMed Central

Bains, William; Cronin, Leroy; DasSarma, Shiladitya; Danielache, Sebastian; Domagal-Goldman, Shawn; Kacar, Betul; Kiang, Nancy Y.; Lenardic, Adrian; Reinhard, Christopher T.; Moore, William; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Smith, Harrison B.

2018-01-01

Abstract We introduce a Bayesian method for guiding future directions for detection of life on exoplanets. We describe empirical and theoretical work necessary to place constraints on the relevant likelihoods, including those emerging from better understanding stellar environment, planetary climate and geophysics, geochemical cycling, the universalities of physics and chemistry, the contingencies of evolutionary history, the properties of life as an emergent complex system, and the mechanisms driving the emergence of life. We provide examples for how the Bayesian formalism could guide future search strategies, including determining observations to prioritize or deciding between targeted searches or larger lower resolution surveys to generate ensemble statistics and address how a Bayesian methodology could constrain the prior probability of life with or without a positive detection. Key Words: Exoplanets—Biosignatures—Life detection—Bayesian analysis. Astrobiology 18, 779–824. PMID:29938538

Exoplanet Biosignatures: Future Directions.

PubMed

Walker, Sara I; Bains, William; Cronin, Leroy; DasSarma, Shiladitya; Danielache, Sebastian; Domagal-Goldman, Shawn; Kacar, Betul; Kiang, Nancy Y; Lenardic, Adrian; Reinhard, Christopher T; Moore, William; Schwieterman, Edward W; Shkolnik, Evgenya L; Smith, Harrison B

2018-06-01

We introduce a Bayesian method for guiding future directions for detection of life on exoplanets. We describe empirical and theoretical work necessary to place constraints on the relevant likelihoods, including those emerging from better understanding stellar environment, planetary climate and geophysics, geochemical cycling, the universalities of physics and chemistry, the contingencies of evolutionary history, the properties of life as an emergent complex system, and the mechanisms driving the emergence of life. We provide examples for how the Bayesian formalism could guide future search strategies, including determining observations to prioritize or deciding between targeted searches or larger lower resolution surveys to generate ensemble statistics and address how a Bayesian methodology could constrain the prior probability of life with or without a positive detection. Key Words: Exoplanets-Biosignatures-Life detection-Bayesian analysis. Astrobiology 18, 779-824.

The need to know caregiver perspectives toward using smart home technology.

PubMed

Giger, Jarod T; Markward, Martha

2011-01-01

This article reviews the literature on adults with serious mental illness, their caregivers, and smart home technology. The article provides compelling evidence for social workers to undertake research aimed at investigating caregivers' perceptions toward using smart home technology for care of adult family members or friends with a serious mental illness. Empirical support for using smart home technologies with adults with serious mental illness is provided, and recommendations for future social work research are offered.

A Quantitative Analysis and Natural History of B. F. Skinner's Coauthoring Practices

PubMed Central

McKerchar, Todd L; Morris, Edward K; Smith, Nathaniel G

2011-01-01

This paper describes and analyzes B. F. Skinner's coauthoring practices. After identifying his 35 coauthored publications and 27 coauthors, we analyze his coauthored works by their form (e.g., journal articles) and kind (e.g., empirical); identify the journals in which he published and their type (e.g., data-type); describe his overall and local rates of publishing with his coauthors (e.g., noting breaks in the latter); and compare his coauthoring practices with his single-authoring practices (e.g., form, kind, journal type) and with those in the scientometric literature (e.g., majority of coauthored publications are empirical). We address these findings in the context of describing the natural history of Skinner's coauthoring practices. Finally, we describe some limitations in our methods and offer suggestions for future research. PMID:22532732

Performance Analysis of Transposition Models Simulating Solar Radiation on Inclined Surfaces

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

Xie, Yu; Sengupta, Manajit

2016-06-02

Transposition models have been widely used in the solar energy industry to simulate solar radiation on inclined photovoltaic panels. Following numerous studies comparing the performance of transposition models, this work aims to understand the quantitative uncertainty in state-of-the-art transposition models and the sources leading to the uncertainty. Our results show significant differences between two highly used isotropic transposition models, with one substantially underestimating the diffuse plane-of-array irradiances when diffuse radiation is perfectly isotropic. In the empirical transposition models, the selection of the empirical coefficients and land surface albedo can both result in uncertainty in the output. This study can bemore » used as a guide for the future development of physics-based transposition models and evaluations of system performance.« less

Local food environment interventions to improve healthy food choice in adults: a systematic review and realist synthesis protocol.

PubMed

Penney, Tarra L; Brown, Helen Elizabeth; Maguire, Eva R; Kuhn, Isla; Monsivais, Pablo

2015-05-03

Local food environments have been linked with dietary intake and obesity in adults. However, overall evidence remains mixed with calls for increased theoretical and conceptual clarity related to how availability of neighbourhood food outlets, and within-outlet food options, influence food purchasing and consumption. The purpose of this work is to develop a programme theory of food availability, supported by empirical evidence from a range of local food environment interventions. A systematic search of the literature will be followed by duplicate screening and quality assessment (using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool). Realist synthesis will then be conducted according to the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) publication standards, including transparent appraisal, synthesis and drawing conclusions via consensus. The final synthesis will propose an evidence-based programme theory of food availability, including evidence mapping to demonstrate contextual factors, pathways of influence and potential mechanisms. With the paucity of empirically supported programme theories used in current local food environment interventions to improve food availability, this synthesis may be used to understand how and why interventions work, and thus inform the development of theory-driven, evidence-based interventions to improve healthy food choice and future empirical work. PROSPERO CRD42014009808. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Beyond Clinical Case Studies in Psychoanalysis: A Review of Psychoanalytic Empirical Single Case Studies Published in ISI-Ranked Journals.

PubMed

Meganck, Reitske; Inslegers, Ruth; Krivzov, Juri; Notaerts, Liza

2017-01-01

Single case studies are at the origin of both theory development and research in the field of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. While clinical case studies are the hallmark of psychoanalytic theory and practice, their scientific value has been strongly criticized. To address problems with the subjective bias of retrospective therapist reports and uncontrollability of clinical case studies, systematic approaches to investigate psychotherapy process and outcome at the level of the single case have been developed. Such empirical case studies are also able to bridge the famous gap between academic research and clinical practice as they provide clinically relevant insights into how psychotherapy works. This study presents a review of psychoanalytic empirical case studies published in ISI-ranked journals and maps the characteristics of the study, therapist, patient en therapies that are investigated. Empirical case studies increased in quantity and quality (amount of information and systematization) over time. While future studies could pay more attention to providing contextual information on therapist characteristics and informed consent considerations, the available literature provides a basis to conduct meta-studies of single cases and as such contribute to knowledge aggregation.

Beyond Clinical Case Studies in Psychoanalysis: A Review of Psychoanalytic Empirical Single Case Studies Published in ISI-Ranked Journals

PubMed Central

Meganck, Reitske; Inslegers, Ruth; Krivzov, Juri; Notaerts, Liza

2017-01-01

Single case studies are at the origin of both theory development and research in the field of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. While clinical case studies are the hallmark of psychoanalytic theory and practice, their scientific value has been strongly criticized. To address problems with the subjective bias of retrospective therapist reports and uncontrollability of clinical case studies, systematic approaches to investigate psychotherapy process and outcome at the level of the single case have been developed. Such empirical case studies are also able to bridge the famous gap between academic research and clinical practice as they provide clinically relevant insights into how psychotherapy works. This study presents a review of psychoanalytic empirical case studies published in ISI-ranked journals and maps the characteristics of the study, therapist, patient en therapies that are investigated. Empirical case studies increased in quantity and quality (amount of information and systematization) over time. While future studies could pay more attention to providing contextual information on therapist characteristics and informed consent considerations, the available literature provides a basis to conduct meta-studies of single cases and as such contribute to knowledge aggregation. PMID:29046660

How Much Do Hospitals Cost Shift? A Review of the Evidence

PubMed Central

Frakt, Austin B

2011-01-01

Context: Hospital cost shifting—charging private payers more in response to shortfalls in public payments—has long been part of the debate over health care policy. Despite the abundance of theoretical and empirical literature on the subject, it has not been critically reviewed and interpreted since Morrisey did so nearly fifteen years ago. Much has changed since then, in both empirical technique and the health care landscape. This article examines the theoretical and empirical literature on cost shifting since 1996, synthesizes the predominant findings, suggests their implications for the future of health care costs, and puts them in the current policy context. Methods: The relevant literature was identified by database search. Papers describing policies were considered first, since policy shapes the health care market in which cost shifting may or may not occur. Theoretical works were examined second, as theory provides hypotheses and structure for empirical work. The empirical literature was analyzed last in the context of the policy environment and in light of theoretical implications for appropriate econometric specification. Findings: Most of the analyses and commentary based on descriptive, industrywide hospital payment-to-cost margins by payer provide a false impression that cost shifting is a large and pervasive phenomenon. More careful theoretical and empirical examinations suggest that cost shifting can and has occurred, but usually at a relatively low rate. Margin changes also are strongly influenced by the evolution of hospital and health plan market structures and changes in underlying costs. Conclusions: Policymakers should view with a degree of skepticism most hospital and insurance industry claims of inevitable, large-scale cost shifting. Although some cost shifting may result from changes in public payment policy, it is just one of many possible effects. Moreover, changes in the balance of market power between hospitals and health care plans also significantly affect private prices. Since they may increase hospitals’ market power, provisions of the new health reform law that may encourage greater provider integration and consolidation should be implemented with caution. PMID:21418314

Early variability in the conceptualisation of "sustainable development and human factors".

PubMed

Thatcher, Andrew

2012-01-01

The sub-discipline of "sustainable development and human factors" is relatively new, first being used in 2006 with a Technical Committee of the IEA being established only in 2009 and a similar special interest group on "green ergonomics" at the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors being established in 2010. In general though, the definitions and practice of "sustainable development" is highly contentious and ambiguous across a range of disciplines. This paper examines the diversity of definitions and approaches to sustainable development and human factors in the early papers in this sub-discipline. An examination of 45 chapters and papers (from 2008 to 2011) reveals a surprising consistency in the definitions used for sustainable development but also a large proportion of the papers where no definitions are given at all. The majority of papers were, however, biased towards an economic capital and social capital emphasis, which is to be expected of work traditionally in the ergonomics paradigm. Further, most papers were theoretical in nature demonstrating a great opportunity for empirical work. The variability in definitions is discussed in relation to the future challenges facing the growth of this emergent sub-discipline and opportunities for further theoretical and empirical work.

Shared identity in organizational stress and change.

PubMed

van Dick, Rolf; Ciampa, Valeria; Liang, Shuang

2017-11-17

The social identity approach has been found very useful for the understanding of a range of phenomena within and across organizations. It has been applied in particular to analyze employees' stress and well-being at work and their reactions to organizational change. In this paper, we argue that there is a mismatch between the theoretical notion of shared identities in teams and organizations and empirical research, which largely focuses on the individual employee's identification with his or her social categories at work. We briefly review the literature in the two areas of stress and change and conclude with an agenda for future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future self-continuity: how conceptions of the future self transform intertemporal choice

PubMed Central

Hershfield, Hal E.

2013-01-01

With life expectancy dramatically increasing throughout much of the world, people have to make choices with a longer future in mind than they ever had to before. Yet, many indicators suggest that undersaving for the long term often occurs: in America, for instance, many individuals will not be able to maintain their preretirement standard of living in retirement. Previous research has tried to understand problems with intertemporal choice by focusing on the ways in which people treat present and future rewards. In this paper, the author reviews a burgeoning body of theoretical and empirical work that takes a different viewpoint, one that focuses on how perceptions of the self over time can dramatically affect decision making. Specifically, when the future self shares similarities with the present self, when it is viewed in vivid and realistic terms, and when it is seen in a positive light, people are more willing to make choices today that may benefit them at some point in the years to come. PMID:22023566

Sex offender registration and community notification: emerging legal and research issues.

PubMed

Logan, Wayne A

2003-06-01

Sex offender registration and community notification laws, now in effect nationwide, have inspired considerable controversy. This article examines the variety of legal challenges brought against the laws since the mid-1990s and surveys issues likely to receive judicial attention in the immediate future. The article also provides an overview of the limited empirical work done to date on registration and notification, and the major areas that warrant additional research, including, most notably, inquiry into efficacy, costs, and consequences.

Toward a Model of Work-Related Self: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Knez, Igor

2016-01-01

Occupational work as personal and social identification can be conceptualized as one of the life goals that we strive for and find meaning in. A basic categorization of the phenomenon of work-related identity is suggested, based on psychological theories of identity, memory and relational schema. It distinguishes between organizational, workgroup and professional identity. The two former relate to the concepts of social identity and collective self and the latter to the concepts of personal identity and individual self. These are assumed to form functionally independent cognitive structures, leading to separate motivations and influences on work-related satisfaction. Given this, empirical research on the impact of work-related identity on employee satisfaction, in general terms, is reviewed. The article concludes with some prospective directions for future research by sketching a general model of work-related self. It is hypothesized to evolve by a causal progression from employment across time via emotional and cognitive components.

Toward a Model of Work-Related Self: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Knez, Igor

2016-01-01

Occupational work as personal and social identification can be conceptualized as one of the life goals that we strive for and find meaning in. A basic categorization of the phenomenon of work-related identity is suggested, based on psychological theories of identity, memory and relational schema. It distinguishes between organizational, workgroup and professional identity. The two former relate to the concepts of social identity and collective self and the latter to the concepts of personal identity and individual self. These are assumed to form functionally independent cognitive structures, leading to separate motivations and influences on work-related satisfaction. Given this, empirical research on the impact of work-related identity on employee satisfaction, in general terms, is reviewed. The article concludes with some prospective directions for future research by sketching a general model of work-related self. It is hypothesized to evolve by a causal progression from employment across time via emotional and cognitive components. PMID:27014140

Empirical Relationships Between Optical Properties and Equivalent Diameters of Fractal Soot Aggregates at 550 Nm Wavelength.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pandey, Apoorva; Chakrabarty, Rajan K.; Liu, Li; Mishchenko, Michael I.

2015-01-01

Soot aggregates (SAs)-fractal clusters of small, spherical carbonaceous monomers-modulate the incoming visible solar radiation and contribute significantly to climate forcing. Experimentalists and climate modelers typically assume a spherical morphology for SAs when computing their optical properties, causing significant errors. Here, we calculate the optical properties of freshly-generated (fractal dimension Df = 1.8) and aged (Df = 2.6) SAs at 550 nm wavelength using the numericallyexact superposition T-Matrix method. These properties were expressed as functions of equivalent aerosol diameters as measured by contemporary aerosol instruments. This work improves upon previous efforts wherein SA optical properties were computed as a function of monomer number, rendering them unusable in practical applications. Future research will address the sensitivity of variation in refractive index, fractal prefactor, and monomer overlap of SAs on the reported empirical relationships.

Psychiatric Advance Directives and Social Workers: An Integrative Review

PubMed Central

Van Dorn, Richard A.; Scheyett, Anna; Swanson, Jeffrey W.; Swartz, Marvin S.

2013-01-01

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) are legal documents that allow individuals to express their wishes for future psychiatric care and to authorize a legally appointed proxy to make decisions on their behalf during incapacitating crises. PADs are viewed as an alternative to the coercive interventions that sometimes accompany mental health crises for persons with mental illness. Insofar as coercive interventions can abridge clients’ autonomy and self-determination -- values supported by the Profession’s Code of Ethics -- social workers have a vested interest in finding ways to reduce coercion and increase autonomy and self-determination in their practice. However, PADs are also viewed as having the potential to positively affect a variety of other clinical outcomes, including but not limited to treatment engagement, treatment satisfaction, and working alliance. This article reviews the clinical and legal history of PADs and empirical evidence for their implementation and effectiveness. Despite what should be an inherent interest in PADs, and the fact that laws authorizing PADs have proliferated in the past decade, there is little theoretical or empirical research in the social work literature. PMID:20408357

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

Vasylkivska, Veronika S.; Huerta, Nicolas J.

Determining the spatiotemporal characteristics of natural and induced seismic events holds the opportunity to gain new insights into why these events occur. Linking the seismicity characteristics with other geologic, geographic, natural, or anthropogenic factors could help to identify the causes and suggest mitigation strategies that reduce the risk associated with such events. The nearest-neighbor approach utilized in this work represents a practical first step toward identifying statistically correlated clusters of recorded earthquake events. Detailed study of the Oklahoma earthquake catalog’s inherent errors, empirical model parameters, and model assumptions is presented. We found that the cluster analysis results are stable withmore » respect to empirical parameters (e.g., fractal dimension) but were sensitive to epicenter location errors and seismicity rates. Most critically, we show that the patterns in the distribution of earthquake clusters in Oklahoma are primarily defined by spatial relationships between events. This observation is a stark contrast to California (also known for induced seismicity) where a comparable cluster distribution is defined by both spatial and temporal interactions between events. These results highlight the difficulty in understanding the mechanisms and behavior of induced seismicity but provide insights for future work.« less

SU-E-I-38: Improved Metal Artifact Correction Using Adaptive Dual Energy Calibration

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

Dong, X; Elder, E; Roper, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: The empirical dual energy calibration (EDEC) method corrects for beam-hardening artifacts, but shows limited performance on metal artifact correction. In this work, we propose an adaptive dual energy calibration (ADEC) method to correct for metal artifacts. Methods: The empirical dual energy calibration (EDEC) method corrects for beam-hardening artifacts, but shows limited performance on metal artifact correction. In this work, we propose an adaptive dual energy calibration (ADEC) method to correct for metal artifacts. Results: Highly attenuating copper rods cause severe streaking artifacts on standard CT images. EDEC improves the image quality, but cannot eliminate the streaking artifacts. Compared tomore » EDEC, the proposed ADEC method further reduces the streaking resulting from metallic inserts and beam-hardening effects and obtains material decomposition images with significantly improved accuracy. Conclusion: We propose an adaptive dual energy calibration method to correct for metal artifacts. ADEC is evaluated with the Shepp-Logan phantom, and shows superior metal artifact correction performance. In the future, we will further evaluate the performance of the proposed method with phantom and patient data.« less

Why and How. The Future of the Central Questions of Consciousness

PubMed Central

Havlík, Marek; Kozáková, Eva; Horáček, Jiří

2017-01-01

In this review, we deal with two central questions of consciousness how and why, and we outline their possible future development. The question how refers to the empirical endeavor to reveal the neural correlates and mechanisms that form consciousness. On the other hand, the question why generally refers to the “hard problem” of consciousness, which claims that empirical science will always fail to provide a satisfactory answer to the question why is there conscious experience at all. Unfortunately, the hard problem of consciousness will probably never completely disappear because it will always have its most committed supporters. However, there is a good chance that its weight and importance will be highly reduced by empirically tackling consciousness in the near future. We expect that future empirical endeavor of consciousness will be based on a unifying brain theory and will answer the question as to what is the function of conscious experience, which will in turn replace the implications of the hard problem. The candidate of such a unifying brain theory is predictive coding, which will have to explain both perceptual consciousness and conscious mind-wandering in order to become the truly unifying theory of brain functioning. PMID:29075226

A Critical Plane-energy Model for Multiaxial Fatigue Life Prediction of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Haoyang

A new critical plane-energy model is proposed in this thesis for multiaxial fatigue life prediction of homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. Brief review of existing methods, especially on the critical plane-based and energy-based methods, are given first. Special focus is on one critical plane approach which has been shown to work for both brittle and ductile metals. The key idea is to automatically change the critical plane orientation with respect to different materials and stress states. One potential drawback of the developed model is that it needs an empirical calibration parameter for non-proportional multiaxial loadings since only the strain terms are used and the out-of-phase hardening cannot be considered. The energy-based model using the critical plane concept is proposed with help of the Mroz-Garud hardening rule to explicitly include the effect of non-proportional hardening under fatigue cyclic loadings. Thus, the empirical calibration for non-proportional loading is not needed since the out-of-phase hardening is naturally included in the stress calculation. The model predictions are compared with experimental data from open literature and it is shown the proposed model can work for both proportional and non-proportional loadings without the empirical calibration. Next, the model is extended for the fatigue analysis of heterogeneous materials integrating with finite element method. Fatigue crack initiation of representative volume of heterogeneous materials is analyzed using the developed critical plane-energy model and special focus is on the microstructure effect on the multiaxial fatigue life predictions. Several conclusions and future work is drawn based on the proposed study.

A Critical Review of the Empirical Literature on the Relation between Anxiety and Puberty

PubMed Central

Reardon, Laura E.; Leen-Feldner, Ellen W.; Hayward, Chris

2009-01-01

The current paper critically reviews the empirical literature focused on the association between puberty and anxiety. A detailed review of more than 45 empirical articles is provided. There is some evidence that among girls, but not boys, a more advanced pubertal status (controlling for age) is associated with higher reported anxiety symptoms. Also among girls, earlier pubertal timing is linked to higher anxiety scores. It is unclear whether early puberty may lead to increased anxiety or if high anxiety influences pubertal timing. With respect to hormones, there were relatively few significant associations for girls, although this literature is very small. Among boys, several studies reported positive associations between both gonadal and adrenal hormones and anxiety. The direction of effect for these finding is also unstudied. The primary limitation of the hormone-anxiety literature pertains to the absence of pubertal measures in samples of youth in which hormones are measured. The paper concludes with a comprehensive examination of the methodological strengths and weaknesses of the literature and recommendations for future work. PMID:19019513

Empirical prediction intervals improve energy forecasting

PubMed Central

Kaack, Lynn H.; Apt, Jay; Morgan, M. Granger; McSharry, Patrick

2017-01-01

Hundreds of organizations and analysts use energy projections, such as those contained in the US Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), for investment and policy decisions. Retrospective analyses of past AEO projections have shown that observed values can differ from the projection by several hundred percent, and thus a thorough treatment of uncertainty is essential. We evaluate the out-of-sample forecasting performance of several empirical density forecasting methods, using the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS). The analysis confirms that a Gaussian density, estimated on past forecasting errors, gives comparatively accurate uncertainty estimates over a variety of energy quantities in the AEO, in particular outperforming scenario projections provided in the AEO. We report probabilistic uncertainties for 18 core quantities of the AEO 2016 projections. Our work frames how to produce, evaluate, and rank probabilistic forecasts in this setting. We propose a log transformation of forecast errors for price projections and a modified nonparametric empirical density forecasting method. Our findings give guidance on how to evaluate and communicate uncertainty in future energy outlooks. PMID:28760997

Food for contagion: synthesis and future directions for studying host-parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments.

PubMed

Altizer, Sonia; Becker, Daniel J; Epstein, Jonathan H; Forbes, Kristian M; Gillespie, Thomas R; Hall, Richard J; Hawley, Dana M; Hernandez, Sonia M; Martin, Lynn B; Plowright, Raina K; Satterfield, Dara A; Streicker, Daniel G

2018-05-05

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common and have profound consequences for wildlife-pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) interspecific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modelling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human-wildlife conflicts over shared food resources and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Guidelines for children's work in agriculture: implications for the future.

PubMed

Marlenga, Barbara; Lee, Barbara C; Pickett, William

2012-01-01

The North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) were developed to assist parents in assigning developmentally appropriate and safe farm work to their children aged 7-16 years. Since their release in 1999, a growing body of evidence has accumulated regarding the content and application of these guidelines to populations of working children on farms. The purpose of this paper is to review the scientific and programmatic evidence about the content, efficacy, application, and uptake of NAGCAT and propose key recommendations for the future. The methods for this review included a synthesis of the peer-reviewed literature and programmatic evidence gathered from safety professionals. From the review, it is clear that the NAGCAT tractor guidelines and the manual material handling guidelines need to be updated based upon the latest empirical evidence. While NAGCAT do have the potential to prevent serious injuries to working children in the correct age range (7-16 years), the highest incidence of farm related injuries and fatalities occur to children aged 1-6 years and NAGCAT are unlikely to have any direct effect on this leading injury problem. It is also clear that NAGCAT, as a voluntary educational strategy, is not sufficient by itself to protect children working on farms. Uptake of NAGCAT has been sporadic, despite being geographically widespread and has depended, almost solely, on a few interested and committed professionals. Key recommendations for the future are provided based upon this review.

The Role of Empirical Research in Bioethics

PubMed Central

Kon, Alexander A.

2010-01-01

There has long been tension between bioethicists whose work focuses on classical philosophical inquiry and those who perform empirical studies on bioethical issues. While many have argued that empirical research merely illuminates current practices and cannot inform normative ethics, others assert that research-based work has significant implications for refining our ethical norms. In this essay, I present a novel construct for classifying empirical research in bioethics into four hierarchical categories: Lay of the Land, Ideal Versus Reality, Improving Care, and Changing Ethical Norms. Through explaining these four categories and providing examples of publications in each stratum, I define how empirical research informs normative ethics. I conclude by demonstrating how philosophical inquiry and empirical research can work cooperatively to further normative ethics. PMID:19998120

The role of empirical research in bioethics.

PubMed

Kon, Alexander A

2009-01-01

There has long been tension between bioethicists whose work focuses on classical philosophical inquiry and those who perform empirical studies on bioethical issues. While many have argued that empirical research merely illuminates current practices and cannot inform normative ethics, others assert that research-based work has significant implications for refining our ethical norms. In this essay, I present a novel construct for classifying empirical research in bioethics into four hierarchical categories: Lay of the Land, Ideal Versus Reality, Improving Care, and Changing Ethical Norms. Through explaining these four categories and providing examples of publications in each stratum, I define how empirical research informs normative ethics. I conclude by demonstrating how philosophical inquiry and empirical research can work cooperatively to further normative ethics.

The TRIO Framework: Conceptual insights into family caregiver involvement and influence throughout cancer treatment decision-making.

PubMed

Laidsaar-Powell, Rebekah; Butow, Phyllis; Charles, Cathy; Gafni, Amiram; Entwistle, Vikki; Epstein, Ronald; Juraskova, Ilona

2017-11-01

Family caregivers are regularly involved in cancer consultations and treatment decision-making (DM). Yet there is limited conceptual description of caregiver influence/involvement in DM. To address this, an empirically-grounded conceptual framework of triadic DM (TRIO Framework) and corresponding graphical aid (TRIO Triangle) were developed. Jabareen's model for conceptual framework development informed multiple phases of development/validation, incorporation of empirical research and theory, and iterative revisions by an expert advisory group. Findings coalesced into six empirically-grounded conceptual insights: i) Caregiver influence over a decision is variable amongst different groups; ii) Caregiver influence is variable within the one triad over time; iii) Caregivers are involved in various ways in the wider DM process; iv) DM is not only amongst three, but can occur among wider social networks; v) Many factors may affect the form and extent of caregiver involvement in DM; vi) Caregiver influence over, and involvement in, DM is linked to their everyday involvement in illness care/management. The TRIO Framework/Triangle may serve as a useful guide for future empirical, ethical and/or theoretical work. This Framework can deepen clinicians's and researcher's understanding of the diverse and varying scope of caregiver involvement and influence in DM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trauma and stress among older adults in the criminal justice system: a review of the literature with implications for social work.

PubMed

Maschi, Tina; Dennis, Kelly Sullivan; Gibson, Sandy; MacMillan, Thalia; Sternberg, Susan; Hom, Maryann

2011-05-01

The purpose of this article was to review the empirical literature that investigated trauma and stress among older adults in the criminal justice system. Nineteen journal articles published between 1988 and 2010 were identified and extracted via research databases and included mixed age samples of adjudicated older and younger adults (n = 11) or older adult only samples (n = 8). Findings revealed past and current trauma and stress, consequences and/or correlates, and internal and external coping resources among aging offenders. The implications and future directions for gerontological social work, research, and policy with older adults in the criminal justice system are advanced.

Changes of glaciers in the Andes of Chile and priorities for future work.

PubMed

Pellicciotti, F; Ragettli, S; Carenzo, M; McPhee, J

2014-09-15

Glaciers in the Andes of Chile seem to be shrinking and possibly loosing mass, but the number and types of studies conducted, constrained mainly by data availability, are not sufficient to provide a synopsis of glacier changes for the past or future or explain in an explicit way causes of the observed changes. In this paper, we provide a systematic review of changes in glaciers for the entire country, followed by a discussion of the studies that have provided evidence of such changes. We identify a missing type of work in distributed, physically-oriented modelling studies that are needed to bridge the gap between the numerous remote sensing studies and the specific, point scale works focused on process understanding. We use an advanced mass balance model applied to one of the best monitored glaciers in the region to investigate four main research issues that should be addressed in modelling studies for a sound assessment of glacier changes: 1) the use of physically-based models of glacier ablation (energy balance models) versus more empirical models (enhanced temperature index approaches); 2) the importance of the correct extrapolation of air temperature forcing on glaciers and in high elevation areas and the large uncertainty in model outputs associated with it; 3) the role played by snow gravitational redistribution; and 4) the uncertainty associated with future climate scenarios. We quantify differences in model outputs associated with each of these choices, and conclude with suggestions for future work directions. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Statistical field theory of futures commodity prices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baaquie, Belal E.; Yu, Miao

2018-02-01

The statistical theory of commodity prices has been formulated by Baaquie (2013). Further empirical studies of single (Baaquie et al., 2015) and multiple commodity prices (Baaquie et al., 2016) have provided strong evidence in support the primary assumptions of the statistical formulation. In this paper, the model for spot prices (Baaquie, 2013) is extended to model futures commodity prices using a statistical field theory of futures commodity prices. The futures prices are modeled as a two dimensional statistical field and a nonlinear Lagrangian is postulated. Empirical studies provide clear evidence in support of the model, with many nontrivial features of the model finding unexpected support from market data.

Contributions of Dynamic Systems Theory to Cognitive Development

PubMed Central

Spencer, John P.; Austin, Andrew; Schutte, Anne R.

2015-01-01

This paper examines the contributions of dynamic systems theory to the field of cognitive development, focusing on modeling using dynamic neural fields. A brief overview highlights the contributions of dynamic systems theory and the central concepts of dynamic field theory (DFT). We then probe empirical predictions and findings generated by DFT around two examples—the DFT of infant perseverative reaching that explains the Piagetian A-not-B error, and the DFT of spatial memory that explain changes in spatial cognition in early development. A systematic review of the literature around these examples reveals that computational modeling is having an impact on empirical research in cognitive development; however, this impact does not extend to neural and clinical research. Moreover, there is a tendency for researchers to interpret models narrowly, anchoring them to specific tasks. We conclude on an optimistic note, encouraging both theoreticians and experimentalists to work toward a more theory-driven future. PMID:26052181

Improved model predictive control of resistive wall modes by error field estimator in EXTRAP T2R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiadi, A. C.; Brunsell, P. R.; Frassinetti, L.

2016-12-01

Many implementations of a model-based approach for toroidal plasma have shown better control performance compared to the conventional type of feedback controller. One prerequisite of model-based control is the availability of a control oriented model. This model can be obtained empirically through a systematic procedure called system identification. Such a model is used in this work to design a model predictive controller to stabilize multiple resistive wall modes in EXTRAP T2R reversed-field pinch. Model predictive control is an advanced control method that can optimize the future behaviour of a system. Furthermore, this paper will discuss an additional use of the empirical model which is to estimate the error field in EXTRAP T2R. Two potential methods are discussed that can estimate the error field. The error field estimator is then combined with the model predictive control and yields better radial magnetic field suppression.

Efficacy beliefs predict collaborative practice among intensive care unit nurses.

PubMed

Le Blanc, Pascale M; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Salanova, Marisa; Llorens, Susana; Nap, Raoul E

2010-03-01

This paper is a report of an investigation of whether intensive care nurses' efficacy beliefs predict future collaborative practice, and to test the potential mediating role of team commitment in this relationship. Recent empirical studies in the field of work and organizational psychology have demonstrated that (professional) efficacy beliefs are reciprocally related to workers' resources and well-being over time, resulting in a positive gain spiral. Moreover, there is ample evidence that workers' affective commitment to their organization or work-team is related to desirable work behaviours such as citizenship behaviour. A longitudinal design was applied to questionnaire data from the EURICUS-project. Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyse the data. The sample consisted of 372 nurses working in 29 different European intensive care units. Data were collected in 1997 and 1998. However, our research model deals with fundamental psychosocial processes that are not time-dependent. Moreover, recent empirical literature shows that there is still room for improvement in ICU collaborative practice. The hypotheses that (i) the relationship between efficacy beliefs and collaborative practice is mediated by team commitment and (ii) efficacy beliefs, team commitment and collaborative practice are reciprocally related were supported, suggesting a potential positive gain spiral of efficacy beliefs. Healthcare organizations should create working environments that provide intensive care unit nurses with sufficient resources to perform their job well. Further research is needed to design and evaluate interventions for the enhancement of collaborative practice in intensive care units.

Nursing practice and work environment issues in the 21st century: a leadership challenge.

PubMed

Manojlovich, Milisa; Barnsteiner, Jane; Bolton, Linda Burnes; Disch, Joanne; Saint, Sanjay

2008-01-01

A leadership conference titled "Have Patient Safety and the Workforce Shortage Created the Perfect Storm?" was held in honor of Dr. Ada Sue Hinshaw, who was ending her tenure as dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing. A morning panel on the preferred future for practice featured plenary speaker Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton and participating panelists Dr. Sanjay Saint, Dr. Jane Barnsteiner, and Dr. Joanne Disch. Each speaker presented a unique yet complementary perspective, with several common themes permeating the morning's presentations. For example, all of the speakers mentioned how important interprofessional collaboration is to promoting patient safety. The themes can be categorized broadly as nursing practice and work environment issues, with subthemes of interprofessional communication and collaboration, systems solutions to patient safety problems, and future directions in nursing education. A synopsis of comments made during the morning practice panel and empirical support for the themes and subthemes identified by panelists are provided in this article.

The Harvard organic photovoltaic dataset

DOE PAGES

Lopez, Steven A.; Pyzer-Knapp, Edward O.; Simm, Gregor N.; ...

2016-09-27

Presented in this work is the Harvard Organic Photovoltaic Dataset (HOPV15), a collation of experimental photovoltaic data from the literature, and corresponding quantum-chemical calculations performed over a range of conformers, each with quantum chemical results using a variety of density functionals and basis sets. It is anticipated that this dataset will be of use in both relating electronic structure calculations to experimental observations through the generation of calibration schemes, as well as for the creation of new semi-empirical methods and the benchmarking of current and future model chemistries for organic electronic applications.

Development of self-control in children aged 3 to 9 years: Perspective from a dual-systems model

PubMed Central

Tao, Ting; Wang, Ligang; Fan, Chunlei; Gao, Wenbin

2014-01-01

The current study tested a set of interrelated theoretical propositions based on a dual-systems model of self-control. Data were collected from 2135 children aged 3 to 9 years. The results suggest that (a) there was positive growth in good self-control, whereas poor control remained relatively stable; and (b) girls performed better than boys on tests of good self-control. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for a dual-systems model of self-control theory and future empirical work. PMID:25501669

The case for the relativistic hot big bang cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peebles, P. J. E.; Schramm, D. N.; Kron, R. G.; Turner, E. L.

1991-01-01

What has become the standard model in cosmology is described, and some highlights are presented of the now substantial range of evidence that most cosmologists believe convincingly establishes this model, the relativistic hot big bang cosmology. It is shown that this model has yielded a set of interpretations and successful predictions that substantially outnumber the elements used in devising the theory, with no well-established empirical contradictions. Brief speculations are made on how the open puzzles and work in progress might affect future developments in this field.

The Harvard organic photovoltaic dataset

PubMed Central

Lopez, Steven A.; Pyzer-Knapp, Edward O.; Simm, Gregor N.; Lutzow, Trevor; Li, Kewei; Seress, Laszlo R.; Hachmann, Johannes; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2016-01-01

The Harvard Organic Photovoltaic Dataset (HOPV15) presented in this work is a collation of experimental photovoltaic data from the literature, and corresponding quantum-chemical calculations performed over a range of conformers, each with quantum chemical results using a variety of density functionals and basis sets. It is anticipated that this dataset will be of use in both relating electronic structure calculations to experimental observations through the generation of calibration schemes, as well as for the creation of new semi-empirical methods and the benchmarking of current and future model chemistries for organic electronic applications. PMID:27676312

The Harvard organic photovoltaic dataset.

PubMed

Lopez, Steven A; Pyzer-Knapp, Edward O; Simm, Gregor N; Lutzow, Trevor; Li, Kewei; Seress, Laszlo R; Hachmann, Johannes; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2016-09-27

The Harvard Organic Photovoltaic Dataset (HOPV15) presented in this work is a collation of experimental photovoltaic data from the literature, and corresponding quantum-chemical calculations performed over a range of conformers, each with quantum chemical results using a variety of density functionals and basis sets. It is anticipated that this dataset will be of use in both relating electronic structure calculations to experimental observations through the generation of calibration schemes, as well as for the creation of new semi-empirical methods and the benchmarking of current and future model chemistries for organic electronic applications.

Is Project Based Learning More Effective than Direct Instruction in School Science Classrooms? An Analysis of the Empirical Research Evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dann, Clifford

An increasingly loud call by parents, school administrators, teachers, and even business leaders for "authentic learning", emphasizing both group-work and problem solving, has led to growing enthusiasm for inquiry-based learning over the past decade. Although "inquiry" can be defined in many ways, a curriculum called "project-based learning" has recently emerged as the inquiry practice-of-choice with roots in the educational constructivism that emerged in the mid-twentieth century. Often, project-based learning is framed as an alternative instructional strategy to direct instruction for maximizing student content knowledge. This study investigates the empirical evidence for such a comparison while also evaluating the overall quality of the available studies in the light of accepted standards for educational research. Specifically, this thesis investigates what the body of quantitative research says about the efficacy of project-based learning vs. direct instruction when considering student acquisition of content knowledge in science classrooms. Further, existing limitations of the research pertaining to project based learning and secondary school education are explored. The thesis concludes with a discussion of where and how we should focus our empirical efforts in the future. The research revealed that the available empirical research contains flaws in both design and instrumentation. In particular, randomization is poor amongst all the studies considered. The empirical evidence indicates that project-based learning curricula improved student content knowledge but that, while the results were statistically significant, increases in raw test scores were marginal.

The siting of a prison complex above an abandoned underground coal mine

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

Marino, G.G.

1997-12-31

This paper discusses in detail the process undertaken to mitigate the effects of any future mine subsidence on prison structures proposed above old abandoned underground workings. The site for a proposed prison complex purchased by the State of Indiana was located in west-central Indiana and was undermined by an old abandoned room and pillar mine. The original plan for construction consisted of one phase. Based on a study of the mine map and subsurface verification of the extent of mining it was determined that all prison buildings and important structures could be placed above solid coal to the north. Onemore » masonry building, however, was located within the potential draw zone of mine works which still contained significant mine voids. Based on empirical data the subsidence potential was estimated and the building was accordingly designed to be mine subsidence resistant. It was decided that a phase two prison complex should be constructed adjacent to and just south of the Phase I complex. This complex would be directly above the underground workings. The first stage of design was to minimize subsidence potential by positioning the exposure of significant structures to the subjacent mining assuming the mine map was sufficiently accurate. Subsequently, an extensive subsurface investigation program was then undertaken to: (1) ascertain whether or not mine areas where buildings would be located were already collapsed and thus only nominal, if any, subsidence could occur in the future; and (2) verify the presence of solid coal areas within the mine as indicated on the mine map. Based on all the site information gathered subsidence profiles were developed from an empirical data base of subsidence events in the Illinois Coal Basin. As a result of this work many structures on the site required no or nominal subsidence considerations.« less

The Hurst exponent in energy futures prices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serletis, Apostolos; Rosenberg, Aryeh Adam

2007-07-01

This paper extends the work in Elder and Serletis [Long memory in energy futures prices, Rev. Financial Econ., forthcoming, 2007] and Serletis et al. [Detrended fluctuation analysis of the US stock market, Int. J. Bifurcation Chaos, forthcoming, 2007] by re-examining the empirical evidence for random walk type behavior in energy futures prices. In doing so, it uses daily data on energy futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, over the period from July 2, 1990 to November 1, 2006, and a statistical physics approach-the ‘detrending moving average’ technique-providing a reliable framework for testing the information efficiency in financial markets as shown by Alessio et al. [Second-order moving average and scaling of stochastic time series, Eur. Phys. J. B 27 (2002) 197-200] and Carbone et al. [Time-dependent hurst exponent in financial time series. Physica A 344 (2004) 267-271; Analysis of clusters formed by the moving average of a long-range correlated time series. Phys. Rev. E 69 (2004) 026105]. The results show that energy futures returns display long memory and that the particular form of long memory is anti-persistence.

Autonoetic consciousness: Reconsidering the role of episodic memory in future-oriented self-projection.

PubMed

Klein, Stanley B

2016-01-01

Following the seminal work of Ingvar (1985. "Memory for the future": An essay on the temporal organization of conscious awareness. Human Neurobiology, 4, 127-136), Suddendorf (1994. The discovery of the fourth dimension: Mental time travel and human evolution. Master's thesis. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand), and Tulving (1985. Memory and consciousness. Canadian Psychology/PsychologieCanadienne, 26, 1-12), exploration of the ability to anticipate and prepare for future contingencies that cannot be known with certainty has grown into a thriving research enterprise. A fundamental tenet of this line of inquiry is that future-oriented mental time travel, in most of its presentations, is underwritten by a property or an extension of episodic recollection. However, a careful conceptual analysis of exactly how episodic memory functions in this capacity has yet to be undertaken. In this paper I conduct such an analysis. Based on conceptual, phenomenological, and empirical considerations, I conclude that the autonoetic component of episodic memory, not episodic memory per se, is the causally determinative factor enabling an individual to project him or herself into a personal future.

Parents' nonstandard work schedules and child well-being: a critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Li, Jianghong; Johnson, Sarah E; Han, Wen-Jui; Andrews, Sonia; Kendall, Garth; Strazdins, Lyndall; Dockery, Alfred

2014-02-01

This paper provides a comprehensive review of empirical evidence linking parental nonstandard work schedules to four main child developmental outcomes: internalizing and externalizing problems, cognitive development, and body mass index. We evaluated the studies based on theory and methodological rigor (longitudinal data, representative samples, consideration of selection and information bias, confounders, moderators, and mediators). Of 23 studies published between 1980 and 2012 that met the selection criteria, 21 reported significant associations between nonstandard work schedules and an adverse child developmental outcome. The associations were partially mediated through parental depressive symptoms, low quality parenting, reduced parent-child interaction and closeness, and a less supportive home environment. These associations were more pronounced in disadvantaged families and when parents worked such schedules full time. We discuss the nuance, strengths, and limitations of the existing studies, and propose recommendations for future research.

Green Positive Guidance and Green Positive Life Counseling for Decent Work and Decent Lives: Some Empirical Results

PubMed Central

Di Fabio, Annamaria; Bucci, Ornella

2016-01-01

This article discusses green positive guidance and green positive life counseling for decent work and decent lives. From a green guidance perspective, the connectedness to nature construct is important both in terms of the meaning of work and life construction. The study discussed in this article analyzed the relationship between empathy and connectedness to nature, controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. In this connection, the Advanced Progressive Matrices, the Big Five Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index were administered to 144 Italian high school students. The study revealed that connecteness to nature was not associated with fluid intelligence and was only moderately associated with personality traits. It was empathy that showed the highest association with connectedness to nature. The results open new opportunities for future research and interventions in green positive guidance/life counseling and green positive decent work. PMID:26973563

Justice as a dynamic construct: effects of individual trajectories on distal work outcomes.

PubMed

Hausknecht, John P; Sturman, Michael C; Roberson, Quinetta M

2011-07-01

Despite an amassing organizational justice literature, few studies have directly addressed the temporal patterning of justice judgments and the effects that changes in these perceptions have on important work outcomes. Drawing from Gestalt characteristics theory (Ariely & Carmon, 2000, 2003), we examine the concept of justice trajectories (i.e., levels and trends of individual fairness perceptions over time) and offer empirical evidence to highlight the value of considering fairness within a dynamic context. Participants included 523 working adults who completed surveys about their work experiences on 4 occasions over the course of 1 year. Results indicate that justice trends explained additional variance in distal work outcomes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions) after controlling for end-state levels of justice, demonstrating the cumulative effects of justice over time. Findings also reveal that change in procedural justice perceptions affected distal work outcomes more strongly than any other justice dimension. Implications for theory and future investigations of justice as a dynamic construct are discussed.

Fire risk in San Diego County, California: A weighted Bayesian model approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolden, Crystal A.; Weigel, Timothy J.

2007-01-01

Fire risk models are widely utilized to mitigate wildfire hazards, but models are often based on expert opinions of less understood fire-ignition and spread processes. In this study, we used an empirically derived weights-of-evidence model to assess what factors produce fire ignitions east of San Diego, California. We created and validated a dynamic model of fire-ignition risk based on land characteristics and existing fire-ignition history data, and predicted ignition risk for a future urbanization scenario. We then combined our empirical ignition-risk model with a fuzzy fire behavior-risk model developed by wildfire experts to create a hybrid model of overall fire risk. We found that roads influence fire ignitions and that future growth will increase risk in new rural development areas. We conclude that empirically derived risk models and hybrid models offer an alternative method to assess current and future fire risk based on management actions.

Commentary on Muscle dysmorphia as an addiction: a response to Grant (2015) and Nieuwoudt (2015).

PubMed

Griffiths, Mark D; Foster, Andrew C; Shorter, Gillian W

2015-03-01

Following the publication of our paper ‘Muscle Dysmorphia: Could it be classified as an addiction to body image?’ in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, two commentaries by Jon Grant and Johanna Nieuwoudt were published in response to our paper. Using the ‘addiction components model’, our main contention is that muscle dysmorphia (MD) actually comprises a number of different actions and behaviors and that the actual addictive activity is the maintaining of body image via a number of different activities such as bodybuilding, exercise, eating certain foods, taking specific drugs (e.g., anabolic steroids), shopping for certain foods, food supplements, and purchase or use of physical exercise accessories. This paper briefly responds to these two commentaries. While our hypothesized specifics relating to each addiction component sometimes lack empirical support (as noted explicitly by both Nieuwoudt and Grant), we still believe that our main thesis (that almost all the thoughts and behaviors of those with MD revolve around the maintenance of body image) is something that could be empirically tested in future research by those who already work in the area. We hope that the ‘Addiction to Body Image’ model we proposed provides a new framework for carrying out work in both empirical and clinical settings. The idea that MD could potentially be classed as an addiction cannot be negated on theoretical grounds as many people in the addiction field are turning their attention to research in new areas of behavioral addiction.

Organizational values in the provision of access to care for the uninsured

PubMed Central

Harrison, Krista Lyn; Taylor, Holly A.

2017-01-01

Background For the last 20 years, health provider organizations have made efforts to align mission, values, and everyday practices to ensure high-quality, high-value, and ethical care. However, little attention has been paid to the organizational values and practices of community-based programs that organize and facilitate access to care for uninsured populations. This study aimed to identify and describe organizational values relevant to resource allocation and policy decisions that affect the services offered to members, using the case of community access programs: county-based programs that provide access to care for the uninsured working poor. Methods Comparative and qualitative case study methodology was used, including document review, observations, and key informant interviews, at two geographically diverse programs. Results Nine values were identified as relevant to decision making: stewardship, quality care, access to care, service to others, community well-being, member independence, organizational excellence, decency, and fairness. The way these values were deployed in resource allocation decisions that affected services offered to the uninsured are illustrated in one example per site. Conclusions This study addresses the previous dearth in the literature regarding an empirical description of organizational values employed in decision making of community organizations. To assess the transferability of the values identified, we compared our empirical results to prior empirical and conceptual work in the United States and internationally and found substantial alignment. Future studies can examine whether the identified organizational values are reflective of those at other health care organizations. PMID:28781981

Virtual reality for obsessive-compulsive disorder: past and the future.

PubMed

Kim, Kwanguk; Kim, Chan-Hyung; Kim, So-Yeon; Roh, Daeyoung; Kim, Sun I

2009-09-01

The use of computers, especially for virtual reality (VR), to understand, assess, and treat various mental health problems has been developed for the last decade, including application for phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficits, and schizophrenia. However, the number of VR tools addressing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is still lacking due to the heterogeneous symptoms of OCD and poor understanding of the relationship between VR and OCD. This article reviews the empirical literatures for VR tools in the future, which involve applications for both clinical work and experimental research in this area, including examining symptoms using VR according to OCD patients' individual symptoms, extending OCD research in the VR setting to also study behavioral and physiological correlations of the symptoms, and expanding the use of VR for OCD to cognitive-behavioral intervention.

The Medicine and GERD of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804).

PubMed

Figueiredo Filho, Gilberto Vilela

2009-01-01

We can place Kant as one of the pillars of contemporary medicine. Firstly, as an Illuminist, his work subordinates the collection of empirical data, which in medical science is constitutional to reason. This was the basis of a rational medical science. Secondly, he is the father of medical regulation, having set the philosophical control ground stone for physicians by the State. His work "Critique of Practical Reason" drafts all the future codes of ethics and bioethics. We will hereby study his relationship with medicine based on the text "The Conflict with the Faculty of Medicine" and other auxiliary texts.We can find in Kant's works the description of a series of symptoms that were related to a nonspecific dyspeptic syndrome that nowadays would be diagnosed as a strong indication that he suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Conceptualising the public health role of actors operating outside of formal health systems: The case of social enterprise.

PubMed

Roy, Michael J; Baker, Rachel; Kerr, Susan

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on the role of actors that operate outside formal health systems, but nevertheless have a vital, if often under-recognised, role in supporting public health. The specific example used is the 'social enterprise', an organisation that seeks, through trading, to maximise social returns, rather than the distribution of profits to shareholders or owners. In this paper we advance empirical and theoretical understanding of the causal pathways at work in social enterprises, by considering them as a particularly complex form of public health 'intervention'. Data were generated through qualitative, in depth, semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion, with a purposive, maximum variation sample of social enterprise practitioners (n = 13) in an urban setting in the west of Scotland. A method of analysis inspired by critical realism - Causation Coding - enabled the identification of a range of explanatory mechanisms and potential pathways of causation between engagement in social enterprise-led activity and various outcomes, which have been grouped into physical health, mental health and social determinants. The findings then informed the construction of an empirically-informed conceptual model to act as a platform upon which to develop a future research agenda. The results of this work are considered to not only encourage a broader and more imaginative consideration of what actually constitutes a public health intervention, but also reinforces arguments that actors within the Third Sector have an important role to play in addressing contemporary and future public health challenges. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

How Costs Influence Decision Values for Mixed Outcomes

PubMed Central

Talmi, Deborah; Pine, Alex

2012-01-01

The things that we hold dearest often require a sacrifice, as epitomized in the maxim “no pain, no gain.” But how is the subjective value of outcomes established when they consist of mixtures of costs and benefits? We describe theoretical models for the integration of costs and benefits into a single value, drawing on both the economic and the empirical literatures, with the goal of rendering them accessible to the neuroscience community. We propose two key assays that go beyond goodness of fit for deciding between the dominant additive model and four varieties of interactive models. First, how they model decisions between costs when reward is not on offer; and second, whether they predict changes in reward sensitivity when costs are added to outcomes, and in what direction. We provide a selective review of relevant neurobiological work from a computational perspective, focusing on those studies that illuminate the underlying valuation mechanisms. Cognitive neuroscience has great potential to decide which of the theoretical models is actually employed by our brains, but empirical work has yet to fully embrace this challenge. We hope that future research improves our understanding of how our brain decides whether mixed outcomes are worthwhile. PMID:23112758

Spatio-temporal distribution of Oklahoma earthquakes: Exploring relationships using a nearest-neighbor approach: Nearest-neighbor analysis of Oklahoma

DOE PAGES

Vasylkivska, Veronika S.; Huerta, Nicolas J.

2017-06-24

Determining the spatiotemporal characteristics of natural and induced seismic events holds the opportunity to gain new insights into why these events occur. Linking the seismicity characteristics with other geologic, geographic, natural, or anthropogenic factors could help to identify the causes and suggest mitigation strategies that reduce the risk associated with such events. The nearest-neighbor approach utilized in this work represents a practical first step toward identifying statistically correlated clusters of recorded earthquake events. Detailed study of the Oklahoma earthquake catalog’s inherent errors, empirical model parameters, and model assumptions is presented. We found that the cluster analysis results are stable withmore » respect to empirical parameters (e.g., fractal dimension) but were sensitive to epicenter location errors and seismicity rates. Most critically, we show that the patterns in the distribution of earthquake clusters in Oklahoma are primarily defined by spatial relationships between events. This observation is a stark contrast to California (also known for induced seismicity) where a comparable cluster distribution is defined by both spatial and temporal interactions between events. These results highlight the difficulty in understanding the mechanisms and behavior of induced seismicity but provide insights for future work.« less

Spatiotemporal distribution of Oklahoma earthquakes: Exploring relationships using a nearest-neighbor approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasylkivska, Veronika S.; Huerta, Nicolas J.

2017-07-01

Determining the spatiotemporal characteristics of natural and induced seismic events holds the opportunity to gain new insights into why these events occur. Linking the seismicity characteristics with other geologic, geographic, natural, or anthropogenic factors could help to identify the causes and suggest mitigation strategies that reduce the risk associated with such events. The nearest-neighbor approach utilized in this work represents a practical first step toward identifying statistically correlated clusters of recorded earthquake events. Detailed study of the Oklahoma earthquake catalog's inherent errors, empirical model parameters, and model assumptions is presented. We found that the cluster analysis results are stable with respect to empirical parameters (e.g., fractal dimension) but were sensitive to epicenter location errors and seismicity rates. Most critically, we show that the patterns in the distribution of earthquake clusters in Oklahoma are primarily defined by spatial relationships between events. This observation is a stark contrast to California (also known for induced seismicity) where a comparable cluster distribution is defined by both spatial and temporal interactions between events. These results highlight the difficulty in understanding the mechanisms and behavior of induced seismicity but provide insights for future work.

Spatio-temporal distribution of Oklahoma earthquakes: Exploring relationships using a nearest-neighbor approach: Nearest-neighbor analysis of Oklahoma

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

Vasylkivska, Veronika S.; Huerta, Nicolas J.

Determining the spatiotemporal characteristics of natural and induced seismic events holds the opportunity to gain new insights into why these events occur. Linking the seismicity characteristics with other geologic, geographic, natural, or anthropogenic factors could help to identify the causes and suggest mitigation strategies that reduce the risk associated with such events. The nearest-neighbor approach utilized in this work represents a practical first step toward identifying statistically correlated clusters of recorded earthquake events. Detailed study of the Oklahoma earthquake catalog’s inherent errors, empirical model parameters, and model assumptions is presented. We found that the cluster analysis results are stable withmore » respect to empirical parameters (e.g., fractal dimension) but were sensitive to epicenter location errors and seismicity rates. Most critically, we show that the patterns in the distribution of earthquake clusters in Oklahoma are primarily defined by spatial relationships between events. This observation is a stark contrast to California (also known for induced seismicity) where a comparable cluster distribution is defined by both spatial and temporal interactions between events. These results highlight the difficulty in understanding the mechanisms and behavior of induced seismicity but provide insights for future work.« less

On the Origins of Disorganized Attachment and Internal Working Models: Paper II. An Empirical Microanalysis of 4-Month Mother-Infant Interaction

PubMed Central

Beebe, Beatrice; Lachmann, Frank; Markese, Sara; Buck, Karen A.; Bahrick, Lorraine E.; Chen, Henian; Cohen, Patricia; Andrews, Howard; Feldstein, Stanley; Jaffe, Joseph

2012-01-01

A microanalysis of 4-month mother-infant face-to-face communication predicted 12-month infant disorganized (vs. secure) attachment outcomes in an urban community sample. We documented a dyadic systems view of the roles of both partners, the roles of both self- and interactive contingency, and the importance of attention, orientation and touch, and as well as facial and vocal affect, in the co-construction of attachment disorganization. The analysis of different communication modalities identified striking intrapersonal and interpersonal intermodal discordance or conflict, in the context of intensely distressed infants, as the central feature of future disorganized dyads at 4 months. Lowered maternal contingent coordination, and failures of maternal affective correspondence, constituted maternal emotional withdrawal from distressed infants. This maternal withdrawal compromises infant interactive agency and emotional coherence. We characterize of the nature of emerging internal working models of future disorganized infants as follows: Future disorganized infants represent states of not being sensed and known by their mothers, particularly in moments of distress; they represent confusion about both their own and their mothers’ basic emotional organization, and about their mothers’ response to their distress. This internal working model sets a trajectory in development which may disturb the fundamental integration of the person. The remarkable specificity of our findings has the potential to lead to more finely-focused clinical interventions. PMID:23066334

Leader Empowering Behaviours and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Structural Empowerment.

PubMed

Cziraki, Karen; Laschinger, Heather

2015-09-01

Reports of poor working conditions persist amid ongoing healthcare restructuring. Simultaneously, nursing shortage threats continue as the nursing population ages. Leadership strategies that create empowering working conditions are likely to retain nurses who are eligible to retire, and attract future nurses to the profession. Several studies have focused on leader behaviours and structural empowerment in recent years and how these impact the work environment and staff engagement. Correlations among leader empowering behaviours, structural empowerment and work engagement have been demonstrated (Laschinger et al. 1999; Peachey 2002); however, there is a gap in the empirical literature as to how leader empowering behaviours influence nurses' work engagement by creating structurally empowering work environments. Kanter's (1977, 1993) structural empowerment theory was used to test this proposition using data from a cross-sectional study of 322 Ontario staff nurses. Mediation analysis revealed that structural empowerment partially mediated the influence of leader empowering behaviours on work engagement. The implications for healthcare managers and leaders are discussed with a view to the recruitment and retention of nursing staff, by fostering greater work engagement. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

Landslide Hazard Probability Derived from Inherent and Dynamic Determinants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strauch, Ronda; Istanbulluoglu, Erkan

2016-04-01

Landslide hazard research has typically been conducted independently from hydroclimate research. We unify these two lines of research to provide regional scale landslide hazard information for risk assessments and resource management decision-making. Our approach combines an empirical inherent landslide probability with a numerical dynamic probability, generated by combining routed recharge from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macro-scale land surface hydrologic model with a finer resolution probabilistic slope stability model run in a Monte Carlo simulation. Landslide hazard mapping is advanced by adjusting the dynamic model of stability with an empirically-based scalar representing the inherent stability of the landscape, creating a probabilistic quantitative measure of geohazard prediction at a 30-m resolution. Climatology, soil, and topography control the dynamic nature of hillslope stability and the empirical information further improves the discriminating ability of the integrated model. This work will aid resource management decision-making in current and future landscape and climatic conditions. The approach is applied as a case study in North Cascade National Park Complex, a rugged terrain with nearly 2,700 m (9,000 ft) of vertical relief, covering 2757 sq km (1064 sq mi) in northern Washington State, U.S.A.

Emotions predictably modify response times in the initiation of human motor actions: A meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Beatty, Garrett F; Cranley, Nicole M; Carnaby, Giselle; Janelle, Christopher M

2016-03-01

Emotions motivate individuals to attain appetitive goals and avoid aversive consequences. Empirical investigations have detailed how broad approach and avoidance orientations are reflected in fundamental movement attributes such as the speed, accuracy, and variability of motor actions. Several theoretical perspectives propose explanations for how emotional states influence the speed with which goal directed movements are initiated. These perspectives include biological predisposition, muscle activation, distance regulation, cognitive evaluation, and evaluative response coding accounts. A comprehensive review of literature and meta-analysis were undertaken to quantify empirical support for these theoretical perspectives. The systematic review yielded 34 studies that contained 53 independent experiments producing 128 effect sizes used to evaluate the predictions of existing theories. The central tenets of the biological predisposition (Hedges' g = -0.356), distance regulation (g = -0.293; g = 0.243), and cognitive evaluation (g = -0.249; g = -0.405; g = -0.174) accounts were supported. Partial support was also identified for the evaluative response coding (g = -0.255) framework. Our findings provide quantitative evidence that substantiate existing theoretical perspectives, and provide potential direction for conceptual integration of these independent perspectives. Recommendations for future empirical work in this area are discussed. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiences and Future Expectations towards Online Courses--An Empirical Study of the B2C-and B2B-Segments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krämer, Andreas; Böhrs, Sandra

2016-01-01

This article explores the future potential for the development of online courses. The findings are based on an empirical study with 3 sample groups: (1) B2C segment in Germany, (2) B2C segment in the United States, and (3) B2B segment (international). In the first step the status quo of the use of e-learning in general and online courses in…

Crossing levels in systems ergonomics: a framework to support 'mesoergonomic' inquiry.

PubMed

Karsh, Ben-Tzion; Waterson, Patrick; Holden, Richard J

2014-01-01

In this paper we elaborate and articulate the need for what has been termed 'mesoergonomics'. In particular, we argue that the concept has the potential to bridge the gap between, and integrate, established work within the domains of micro- and macroergonomics. Mesoergonomics is defined as an open systems approach to human factors and ergonomics (HFE) theory and research whereby the relationship between variables in at least two different system levels or echelons is studied, and where the dependent variables are human factors and ergonomic constructs. We present a framework which can be used to structure a set of questions for future work and prompt further empirical and conceptual inquiry. The framework consists of four steps: (1) establishing the purpose of the mesoergonomic investigation; (2) selecting human factors and ergonomics variables; (3) selecting a specific type of mesoergonomic investigation; and (4) establishing relationships between system levels. In addition, we describe two case studies which illustrate the workings of the framework and the value of adopting a mesoergonomic perspective within HFE. The paper concludes with a set of issues which could form part of a future agenda for research within systems ergonomics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Inland empire logistics GIS mapping project.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

The Inland Empire has experienced exponential growth in the area of warehousing and distribution facilities within the last decade and it seems that it will continue way into the future. Where are these facilities located? How large are the facilitie...

Why do nurses change jobs? An empirical study on determinants of specific nurses' post-exit destinations.

PubMed

Homburg, Vincent; van der Heijden, Beatrice; Valkenburg, Lukas

2013-09-01

The aims of this paper are, first, to identify the determinants of the 'intention to leave' of nurses working at a general hospital, and, second, to provide recommendations for various stakeholders targeting prevention of premature leaving to various post-exit destinations. Nurse turnover is a serious problem, especially given the increased need for professional medical care because of demographic changes, and puts severe pressure on health-care management staff. In order to meet future requirements for nursing staff, it is of utmost importance to empirically study their intention to leave either their department or hospital, and to identify the determinants of these various intentions to leave. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 318 nurses working at various departments at a general hospital in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Data were collected in May 2011. Using binary regression analysis, various determinants of nurses' reported post-exit career choices could be identified. Nurses' intention to leave is determined by their general satisfaction with management and leadership quality, their satisfaction with pay and benefits, their job satisfaction and work-to-home interference issues they have to deal with, but not by career development opportunities. Preventing nurses from leaving their department or hospital requires careful attention from management and human resources professionals working in hospitals. In particular, the line managers who actually supervise nurses on a daily basis are key in ensuring that nurses are satisfied with their management and with the rewards they receive, and are able to cope with work-home interference. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Leaders' mental health at work: Empirical, methodological, and policy directions.

PubMed

Barling, Julian; Cloutier, Anika

2017-07-01

While employees' mental health is the focus of considerable attention from researchers, the public, and policymakers, leaders' mental health has almost escaped attention. We start by considering several reasons for this, followed by discussions of the effects of leaders' mental health on their own leadership behaviors, the emotional toll of high-quality leadership, and interventions to enhance leaders' mental health. We offer 8 possible directions for future research on leaders' mental health. Finally, we discuss methodological obstacles encountered when investigating leaders' mental health, and policy dilemmas raised by leaders' mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

On the energy content of a money unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudreau, Bernard C.; Pokrovskii, Vladimir N.

2010-07-01

In this paper, the concept of “productive energy” as a substitute for conventional labour is examined historically, theoretically and empirically. Over the course of the last centuries, productive energy has been substituted for human, muscle- and brain-based work, providing the wherewithal for the phenomenal growth in material wealth in Western societies. In this era of rising energy costs and increasing energy scarcity, future growth appears to be compromised. To better understand the consequences for society, estimates of the energy content of a dollar’s worth of output are provided for the US and Russia.

Variability in Wheelchair Propulsion: A New Window into an Old Problem

PubMed Central

Sosnoff, Jacob J.; Rice, Ian M.; Hsiao-Wecksler, Elizabeth T.; Hsu, Iris M. K.; Jayaraman, Chandrasekaran; Moon, Yaejin

2015-01-01

Manual wheelchair users are at great risk for the development of upper extremity injury and pain. Any loss of upper limb function due to pain adversely impacts the independence and mobility of manual wheelchair users. There is growing theoretical and empirical evidence that fluctuations in movement (i.e., motor variability) are related to musculoskeletal pain. This perspectives paper discusses a local review on several investigations examining the association between variability in wheelchair propulsion and shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users. The experimental data reviewed highlights that the variability of wheelchair propulsion is impacted by shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users. We maintain that inclusion of these metrics in future research on wheelchair propulsion and upper limb pain may yield novel data. Several promising avenues for future research based on this collective work are discussed. PMID:26284239

A postmortem and future look at the personality disorders in DSM-5.

PubMed

Widiger, Thomas A

2013-10-01

It might seem difficult to describe the outcome of the proposals by the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group (PPDWG) to be a success, given that all of the proposals were ultimately rejected. Nevertheless, one can interpret the result as a step forward, because the final outcome might not have been much different if a more conservative approach was adopted at the outset. The PPDWG did provide a significant contribution to the field through the provision of proposals that will likely generate a considerable body of informative research. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) effort and suggestions for the future are discussed with respect to magnitude of change, documentation of empirical support, and addressing opposition. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Workplace spirituality as a moderator in relation between stress and health: An exploratory empirical assessment.

PubMed

Kumar, Vineet; Kumar, Sandeep

2014-06-01

The present study explores the role of workplace spirituality in moderating the relationship between occupational stress and the health of managerial personnel in India. A sample of 150 managers working in different public and private organizations was used to measure workplace spirituality, occupational stress, and health using the Spirituality at Work scale, the Occupational Stress Index and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire, respectively. The findings reveal that workplace spirituality moderates the negative relationship of stress and health. The study also found that stress has a negative impact on health while workplace spirituality positively correlated with health. The findings also support the practical importance of spirituality in the workplace for improving health conditions by providing a healthy atmosphere and meaningful work for employees. This exploratory study encourages future research to understand the role of spirituality in the workplace.

Using Global Climate Data to Inform Long-Term Water Planning Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groves, D. G.; Lempert, R.

2008-12-01

Water managers throughout the world are working to consider climate change in their long-term water planning processes. The best available information regarding plausible future hydrologic conditions are largely derived from global circulation models and from paleoclimate data. To date there lacks a single approach for (1) utilizing these data in water management planning tools for analysis and (2) evaluating the myriad of possible adaptation options. This talk will describe several approaches being used at RAND to incorporate global projections of climate change into local, regional, and state-wide long-term water planning. It will draw on current work with the California Department of Water Resources and other local Western water agencies, and a recently completed project with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. Work to date suggests that climate information can be assimilated into local water planning tools to help identify robust climate adaptation water management strategies.

Time Series Data Analysis of Wireless Sensor Network Measurements of Temperature.

PubMed

Bhandari, Siddhartha; Bergmann, Neil; Jurdak, Raja; Kusy, Branislav

2017-05-26

Wireless sensor networks have gained significant traction in environmental signal monitoring and analysis. The cost or lifetime of the system typically depends on the frequency at which environmental phenomena are monitored. If sampling rates are reduced, energy is saved. Using empirical datasets collected from environmental monitoring sensor networks, this work performs time series analyses of measured temperature time series. Unlike previous works which have concentrated on suppressing the transmission of some data samples by time-series analysis but still maintaining high sampling rates, this work investigates reducing the sampling rate (and sensor wake up rate) and looks at the effects on accuracy. Results show that the sampling period of the sensor can be increased up to one hour while still allowing intermediate and future states to be estimated with interpolation RMSE less than 0.2 °C and forecasting RMSE less than 1 °C.

Emotional display rules as work unit norms: a multilevel analysis of emotional labor among nurses.

PubMed

Diefendorff, James M; Erickson, Rebecca J; Grandey, Alicia A; Dahling, Jason J

2011-04-01

Emotional labor theory has conceptualized emotional display rules as shared norms governing the expression of emotions at work. Using a sample of registered nurses working in different units of a hospital system, we provided the first empirical evidence that display rules can be represented as shared, unit-level beliefs. Additionally, controlling for the influence of dispositional affectivity, individual-level display rule perceptions, and emotion regulation, we found that unit-level display rules are associated with individual-level job satisfaction. We also showed that unit-level display rules relate to burnout indirectly through individual-level display rule perceptions and emotion regulation strategies. Finally, unit-level display rules also interacted with individual-level dispositional affectivity to predict employee use of emotion regulation strategies. We discuss how future research on emotional labor and display rules, particularly in the health care setting, can build on these findings.

Laboratory study of concrete properties to support implementation of the new AASHTO mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

Properties of concrete embodying materials typically used in Wisconsin paving projects were evaluated in support of future : implementation of the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). The primary concrete : properties studied w...

Laboratory study of concrete properties to support implementation of the new AASHTO mechanistic empirical pavement design guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

Properties of concrete embodying materials typically used in Wisconsin paving projects were evaluated in support of future : implementation of the AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). The primary concrete : properties studied w...

Trends of Empirical Research in South Korean Mental Health Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, In Han; Lee, Eun Jung

2017-01-01

Since the introduction of evidence-based practice in South Korea, it has gained significant attention for its potential to promote the efficacy of social work services and to integrate knowledge and practice in mental health social work. In order to see how empirical research in South Korean mental health social work has changed, we examined…

Future Directions in Research on Racism-Related Stress and Racial-Ethnic Protective Factors for Black Youth.

PubMed

Jones, Shawn C T; Neblett, Enrique W

2017-01-01

Research on racism-related stress and racial-ethnic protective factors represents an important enterprise for optimizing the mental health of African American and other racial and ethnic minority youth. However, there has been a relative dearth of work on these factors in the clinical psychology research literature, and more work is needed in outlets such as these. To this end, the current article adopts a developmental psychopathology framework and uses recent empirical findings to outline our current understanding of racism-related stress and racial-ethnic protective factors (i.e., racial identity, racial socialization, Africentric worldview) for African American youth. We then provide nine recommendations-across basic, applied, and broader/cross-cutting research lines-that we prioritize as essential to advancing the future scientific investigation of this crucial research agenda. Within and across these recommendations, we issue a charge to researchers and clinicians alike, with the ultimate goal of alleviating the negative mental health impact that racism-related stress can have on the well-being and mental health of African American and other racial and ethnic minority youth.

Investigating the empirical support for therapeutic targets proposed by the temporal experience of pleasure model in schizophrenia: A systematic review.

PubMed

Edwards, Clementine J; Cella, Matteo; Tarrier, Nicholas; Wykes, Til

2015-10-01

Anhedonia and amotivation are substantial predictors of poor functional outcomes in people with schizophrenia and often present a formidable barrier to returning to work or building relationships. The Temporal Experience of Pleasure Model proposes constructs which should be considered therapeutic targets for these symptoms in schizophrenia e.g. anticipatory pleasure, memory, executive functions, motivation and behaviours related to the activity. Recent reviews have highlighted the need for a clear evidence base to drive the development of targeted interventions. To review systematically the empirical evidence for each TEP model component and propose evidence-based therapeutic targets for anhedonia and amotivation in schizophrenia. Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed and PsycInfo were searched using the terms "schizophrenia" and "anhedonia". Studies were included if they measured anhedonia and participants had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The methodology, measures and main findings from each study were extracted and critically summarised for each TEP model construct. 80 independent studies were reviewed and executive functions, emotional memory and the translation of motivation into actions are highlighted as key deficits with a strong evidence base in people with schizophrenia. However, there are many relationships that are unclear because the empirical work is limited by over-general tasks and measures. Promising methods for research which have more ecological validity include experience sampling and behavioural tasks assessing motivation. Specific adaptations to Cognitive Remediation Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the utilisation of mobile technology to enhance representations and emotional memory are recommended for future development. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Commentary on muscle dysmorphia as an addiction: A response to Grant (2015) and Nieuwoudt (2015)

PubMed Central

FOSTER, ANDREW C.; SHORTER, GILLIAN W.

2015-01-01

Background Following the publication of our paper ‘Muscle Dysmorphia: Could it be classified as an addiction to body image?’ in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, two commentaries by Jon Grant and Johanna Nieuwoudt were published in response to our paper. Method Using the ‘addiction components model’, our main contention is that muscle dysmorphia (MD) actually comprises a number of different actions and behaviors and that the actual addictive activity is the maintaining of body image via a number of different activities such as bodybuilding, exercise, eating certain foods, taking specific drugs (e.g., anabolic steroids), shopping for certain foods, food supplements, and purchase or use of physical exercise accessories. This paper briefly responds to these two commentaries. Results While our hypothesized specifics relating to each addiction component sometimes lack empirical support (as noted explicitly by both Nieuwoudt and Grant), we still believe that our main thesis (that almost all the thoughts and behaviors of those with MD revolve around the maintenance of body image) is something that could be empirically tested in future research by those who already work in the area. Conclusions We hope that the ‘Addiction to Body Image’ model we proposed provides a new framework for carrying out work in both empirical and clinical settings. The idea that MD could potentially be classed as an addiction cannot be negated on theoretical grounds as many people in the addiction field are turning their attention to research in new areas of behavioral addiction. PMID:25786494

Prepared for the future? Evaluating the costs and benefits of voluntary work for natural disaster management under a changing climate - data on recent flood events, stakeholder needs and policy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfurtscheller, Clemens; Brucker, Anja; Seebauer, Sebastian

2014-05-01

Voluntary emergency and relief services, such as fire brigades or rescue organisations, form the backbone of disaster management in most of European countries. In Austria, disaster management relies on the cooperation between governmental and non-governmental institutions: When a disaster occurs, the volunteer organizations act as auxiliaries to the responsible disaster management authority. The assessment of costs and benefits of these emergency services is a crucial component of risk and disaster management strategies, since public means are getting scarcer and these costs can reach critical levels for low-income municipalities. As extreme events and emergency operations are likely to increase due to climate change, the efficient allocation of public budgets for risk and disaster management becomes more important. Hence, both, the costs and the benefits must be known, but voluntary and professional work is hardly documented and assessed comprehensively. Whereas the costs of emergency services can be calculated using market values and an analysis of public and institutional budgets, the benefits of voluntary efforts cannot be assessed easily. We present empirical data on costs of voluntary and professional emergency services during the floods of 2002, 2005 and 2013 in Austria and Germany on different scales, obtained from public authorities, fire brigades and by means of public surveys. From these results, we derive a calculation framework and data requirements for assessing costs of emergency services. To consider the different stakeholders needs of administration, emergency institutions and voluntary members, we carried out workshops, first to identify future challenges in voluntary work for disaster management instigated by climate change and second, to develop approaches how the voluntary system can be uphold when facing increasing adverse impacts of natural hazards. The empirical results as well as the workshop outcome shall be translated into policy recommendations and research needs to derive strategies for strengthening resilience at the local and regional level and to design appropriate incentives.

An empirical assessment of high-performing medical groups: results from a national study.

PubMed

Shortell, Stephen M; Schmittdiel, Julie; Wang, Margaret C; Li, Rui; Gillies, Robin R; Casalino, Lawrence P; Bodenheimer, Thomas; Rundall, Thomas G

2005-08-01

The performance of medical groups is receiving increased attention. Relatively little conceptual or empirical work exists that examines the various dimensions of medical group performance. Using a national database of 693 medical groups, this article develops a scorecard approach to assessing group performance and presents a theory-driven framework for differentiating between high-performing versus low-performing medical groups. The clinical quality of care, financial performance, and organizational learning capability of medical groups are assessed in relation to environmental forces, resource acquisition and resource deployment factors, and a quality-centered culture. Findings support the utility of the performance scorecard approach and identification of a number of key factors differentiating high-performing from low-performing groups including, in particular, the importance of a quality-centered culture and the requirement of outside reporting from third party organizations. The findings hold a number of important implications for policy and practice, and the framework presented provides a foundation for future research.

Domain walls and ferroelectric reversal in corundum derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Meng; Vanderbilt, David

2017-01-01

Domain walls are the topological defects that mediate polarization reversal in ferroelectrics, and they may exhibit quite different geometric and electronic structures compared to the bulk. Therefore, a detailed atomic-scale understanding of the static and dynamic properties of domain walls is of pressing interest. In this work, we use first-principles methods to study the structures of 180∘ domain walls, both in their relaxed state and along the ferroelectric reversal pathway, in ferroelectrics belonging to the family of corundum derivatives. Our calculations predict their orientation, formation energy, and migration energy and also identify important couplings between polarization, magnetization, and chirality at the domain walls. Finally, we point out a strong empirical correlation between the height of the domain-wall-mediated polarization reversal barrier and the local bonding environment of the mobile A cations as measured by bond-valence sums. Our results thus provide both theoretical and empirical guidance for future searches for ferroelectric candidates in materials of the corundum derivative family.

Discovering the Neural Nature of Moral Cognition? Empirical, Theoretical, and Practical Challenges in Bioethical Research with Electroencephalography (EEG).

PubMed

Wagner, Nils-Frederic; Chaves, Pedro; Wolff, Annemarie

2017-06-01

In this article we critically review the neural mechanisms of moral cognition that have recently been studied via electroencephalography (EEG). Such studies promise to shed new light on traditional moral questions by helping us to understand how effective moral cognition is embodied in the brain. It has been argued that conflicting normative ethical theories require different cognitive features and can, accordingly, in a broadly conceived naturalistic attempt, be associated with different brain processes that are rooted in different brain networks and regions. This potentially morally relevant brain activity has been empirically investigated through EEG-based studies on moral cognition. From neuroscientific evidence gathered in these studies, a variety of normative conclusions have been drawn and bioethical applications have been suggested. We discuss methodological and theoretical merits and demerits of the attempt to use EEG techniques in a morally significant way, point to legal challenges and policy implications, indicate the potential to reveal biomarkers of psychopathological conditions, and consider issues that might inform future bioethical work.

Modelling nanoscale objects in order to conduct an empirical research into their properties as part of an engineering system designed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarov, M.; Shchanikov, S.; Trantina, N.

2017-01-01

We have conducted a research into the major, in terms of their future application, properties of nanoscale objects, based on modelling these objects as free-standing physical elements beyond the structure of an engineering system designed for their integration as well as a part of a system that operates under the influence of the external environment. For the empirical research suggested within the scope of this work, we have chosen a nanoscale electronic element intended to be used while designing information processing systems with the parallel architecture - a memristor. The target function of the research was to provide the maximum fault-tolerance index of a memristor-based system when affected by all possible impacts of the internal destabilizing factors and external environment. The research results have enabled us to receive and classify all the factors predetermining the fault-tolerance index of the hardware implementation of a computing system based on the nanoscale electronic element base.

Symptom Dimensions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Phenomenology and Treatment Outcomes with Exposure and Ritual Prevention

PubMed Central

Williams, Monnica T.; Mugno, Beth; Franklin, Martin; Faber, Sonya

2014-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. The cognitive-behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is currently exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP); however, clinical impression and some empirical data suggest that certain OCD symptoms are more responsive to treatment than others. Prior work identifying symptom dimensions within OCD is discussed, including epidemiological findings, factor analytic studies, and biological findings. Symptom dimensions most reliably identified include contamination/cleaning, doubt about harm/checking, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable thoughts/mental rituals. The phenomenology of each of these subtypes is described and research literature is summarized, emphasizing the differential effects of EX/RP and its variants on each of these primary symptom dimensions. To date it appears that EX/RP is an effective treatment for the various OCD dimensions, although not all dimensions have been adequately studied (i.e., symmetry and ordering). Modifications to treatment may be warranted for some types of symptoms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:23615340

Bad apples, bad cases, and bad barrels: meta-analytic evidence about sources of unethical decisions at work.

PubMed

Kish-Gephart, Jennifer J; Harrison, David A; Treviño, Linda Klebe

2010-01-01

As corporate scandals proliferate, practitioners and researchers alike need a cumulative, quantitative understanding of the antecedents associated with unethical decisions in organizations. In this meta-analysis, the authors draw from over 30 years of research and multiple literatures to examine individual ("bad apple"), moral issue ("bad case"), and organizational environment ("bad barrel") antecedents of unethical choice. Findings provide empirical support for several foundational theories and paint a clearer picture of relationships characterized by mixed results. Structural equation modeling revealed the complexity (multidetermined nature) of unethical choice, as well as a need for research that simultaneously examines different sets of antecedents. Moderator analyses unexpectedly uncovered better prediction of unethical behavior than of intention for several variables. This suggests a need to more strongly consider a new "ethical impulse" perspective in addition to the traditional "ethical calculus" perspective. Results serve as a data-based foundation and guide for future theoretical and empirical development in the domain of behavioral ethics. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Future Time Orientation and Student Expectations: An Empirical Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amyx, Douglas; Bristow, Dennis

2004-01-01

Navajo and Anglo college students' time orientation scores from the Future Time Orientation (FTO) Scale (Bristol & Amyx, 1996) were analyzed and compared. Anglo students were found to be significantly more future time oriented in two of the three dimensions: temporal distance and involvement with time. Future time orientation was used to explain…

Depression and prospection.

PubMed

Roepke, Ann Marie; Seligman, Martin E P

2016-03-01

Prospection, the mental representation of possible futures, is usually adaptive. When it goes awry, however, it disrupts emotion and motivation. A negative view of the future is typically seen as one symptom of depression, but we suggest that such negative prospection is the core causal element of depression. Here, we describe the empirical evidence supporting this framework, and we explore the implications for clinical interventions. We integrate several literatures: Using the database PsycInfo, we retrieved empirical studies with the keywords prospection, prediction, expectation, pessimism, mental simulation, future-thinking, future-directed thinking, foresight, and/or mental time travel, in conjunction with depression, depressed, or depressive. Three kinds of faulty prospection, taken together, could drive depression: Poor generation of possible futures, poor evaluation of possible futures, and negative beliefs about the future. Depressed mood and poor functioning, in turn, may maintain faulty prospection and feed a vicious cycle. Future-oriented treatment strategies drawn from cognitive-behavioural therapy help to fix poor prospection, and they deserve to be developed further. Prospection-based techniques may lead to transdiagnostic treatment strategies for depression and other disorders. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Economics in the future: towards a new paradigm

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

Dopfer, K.

1976-01-01

The main ideas of economics in the future are set out by the editor, Kurt Dopfer, in the introduction: Towards a New Paradigm. The four postulates are: the need for an holistic approach; the need for a long-run view in economics; the need to view economics as an empirical science; and the need to view economics as political economy. In the second part, ''Selected Topics'', the authors present a detailed account of the future development of the major areas of economics. Jan Tinbergen suggests that economics needs a firm empirical basis if there is to be further development of theoriesmore » for new or neglected areas such as environmental conservation, income distribution or socio-economic development of less-developed countries. Harvey Leibenstein stresses that economic theory will be robbed of its empirical relevance unless it revises some of its basic assumptions, and he suggests a new ''micro-micro-economics''. Sir Roy Harrod draws attention to the fact that contemporary economic theory is still overwhelmingly static and that further development in the area of ''economic dynamics'' is crucial if economics is ever to serve as a basis for economic policy. Gunnar Myrdal delineates a political economy which is based upon an understanding of institutions, relies on empirically well-founded assumptions and pushes itself further within a framework of interdisciplinary research. K. William Kapp shows some of the future possibilities that an interdisciplinary systems approach may offer to future economics and combines them with the concept of ''normative planning''. Shigeto Tsuru foresees the necessity of a new political economy whose basic features reflect the Chinese rather than the Japanese model of capitalism. 122 notes and references.« less

Future orientation, school contexts, and problem behaviors: a multilevel study.

PubMed

Chen, Pan; Vazsonyi, Alexander T

2013-01-01

The association between future orientation and problem behaviors has received extensive empirical attention; however, previous work has not considered school contextual influences on this link. Using a sample of N = 9,163 9th to 12th graders (51.0 % females) from N = 85 high schools of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the present study examined the independent and interactive effects of adolescent future orientation and school contexts (school size, school location, school SES, school future orientation climate) on problem behaviors. Results provided evidence that adolescent future orientation was associated independently and negatively with problem behaviors. In addition, adolescents from large-size schools reported higher levels of problem behaviors than their age mates from small-size schools, controlling for individual-level covariates. Furthermore, an interaction effect between adolescent future orientation and school future orientation climate was found, suggesting influences of school future orientation climate on the link between adolescent future orientation and problem behaviors as well as variations in effects of school future orientation climate across different levels of adolescent future orientation. Specifically, the negative association between adolescent future orientation and problem behaviors was stronger at schools with a more positive climate of future orientation, whereas school future orientation climate had a significant and unexpectedly positive relationship with problem behaviors for adolescents with low levels of future orientation. Findings implicate the importance of comparing how the future orientation-problem behaviors link varies across different ecological contexts and the need to understand influences of school climate on problem behaviors in light of differences in psychological processes among adolescents.

Globalization, Work, and Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Schnall, Peter L; Dobson, Marnie; Landsbergis, Paul

2016-10-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a global epidemic, is responsible for about 30% of all deaths worldwide. While mortality rates from CVD have been mostly declining in the advanced industrialized nations, CVD risk factors, including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, have been on the increase everywhere. Researchers investigating the social causes of CVD have produced a robust body of evidence documenting the relationships between the work environment and CVD, including through the mechanisms of psychosocial work stressors. We review the empirical evidence linking work, psychosocial stressors, and CVD. These work stressors can produce chronic biologic arousal and promote unhealthy behaviors and thus, increased CVD risk. We offer a theoretical model that illustrates how economic globalization influences the labor market and work organization in high-income countries, which, in turn, exacerbates job characteristics, such as demands, low job control, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, and long work hours. There is also a growing interest in "upstream" factors among work stress researchers, including precarious employment, downsizing/restructuring, privatization, and lean production. We conclude with suggestions for future epidemiologic research on the role of work in the development of CVD, as well as policy recommendations for prevention of work-related CVD. © The Author(s) 2016.

Is work organisation associated with work status 3 months after injury? Results from a case-control study of New Zealand workers.

PubMed

Lilley, Rebbecca; Derrett, Sarah; Davie, Gabrielle

2015-01-01

Little empirical examination of the relationship between work organisational factors and return to work following injury has been undertaken despite the growing recognition of examining broader multi-dimensional contexts for recovery following injury. To explore relationships between pre-injury work organisational factors and work status (working/work absent) 3-month after injury among people employed prior to injury. Cases (work absent) and controls (working), selected from a larger study of injury outcomes according to reported work status 3-month after injury, completed a postal questionnaire. Work organisational factors were compared between cases and controls using univariate and multivariable analyses. One hundred and twelve participants completed the questionnaire (44 cases; 68 controls). Of 11 work organisation factors examined, organisational size was the only explanatory variable significantly associated with work status in the multivariable model. Higher odds of work absence were found in small (< 50 employees) (OR 5.6) and large (> 500 employees) (OR 7.2) workplaces, compared with medium-sized (50-500 employees) organisations. Variations in post-injury work patterns among those working pre-injury may be partly explained by organisation size. Future research examining work status following injury should examine the influence of work organisational factors in larger studies.

On the Relationship of Rainfall and Temperature across Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro Lima, C. H.; AghaKouchak, A.

2017-12-01

Extreme droughts in Amazonia seem to become more frequent and have been associated with local and global impacts on society and the ecosystem. The understanding of the dynamics and causes of Amazonia droughts have attracted some attention in the last years and pose several challenges for the scientific community. For instance, in previous work we have identified, based on empirical data, a compounding effect during Amazonia droughts: periods of low rainfall are always associated with positive anomalies of near surface air temperature. This inverse relationship of temperature and rainfall appears at multiple time scales and its intensity varies across Amazonia. To our knowledge, these findings have not been properly addressed in the literature, being not clear whether there is a causal relationship between these two variables, and in this case, which one leads the other one, or they are just responding to the same causal factor. Here we investigate the hypothesis that high temperatures during drought periods are a major response to an increase in the shortwave radiation (due to the lack of clouds) not compensating by an expected increase in the evapotranspiration from the rainforest. Our empirical analysis is based on observed series of daily temperature and rainfall over the Brazilian Amazonia and reanalysis data of cloud cover, outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and moisture fluxes. The ability of Global Circulation Models (GCMs) to reproduce such compounding effect is also investigated for the historical period and for future RCP scenarios of global climate change. Preliminary results show that this is a plausible hypothesis, despite the complexity of land-atmosphere processes of mass and energy fluxes in Amazonia. This work is a step forward in better understanding the compounding effects of rainfall and temperature on Amazonia droughts, and what changes one might expect in a future warming climate.

Inspecting the Dangers of Feeling like a Fake: An Empirical Investigation of the Impostor Phenomenon in the World of Work

PubMed Central

Neureiter, Mirjam; Traut-Mattausch, Eva

2016-01-01

To investigate the link between the impostor phenomenon (IP), career self-management (CSM) factors, and work-relevant outcomes, we looked at the IP's impact on career optimism, career adaptability, and knowledge of the job market, as well as on employee- and organizationally-relevant outcomes. We analyzed data from 238 working professionals (57% female) using parallel multiple mediation analyses. The results revealed that the IP was negatively related to all work-relevant outcomes through decreased CSM factors, which were subsequently associated with the outcomes. As hypothesized, employee-relevant subjective outcomes were mediated by optimism and employee-relevant objective (i.e., economic) outcomes by adaptability and knowledge. Additional mediating effects occurred. Regarding organizationally relevant outcomes, adaptability mediated the IP's impact on organizational citizenship behavior. The IP was only indirectly related to continuance commitment through adaptability and to affective commitment through optimism. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications and offer ideas for future research. PMID:27729882

Key issues review: evolution on rugged adaptive landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obolski, Uri; Ram, Yoav; Hadany, Lilach

2018-01-01

Adaptive landscapes represent a mapping between genotype and fitness. Rugged adaptive landscapes contain two or more adaptive peaks: allele combinations with higher fitness than any of their neighbors in the genetic space. How do populations evolve on such rugged landscapes? Evolutionary biologists have struggled with this question since it was first introduced in the 1930s by Sewall Wright. Discoveries in the fields of genetics and biochemistry inspired various mathematical models of adaptive landscapes. The development of landscape models led to numerous theoretical studies analyzing evolution on rugged landscapes under different biological conditions. The large body of theoretical work suggests that adaptive landscapes are major determinants of the progress and outcome of evolutionary processes. Recent technological advances in molecular biology and microbiology allow experimenters to measure adaptive values of large sets of allele combinations and construct empirical adaptive landscapes for the first time. Such empirical landscapes have already been generated in bacteria, yeast, viruses, and fungi, and are contributing to new insights about evolution on adaptive landscapes. In this Key Issues Review we will: (i) introduce the concept of adaptive landscapes; (ii) review the major theoretical studies of evolution on rugged landscapes; (iii) review some of the recently obtained empirical adaptive landscapes; (iv) discuss recent mathematical and statistical analyses motivated by empirical adaptive landscapes, as well as provide the reader with instructions and source code to implement simulations of evolution on adaptive landscapes; and (v) discuss possible future directions for this exciting field.

Suitability of Synthetic Driving Profiles from Traffic Micro-Simulation for Real-World Energy Analysis: Preprint

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

Hou, Yunfei; Wood, Eric; Burton, Evan

A shift towards increased levels of driving automation is generally expected to result in improved safety and traffic congestion outcomes. However, little empirical data exists to estimate the impact that automated driving could have on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In the absence of empirical data on differences between drive cycles from present day vehicles (primarily operated by humans) and future vehicles (partially or fully operated by computers) one approach is to model both situations over identical traffic conditions. Such an exercise requires traffic micro-simulation to not only accurately model vehicle operation under high levels of automation, but alsomore » (and potentially more challenging) vehicle operation under present day human drivers. This work seeks to quantify the ability of a commercial traffic micro-simulation program to accurately model real-world drive cycles in vehicles operated primarily by humans in terms of driving speed, acceleration, and simulated fuel economy. Synthetic profiles from models of freeway and arterial facilities near Atlanta, Georgia, are compared to empirical data collected from real-world drivers on the same facilities. Empirical and synthetic drive cycles are then simulated in a powertrain efficiency model to enable comparison on the basis of fuel economy. Synthetic profiles from traffic micro-simulation were found to exhibit low levels of transient behavior relative to the empirical data. Even with these differences, the synthetic and empirical data in this study agree well in terms of driving speed and simulated fuel economy. The differences in transient behavior between simulated and empirical data suggest that larger stochastic contributions in traffic micro-simulation (relative to those present in the traffic micro-simulation tool used in this study) are required to fully capture the arbitrary elements of human driving. Interestingly, the lack of stochastic contributions from models of human drivers in this study did not result in a significant discrepancy between fuel economy simulations based on synthetic and empirical data; a finding with implications on the potential energy efficiency gains of automated vehicle technology.« less

Developing a Social Work Research Agenda on Ethics in Health Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansson, Bruce S.; Dodd, Sarah-Jane

1998-01-01

Advocates greater empirical research on ethics in health care by social-work researchers. A theoretical framework is presented as a heuristic device to stimulate research on a range of topics. Argues that by demonstrating empirically that their interventions improve ethical outcomes, social-work researchers can provide ammunition to support social…

Photoacoustic imaging optimization with raw signal deconvolution and empirical mode decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Chengwen; Wang, Jing; Qin, Yu; Zhan, Hongchen; Yuan, Jie; Cheng, Qian; Wang, Xueding

2018-02-01

Photoacoustic (PA) signal of an ideal optical absorb particle is a single N-shape wave. PA signals of a complicated biological tissue can be considered as the combination of individual N-shape waves. However, the N-shape wave basis not only complicates the subsequent work, but also results in aliasing between adjacent micro-structures, which deteriorates the quality of the final PA images. In this paper, we propose a method to improve PA image quality through signal processing method directly working on raw signals, which including deconvolution and empirical mode decomposition (EMD). During the deconvolution procedure, the raw PA signals are de-convolved with a system dependent point spread function (PSF) which is measured in advance. Then, EMD is adopted to adaptively re-shape the PA signals with two constraints, positive polarity and spectrum consistence. With our proposed method, the built PA images can yield more detail structural information. Micro-structures are clearly separated and revealed. To validate the effectiveness of this method, we present numerical simulations and phantom studies consist of a densely distributed point sources model and a blood vessel model. In the future, our study might hold the potential for clinical PA imaging as it can help to distinguish micro-structures from the optimized images and even measure the size of objects from deconvolved signals.

[Technostress in Communication and Technology Society: Scoping Literature Review from the Web of Science].

PubMed

Cuervo Carabel, Tatiana; Orviz Martínez, Natalia; Arce García, Sergio; Fernández Suárez, Iván

To perform a scoping review on the state of the art of technostress, an emerging risks associated with the growing use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in society. a scoping review on technostress at work was performed using the Web of Science (WoS), using the key term "technostress work". The search was completed with a literature review of the selected articles. A total of 58 articles were identified, of which 30 were selected for full-text in-depth review. The manual search of the bibliography allowed us to analyze an additional 14 articles. Most of articles focus on the analysis on the precipitating and alleviating factors of technostress in workers, as well as the main consequences of the materialization of this risk on worker performance. There is a lack of empirical studies that allow organizations to establish strategies to adequately manage technostress. there is a need to delve further into technostress through empirical studies that are not only focused on proposing theoretical models for its conceptualization or identifying its consequences in organizations, but on proposing management strategies that reduce the impact of this new labor reality. Future lines of research are proposed to understand and adequately manage technostress in workers. Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Salut Laboral.

Genetic constraints on adaptation: a theoretical primer for the genomics era.

PubMed

Connallon, Tim; Hall, Matthew D

2018-06-01

Genetic constraints are features of inheritance systems that slow or prohibit adaptation. Several population genetic mechanisms of constraint have received sustained attention within the field since they were first articulated in the early 20th century. This attention is now reflected in a rich, and still growing, theoretical literature on the genetic limits to adaptive change. In turn, empirical research on constraints has seen a rapid expansion over the last two decades in response to changing interests of evolutionary biologists, along with new technologies, expanding data sets, and creative analytical approaches that blend mathematical modeling with genomics. Indeed, one of the most notable and exciting features of recent progress in genetic constraints is the close connection between theoretical and empirical research. In this review, we discuss five major population genetic contexts of genetic constraint: genetic dominance, pleiotropy, fitness trade-offs between types of individuals of a population, sign epistasis, and genetic linkage between loci. For each, we outline historical antecedents of the theory, specific contexts where constraints manifest, and their quantitative consequences for adaptation. From each of these theoretical foundations, we discuss recent empirical approaches for identifying and characterizing genetic constraints, each grounded and motivated by this theory, and outline promising areas for future work. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Traditional Arabic & Islamic medicine: validation and empirical assessment of a conceptual model in Qatar.

PubMed

AlRawi, Sara N; Khidir, Amal; Elnashar, Maha S; Abdelrahim, Huda A; Killawi, Amal K; Hammoud, Maya M; Fetters, Michael D

2017-03-14

Evidence indicates traditional medicine is no longer only used for the healthcare of the poor, its prevalence is also increasing in countries where allopathic medicine is predominant in the healthcare system. While these healing practices have been utilized for thousands of years in the Arabian Gulf, only recently has a theoretical model been developed illustrating the linkages and components of such practices articulated as Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM). Despite previous theoretical work presenting development of the TAIM model, empirical support has been lacking. The objective of this research is to provide empirical support for the TAIM model and illustrate real world applicability. Using an ethnographic approach, we recruited 84 individuals (43 women and 41 men) who were speakers of one of four common languages in Qatar; Arabic, English, Hindi, and Urdu, Through in-depth interviews, we sought confirming and disconfirming evidence of the model components, namely, health practices, beliefs and philosophy to treat, diagnose, and prevent illnesses and/or maintain well-being, as well as patterns of communication about their TAIM practices with their allopathic providers. Based on our analysis, we find empirical support for all elements of the TAIM model. Participants in this research, visitors to major healthcare centers, mentioned using all elements of the TAIM model: herbal medicines, spiritual therapies, dietary practices, mind-body methods, and manual techniques, applied singularly or in combination. Participants had varying levels of comfort sharing information about TAIM practices with allopathic practitioners. These findings confirm an empirical basis for the elements of the TAIM model. Three elements, namely, spiritual healing, herbal medicine, and dietary practices, were most commonly found. Future research should examine the prevalence of TAIM element use, how it differs among various populations, and its impact on health.

Towards a practical definition of professional behaviour.

PubMed

Rogers, Wendy; Ballantyne, Angela

2010-04-01

Professionalism remains a challenging part of the medical curriculum to define, teach and evaluate. We suggest that one way to meet these challenges is to clarify the definition of professionalism and distinguish this from medical ethics. Our analysis is two staged. First, we reviewed influential definitions of professionalism and separated elements relating to (a) ethico-legal competencies, (b) clinical competence and (c) professionalism. In reference to professionalism, we then distinguished between aspirational virtues/values and specific behaviours. From these, we develop a working definition of medical professional behaviour consisting of six domains of behaviour: responsibility; relationships with and respect for patients; probity and honesty; self awareness and capacity for reflection; collaboration and team work; and care of colleagues. Second, we tested this working definition against empirical data concerning disciplinary action against practising doctors using (a) sources in the literature and (b) an original analysis of complaints received by the Medical Board of South Australia. Our empirical analysis supports the relevance of four of the six potential domains: responsibility; relationships with and respect for patients; probity and honesty; self awareness and capacity for reflection. There are additional reasons for retaining 'collaboration and team work' in the medical professional behaviour curriculum but 'care of colleagues' may be better addressed in the ethico-legal curriculum. Our definition of professional behaviour is consistent with the theoretical literature, captures behaviours that predict future complaints against practitioners and is consistent with current complaints about professionalism in South Australian practitioners. This definition can further the teaching and assessing of professional behaviour in medical schools.

An empirical approach for estimating stress-coupling lengths for marine-terminating glaciers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enderlin, Ellyn; Hamilton, Gordon S.; O'Neel, Shad; Bartholomaus, Timothy C.; Morlighem, Mathieu; Holt, John W.

2016-01-01

Here we present a new empirical method to estimate the SCL for marine-terminating glaciers using high-resolution observations. We use the empirically-determined periodicity in resistive stress oscillations as a proxy for the SCL. Application of our empirical method to two well-studied tidewater glaciers (Helheim Glacier, SE Greenland, and Columbia Glacier, Alaska, USA) demonstrates that SCL estimates obtained using this approach are consistent with theory (i.e., can be parameterized as a function of the ice thickness) and with prior, independent SCL estimates. In order to accurately resolve stress variations, we suggest that similar empirical stress-coupling parameterizations be employed in future analyses of glacier dynamics.

Methodologically Sound: Evaluating the Psychometric Approach to the Assessment of Human Life History [Reply to Copping, Campbell, and Muncer, 2014

PubMed Central

Cabeza de Baca, Tomás; Black, Candace Jasmine; García, Rafael Antonio; Fernandes, Heitor Barcellos Ferreira; Wolf, Pedro Sofio Abril; Woodley of Menie, Michael Anthony

2016-01-01

Copping, Campbell, and Muncer (2014) have recently published an article critical of the psychometric approach to the assessment of life history (LH) strategy. Their purported goal was testing for the convergent validation and examining the psychometric structure of the High-K Strategy Scale (HKSS). As much of the literature on the psychometrics of human LH during the past decade or so has emanated from our research laboratory and those of close collaborators, we have prepared this detailed response. Our response is organized into four main sections: (1) A review of psychometric methods for the assessment of human LH strategy, expounding upon the essence of our approach; (2) our theoretical/conceptual concerns regarding the critique, addressing the broader issues raised by the critique regarding the latent and hierarchical structure of LH strategy; (3) our statistical/methodological concerns regarding the critique, examining the validity and persuasiveness of the empirical case made specifically against the HKSS; and (4) our recommendations for future research that we think might be helpful in closing the gap between the psychometric and biometric approaches to measurement in this area. Clearly stating our theoretical positions, describing our existing body of work, and acknowledgintheir limitations should assist future researchers in planning and implementing more informed and prudent empirical research that will synthesize the psychometric approach to the assessment of LH strategy with complementary methods. PMID:25844774

Methodologically sound: Evaluating the psychometric approach to the assessment of human life history [reply to Copping, Campbell, and Muncer, 2014].

PubMed

Figueredo, Aurelio José; Cabeza de Baca, Tomás; Black, Candace Jasmine; García, Rafael Antonio; Fernandes, Heitor Barcellos Ferreira; Wolf, Pedro Sofio Abril; Woodley of Menie, Michael Anthony

2015-04-06

Copping, Campbell, and Muncer (2014) have recently published an article critical of the psychometric approach to the assessment of life history (LH) strategy. Their purported goal was testing for the convergent validation and examining the psychometric structure of the High-K Strategy Scale (HKSS). As much of the literature on the psychometrics of human LH during the past decade or so has emanated from our research laboratory and those of close collaborators, we have prepared this detailed response. Our response is organized into four main sections: (1) A review of psychometric methods for the assessment of human LH strategy, expounding upon the essence of our approach; (2) our theoretical/conceptual concerns regarding the critique, addressing the broader issues raised by the critique regarding the latent and hierarchical structure of LH strategy; (3) our statistical/methodological concerns regarding the critique, examining the validity and persuasiveness of the empirical case made specifically against the HKSS; and (4) our recommendations for future research that we think might be helpful in closing the gap between the psychometric and biometric approaches to measurement in this area. Clearly stating our theoretical positions, describing our existing body of work, and acknowledging their limitations should assist future researchers in planning and implementing more informed and prudent empirical research that will synthesize the psychometric approach to the assessment of LH strategy with complementary methods.

The Future of School Board Governance: Relevancy and Revelation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsbury, Thomas L.

2008-01-01

This book combines theoretical debate and empirical evidence of the effectiveness and relevancy of local school boards today. Original theorists of competing school board governance theories, current researchers, and researcher/practitioners provided the latest empirical data about the role of school boards as well as applications for…

Research in Religious Education: Perspectives for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweitzer, Friedrich

2006-01-01

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in empirical research in religious education and (practical) theology. No doubt, empirical procedures not only promise important insights for religious education--they also promise academic credibility because they are part of the established methodology in a number of disciplines like psychology,…

A Systematic Review of Strategies for Implementing Empirically Supported Mental Health Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Byron J.; Proctor, Enola K.; Glass, Joseph E.

2014-01-01

Objective: This systematic review examines experimental studies that test the effectiveness of strategies intended to integrate empirically supported mental health interventions into routine care settings. Our goal was to characterize the state of the literature and to provide direction for future implementation studies. Method: A literature…

Promising technological innovations in cognitive training to treat eating-related behavior.

PubMed

Forman, Evan M; Goldstein, Stephanie P; Flack, Daniel; Evans, Brittney C; Manasse, Stephanie M; Dochat, Cara

2018-05-01

One potential reason for the suboptimal outcomes of treatments targeting appetitive behavior, such as eating and alcohol consumption, is that they do not target the implicit cognitive processes that may be driving these behaviors. Two groups of related neurocognitive processes that are robustly associated with dysregulated eating and drinking are attention bias (AB; selective attention to specific stimuli) and executive function (EF; a set of cognitive control processes such as inhibitory control, working memory, set shifting, that govern goal-directed behaviors). An increasing body of work suggests that EF and AB training programs improve regulation of appetitive behaviors, especially if trainings are frequent and sustained. However, several key challenges, such as adherence to the trainings in the long term, and overall potency of the training, remain. The current manuscript describes five technological innovations that have the potential to address difficulties related to the effectiveness and feasibility of EF and AB trainings: (1) deployment of training in the home, (2) training via smartphone, (3) gamification, (4) virtual reality, and (5) personalization. The drawbacks of these innovations, as well as areas for future research, are also discussed. The above-mentioned innovations are likely to be instrumental in the future empirical work to develop and evaluate effective EF and AB trainings for appetitive behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental Origins of Cognitive Vulnerabilities to Depression: Review of Processes Contributing to Stability and Change Across Time

PubMed Central

Hankin, Benjamin L.; Oppenheimer, Caroline; Jenness, Jessica; Barrocas, Andreas; Shapero, Benjamin G.; Goldband, Jessica

2011-01-01

Cognitive theories of depression have been shown to be potent predictors of future increases in depressive symptoms and disorder in children, adolescents, and adults. This article focuses on potential developmental origins of the main cognitive vulnerabilities, including dysfunctional attitudes, negative cognitive style, and rumination. We selectively review processes and factors that have been hypothesized to contribute to the emergence and stabilization of these cognitive risk factors. This review focuses on genetic factors, temperament, parents and peers as salient interpersonal influences, and stressful life events. We end with suggestions for future theory development and research. In particular, we emphasize the need for additional conceptual and empirical work integrating these disparate processes together into a coherent, developmental psychopathological model, and we highlight the coexistence of both stability and change in the development of cognitive vulnerabilities to depression across the lifespan. PMID:19827008

Symposium Introduction: Papers on 'Modeling National Health Expenditures'.

PubMed

Getzen, Thomas E; Okunade, Albert A

2017-07-01

Significant contributions have been made since the World Health Organization published Brian Abel-Smith's pioneering comparative study of national health expenditures more than 50 years ago. There have been major advances in theories, model specifications, methodological approaches, and data structures. This introductory essay provides a historical context for this line of work, highlights four newly published studies that move health economics research forward, and indicates several important areas of challenging but potentially fruitful research to strengthen future contributions to the literature and make empirical findings more useful for evaluating health policy decisions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prospective associations between prosocial behavior and social dominance in early childhood: are sharers the best leaders?

PubMed

Ostrov, Jamie M; Guzzo, Jamie L

2015-01-01

A short-term longitudinal study during early childhood (N = 96; M = 42.80; SD = 7.57) investigated the concurrent and prospective association between prosocial behavior and social dominance. Time-intensive school-based focal child sampling with continuous recording observations of prosocial behavior to peers were conducted and teacher-reports of social dominance were collected. The study documents significant prospective links between prosocial behavior to peers and increases in social dominance over time. Social dominance was not associated with changes in prosocial behavior. The findings extend past empirical work in early childhood and future directions are discussed.

A technique for plasma velocity-space cross-correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattingly, Sean; Skiff, Fred

2018-05-01

An advance in experimental plasma diagnostics is presented and used to make the first measurement of a plasma velocity-space cross-correlation matrix. The velocity space correlation function can detect collective fluctuations of plasmas through a localized measurement. An empirical decomposition, singular value decomposition, is applied to this Hermitian matrix in order to obtain the plasma fluctuation eigenmode structure on the ion distribution function. A basic theory is introduced and compared to the modes obtained by the experiment. A full characterization of these modes is left for future work, but an outline of this endeavor is provided. Finally, the requirements for this experimental technique in other plasma regimes are discussed.

Paradigms for machine learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlimmer, Jeffrey C.; Langley, Pat

1991-01-01

Five paradigms are described for machine learning: connectionist (neural network) methods, genetic algorithms and classifier systems, empirical methods for inducing rules and decision trees, analytic learning methods, and case-based approaches. Some dimensions are considered along with these paradigms vary in their approach to learning, and the basic methods are reviewed that are used within each framework, together with open research issues. It is argued that the similarities among the paradigms are more important than their differences, and that future work should attempt to bridge the existing boundaries. Finally, some recent developments in the field of machine learning are discussed, and their impact on both research and applications is examined.

[The Hekimbaşi and Hekimbaşilik in the Ottoman Empire].

PubMed

Bayat, A H

1999-01-01

The hekimbaşilik is an important society in the Empire of Ottoman. The Hekimbaşi protected the health of the monarch and his family and applied health system, borders of the empire during 350 years. In the past, 42 Hekimbaşi worked in this society. They received education and their medical information in classic ottoman Medrese. In addition to this, they worked as Muslim judge and Medrese hodja.

Managing and mitigating conflict in healthcare teams: an integrative review.

PubMed

Almost, Joan; Wolff, Angela C; Stewart-Pyne, Althea; McCormick, Loretta G; Strachan, Diane; D'Souza, Christine

2016-07-01

To review empirical studies examining antecedents (sources, causes, predictors) in the management and mitigation of interpersonal conflict. Providing quality care requires positive, collaborative working relationships among healthcare team members. In today's increasingly stress-laden work environments, such relationships can be threatened by interpersonal conflict. Identifying the underlying causes of conflict and choice of conflict management style will help practitioners, leaders and managers build an organizational culture that fosters collegiality and create the best possible environment to engage in effective conflict management. Integrative literature review. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Proquest ABI/Inform, Cochrane Library and Joanne Briggs Institute Library were searched for empirical studies published between 2002-May 2014. The review was informed by the approach of Whittemore and Knafl. Findings were extracted, critically examined and grouped into themes. Forty-four papers met the inclusion criteria. Several antecedents influence conflict and choice of conflict management style including individual characteristics, contextual factors and interpersonal conditions. Sources most frequently identified include lack of emotional intelligence, certain personality traits, poor work environment, role ambiguity, lack of support and poor communication. Very few published interventions were found. By synthesizing the knowledge and identifying antecedents, this review offers evidence to support recommendations on managing and mitigating conflict. As inevitable as conflict is, it is the responsibility of everyone to increase their own awareness, accountability and active participation in understanding conflict and minimizing it. Future research should investigate the testing of interventions to minimize these antecedents and, subsequently, reduce conflict. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Do Master's in Social Work Programs Teach Empirically Supported Interventions? A Survey of Deans and Directors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woody, Jane D.; D'Souza, Henry J.; Dartman, Rebecca

2006-01-01

Objective: A questionnaire to examine efforts toward the teaching of empirically supported interventions (ESI) was mailed to the 165 deans and directors of Council on Social Work Education-accredited Master's in social work (MSW) programs; 66 (40%) responded. Method: Questions included program characteristics and items assessing both faculty and…

Empirical estimates to reduce modeling uncertainties of soil organic carbon in permafrost regions: a review of recent progress and remaining challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mishra, U.; Jastrow, J.D.; Matamala, R.; Hugelius, G.; Koven, C.D.; Harden, Jennifer W.; Ping, S.L.; Michaelson, G.J.; Fan, Z.; Miller, R.M.; McGuire, A.D.; Tarnocai, C.; Kuhry, P.; Riley, W.J.; Schaefer, K.; Schuur, E.A.G.; Jorgenson, M.T.; Hinzman, L.D.

2013-01-01

The vast amount of organic carbon (OC) stored in soils of the northern circumpolar permafrost region is a potentially vulnerable component of the global carbon cycle. However, estimates of the quantity, decomposability, and combustibility of OC contained in permafrost-region soils remain highly uncertain, thereby limiting our ability to predict the release of greenhouse gases due to permafrost thawing. Substantial differences exist between empirical and modeling estimates of the quantity and distribution of permafrost-region soil OC, which contribute to large uncertainties in predictions of carbon–climate feedbacks under future warming. Here, we identify research challenges that constrain current assessments of the distribution and potential decomposability of soil OC stocks in the northern permafrost region and suggest priorities for future empirical and modeling studies to address these challenges.

Food parenting: a selective review of current measurement and an empirical examination to inform future measurement.

PubMed

Musher-Eizenman, Dara R; Kiefner, Allison

2013-08-01

Interactions between parents and children in regard to food are an important part of the development of food preferences and intake patterns for children. The measurement of this complex and multidimensional construct is very challenging. This article examines the current status of measurement in this domain in a selective review, considers qualitative input from parents and adolescents in an empirical examination of the topic, and makes concrete recommendations for the future. Qualitatively, there were important differences between what the adolescents reported that their parents did to impact their eating habits, what parents of younger children report they currently do, and what researchers typically measure in research on parental feeding practices. On the basis of these empirical findings and our review of the literature, we recommend that food parenting be measured on three levels: Feeding styles (e.g., authoritative), food parenting practices (e.g., restriction), and specific feeding behaviors (e.g., putting food out of the child's reach). Specific recommendations for future study are given for each level of measurement.

Food Parenting: A Selective Review of Current Measurement and an Empirical Examination To Inform Future Measurement

PubMed Central

Kiefner, Allison

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Interactions between parents and children in regard to food are an important part of the development of food preferences and intake patterns for children. The measurement of this complex and multidimensional construct is very challenging. Methods This article examines the current status of measurement in this domain in a selective review, considers qualitative input from parents and adolescents in an empirical examination of the topic, and makes concrete recommendations for the future. Results Qualitatively, there were important differences between what the adolescents reported that their parents did to impact their eating habits, what parents of younger children report they currently do, and what researchers typically measure in research on parental feeding practices. Conclusions On the basis of these empirical findings and our review of the literature, we recommend that food parenting be measured on three levels: Feeding styles (e.g., authoritative), food parenting practices (e.g., restriction), and specific feeding behaviors (e.g., putting food out of the child's reach). Specific recommendations for future study are given for each level of measurement. PMID:23944922

Behavior of Internal Customer in Family Business: Strategies and Actions for Improving Their Satisfaction

PubMed Central

Gutiérrez-Broncano, Santiago; Jiménez-Estévez, Pedro; del Carmen Zabala-Baños, María

2017-01-01

Determining the relevant aspects of family businesses (FBs) that make them increasingly competitive is the main objective of researchers in this field. Despite this, there is little empirical literature on the behavior of the internal customer (IC) in FBs or how businesses increase their satisfaction. Basing our work on psychological theories and with both quantitative and qualitative information from 31 semi-structured interviews, this work establishes certain characteristics of the ICs of the FB and proposes a series of guidelines for increasing their satisfaction, thereby facilitating the continuity of this type of business. FBs that are able to understand that the motivation of their ICs is more important than other qualities, and that this requires a more comprehensive management will be able to get sustainable competitive advantages in the future. PMID:28790958

Is Ego Depletion Real? An Analysis of Arguments.

PubMed

Friese, Malte; Loschelder, David D; Gieseler, Karolin; Frankenbach, Julius; Inzlicht, Michael

2018-03-01

An influential line of research suggests that initial bouts of self-control increase the susceptibility to self-control failure (ego depletion effect). Despite seemingly abundant evidence, some researchers have suggested that evidence for ego depletion was the sole result of publication bias and p-hacking, with the true effect being indistinguishable from zero. Here, we examine (a) whether the evidence brought forward against ego depletion will convince a proponent that ego depletion does not exist and (b) whether arguments that could be brought forward in defense of ego depletion will convince a skeptic that ego depletion does exist. We conclude that despite several hundred published studies, the available evidence is inconclusive. Both additional empirical and theoretical works are needed to make a compelling case for either side of the debate. We discuss necessary steps for future work toward this aim.

Behavior of Internal Customer in Family Business: Strategies and Actions for Improving Their Satisfaction.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-Broncano, Santiago; Jiménez-Estévez, Pedro; Del Carmen Zabala-Baños, María

2017-01-01

Determining the relevant aspects of family businesses (FBs) that make them increasingly competitive is the main objective of researchers in this field. Despite this, there is little empirical literature on the behavior of the internal customer (IC) in FBs or how businesses increase their satisfaction. Basing our work on psychological theories and with both quantitative and qualitative information from 31 semi-structured interviews, this work establishes certain characteristics of the ICs of the FB and proposes a series of guidelines for increasing their satisfaction, thereby facilitating the continuity of this type of business. FBs that are able to understand that the motivation of their ICs is more important than other qualities, and that this requires a more comprehensive management will be able to get sustainable competitive advantages in the future.

Five year olds with good conscience development.

PubMed

Stapert, Willem; Smeekens, Sanny

2011-01-01

Results from a longitudinal study on factors influencing conscience development contributed to our appreciation of the importance of moral internalization for a child's well-being. In this article we first present a summary of the research on moral development in children, including findings from infant research, with emphasis on the work of Robert N. Emde. Characteristics of classical psychoanalytic theory about superego development are compared with more recent insights. This is followed by a short description of two cheating games--as a measure of conscience development--played with 101 preschoolers. Some contrasts in our empirical data between the fair-play group and the children that cheated are presented and discussed in the light of the theoretical points of view. Finally some reflections on future research and the implications for parenting, prevention and clinical work are followed by suggestions for psychoanalytic theory.

Testing the weak-form efficiency of the WTI crude oil futures market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Xie, Wen-Jie; Zhou, Wei-Xing

2014-07-01

The weak-form efficiency of energy futures markets has long been studied and empirical evidence suggests controversial conclusions. In this work, nonparametric methods are adopted to estimate the Hurst indexes of the WTI crude oil futures prices (1983-2012) and a strict statistical test in the spirit of bootstrapping is put forward to verify the weak-form market efficiency hypothesis. The results show that the crude oil futures market is efficient when the whole period is considered. When the whole series is divided into three sub-series separated by the outbreaks of the Gulf War and the Iraq War, it is found that the Gulf War reduced the efficiency of the market. If the sample is split into two sub-series based on the signing date of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the market is found to be inefficient in the sub-periods during which the Gulf War broke out. The same analysis on short-time series in moving windows shows that the market is inefficient only when some turbulent events occur, such as the oil price crash in 1985, the Gulf war, and the oil price crash in 2008.

Defining and assessing wisdom: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Bangen, Katherine J; Meeks, Thomas W; Jeste, Dilip V

2013-12-01

With increasing longevity and a growing focus on successful aging, there has been a recent growth of research designed to operationalize and assess wisdom. We aimed to (1) investigate the degree of overlap among empirical definitions of wisdom, (2) identify the most commonly cited wisdom subcomponents, (3) examine the psychometric properties of existing assessment instruments, and (4) investigate whether certain assessment procedures work particularly well in tapping the essence of subcomponents of the various empirical definitions. We searched PsychINFO-indexed articles published through May 2012 and their bibliographies. Studies were included if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal and (1) proposed a definition of wisdom or (2) discussed the development or validation of an instrument designed to assess wisdom. Thirty-one articles met inclusion criteria. Despite variability among the 24 reviewed definitions, there was significant overlap. Commonly cited subcomponents of wisdom included knowledge of life, prosocial values, self-understanding, acknowledgment of uncertainty, emotional homeostasis, tolerance, openness, spirituality, and sense of humor. Published reports describing the psychometric properties of nine instruments varied in comprehensiveness but most measures were examined for selected types of reliability and validity, which were generally acceptable. Given limitations of self-report procedures, an approach integrating multiple indices (e.g., self-report and performance-based measures) may better capture wisdom. Significant progress in the empirical study of wisdom has occurred over the past four decades; however, much needs to be done. Future studies with larger, more diverse samples are needed to determine the generalizability, usefulness, and clinical applicability of these definitions and assessment instruments. Such work will have relevance for the fields of geriatrics, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, education, and public health, among others. Copyright © 2013 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

Essays on electricity transmission investment and financial transmission rights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Wenzhuo

The U.S. electric power industry has been going through fundamental restructuring and realignment since the 1990's. Many issues and problems have emerged during the transition, and both economists and engineers have been looking for the solutions fervently. In this dissertation, which consists primarily of three essays, we apply economics theory and techniques to the power industry and address two related issues, transmission investment and financial transmission rights (FTRs). The first essay takes the decentralized perspective and investigates the efficiency attribute of market-based transmission investment under perfect competition. We clarify, for the first time, the nature of the externality created by loop flows that causes transmission investment to be inefficient. Our findings have important implications for better understanding of transmission market design and creating incentives for efficient transmission investment. In the second essay, we define several rules for allocating transmission investment cost within the framework of cooperative game theory. These rules provide fair, stable or efficient cost allocations in theory and are good benchmarks against which the allocation mechanism in practice can be compared and improved upon. In the last essay, we make exploratory efforts in analyzing and assessing empirically the performance of the Midwest independent system operator (MISO) FTR auction market. We reveal some stylized facts about this young market and find that it is not efficient under the risk-neutrality assumption. We also point out and correct the drawbacks in previous related work and suggest about more complete empirical work in future. In all, this dissertation makes both theoretic and empirical analysis of the two hot issues related to the power industry and comes up with findings that have important implications for the development of this industry.

The Need for Large-Scale, Longitudinal Empirical Studies in Middle Level Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertens, Steven B.; Caskey, Micki M.; Flowers, Nancy

2016-01-01

This essay describes and discusses the ongoing need for large-scale, longitudinal, empirical research studies focused on middle grades education. After a statement of the problem and concerns, the essay describes and critiques several prior middle grades efforts and research studies. Recommendations for future research efforts to inform policy…

Multi-Ethnic Workforce and Business Performance: Review and Synthesis of the Empirical Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoobridge, Gonzalo E.

2006-01-01

This article provides an updated review and synthesis of the empirical literature of the determinants of business performance, and discusses directions for future research aimed at developing better theories and advancing knowledge of the specific influence of ethnic minorities on firm financial achievements. The review is intended to overcome the…

Steering the Ship through Uncertain Waters: Empirical Analysis and the Future of Evangelical Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rine, P. Jesse; Guthrie, David S.

2016-01-01

Leaders of evangelical Christian colleges must navigate a challenging environment shaped by public concern about college costs and educational quality, federal inclinations toward increased regulation, and lingering fallout from the Great Recession. Proceeding from the premise that empirical analysis empowers institutional actors to lead well in…

Understanding Adoptive Families: An Integrative Review of Empirical Research and Future Directions for Counseling Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Karen M.; Zamostny, Kathy P.

2003-01-01

Contrary to societal stereotypes about adoption, this integrative review of published empirical research on adoptive families noted several positive and few negative out-comes with regard to satisfaction with the adoption, familial functioning, and parent-child communication. The critical analysis of 38 studies on adoptive families revealed a…

The importance of education, understanding, and empirical research in social work: the nuts and bolts of the business.

PubMed

Long, Kimberly; Wodarski, John S

2010-05-01

Over the past three decades, existing literature has demanded, and continues to demand, accountability in the delivery of social services through empirically based research and implementation of established norms: this is, and of itself, the true basis of social work. It is through these norms and empirically established models and theories of treatment that a social worker can really do what he/she wants to do: help the client. This article will describe the nuts and bolts of social work; i.e. those theories, models, and the established norms of practice. It is the desire of the author's that all social workers be educated in the nuts and bolts (basics) and that education will be based on empirical evidence that supports behavioral change through intervention and modification.

Psycho-educational strategies to promote fluid adherence in adult hemodialysis patients: a review of intervention studies.

PubMed

Welch, Janet L; Thomas-Hawkins, Charlotte

2005-07-01

We reviewed psycho-educational intervention studies that were designed to reduce interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) in adult hemodialysis patients. Our goals were to critique research methods, describe the effectiveness of tested interventions, and make recommendations for future research. Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Applied Health (CINAHL) databases were searched to identify empirical work. Each study was evaluated in terms of sample, design, theoretical framework, intervention delivery, and outcome. Nine studies were reviewed. Self-monitoring appears to be a promising strategy to be considered to reduce IDWG. Theory was not usually used to guide interventions, designs generally had control groups, interventions were delivered individually, more than one intervention was delivered at a time, the duration of the intervention varied greatly, there was no long-term follow-up, IDWG was the only outcome, and IDWG was operationalized in different ways. Theoretical models and methodological rigor are needed to guide future research. Specific recommendations on design, measurement, and conceptual issues are offered to enhance the effectiveness of future research.

Transformation of Adolescent Peer Relations in the Social Media Context: Part 2-Application to Peer Group Processes and Future Directions for Research.

PubMed

Nesi, Jacqueline; Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Prinstein, Mitchell J

2018-04-07

As social media use becomes increasingly widespread among adolescents, research in this area has accumulated rapidly. Researchers have shown a growing interest in the impact of social media on adolescents' peer experiences, including the ways that the social media context shapes a variety of peer relations constructs. This paper represents Part 2 of a two-part theoretical review. In this review, we offer a new model for understanding the transformative role of social media in adolescents' peer experiences, with the goal of stimulating future empirical work that is grounded in theory. The transformation framework suggests that the features of the social media context transform adolescents' peer experiences by changing their frequency or immediacy, amplifying demands, altering their qualitative nature, and/or offering new opportunities for compensatory or novel behaviors. In the current paper, we consider the ways that social media may transform peer relations constructs that often occur at the group level. Our review focuses on three key constructs: peer victimization, peer status, and peer influence. We selectively review and highlight existing evidence for the transformation of these domains through social media. In addition, we discuss methodological considerations and key conceptual principles for future work. The current framework offers a new theoretical perspective through which peer relations researchers may consider adolescent social media use.

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

Riesen, Rolf E.; Bridges, Patrick G.; Stearley, Jon R.

Next-generation exascale systems, those capable of performing a quintillion (10{sup 18}) operations per second, are expected to be delivered in the next 8-10 years. These systems, which will be 1,000 times faster than current systems, will be of unprecedented scale. As these systems continue to grow in size, faults will become increasingly common, even over the course of small calculations. Therefore, issues such as fault tolerance and reliability will limit application scalability. Current techniques to ensure progress across faults like checkpoint/restart, the dominant fault tolerance mechanism for the last 25 years, are increasingly problematic at the scales of future systemsmore » due to their excessive overheads. In this work, we evaluate a number of techniques to decrease the overhead of checkpoint/restart and keep this method viable for future exascale systems. More specifically, this work evaluates state-machine replication to dramatically increase the checkpoint interval (the time between successive checkpoint) and hash-based, probabilistic incremental checkpointing using graphics processing units to decrease the checkpoint commit time (the time to save one checkpoint). Using a combination of empirical analysis, modeling, and simulation, we study the costs and benefits of these approaches on a wide range of parameters. These results, which cover of number of high-performance computing capability workloads, different failure distributions, hardware mean time to failures, and I/O bandwidths, show the potential benefits of these techniques for meeting the reliability demands of future exascale platforms.« less

On the Reconstruction of Palaeo-Ice Sheets: Recent Advances and Future Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stokes, Chris R.; Tarasov, Lev; Blomdin, Robin; Cronin, Thomas M.; Fisher, Timothy G.; Gyllencreutz, Richard; Hattestrand, Clas; Heyman, Jacob; Hindmarsh, Richard C. A.; Hughes, Anna L. C.;

On the reconstruction of palaeo-ice sheets: Recent advances and future challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stokes, Chris R.; Tarasov, Lev; Blomdin, Robin; Cronin, Thomas M.; Fisher, Timothy G.; Gyllencreutz, Richard; Hattestrand, Clas; Heyman, Jakob; Hindmarsh, Richard C. A.; Hughes, Anna L. C.; Jakobsson, Martin; Kirchner, Nina; Livingstone, Stephen J.; Margold, Martin; Murton, Julian B.; Noormets, Riko; Peltier, W. Richard; Peteet, Dorothy M.; Piper, David J. W.; Preusser, Frank; Renssen, Hans; Roberts, David H.; Roche, Didier M.; Saint-Ange, Francky; Stroeven, Arjen P.; Teller, James T.

2015-01-01

Reconstructing the growth and decay of palaeo-ice sheets is critical to understanding mechanisms of global climate change and associated sea-level fluctuations in the past, present and future. The significance of palaeo-ice sheets is further underlined by the broad range of disciplines concerned with reconstructing their behaviour, many of which have undergone a rapid expansion since the 1980s. In particular, there has been a major increase in the size and qualitative diversity of empirical data used to reconstruct and date ice sheets, and major improvements in our ability to simulate their dynamics in numerical ice sheet models. These developments have made it increasingly necessary to forge interdisciplinary links between sub-disciplines and to link numerical modelling with observations and dating of proxy records. The aim of this paper is to evaluate recent developments in the methods used to reconstruct ice sheets and outline some key challenges that remain, with an emphasis on how future work might integrate terrestrial and marine evidence together with numerical modelling. Our focus is on pan-ice sheet reconstructions of the last deglaciation, but regional case studies are used to illustrate methodological achievements, challenges and opportunities. Whilst various disciplines have made important progress in our understanding of ice-sheet dynamics, it is clear that data-model integration remains under-used, and that uncertainties remain poorly quantified in both empirically-based and numerical ice-sheet reconstructions. The representation of past climate will continue to be the largest source of uncertainty for numerical modelling. As such, palaeo-observations are critical to constrain and validate modelling. State-of-the-art numerical models will continue to improve both in model resolution and in the breadth of inclusion of relevant processes, thereby enabling more accurate and more direct comparison with the increasing range of palaeo-observations. Thus, the capability is developing to use all relevant palaeo-records to more strongly constrain deglacial (and to a lesser extent pre-LGM) ice sheet evolution. In working towards that goal, the accurate representation of uncertainties is required for both constraint data and model outputs. Close cooperation between modelling and data-gathering communities is essential to ensure this capability is realised and continues to progress.

Empirical Tryout of a New Statistic for Detecting Temporally Inconsistent Responders.

PubMed

Kerry, Matthew J

2018-01-01

Statistical screening of self-report data is often advised to support the quality of analyzed responses - For example, reduction of insufficient effort responding (IER). One recently introduced index based on Mahalanobis's D for detecting outliers in cross-sectional designs replaces centered scores with difference scores between repeated-measure items: Termed person temporal consistency ( D 2 ptc ). Although the adapted D 2 ptc index demonstrated usefulness in simulation datasets, it has not been applied to empirical data. The current study addresses D 2 ptc 's low uptake by critically appraising its performance across three empirical applications. Independent samples were selected to represent a range of scenarios commonly encountered by organizational researchers. First, in Sample 1, a repeat-measure of future time perspective (FTP) inexperienced working adults (age >40-years; n = 620) indicated that temporal inconsistency was significantly related to respondent age and item reverse-scoring. Second, in repeat-measure of team efficacy aggregations, D 2 ptc successfully detected team-level inconsistency across repeat-performance cycles. Thirdly, the usefulness of the D 2 ptc was examined in an experimental study dataset of subjective life expectancy indicated significantly more stable responding in experimental conditions compared to controls. The empirical findings support D 2 ptc 's flexible and useful application to distinct study designs. Discussion centers on current limitations and further extensions that may be of value to psychologists screening self-report data for strengthening response quality and meaningfulness of inferences from repeated-measures self-reports. Taken together, the findings support the usefulness of the newly devised statistic for detecting IER and other extreme response patterns.

Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Current Empirical Support, Treatment Overview, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Mitchell, John T.; Zylowska, Lidia; Kollins, Scott H.

2015-01-01

Research examining nonpharmacological interventions for adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has expanded in recent years and provides patients with more treatment options. Mindfulness-based training is an example of an intervention that is gaining promising preliminary empirical support and is increasingly administered in clinical settings. The aim of this review is to provide a rationale for the application of mindfulness to individuals diagnosed with ADHD, describe the current state of the empirical basis for mindfulness training in ADHD, and summarize a treatment approach specific to adults diagnosed with ADHD: the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD Program. Two case study examples are provided to demonstrate relevant clinical issues for practitioners interested in this approach. Directions for future research, including mindfulness meditation as a standalone treatment and as a complementary approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy, are provided. PMID:25908900

The Construct of Resilience: A Critical Evaluation and Guidelines for Future Work

PubMed Central

Luthar, Suniya S.; Cicchetti, Dante; Becker, Bronwyn

2007-01-01

This paper presents a critical appraisal of resilience, a construct connoting the maintenance of positive adaptation by individuals despite experiences of significant adversity. As empirical research on resilience has burgeoned in recent years, criticisms have been levied at work in this area. These critiques have generally focused on ambiguities in definitions and central terminology; heterogeneity in risks experienced and competence achieved by individuals viewed as resilient; instability of the phenomenon of resilience; and concerns regarding the usefulness of resilience as a theoretical construct. We address each identified criticism in turn, proposing solutions for those we view as legitimate and clarifying misunderstandings surrounding those we believe to be less valid. We conclude that work on resilience possesses substantial potential for augmenting the understanding of processes affecting at-risk individuals. Realization of the potential embodied by this construct, however, will remain constrained without continued scientific attention to some of the serious conceptual and methodological pitfalls that have been noted by skeptics and proponents alike. PMID:10953923

An empirical study of employment and disability over three years among survivors of major disasters.

PubMed

Rasco, Sarah S; North, Carol S

2010-01-01

This study was designed to clarify the relationship between exposure to disaster and future employment. Survivors of seven disasters and their employment histories were prospectively followed over three years. At the time of the disasters, 86 percent were working, and at follow-up, 84 percent were working. All of the 261 individuals employed on the day of the disaster described themselves as not disabled at follow-up, although one individual who dropped out of the workforce to become a self-described housewife shortly after the disaster and who developed PTSD may have left the workforce because of lasting emotional effects of the disaster. The reasons she provided for changing job status were not disaster related, however. Long-standing employment disability was virtually nonexistent in this highly exposed sample of trauma survivors, but it is possible that some cases of PTSD-related disability were lost to follow-up. Further work is needed to explore psychological disability in other trauma survivor populations.

An empirical study on information spillover effects between the Chinese copper futures market and spot market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiangli; Cheng, Siwei; Wang, Shouyang; Hong, Yongmiao; Li, Yi

2008-02-01

This study employs a parametric approach based on TGARCH and GARCH models to estimate the VaR of the copper futures market and spot market in China. Considering the short selling mechanism in the futures market, the paper introduces two new notions: upside VaR and extreme upside risk spillover. And downside VaR and upside VaR are examined by using the above approach. Also, we use Kupiec’s [P.H. Kupiec, Techniques for verifying the accuracy of risk measurement models, Journal of Derivatives 3 (1995) 73-84] backtest to test the power of our approaches. In addition, we investigate information spillover effects between the futures market and the spot market by employing a linear Granger causality test, and Granger causality tests in mean, volatility and risk respectively. Moreover, we also investigate the relationship between the futures market and the spot market by using a test based on a kernel function. Empirical results indicate that there exist significant two-way spillovers between the futures market and the spot market, and the spillovers from the futures market to the spot market are much more striking.

An Empirical Investigation of the Proposition that 'School Is Work': A Comparison of Personality-Performance Correlations in School and Work Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lounsbury, John W.; Gibson, Lucy W.; Sundstrom, Eric; Wilburn, Denise; Loveland, James M.

2004-01-01

An empirical test of Munson and Rubenstein's (1992) assertion that 'school is work' compared a sample of students in a high school with a sample of workers in a manufacturing plant in the same metropolitan area. Data from both samples included scores on six personality traits--Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Openness, Emotional Stability,…

Designing selection tests for the future National Airspace System architecture

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-08-01

Empirical data describing the mix of human abilities required to operate and maintain the future National Airspace System (NAS) architecture are presently lacking. A research program is proposed to develop the scientific tools and collect data to des...

Extending Our Vision of Developmental Growth and Engaging in Empirical Scrutiny: Proposals for the Future of Faith Development Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Streib, Heinz

2004-01-01

This article evaluates the portrait of faith development theory and research in James Fowler's article,"Faith Development at 30." Questions are raised: Does Fowler's emphasis on the practical-theological and pastoral focus of faith development contradict its aspiration and disposition for empirical scrutiny? Does Fowler's principal concern with…

Symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: phenomenology and treatment outcomes with exposure and ritual prevention.

PubMed

Williams, Monnica T; Mugno, Beth; Franklin, Martin; Faber, Sonya

2013-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe condition with varied symptom presentations. Currently, the cognitive-behavioral treatment with the most empirical support is exposure and ritual prevention (EX/RP); however, clinical impression and some empirical data suggest that certain OCD symptoms are more responsive to treatment than others. Prior work identifying symptom dimensions within OCD is discussed, including epidemiological findings, factor analytic studies, and biological findings. Symptom dimensions most reliably identified include contamination/cleaning, doubt about harm/checking, symmetry/ordering, and unacceptable thoughts/mental rituals. The phenomenology of each of these subtypes is described and research literature is summarized, emphasizing the differential effects of EX/RP and its variants on each of these primary symptom dimensions. To date it appears that EX/RP is an effective treatment for the various OCD dimensions, although not all dimensions have been adequately studied (i.e. symmetry and ordering). Modifications to treatment may be warranted for some types of symptoms. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Electrocardiogram signal denoising based on empirical mode decomposition technique: an overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, G.; Lin, B.; Xu, Z.

2017-03-01

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is nonlinear and non-stationary weak signal which reflects whether the heart is functioning normally or abnormally. ECG signal is susceptible to various kinds of noises such as high/low frequency noises, powerline interference and baseline wander. Hence, the removal of noises from ECG signal becomes a vital link in the ECG signal processing and plays a significant role in the detection and diagnosis of heart diseases. The review will describe the recent developments of ECG signal denoising based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) technique including high frequency noise removal, powerline interference separation, baseline wander correction, the combining of EMD and Other Methods, EEMD technique. EMD technique is a quite potential and prospective but not perfect method in the application of processing nonlinear and non-stationary signal like ECG signal. The EMD combined with other algorithms is a good solution to improve the performance of noise cancellation. The pros and cons of EMD technique in ECG signal denoising are discussed in detail. Finally, the future work and challenges in ECG signal denoising based on EMD technique are clarified.

Peers and adolescent smoking.

PubMed

Kobus, Kimberly

2003-05-01

There is a considerable body of empirical research that has identified adolescent peer relationships as a primary factor involved in adolescent cigarette smoking. Despite this large research base, many questions remain unanswered about the mechanisms by which peers affect youths' smoking behavior. Understanding these processes of influence is key to the development of prevention and intervention programs designed to address adolescent smoking as a significant public health concern. In this paper, theoretical frameworks and empirical findings are reviewed critically which inform the current state of knowledge regarding peer influences on teenage smoking. Specifically, social learning theory, primary socialization theory, social identity theory and social network theory are discussed. Empirical findings regarding peer influence and selection, as well as multiple reference points in adolescent friendships, including best friendships, romantic relationships, peer groups and social crowds, are also reviewed. Review of this work reveals the contribution that peers have in adolescents' use of tobacco, in some cases promoting use, and in other cases deterring it. This review also suggests that peer influences on smoking are more subtle than commonly thought and need to be examined more carefully, including consideration of larger social contexts, e.g. the family, neighborhood, and media. Recommendations for future investigations are made, as well as suggestions for specific methodological approaches that offer promise for advancing our knowledge of the contribution of peers on adolescent tobacco use.

Thinking About the Future Cognitive Remediation Therapy—What Works and Could We Do Better?

PubMed Central

Wykes, Til; Spaulding, Will D.

2011-01-01

This article reviews progress in the development of effective cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) and its translational process. There is now enough evidence that cognitive difficulties experienced by people with schizophrenia can change and that the agenda for the next generation of studies is to increase these effects systematically through cognitive remediation. We examine the necessary steps and challenges of moving CRT to treatment dissemination. Theories which have been designed to explain the effects of cognitive remediation, are important but we conclude that they are not essential for dissemination which could progress in an empirical fashion. One apparent barrier is that cognitive remediation therapies look different on the surface. However, they still tend to use many of the same training procedures. The only important marker for outcome identified in the current studies seems to be the training emphasis. Some therapies concentrate on massed practice of cognitive functions, whereas others also use direct training of strategies. These may produce differing effects as noted in the most recent meta-analyses. We recommend attention to several critical issues in the next generation of empirical studies. These include developing more complex models of the therapy effects that take into account participant characteristics, specific and broad cognitive outcomes, the study design, as well as the specific and nonspecific effects of treatment, which have rarely been investigated in this empirical programme. PMID:21860051

Recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or 'ecstasy': Current perspective and future research prospects.

PubMed

Parrott, Andrew C; Downey, Luke A; Roberts, Carl A; Montgomery, Cathy; Bruno, Raimondo; Fox, Helen C

2017-08-01

The purpose of this article is to debate current understandings about the psychobiological effects of recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or 'ecstasy'), and recommend theoretically-driven topics for future research. Recent empirical findings, especially those from novel topic areas were reviewed. Potential causes for the high variance often found in group findings were also examined. The first empirical reports into psychobiological and psychiatric aspects from the early 1990s concluded that regular users demonstrated some selective psychobiological deficits, for instance worse declarative memory, or heightened depression. More recent research has covered a far wider range of psychobiological functions, and deficits have emerged in aspects of vision, higher cognitive skill, neurohormonal functioning, and foetal developmental outcomes. However, variance levels are often high, indicating that while some recreational users develop problems, others are less affected. Potential reasons for this high variance are debated. An explanatory model based on multi-factorial causation is then proposed. A number of theoretically driven research topics are suggested, in order to empirically investigate the potential causes for these diverse psychobiological deficits. Future neuroimaging studies should study the practical implications of any serotonergic and/or neurohormonal changes, using a wide range of functional measures.

[High-quality nursing health care environment: the patient safety perspective].

PubMed

Tu, Yu-Ching; Wang, Ruey-Hsia

2011-06-01

Patient safety is regarded as an important indicator of nursing care quality, and nurses hold frontline responsibility to maintain patient safety. Many countries now face healthcare provider shortfalls, and recognize a close correlation between adequate manpower and patient safety. Many healthcare organizations work to foster positive work environments in order to improve health service quality. The active participation and "buy in" of nurses, patients and policymakers are critical to maximize healthcare environment quality and improve patient safety. This article adopts Donabedian's theoretical "Structure-Process-Outcome" model of quality (Donabedian, 1988) and presumes all high-quality healthcare environment indicators to be linked to patient safety. In addition to raising public awareness regarding the influence of healthcare environment quality on patient safety, this research suggests certain indicators for tracking and assessing healthcare environment quality. Future research may design an empirical study based on these indicators to help further enhance healthcare environment quality and the professional development of nurses.

Relative performance of empirical and physical models in assessing the seasonal and annual glacier surface mass balance of Saint-Sorlin Glacier (French Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Réveillet, Marion; Six, Delphine; Vincent, Christian; Rabatel, Antoine; Dumont, Marie; Lafaysse, Matthieu; Morin, Samuel; Vionnet, Vincent; Litt, Maxime

2018-04-01

This study focuses on simulations of the seasonal and annual surface mass balance (SMB) of Saint-Sorlin Glacier (French Alps) for the period 1996-2015 using the detailed SURFEX/ISBA-Crocus snowpack model. The model is forced by SAFRAN meteorological reanalysis data, adjusted with automatic weather station (AWS) measurements to ensure that simulations of all the energy balance components, in particular turbulent fluxes, are accurately represented with respect to the measured energy balance. Results indicate good model performance for the simulation of summer SMB when using meteorological forcing adjusted with in situ measurements. Model performance however strongly decreases without in situ meteorological measurements. The sensitivity of the model to meteorological forcing indicates a strong sensitivity to wind speed, higher than the sensitivity to ice albedo. Compared to an empirical approach, the model exhibited better performance for simulations of snow and firn melting in the accumulation area and similar performance in the ablation area when forced with meteorological data adjusted with nearby AWS measurements. When such measurements were not available close to the glacier, the empirical model performed better. Our results suggest that simulations of the evolution of future mass balance using an energy balance model require very accurate meteorological data. Given the uncertainties in the temporal evolution of the relevant meteorological variables and glacier surface properties in the future, empirical approaches based on temperature and precipitation could be more appropriate for simulations of glaciers in the future.

A Biosocial Education Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youdell, Deborah

2016-01-01

This paper explores how social justice orientated education research might engage with emerging ideas and approaches from the new biological sciences, and suggests a biosocial future for empirical education research that connects molecular biology--epigenetics, nutrigenomics and neuroscience--with sociology of education. In beginning to consider…

Portable electronic assistive technology to improve vocational task completion in young adults with an intellectual disability.

PubMed

Collins, James C; Collet-Klingenberg, Lana

2017-01-01

This article summarizes a review of empirical literature from 2000 to 2015 that involved the use of specific portable technology to support persons with an intellectual disability in completing work-related tasks. Nineteen studies were identified for review, with an emphasis on the identification of (a) the characteristics of participants and settings, (b) the types of portable technology and prompting formats used, (c) the research designs utilized, (d) the independent and dependent variables, (e) the measures of reliability and validity, and (f) the overall effectiveness of the interventions. The authors provide an interpretation of the findings as well as the implications of the results and recommended areas for future research.

Knowledge Translation Efforts in Child and Youth Mental Health: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

SCHACHTER, HOWARD M.; BENNETT, LINDSAY M.; McGOWAN, JESSIE; LY, MYLAN; WILSON, ANGELA; BENNETT, KATHRYN; BUCHANAN, DON H.; FERGUSSON, DEAN; MANION, IAN

2012-01-01

The availability of knowledge translation strategies that have been empirically studied and proven useful is a critical prerequisite to narrowing the research-to-practice gap in child and youth mental health. Through this review the authors sought to determine the current state of scientific knowledge of the effectiveness of knowledge translation approaches in child and youth mental health by conducting a systematic review of the research evidence. The findings and quality of the 12 included studies are discussed. Future work of high methodological quality that explores a broader range of knowledge translation strategies and practitioners to which they are applied and that also attends to implementation process is recommended. PMID:22830938

Public Experiments and their Analysis with the Replication Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heering, Peter

2007-06-01

One of those who failed to establish himself as a natural philosopher in 18th century Paris was the future revolutionary Jean Paul Marat. He did not only publish several monographs on heat, optics and electricity in which he attempted to characterise his work as being purely empirical but he also tried to establish himself as a public lecturer. From the analysis of his experiments using the replication method it became obvious that the written description is missing several relevant aspects of the experiments. In my paper, I am going to discuss the experiences made in analysing these experiments and will suggest possible relations between these publications and the public demonstrations.

Radiographer perceptions of managerial transformational leadership levels.

PubMed

Legg, Jeffrey S; Akroyd, Duane; Jackowski, Melissa B

2010-01-01

Transformational leadership focuses on the ability of a leader to impact employees by inspiring employees to broaden interests in work as well as to be innovative and creative. It is positively associated with employee satisfaction and commitment to the organization. Characteristics of transformational leaders include confidence, ability to mange and deal with complexity, and belief in their employees and organizations. Considering the importance of leadership skills in radiology departments, this paper addresses directly the empirical evidence concerning radiographer's perception of their radiology managers and supervisors transformational leadership levels in the United States. Leadership can be taught, and we as a profession must begin to implement leadership training programs for our current and future leaders.

Cross-cultural Comparison of Learning in Human Hunting : Implications for Life History Evolution.

PubMed

MacDonald, Katharine

2007-12-01

This paper is a cross-cultural examination of the development of hunting skills and the implications for the debate on the role of learning in the evolution of human life history patterns. While life history theory has proven to be a powerful tool for understanding the evolution of the human life course, other schools, such as cultural transmission and social learning theory, also provide theoretical insights. These disparate theories are reviewed, and alternative and exclusive predictions are identified. This study of cross-cultural regularities in how children learn hunting skills, based on the ethnographic literature on traditional hunters, complements existing empirical work and highlights future areas for investigation.

Interpreting neurodynamics: concepts and facts

PubMed Central

Rotter, Stefan

2008-01-01

The dynamics of neuronal systems, briefly neurodynamics, has developed into an attractive and influential research branch within neuroscience. In this paper, we discuss a number of conceptual issues in neurodynamics that are important for an appropriate interpretation and evaluation of its results. We demonstrate their relevance for selected topics of theoretical and empirical work. In particular, we refer to the notions of determinacy and stochasticity in neurodynamics across levels of microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic descriptions. The issue of correlations between neural, mental and behavioral states is also addressed in some detail. We propose an informed discussion of conceptual foundations with respect to neurobiological results as a viable step to a fruitful future philosophy of neuroscience. PMID:19003452

Empirical Mining of Large Data Sets Already Helps to Solve Practical Ecological Problems; A Panoply of Working Examples (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hargrove, W. W.; Hoffman, F. M.; Kumar, J.; Spruce, J.; Norman, S. P.

2013-12-01

Here we present diverse examples where empirical mining and statistical analysis of large data sets have already been shown to be useful for a wide variety of practical decision-making problems within the realm of large-scale ecology. Because a full understanding and appreciation of particular ecological phenomena are possible only after hypothesis-directed research regarding the existence and nature of that process, some ecologists may feel that purely empirical data harvesting may represent a less-than-satisfactory approach. Restricting ourselves exclusively to process-driven approaches, however, may actually slow progress, particularly for more complex or subtle ecological processes. We may not be able to afford the delays caused by such directed approaches. Rather than attempting to formulate and ask every relevant question correctly, empirical methods allow trends, relationships and associations to emerge freely from the data themselves, unencumbered by a priori theories, ideas and prejudices that have been imposed upon them. Although they cannot directly demonstrate causality, empirical methods can be extremely efficient at uncovering strong correlations with intermediate "linking" variables. In practice, these correlative structures and linking variables, once identified, may provide sufficient predictive power to be useful themselves. Such correlation "shadows" of causation can be harnessed by, e.g., Bayesian Belief Nets, which bias ecological management decisions, made with incomplete information, toward favorable outcomes. Empirical data-harvesting also generates a myriad of testable hypotheses regarding processes, some of which may even be correct. Quantitative statistical regionalizations based on quantitative multivariate similarity have lended insights into carbon eddy-flux direction and magnitude, wildfire biophysical conditions, phenological ecoregions useful for vegetation type mapping and monitoring, forest disease risk maps (e.g., sudden oak death), global aquatic ecoregion risk maps for aquatic invasives, and forest vertical structure ecoregions (e.g., using extensive LiDAR data sets). Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Clustering, which quantitatively places alternative future conditions on a common footing with present conditions, allows prediction of present and future shifts in tree species ranges, given alternative climatic change forecasts. ForWarn, a forest disturbance detection and monitoring system mining 12 years of national 8-day MODIS phenology data, has been operating since 2010, producing national maps every 8 days showing many kinds of potential forest disturbances. Forest resource managers can view disturbance maps via a web-based viewer, and alerts are issued when particular forest disturbances are seen. Regression-based decadal trend analysis showing long-term forest thrive and decline areas, and individual-based, brute-force supercomputing to map potential movement corridors and migration routes across landscapes will also be discussed. As significant ecological changes occur with increasing rapidity, such empirical data-mining approaches may be the most efficient means to help land managers find the best, most-actionable policies and decision strategies.

A Meta-Analysis of Working Memory Impairments in Children with Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinussen, Rhonda; Hayden, Jill; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Tannock, Rosemary

2005-01-01

Objective: To determine the empirical evidence for deficits in working memory (WM) processes in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Exploratory meta-analytic procedures were used to investigate whether children with ADHD exhibit WM impairments. Twenty-six empirical research studies published from…

Explaining the Effects of Communities of Pastoral Care for Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Joseph; Holste, Linda

2016-01-01

This article explains how communities of pastoral care work. It presents an empirically forged theory in action. We examined theoretical and empirical work across the targeted area of personalization for students. We also completed what Hallinger (2012) refers to as "exhaustive review" of the field of school improvement writ large. We…

The Impact of United States Monetary Policy in the Crude Oil futures market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padilla-Padilla, Fernando M.

This research examines the empirical impact the United States monetary policy, through the federal fund interest rate, has on the volatility in the crude oil price in the futures market. Prior research has shown how macroeconomic events and variables have impacted different financial markets within short and long--term movements. After testing and decomposing the variables, the two stationary time series were analyzed using a Vector Autoregressive Model (VAR). The empirical evidence shows, with statistical significance, a direct relationship when explaining crude oil prices as function of fed fund rates (t-1) and an indirect relationship when explained as a function of fed fund rates (t-2). These results partially address the literature review lacunas within the topic of the existing implication monetary policy has within the crude oil futures market.

The jingle-jangle of work-nonwork balance: A comprehensive and meta-analytic review of its meaning and measurement.

PubMed

Casper, Wendy J; Vaziri, Hoda; Wayne, Julie Holliday; DeHauw, Sara; Greenhaus, Jeffrey

2018-02-01

We review research on work-nonwork balance to examine the presence of the jingle fallacy-attributing different meanings to a single construct label-and the jangle fallacy-using different labels for a single construct. In 290 papers, we found 233 conceptual definitions that clustered into 5 distinct, interpretable types, suggesting evidence of the jingle fallacy. We calculated Euclidean distances to quantify the extent of the jingle fallacy and found high divergence in definitions across time and publication outlet. One exception was more agreement recently in better journals to conceptualize balance as unidimensional, psychological, and distinct from conflict and enrichment. Yet, over time many authors have committed the jangle fallacy by labeling measures of conflict and/or enrichment as balance, and disagreement persists even in better journals about the meanings attributed to balance (e.g., effectiveness, satisfaction). To examine the empirical implications of the jingle and jangle fallacies, we conducted meta-analyses of distinct operational definitions of balance with job, life, and family satisfaction. Effect sizes for conflict and enrichment measures were typically smaller than effects for balance measures, providing evidence of a unique balance construct that is not interchangeable with conflict and enrichment. To begin to remedy concerns raised by our review, we propose a definition of work-nonwork balance drawing from theory, empirical evidence from our review, and normative information about how balance should be defined. We conclude with a theory-based agenda for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Brain drain? An examination of stereotype threat effects during training on knowledge acquisition and organizational effectiveness.

PubMed

Grand, James A

2017-02-01

Stereotype threat describes a situation in which individuals are faced with the risk of upholding a negative stereotype about their subgroup based on their actions. Empirical work in this area has primarily examined the impact of negative stereotypes on performance for threatened individuals. However, this body of research seldom acknowledges that performance is a function of learning-which may also be impaired by pervasive group stereotypes. This study presents evidence from a 3-day self-guided training program demonstrating that stereotype threat impairs acquisition of cognitive learning outcomes for females facing a negative group stereotype. Using hierarchical Bayesian modeling, results revealed that stereotyped females demonstrated poorer declarative knowledge acquisition, spent less time reflecting on learning activities, and developed less efficiently organized knowledge structures compared with females in a control condition. Findings from a Bayesian mediation model also suggested that despite stereotyped individuals "working harder" to perform well, their underachievement was largely attributable to failures in learning to "work smarter." Building upon these empirical results, a computational model and computer simulation is also presented to demonstrate the practical significance of stereotype-induced impairments to learning on the development of an organization's human capital resources and capabilities. The simulation results show that even the presence of small effects of stereotype threat during learning/training have the potential to exert a significant negative impact on an organization's performance potential. Implications for future research and practice examining stereotype threat during learning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Dark Triad, Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Political Skills

PubMed Central

Baloch, Muhammad A.; Meng, Fanchen; Xu, Zefeng; Cepeda-Carrion, Ignacio; Danish; Bari, Muhammad W.

2017-01-01

The aim of this work focuses on the relationship among the Dark Triad (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), perceptions of organizational politics, political skills, and counterproductive work behavior. This study empirically tests the mediating role of perceptions of organizational politics in the relationship between the Dark Triad and counterproductive work behavior. Furthermore, the study investigates the moderating role of political skills in strengthening the link between the Dark Triad and the perceptions of organizational politics. A sample of 149 participants was randomly selected. To analyze the data of the present work, we employed a structural equation model using partial least square and PROCESS. From empirical findings, we imply an inference that perception of organizational politics partially mediates the Dark Triad's influence on the counterproductive work behavior. Moreover, the results identify the moderating role of political skills in strengthening the link between the Dark Triad and the perceptions of organizational politics. Empirical findings suggest important policy implications for the hospitality industry. PMID:29167654

Dark Triad, Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Political Skills.

PubMed

Baloch, Muhammad A; Meng, Fanchen; Xu, Zefeng; Cepeda-Carrion, Ignacio; Danish; Bari, Muhammad W

2017-01-01

The aim of this work focuses on the relationship among the Dark Triad (psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism), perceptions of organizational politics, political skills, and counterproductive work behavior. This study empirically tests the mediating role of perceptions of organizational politics in the relationship between the Dark Triad and counterproductive work behavior. Furthermore, the study investigates the moderating role of political skills in strengthening the link between the Dark Triad and the perceptions of organizational politics. A sample of 149 participants was randomly selected. To analyze the data of the present work, we employed a structural equation model using partial least square and PROCESS. From empirical findings, we imply an inference that perception of organizational politics partially mediates the Dark Triad's influence on the counterproductive work behavior. Moreover, the results identify the moderating role of political skills in strengthening the link between the Dark Triad and the perceptions of organizational politics. Empirical findings suggest important policy implications for the hospitality industry.

Development of a hybrid modeling approach for predicting intensively managed Douglas-fir growth at multiple scales.

Treesearch

A. Weiskittel; D. Maguire; R. Monserud

2007-01-01

Hybrid models offer the opportunity to improve future growth projections by combining advantages of both empirical and process-based modeling approaches. Hybrid models have been constructed in several regions and their performance relative to a purely empirical approach has varied. A hybrid model was constructed for intensively managed Douglas-fir plantations in the...

DSM-5's posttraumatic stress disorder with dissociative symptoms: challenges and future directions.

PubMed

Dorahy, Martin J; van der Hart, Onno

2015-01-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, formally recognizes a dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; PTSD with dissociative symptoms). This nomenclative move will boost empirical and theoretical efforts to further understand the links between dissociation, trauma, and PTSD. This article examines the empirical literature showing that patients with PTSD can be divided into 2 different groups based on their neurobiology, psychological symptom profile, history of exposure to early relational trauma, and depersonalization/derealization symptoms. It then explores the conceptual and empirical challenges of conceiving 1 of these types as reflecting a "dissociative" type of PTSD. First, this classification is based on the presence of a limited subset of dissociative symptoms (i.e., depersonalization, derealization). This sets aside an array of positive and negative psychoform and somatoform dissociative symptoms that may be related to PTSD. Second, empirical evidence suggests heightened dissociation in PTSD compared to many other disorders, indicating that dissociation is relevant to PTSD more broadly rather than simply to the so-called dissociative subtype. This article sets out important issues to be examined in the future study of dissociation in PTSD, which needs to be informed by solid conceptual understandings of dissociation.

Concept Analysis of Spirituality: An Evolutionary Approach.

PubMed

Weathers, Elizabeth; McCarthy, Geraldine; Coffey, Alice

2016-04-01

The aim of this article is to clarify the concept of spirituality for future nursing research. Previous concept analyses of spirituality have mostly reviewed the conceptual literature with little consideration of the empirical literature. The literature reviewed in prior concept analyses extends from 1972 to 2005, with no analysis conducted in the past 9 years. Rodgers' evolutionary framework was used to review both the theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to spirituality. Evolutionary concept analysis is a formal method of philosophical inquiry, in which papers are analyzed to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept. Empirical and conceptual literature. Three defining attributes of spirituality were identified: connectedness, transcendence, and meaning in life. A conceptual definition of spirituality was proposed based on the findings. Also, four antecedents and five primary consequences of spirituality were identified. Spirituality is a complex concept. This concept analysis adds some clarification by proposing a definition of spirituality that is underpinned by both conceptual and empirical research. Furthermore, exemplars of spirituality, based on prior qualitative research, are presented to support the findings. Hence, the findings of this analysis could guide future nursing research on spirituality. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Reformulated Model of Learned Helplessness: An Empirical Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothblum, Esther D.; Green, Leon

Abramson, Seligman and Teasdale's reformulated model of learned helplessness hypothesized that an attribution of causality intervenes between the perception of noncontingency and the future expectation of future noncontingency. To test this model, relationships between attribution and performance under failure, success, and control conditions were…

Oracle or Monacle: Research Concerning Attitudes Toward Feminism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prescott, Suzanne; Schmid, Margaret

Both popular studies and more serious empirical studies of attitudes toward feminism are reviewed beginning with Clifford Kirkpatrick's early empirical work and including the more recent empirical studies completed since 1970. The review examines the contents of items used to measure feminism, and the methodology and sampling used in studies, as…

Empirical Data Collection and Analysis Using Camtasia and Transana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorsteinsson, Gisli; Page, Tom

2009-01-01

One of the possible techniques for collecting empirical data is video recordings of a computer screen with specific screen capture software. This method for collecting empirical data shows how students use the BSCWII (Be Smart Cooperate Worldwide--a web based collaboration/groupware environment) to coordinate their work and collaborate in…

Comprehensive embryo testing. Experts' opinions regarding future directions: an expert panel study on comprehensive embryo testing.

PubMed

Hens, Kristien; Dondorp, Wybo J; Geraedts, Joep P M; de Wert, Guido M

2013-05-01

What do scientists in the field of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) consider to be the future direction of comprehensive embryo testing? Although there are many biological and technical limitations, as well as uncertainties regarding the meaning of genetic variation, comprehensive embryo testing will impact the IVF/PGD practice and a timely ethical reflection is needed. Comprehensive testing using microarrays is currently being introduced in the context of PGD and PGS, and it is to be expected that whole-genome sequencing will also follow. Current ethical and empirical sociological research on embryo testing focuses on PGD as it is practiced now. However, empirical research and systematic reflection regarding the impact of comprehensive techniques for embryo testing is missing. In order to understand the potential of this technology and to be able to adequately foresee its implications, we held an expert panel with seven pioneers in PGD. We conducted an expert panel in October 2011 with seven PGD pioneers from Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK. Participants expected the use of comprehensive techniques in the context of PGD. However, the introduction of these techniques in embryo testing requires timely ethical reflection as it involves a shift from choosing an embryo without a particular genetic disease (i.e. PGD) or most likely to result in a successful pregnancy (i.e. PGS) to choosing the best embryo based on a much wider set of criteria. Such ethical reflection should take account of current technical and biological limitations and also of current uncertainties with regard to the meaning of genetic variance. However, ethicists should also not be afraid to look into the future. There was a general agreement that embryo testing will be increasingly preceded by comprehensive preconception screening, thus enabling smart combinations of genetic testing. The group was composed of seven participants from four Western Europe countries. As willingness to participate in this study may be connected with expectations regarding the pace and direction of future developments, selection bias cannot be excluded. The introduction of comprehensive screening techniques in embryo testing calls for further ethical reflection that is grounded in empirical work. Specifically, there is a need for studies querying the opinions of infertile couples undergoing IVF/PGS regarding the desirability of embryo screening beyond aneuploidy. This research was supported by the CSG, Centre for Society and Life Sciences (project number: 70.1.074). The authors declare no conflict of interest. N/A.

The influence of nurses' working motivation and job satisfaction on intention to quit: an empirical investigation in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tzeng, Huey-Ming

2002-11-01

The present era of cost-containment pressures indicates that nursing executives have to ensure that, their nurses have a work environment with the work characteristics known to be linked to job satisfaction and good outcomes. The research hypothesis investigated here was: the higher nurses' levels on general job satisfaction, overall satisfaction with their professional role, and general job happiness, the lower their intention to quit would be. The controlling variables included demographic characteristics, working motivation, and nine job satisfaction subscales. This study was conducted in 3 hospitals located in southern Taiwan. All nurses working for these 3 hospitals were the target subjects. The overall response rate (648 completed questionnaires) was 82%. The nurses' Job Satisfaction and the perceptual degree of its importance questionnaire was used. Ordinal logistics regression analyses were utilized. General job satisfaction, general job happiness, satisfaction with salary and promotion, institution, educational background, and age of nurses' youngest child were proved to be significant predictors of nurses' intention to quit. Suggestions for future studies and administrative strategies in decreasing nurses' intention to quit were discussed. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Being While Doing: An Inductive Model of Mindfulness at Work.

PubMed

Lyddy, Christopher J; Good, Darren J

2016-01-01

Mindfulness at work has drawn growing interest as empirical evidence increasingly supports its positive workplace impacts. Yet theory also suggests that mindfulness is a cognitive mode of "Being" that may be incompatible with the cognitive mode of "Doing" that undergirds workplace functioning. Therefore, mindfulness at work has been theorized as "being while doing," but little is known regarding how people experience these two modes in combination, nor the influences or outcomes of this interaction. Drawing on a sample of 39 semi-structured interviews, this study explores how professionals experience being mindful at work. The relationship between Being and Doing modes demonstrated changing compatibility across individuals and experience, with two basic types of experiences and three types of transitions. We labeled experiences when informants were unable to activate Being mode while engaging Doing mode as Entanglement, and those when informants reported simultaneous co-activation of Being and Doing modes as Disentanglement. This combination was a valuable resource for offsetting important limitations of the typical reliance on the Doing cognitive mode. Overall our results have yielded an inductive model of mindfulness at work, with the core experience, outcomes, and antecedent factors unified into one system that may inform future research and practice.

An Experimental Evaluation of Competing Age-Predictions of Future Time Perspective between Workplace and Retirement Domains.

PubMed

Kerry, Matthew J; Embretson, Susan E

2017-01-01

Future time perspective (FTP) is defined as "perceptions of the future as being limited or open-ended" (Lang and Carstensen, 2002; p. 125). The construct figures prominently in both workplace and retirement domains, but the age-predictions are competing: Workplace research predicts decreasing FTP age-change, in contrast, retirement scholars predict increasing FTP age-change. For the first time, these competing predictions are pitted in an experimental manipulation of subjective life expectancy (SLE). A sample of N = 207 older adults (age 45-60) working full-time (>30-h/week) were randomly assigned to SLE questions framed as either 'Live-to' or 'Die-by' to evaluate competing predictions for FTP. Results indicate general support for decreasing age-change in FTP, indicated by independent-sample t -tests showing lower FTP in the 'Die-by' framing condition. Further general-linear model analyses were conducted to test for interaction effects of retirement planning with experimental framings on FTP and intended retirement; While retirement planning buffered FTP's decrease, simple-effects also revealed that retirement planning increased intentions for sooner retirement, but lack of planning increased intentions for later retirement. Discussion centers on practical implications of our findings and consequences validity evidence in future empirical research of FTP in both workplace and retirement domains.

Internal Variations in Empirical Oxygen Abundances for Giant H II Regions in the Galaxy NGC 2403

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Ye-Wei; Lin, Lin; Kong, Xu

2018-02-01

This paper presents a spectroscopic investigation of 11 {{H}} {{II}} regions in the nearby galaxy NGC 2403. The {{H}} {{II}} regions are observed with a long-slit spectrograph mounted on the 2.16 m telescope at XingLong station of National Astronomical Observatories of China. For each of the {{H}} {{II}} regions, spectra are extracted at different nebular radii along the slit-coverage. Oxygen abundances are empirically estimated from the strong-line indices R23, N2O2, O3N2, and N2 for each spectrophotometric unit, with both observation- and model-based calibrations adopted into the derivation. Radial profiles of these diversely estimated abundances are drawn for each nebula. In the results, the oxygen abundances separately estimated with the prescriptions on the basis of observations and models, albeit from the same spectral index, systematically deviate from each other; at the same time, the spectral indices R23 and N2O2 are distributed with flat profiles, whereas N2 and O3N2 exhibit apparent gradients with the nebular radius. Because our study naturally samples various ionization levels, which inherently decline at larger radii within individual {{H}} {{II}} regions, the radial distributions indicate not only the robustness of R23 and N2O2 against ionization variations but also the sensitivity of N2 and O3N2 to the ionization parameter. The results in this paper provide observational corroboration of the theoretical prediction about the deviation in the empirical abundance diagnostics. Our future work is planned to investigate metal-poor {{H}} {{II}} regions with measurable T e, in an attempt to recalibrate the strong-line indices and consequently disclose the cause of the discrepancies between the empirical oxygen abundances.

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review.

PubMed

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others' behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment.

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review

PubMed Central

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others’ behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment. PMID:26579022

Past, Present and Future: The Outlook from Mid-Career Nurse Informaticians.

PubMed

Carrière, Robin; MacDonald, Alison; Chan, Yvonne

2016-01-01

Nursing informatics (NI), as a specialty of nursing, can trace its origins back as far as the 1960s. While difficult to find empirical evidence to pinpoint exactly when NI moved from the fringes of nursing to more mainstream recognition, the late 1990s to early 2000s was a period of significant growth in the desire to leverage information technology as a means of collecting more robust and reliable healthcare information. This, in turn, has led to a significant increase in the number of nurses working as NI specialists. Those who have remained in NI roles since this time are now reaching the "mid-career" point. This paper will examine the current NI landscape and the experience of a number of early and mid-career nurses who chose to focus on NI by exploring how and why they chose this career path, the opportunities and challenges they have faced to date and their predictions for the future of NI. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

The Interest Checklist: a factor analysis.

PubMed

Klyczek, J P; Bauer-Yox, N; Fiedler, R C

1997-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 80 items on the Interest Checklist empirically cluster into the five categories of interests described by Matsutsuyu, the developer of the tool. The Interest Checklist was administered to 367 subjects classified in three subgroups: students, working adults, and retired elderly persons. An 80-item correlation matrix was formed from the responses to the Interest Checklist for each subgroup and then used in a factor analysis model to identify the underlying structure or domains of interest. Results indicated that the Social Recreation theoretical category was empirically independent for all three subgroups; the Physical Sports and Cultural/Educational theoretical categories were empirically independent for only the college students and working adults; and the Manual Skills theoretical category was empirically independent for only the working adults. Although therapists should continue to be cautious in their interpretation of patients' Interest Checklist scores, the tool is useful for identifying patients' interests in order to choose meaningful activities for therapy.

Empirical data and moral theory. A plea for integrated empirical ethics.

PubMed

Molewijk, Bert; Stiggelbout, Anne M; Otten, Wilma; Dupuis, Heleen M; Kievit, Job

2004-01-01

Ethicists differ considerably in their reasons for using empirical data. This paper presents a brief overview of four traditional approaches to the use of empirical data: "the prescriptive applied ethicists," "the theorists," "the critical applied ethicists," and "the particularists." The main aim of this paper is to introduce a fifth approach of more recent date (i.e. "integrated empirical ethics") and to offer some methodological directives for research in integrated empirical ethics. All five approaches are presented in a table for heuristic purposes. The table consists of eight columns: "view on distinction descriptive-prescriptive sciences," "location of moral authority," "central goal(s)," "types of normativity," "use of empirical data," "method," "interaction empirical data and moral theory," and "cooperation with descriptive sciences." Ethicists can use the table in order to identify their own approach. Reflection on these issues prior to starting research in empirical ethics should lead to harmonization of the different scientific disciplines and effective planning of the final research design. Integrated empirical ethics (IEE) refers to studies in which ethicists and descriptive scientists cooperate together continuously and intensively. Both disciplines try to integrate moral theory and empirical data in order to reach a normative conclusion with respect to a specific social practice. IEE is not wholly prescriptive or wholly descriptive since IEE assumes an interdepence between facts and values and between the empirical and the normative. The paper ends with three suggestions for consideration on some of the future challenges of integrated empirical ethics.

IETM Usability: Using Empirical Studies to Improve Performance Aiding

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-05-14

is highly graphical . An example screen is shown in Figure 3. Following is a description of the design solutions incorporated in Interface B to...in enabling lesser skilled U.S. Navy maintainers to perform their jobs. This empirical study about the design and effectiveness of high level IETMs...novice preferences and performance were documented to inform future adaptive interface design efforts. The maintainers who participated were

A Note on Knowledge in the Schooled Society: Towards an End to the Crisis in Curriculum Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, David P.

2015-01-01

Michael Young's recent paper in this journal is correct; there is a profound crisis in curriculum theory, and to be intellectually viable into the future the field must strive to "bring back" in empirical study of curriculum. Also by ignoring the empirical content of knowledge and access to it in mass education systems throughout the…

The Factor Content of Bilateral Trade: An Empirical Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Yong-Seok; Krishna, Pravin

2004-01-01

The factor proportions model of international trade is one of the most influential theories in international economics. Its central standing in this field has appropriately prompted, particularly recently, intense empirical scrutiny. A substantial and growing body of empirical work has tested the predictions of the theory on the net factor content…

Composition and carbon dynamics of forests in northeastern North America in a future, warmer world

Treesearch

Jacqueline E. Mohan; Roger M. Cox; Louis R. Iverson

2009-01-01

Increasing temperatures, precipitation extremes, and other anthropogenic influences (pollutant deposition, increasing carbon dioxide) will influence future forest composition and productivity in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. This synthesis of empirical and modeling studies includes tree DNA evidence suggesting tree...

Times Past, Times to Come: The Influence of the Past on Visions of the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masson, Sophie

1997-01-01

Discussion of visions of the future that are based on past history highlights imaginative literature that deals with the human spirit rather than strictly technological innovations. Medieval society, the Roman Empire, mythological atmospheres, and the role of writers are also discussed. (LRW)

Amalgamation of Future Time Orientation, Epistemological Beliefs, Achievement Goals and Study Strategies: Empirical Evidence Established

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy P.

2009-01-01

Background: Recently research evidence emphasizes two main lines of inquiry, namely the relations between future time perspective (FTP), achievement goals (mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) and study processing strategies, and the relations between epistemological beliefs, achievement goals and study processing strategies.…

African American Girls' Ideal Dating Relationship Now and in the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debnam, Katrina J.; Howard, Donna E.; Garza, Mary A.; Green, Kerry M.

2017-01-01

Adolescence is a particularly important and challenging time for developing long-lasting romantic relationship patterns. However, limited empirical research has explored teen perceptions of ideal partner characteristics during adolescence or their significance to the quality of current and future relationships. Semi-structured in-depth interviews…

Effects of Work Environment on Transfer of Training: Empirical Evidence from Master of Business Administration Programs in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pham, Nga T. P.; Segers, Mien S. R.; Gijselaers, Wim H.

2013-01-01

Practical application of newly gained knowledge and skills, also referred to as transfer of training, is an issue of great concern in training issues generally and in Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs particularly. This empirical study examined the influence of the trainees' work environment on their transfer of training, taking…

Empirically Supported Psychotherapy in Social Work Training Programs: Does the Definition of Evidence Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bledsoe, Sarah E.; Weissman, Myrna M.; Mullen, Edward J.; Ponniah, Kathryn; Gameroff, Marc J.; Verdeli, Helen; Mufson, Laura; Fitterling, Heidi; Wickramaratne, Priya

2007-01-01

Objectives: A national survey finds that 62% of social work programs do not require didactic and clinical supervision in any empirically supported psychotherapy (EST). The authors report the results of analysis of national survey data using two alternative classifications of EST to determine if the results are because of the definition of EST used…

A top-down assessment of energy, water and land use in uranium mining, milling, and refining

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

E. Schneider; B. Carlsen; E. Tavrides

2013-11-01

Land, water and energy use are key measures of the sustainability of uranium production into the future. As the most attractive, accessible deposits are mined out, future discoveries may prove to be significantly, perhaps unsustainably, more intensive consumers of environmental resources. A number of previous attempts have been made to provide empirical relationships connecting these environmental impact metrics to process variables such as stripping ratio and ore grade. These earlier attempts were often constrained by a lack of real world data and perform poorly when compared against data from modern operations. This paper conditions new empirical models of energy, watermore » and land use in uranium mining, milling, and refining on contemporary data reported by operating mines. It shows that, at present, direct energy use from uranium production represents less than 1% of the electrical energy produced by the once-through fuel cycle. Projections of future energy intensity from uranium production are also possible by coupling the empirical models with estimates of uranium crustal abundance, characteristics of new discoveries, and demand. The projections show that even for the most pessimistic of scenarios considered, by 2100, the direct energy use from uranium production represents less than 3% of the electrical energy produced by the contemporary once-through fuel cycle.« less

Assessment of Current Jet Noise Prediction Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Craid A.; Bridges, James E.; Khavaran, Abbas

2008-01-01

An assessment was made of the capability of jet noise prediction codes over a broad range of jet flows, with the objective of quantifying current capabilities and identifying areas requiring future research investment. Three separate codes in NASA s possession, representative of two classes of jet noise prediction codes, were evaluated, one empirical and two statistical. The empirical code is the Stone Jet Noise Module (ST2JET) contained within the ANOPP aircraft noise prediction code. It is well documented, and represents the state of the art in semi-empirical acoustic prediction codes where virtual sources are attributed to various aspects of noise generation in each jet. These sources, in combination, predict the spectral directivity of a jet plume. A total of 258 jet noise cases were examined on the ST2JET code, each run requiring only fractions of a second to complete. Two statistical jet noise prediction codes were also evaluated, JeNo v1, and Jet3D. Fewer cases were run for the statistical prediction methods because they require substantially more resources, typically a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solution of the jet, volume integration of the source statistical models over the entire plume, and a numerical solution of the governing propagation equation within the jet. In the evaluation process, substantial justification of experimental datasets used in the evaluations was made. In the end, none of the current codes can predict jet noise within experimental uncertainty. The empirical code came within 2dB on a 1/3 octave spectral basis for a wide range of flows. The statistical code Jet3D was within experimental uncertainty at broadside angles for hot supersonic jets, but errors in peak frequency and amplitude put it out of experimental uncertainty at cooler, lower speed conditions. Jet3D did not predict changes in directivity in the downstream angles. The statistical code JeNo,v1 was within experimental uncertainty predicting noise from cold subsonic jets at all angles, but did not predict changes with heating of the jet and did not account for directivity changes at supersonic conditions. Shortcomings addressed here give direction for future work relevant to the statistical-based prediction methods. A full report will be released as a chapter in a NASA publication assessing the state of the art in aircraft noise prediction.

Time Preferences, Mental Health and Treatment Utilization.

PubMed

Eisenberg, Daniel; Druss, Benjamin G

2015-09-01

In all countries of the world, fewer than half of people with mental disorders receive treatment. This treatment gap is commonly attributed to factors such as consumers' limited knowledge, negative attitudes, and financial constraints. In the context of other health behaviors, such as diet and exercise, behavioral economists have emphasized time preferences and procrastination as additional barriers. These factors might also be relevant to mental health. We examine conceptually and empirically how lack of help-seeking for mental health conditions might be related to time preferences and procrastination. Our conceptual discussion explores how the interrelationships between time preferences and mental health treatment utilization could fit into basic microeconomic theory. The empirical analysis uses survey data of student populations from 12 colleges and universities in 2011 (the Healthy Minds Study, N=8,806). Using standard brief measures of discounting, procrastination, and mental health (depression and anxiety symptoms), we examine the conditional correlations between indicators of present-orientation (discount rate and procrastination) and mental health symptoms. The conceptual discussion reveals a number of potential relationships that would be useful to examine empirically. In the empirical analysis depression is significantly associated with procrastination and discounting. Treatment utilization is significantly associated with procrastination but not discounting. The empirical results are generally consistent with the idea that depression increases present orientation (reduces future orientation), as measured by discounting and procrastination. These analyses have notable limitations that will require further examination in future research: the measures are simple and brief, and the estimates may be biased from true causal effects because of omitted variables and reverse causality. There are several possibilities for future research, including: (i) observational, longitudinal studies with detailed data on mental health, time preferences, and help-seeking; (ii) experimental studies that examine immediate or short-term responses and connections between these variables; (iii) randomized trials of mental health therapies that include outcome measures of time preferences and procrastination; and, (iv) intervention studies that test strategies to influence help-seeking by addressing time preferences and present orientation.

Good relations with technology: Empirical ethics and aesthetics in care.

PubMed

Pols, Jeannette

2017-01-01

This article is a written version of the lecture for the IPONS conference in Stockholm. The article starts from the claim that there is no such thing as technology, only different variations of technologies. These technologies, plural, all have their specific workings that we can only learn about by studying these empirically, by analysing the relations between people and their technologies. These relations are always unpredictable, as it is not given beforehand what values the participants pursue. Studying and understanding the workings of healthcare technology is a crucial task for nursing studies, as nurses are often key actors in making these devices work. The article hands the reader some tools to engage in the study of technologies in practice, using an empirical ethics approach. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Native Americans: Where in Environmental Justice Research?

PubMed Central

Vickery, Jamie; Hunter, Lori M.

2016-01-01

While the last two decades have seen important theoretical, empirical, and policy advancements in environmental justice generally, much remains to be done regarding Native Americans. Unique political and cultural dynamics shape the study and pursuit of environmental justice (EJ) in Native American communities. This review summarizes Native American EJ issues based on a cross-disciplinary search of over 60 publications. In so doing, we discuss the unique nature of Native American EJ in terms of conducting research and working toward reducing the continuation of historical trauma associated with environmental ills, the types of strategies used in Native American EJ research, and issues of Native American climate justice. We conclude with discussion of remaining knowledge gaps and future research needs. PMID:27103758

Statistical Characterization and Classification of Edge-Localized Plasma Instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, A. J.; Dendy, R. O.

2013-04-01

The statistics of edge-localized plasma instabilities (ELMs) in toroidal magnetically confined fusion plasmas are considered. From first principles, standard experimentally motivated assumptions are shown to determine a specific probability distribution for the waiting times between ELMs: the Weibull distribution. This is confirmed empirically by a statistically rigorous comparison with a large data set from the Joint European Torus. The successful characterization of ELM waiting times enables future work to progress in various ways. Here we present a quantitative classification of ELM types, complementary to phenomenological approaches. It also informs us about the nature of ELM processes, such as whether they are random or deterministic. The methods are extremely general and can be applied to numerous other quasiperiodic intermittent phenomena.

Cellulosic biofuel contributions to a sustainable energy future: Choices and outcomes.

PubMed

Robertson, G Philip; Hamilton, Stephen K; Barham, Bradford L; Dale, Bruce E; Izaurralde, R Cesar; Jackson, Randall D; Landis, Douglas A; Swinton, Scott M; Thelen, Kurt D; Tiedje, James M

2017-06-30

Cellulosic crops are projected to provide a large fraction of transportation energy needs by mid-century. However, the anticipated land requirements are substantial, which creates a potential for environmental harm if trade-offs are not sufficiently well understood to create appropriately prescriptive policy. Recent empirical findings show that cellulosic bioenergy concerns related to climate mitigation, biodiversity, reactive nitrogen loss, and crop water use can be addressed with appropriate crop, placement, and management choices. In particular, growing native perennial species on marginal lands not currently farmed provides substantial potential for climate mitigation and other benefits. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Quantifying the economic risks of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, Delavane; Moore, Frances

2017-11-01

Understanding the value of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions matters for policy decisions and climate risk management, but quantification is challenging because of the complex interactions and uncertainties in the Earth and human systems, as well as normative ethical considerations. Current modelling approaches use damage functions to parameterize a simplified relationship between climate variables, such as temperature change, and economic losses. Here we review and synthesize the limitations of these damage functions and describe how incorporating impacts, adaptation and vulnerability research advances and empirical findings could substantially improve damage modelling and the robustness of social cost of carbon values produced. We discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating these research advances into cost-benefit integrated assessment models, with guidance for future work.

Was Mackenbach right? Towards a practical political science of redistribution and health inequalities.

PubMed

Schrecker, Ted

2017-07-01

In 2010, Mackenbach reflected on England's lack of success in reducing health inequalities between 1997 and 2010, asserting that "it is difficult to imagine a longer window of opportunity for tackling health inequalities"; asking "[i]f this did not work, what will?"; and concluding that reducing health inequalities was not politically feasible at least in that jurisdiction. Exploring the empirics of that observation offers a window into the politics of reducing health inequalities. For purposes of future comparative research, I outline three (not mutually exclusive) perspectives on political feasibility, identify their implications for a political science of health inequalities, and explore what they mean for advocacy in support of reducing those inequalities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding U.S. Physician Satisfaction: State of the Evidence and Future Directions.

PubMed

Hoff, Timothy; Young, Gary; Xiang, Elaine; Raver, Eli

2015-01-01

Physician satisfaction is an important issue, yet we know less about it than we should. This narrative review updates our knowledge about U.S. physician satisfaction and proposes new foci for understanding and studying the topic that align better with the evolving U.S. healthcare delivery system, physicians' everyday work situations, and medicine's internal demographic changes. Using the PubMed database of empirical studies published between 2008 and 2013 that examine U.S. physician job, career, or work satisfaction, we compare our review findings with a review covering studies published between 1970 and 2007. We included 22 studies in our review. Overall, U.S. physicians experience moderate to high levels of job, work, and career satisfaction, and these levels have remained stable over time. This is surprising given discussions in the popular press of declining physician satisfaction. The observed consistency and the high levels of satisfaction do not tell the entire story. While autonomy, income, and perceived job demands are several of the stronger predictors of physician satisfaction, variables such as age and gender have been understudied. And our understanding of what drives physician satisfaction still draws too heavily on other variables that are less salient given today's workplace and the current trends in professional demographics and employment arrangements. Future thinking and research on physician satisfaction should align more with the array of changes now occurring within the U.S. medical profession and the larger U.S. healthcare delivery system, within which physicians work. To do this, new variables and conceptual thinking that capture these changes must be used.

Concept analysis: lack of anonymity.

PubMed

Swan, Marilyn A; Hobbs, Barbara B

2017-05-01

To re-examine and expand understanding of the concept 'lack of anonymity' as a component of rural nursing theory. Early healthcare literature reports lack of anonymity as part of social and working environments, particularly rural nursing. Rural nursing theory included the first published concept analysis on lack of anonymity but lacked empirical referents. Workforce, societal and rural healthcare changes support an updated analysis. To further understand lack of anonymity, its present day use and applicability to diverse environments, research from multiple disciplines was reviewed. Concept analysis. A literature search using eight terms in eleven databases was conducted of literature published between 2008-2013. Walker and Avant's concept analysis methodology guided the analysis. The previous concept analysis is supported in part by current literature. The defining attributes, 'identifiable', 'establishing boundaries for public and private self and interconnectedness' in a community were updated. Updated antecedents include: (i) environmental context; (ii) opportunities to become visible; (iii) developing relationships and (iv) unconscious or limited awareness of public or personal privacy. Consequences are: (i) familiarity; (ii) visibility; (iii) awareness of privacy and (iv) manage or balance of lack of anonymity. Cases were constructed and empirical referents identified. The concept of lack of anonymity was updated; portions of the original definition remain unchanged. Empirical referents reveal the defining attributes in daily life and may guide future research on the effect of lack of anonymity on nursing practice. This analysis advances the conceptual understanding of rural nursing theory. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Growing pains: How risk perception and risk communication research can help to manage the challenges of global population growth.

PubMed

Dawson, Ian G J; Johnson, Johnnie E V

2014-08-01

In 2011, the global human population reached 7 billion and medium variant projections indicate that it will exceed 9 billion before 2045. Theoretical and empirical perspectives suggest that this growth could lead to an increase in the likelihood of adverse events (e.g., food shortages, climate change, etc.) and/or the severity of adverse events (e.g., famines, natural disasters, etc.). Several scholars have posited that the size to which the global population grows and the extent to which this growth increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes will largely be shaped by individuals' decisions (in households, organizations, governments, etc.). In light of the strong relationship between perceived risk and decision behaviors, it is surprising that there remains a dearth of empirical research that specifically examines the perceived risks of population growth and how these perceptions might influence related decisions. In an attempt to motivate this important strand of research, this article examines the major risks that may be exacerbated by global population growth and draws upon empirical work concerning the perception and communication of risk to identify potential directions for future research. The article also considers how individuals might perceive both the risks and benefits of population growth and be helped to better understand and address the related issues. The answers to these questions could help humanity better manage the emerging consequences of its continuing success in increasing infant survival and adult longevity. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Dairy farmers' use and non-use values in animal welfare: Determining the empirical content and structure with anchored best-worst scaling.

PubMed

Hansson, H; Lagerkvist, C J

2016-01-01

In this study, we sought to identify empirically the types of use and non-use values that motivate dairy farmers in their work relating to animal welfare of dairy cows. We also sought to identify how they prioritize between these use and non-use values. Use values are derived from productivity considerations; non-use values are derived from the wellbeing of the animals, independent of the present or future use the farmer may make of the animal. In particular, we examined the empirical content and structure of the economic value dairy farmers associate with animal welfare of dairy cows. Based on a best-worst scaling approach and data from 123 Swedish dairy farmers, we suggest that the economic value those farmers associate with animal welfare of dairy cows covers aspects of both use and non-use type, with non-use values appearing more important. Using principal component factor analysis, we were able to check unidimensionality of the economic value construct. These findings are useful for understanding why dairy farmers may be interested in considering dairy cow welfare. Such understanding is essential for improving agricultural policy and advice aimed at encouraging dairy farmers to improve animal welfare; communicating to consumers the values under which dairy products are produced; and providing a basis for more realistic assumptions when developing economic models about dairy farmers' behavior. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Child and Adolescent Social Withdrawal: A Commentary.

PubMed

Rubin, Kenneth H; Barstead, Matthew G

2014-04-01

In a manuscript entitled, "Bashful boys and coy girls: A review of gender differences in childhood shyness" Doey et al. (2013) suggest that shyness and its related constructs pose a greater developmental risk for boys compared to girls. They support this claim by citing empirical evidence suggesting that shy and anxiously withdrawn boys are responded to more negatively by important others (i.e., parents, peers, and teachers) and that the relationship between internalizing problems and anxious withdrawal is stronger for boys compared to girls. The principal aim of our commentary is to provide a critical examination of Doey et al.'s conclusions vis-à-vis gender differences in child and adolescent shyness. In this response, we begin by providing important theoretical background regarding shyness and its related constructs. Next, we critically examine the two main arguments the authors use in support of their conclusion through a review of existing empirical and theoretical work as well as the presentation of data from The Friendship Project . These data were analyzed with the specific purpose of providing an empirical test of the hypotheses implicit in Doey et al.'s primary arguments: 1) shy and anxiously withdrawn boys are responded to more negatively than girls and 2) the association between anxious withdrawal and internalizing problems is stronger for boys compared to girls. Our results indicate mixed support for these two claims. Finally, we conclude by suggesting new directions for future researchers interested in clarifying the relationship between gender and both the correlates and outcomes of childhood shyness.

The Multi-Frequency Correlation Between Eua and sCER Futures Prices: Evidence from the Emd Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yue-Jun; Huang, Yi-Song

2015-05-01

Currently European Union Allowances (EUA) and secondary Certified Emission Reduction (sCER) have become two dominant carbon trading assets for investors and their linkage attracts much attention from academia and practitioners in recent years. Under this circumstance, we use the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) approach to decompose the two carbon futures contract prices and discuss their correlation from the multi-frequency perspective. The empirical results indicate that, first, the EUA and sCER futures price movements can be divided into those triggered by the long-term, medium-term and short-term market impacts. Second, the price movements in the EUA and sCER futures markets are primarily caused by the long-term impact, while the short-term impact can only explain a small fraction. Finally, the long-term (short-term) effect on EUA prices is statistically uncorrelated with the short-term (long-term) effect of sCER prices, and there is a medium or strong lead-and-lag correlation between the EUA and sCER price components with the same time scales. These results may provide some important insights of price forecast and arbitraging activities for carbon futures market investors, analysts and regulators.

Entrepreneurial propensity in health care: models and propositions for empirical research.

PubMed

Asoh, Derek A; Rivers, Patrick A; McCleary, Karl J; Sarvela, Paul

2005-01-01

We maintain that entrepreneurial propensity is a focal construct in entrepreneurial research. We synthesize the literature to develop models depicting the antecedents and consequents of entrepreneurial propensity in a network of other constructs and variables of interest in the health care industry. We advance propositions for empirical investigation and validation of competing research models associated with entrepreneurial propensity. We conclude with a discussion of directions of future research.

Rethinking the two-body problem: the segregation of women into geographically dispersed occupations.

PubMed

Benson, Alan

2014-10-01

Empirical research on the family cites the tendency for couples to relocate for husbands' careers as evidence against the gender neutrality of household economic decisions. For these studies, occupational segregation is a concern because occupations are not random by sex and mobility is not random by occupation. I find that the tendency for households to relocate for husbands' careers is better explained by the segregation of women into geographically dispersed occupations rather than by the direct prioritization of men's careers. Among never-married workers, women relocate for work less often than men, and the gender effect disappears after occupational segregation is accounted for. Although most two-earner families feature husbands in geographically clustered jobs involving frequent relocation for work, families are no less likely to relocate for work when it belongs to the wife. I conclude that future research in household mobility should treat occupational segregation occurring prior to marriage rather than gender bias within married couples as the primary explanation for the prioritization of husbands' careers in household mobility decisions.

Re-Thinking the Two-Body Problem: The Segregation of Women into Geographically-Dispersed Occupations

PubMed Central

Benson, Alan

2014-01-01

Empirical research on the family cites the tendency for couples to relocate for husbands’ careers as evidence against the gender-neutrality of household economic decisions. For these studies, occupational segregation is a concern because occupations are not random by sex and mobility is not random by occupation. I find the tendency for households to relocate for husbands’ careers is better-explained by the segregation of women into geographically-dispersed occupations rather than by the direct prioritization of men’s careers. Among never-married workers, women relocate for work less-often than men and the gender effect disappears after accounting for occupational segregation. While most two-earner families feature husbands in geographically-clustered jobs involving frequent relocation for work, families are no-less-likely to relocate for work when it belongs to the wife. I conclude future research in household mobility should treat occupational segregation occurring prior to marriage rather than gender bias within married couples as the primary explanation for the prioritization of husbands’ careers in household mobility decisions. PMID:25189156

Galaxy–galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

DOE PAGES

Singh, Sukhdeep; Mandelbaum, Rachel; Seljak, Uros; ...

2017-07-21

Here, we study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators – primarily galaxy–shear correlations, or galaxy–galaxy lensing – using SDSS data for both shear catalogues and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogues of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens overdensity field. While the measurement using the lens densitymore » field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the overdensity, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, which empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) that are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the four-point function and the supersample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically determined covariances.« less

Consensus Paper: Towards a Systems-Level View of Cerebellar Function: the Interplay Between Cerebellum, Basal Ganglia, and Cortex.

PubMed

Caligiore, Daniele; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Baldassarre, Gianluca; Bostan, Andreea C; Strick, Peter L; Doya, Kenji; Helmich, Rick C; Dirkx, Michiel; Houk, James; Jörntell, Henrik; Lago-Rodriguez, Angel; Galea, Joseph M; Miall, R Chris; Popa, Traian; Kishore, Asha; Verschure, Paul F M J; Zucca, Riccardo; Herreros, Ivan

2017-02-01

Despite increasing evidence suggesting the cerebellum works in concert with the cortex and basal ganglia, the nature of the reciprocal interactions between these three brain regions remains unclear. This consensus paper gathers diverse recent views on a variety of important roles played by the cerebellum within the cerebello-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical system across a range of motor and cognitive functions. The paper includes theoretical and empirical contributions, which cover the following topics: recent evidence supporting the dynamical interplay between cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cortical areas in humans and other animals; theoretical neuroscience perspectives and empirical evidence on the reciprocal influences between cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cortex in learning and control processes; and data suggesting possible roles of the cerebellum in basal ganglia movement disorders. Although starting from different backgrounds and dealing with different topics, all the contributors agree that viewing the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cortex as an integrated system enables us to understand the function of these areas in radically different ways. In addition, there is unanimous consensus between the authors that future experimental and computational work is needed to understand the function of cerebellar-basal ganglia circuitry in both motor and non-motor functions. The paper reports the most advanced perspectives on the role of the cerebellum within the cerebello-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical system and illustrates other elements of consensus as well as disagreements and open questions in the field.

Galaxy–galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

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

Singh, Sukhdeep; Mandelbaum, Rachel; Seljak, Uros

Here, we study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators – primarily galaxy–shear correlations, or galaxy–galaxy lensing – using SDSS data for both shear catalogues and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogues of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens overdensity field. While the measurement using the lens densitymore » field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the overdensity, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, which empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) that are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the four-point function and the supersample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically determined covariances.« less

Galaxy-galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sukhdeep; Mandelbaum, Rachel; Seljak, Uroš; Slosar, Anže; Vazquez Gonzalez, Jose

2017-11-01

We study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators - primarily galaxy-shear correlations, or galaxy-galaxy lensing - using SDSS data for both shear catalogues and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogues of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens overdensity field. While the measurement using the lens density field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the overdensity, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, which empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) that are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the four-point function and the supersample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically determined covariances.

Project EX: A Program of Empirical Research on Adolescent Tobacco Use Cessation

PubMed Central

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Zheng, Hong; Pfingston, Yvonne M; Miyano, James; Dent, Clyde W

2004-01-01

This paper presents the Project EX research program. The historical background for Project EX is presented, including a brief summary of reasons youth fail to quit tobacco use, the disappointing status of previous cessation research, and the teen cessation trial that provided the template for the current project (Project TNT). Next, program development studies for Project EX are described. Through use of focus groups, a theme study (concept evaluation of written activity descriptions), a component study, and pilot studies, an eight-session program was developed. This program involves novel activities (e.g., "talk show enactments," games, and alternative medicine-type activities such as yoga and meditation) in combination with motivation enhancement and cognitive-behavioral strategies to motivate and instruct in cessation initiation and maintenance efforts. The outcomes of the first experimental trial of Project EX, a school-based clinic program, are described, followed by a posthoc analysis of its effects mediation. A second EX study, a multiple baseline single group pilot study design in Wuhan, China, is described next. Description of a second experimental trial follows, which tested EX with nicotine gum versus a natural herb. A third experimental trial that tests a classroom prevention/cessation version of EX is then introduced. Finally, the implications of this work are discussed. The intent-to-treat quit rate for Project EX is approximately 15% across studies, double that of a standard care comparison. Effects last up to a six-month post-program at regular and alternative high schools. Through a systematic protocol of empirical program development and field trials, an effective and replicable model teen tobacco use cessation program is established. Future cessation work might expand on this work.

Project EX: A Program of Empirical Research on Adolescent Tobacco Use Cessation

PubMed Central

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Zheng, Hong; Pfingston, Yvonne M; Miyano, James; Dent, Clyde W

2004-01-01

This paper presents the Project EX research program. The historical background for Project EX is presented, including a brief summary of reasons youth fail to quit tobacco use, the disappointing status of previous cessation research, and the teen cessation trial that provided the template for the current project (Project TNT). Next, program development studies for Project EX are described. Through use of focus groups, a theme study (concept evaluation of written activity descriptions), a component study, and pilot studies, an eight-session program was developed. This program involves novel activities (e.g., "talk show enactments," games, and alternative medicine-type activities such as yoga and meditation) in combination with motivation enhancement and cognitive-behavioral strategies to motivate and instruct in cessation initiation and maintenance efforts. The outcomes of the first experimental trial of Project EX, a school-based clinic program, are described, followed by a posthoc analysis of its effects mediation. A second EX study, a multiple baseline single group pilot study design in Wuhan, China, is described next. Description of a second experimental trial follows, which tested EX with nicotine gum versus a natural herb. A third experimental trial that tests a classroom prevention/cessation version of EX is then introduced. Finally, the implications of this work are discussed. The intent-to-treat quit rate for Project EX is approximately 15% across studies, double that of a standard care comparison. Effects last up to a six-month post-program at regular and alternative high schools. Through a systematic protocol of empirical program development and field trials, an effective and replicable model teen tobacco use cessation program is established. Future cessation work might expand on this work. PMID:19570278

Partner Enabling of Substance Use Disorders: Critical Review and Future Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rotunda, Rob J.; Doman, Kathy

2001-01-01

Substance use disorders affect not only the identified client but significant others as well. This article contrasts the enabling and codependency constructs, reviews empirical studies of enabling, and offers a conceptualization of partner responses to addiction that could enhance future research efforts and clinical applications in this area. (BF)

Task-Based Pronunciation Teaching and Research: Key Issues and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora, Joan C.; Levkina, Mayya

2017-01-01

This article synthesizes the conclusions of the empirical studies in this special issue and outlines key questions in future research. The research reported in this volume has identified several fundamental issues in pronunciation-focused task design that are discussed in detail and on which suggestions for further research are outlined. One…

Conceptual Paradigms and Empirical Investigations for Evaluating INTELSAT's Past Performance and Future Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snow, Marcellus S.

This paper summarizes the results of a recent study of the past performance and future prospects of the International Telecommunications Satellite (INTELSAT) Organization. First, an overview of INTELSAT's history is provided and major policy issues are detailed. Five alternative paradigms are then presented through which to evaluate INTELSAT's…

Notes on Inventive Methodologies and Affirmative Critiques of an Affective Edu-Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staunaes, Dorthe

2016-01-01

What are the possible futures for educational research? The essay concerns two intertwined agendas. The first agenda is empirical and concerns how educational policy and leadership constitute, circulate, transform and modify feelings, moods and affects. Especially, motivation, engagement and the desire for learning are targets for policy and…

Stylistics in Teacher Training: Research Programs and Future Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ventura, Ana Clara

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to analyse and systematize the conceptual and empirical bases of the available literature on research approaches, objects of study, and future prospects in the field of stylistics, in order to encourage best practice in teacher training. Three research approaches are presented: the empiricist-behaviorist approach, the…

Imbalanced learning for pattern recognition: an empirical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Haibo; Chen, Sheng; Man, Hong; Desai, Sachi; Quoraishee, Shafik

2010-10-01

The imbalanced learning problem (learning from imbalanced data) presents a significant new challenge to the pattern recognition and machine learning society because in most instances real-world data is imbalanced. When considering military applications, the imbalanced learning problem becomes much more critical because such skewed distributions normally carry the most interesting and critical information. This critical information is necessary to support the decision-making process in battlefield scenarios, such as anomaly or intrusion detection. The fundamental issue with imbalanced learning is the ability of imbalanced data to compromise the performance of standard learning algorithms, which assume balanced class distributions or equal misclassification penalty costs. Therefore, when presented with complex imbalanced data sets these algorithms may not be able to properly represent the distributive characteristics of the data. In this paper we present an empirical study of several popular imbalanced learning algorithms on an army relevant data set. Specifically we will conduct various experiments with SMOTE (Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique), ADASYN (Adaptive Synthetic Sampling), SMOTEBoost (Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling in Boosting), and AdaCost (Misclassification Cost-Sensitive Boosting method) schemes. Detailed experimental settings and simulation results are presented in this work, and a brief discussion of future research opportunities/challenges is also presented.

Using holistic interpretive synthesis to create practice-relevant guidance for person-centred fundamental care delivered by nurses.

PubMed

Feo, Rebecca; Conroy, Tiffany; Marshall, Rhianon J; Rasmussen, Philippa; Wiechula, Richard; Kitson, Alison L

2017-04-01

Nursing policy and healthcare reform are focusing on two, interconnected areas: person-centred care and fundamental care. Each initiative emphasises a positive nurse-patient relationship. For these initiatives to work, nurses require guidance for how they can best develop and maintain relationships with their patients in practice. Although empirical evidence on the nurse-patient relationship is increasing, findings derived from this research are not readily or easily transferable to the complexities and diversities of nursing practice. This study describes a novel methodological approach, called holistic interpretive synthesis (HIS), for interpreting empirical research findings to create practice-relevant recommendations for nurses. Using HIS, umbrella review findings on the nurse-patient relationship are interpreted through the lens of the Fundamentals of Care Framework. The recommendations for the nurse-patient relationship created through this approach can be used by nurses to establish, maintain and evaluate therapeutic relationships with patients to deliver person-centred fundamental care. Future research should evaluate the validity and impact of these recommendations and test the feasibility of using HIS for other areas of nursing practice and further refine the approach. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chaos as a psychological construct: historical roots, principal findings, and current growth directions.

PubMed

Guastello, Stephen J

2009-07-01

The landmarks in the use of chaos and related constructs in psychology were entwined with the growing use of other nonlinear dynamical constructs, especially catastrophes and self-organization. The growth in substantive applications of chaos in psychology is partially related to the development of methodologies that work within the constraints of psychological data. The psychological literature includes rigorous theory with testable propositions, lighter-weight metaphorical uses of the construct, and colloquial uses of "chaos" with no particular theoretical intent. The current state of the chaos construct and supporting empirical research in psychological theory is summarized in neuroscience, psychophysics, psychomotor skill and other learning phenomena, clinical and abnormal psychology, and group dynamics and organizational behavior. Trends indicate that human systems do not remain chaotic indefinitely; they eventually self-organize, and the concept of the complex adaptive system has become prominent. Chaotic turbulence is generally higher in healthy systems compared to unhealthy systems, although opposite appears true in mood disorders. Group dynamics research shows trends consistent with the complex adaptive system, whereas organizational behavior lags behind in empirical studies relative to the quantity of its theory. Future directions for research involving the chaos construct and other nonlinear dynamics are outlined.

Understanding and Modeling Teams As Dynamical Systems

PubMed Central

Gorman, Jamie C.; Dunbar, Terri A.; Grimm, David; Gipson, Christina L.

2017-01-01

By its very nature, much of teamwork is distributed across, and not stored within, interdependent people working toward a common goal. In this light, we advocate a systems perspective on teamwork that is based on general coordination principles that are not limited to cognitive, motor, and physiological levels of explanation within the individual. In this article, we present a framework for understanding and modeling teams as dynamical systems and review our empirical findings on teams as dynamical systems. We proceed by (a) considering the question of why study teams as dynamical systems, (b) considering the meaning of dynamical systems concepts (attractors; perturbation; synchronization; fractals) in the context of teams, (c) describe empirical studies of team coordination dynamics at the perceptual-motor, cognitive-behavioral, and cognitive-neurophysiological levels of analysis, and (d) consider the theoretical and practical implications of this approach, including new kinds of explanations of human performance and real-time analysis and performance modeling. Throughout our discussion of the topics we consider how to describe teamwork using equations and/or modeling techniques that describe the dynamics. Finally, we consider what dynamical equations and models do and do not tell us about human performance in teams and suggest future research directions in this area. PMID:28744231

Understanding the value of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning through niche theory

PubMed Central

Isbell, Forest; Purves, Drew W.; Loreau, Michel

2016-01-01

Biodiversity experiments have generated robust empirical results supporting the hypothesis that ecosystems function better when they contain more species. Given that ecosystems provide services that are valued by humans, this inevitably suggests that the loss of species from natural ecosystems could diminish their value. This raises two important questions. First, will experimental results translate into the real world, where species are being lost at an alarming rate? And second, what are the benefits and pitfalls of such valuation exercises? We argue that the empirical results obtained in experiments are entirely consistent with well-established theories of species coexistence. We then examine the current body of work through the lens of niche theory and highlight where closer links with theory could open up opportunities for future research. We argue that niche theory predicts that diversity–functioning relationships are likely to be stronger (and require more species) in the field than in simplified experimental settings. However, we caution that while many of the biological processes that promote coexistence can also generate diversity–function relationships, there is no simple mapping between the two. This implies that valuation exercises need to proceed with care. PMID:27928043

Understanding the value of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning through niche theory.

PubMed

Turnbull, Lindsay A; Isbell, Forest; Purves, Drew W; Loreau, Michel; Hector, Andy

2016-12-14

Biodiversity experiments have generated robust empirical results supporting the hypothesis that ecosystems function better when they contain more species. Given that ecosystems provide services that are valued by humans, this inevitably suggests that the loss of species from natural ecosystems could diminish their value. This raises two important questions. First, will experimental results translate into the real world, where species are being lost at an alarming rate? And second, what are the benefits and pitfalls of such valuation exercises? We argue that the empirical results obtained in experiments are entirely consistent with well-established theories of species coexistence. We then examine the current body of work through the lens of niche theory and highlight where closer links with theory could open up opportunities for future research. We argue that niche theory predicts that diversity-functioning relationships are likely to be stronger (and require more species) in the field than in simplified experimental settings. However, we caution that while many of the biological processes that promote coexistence can also generate diversity-function relationships, there is no simple mapping between the two. This implies that valuation exercises need to proceed with care. © 2016 The Author(s).

Estimating sunspot number

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, R. M.; Reichmann, E. J.; Teuber, D. L.

1984-01-01

An empirical method is developed to predict certain parameters of future solar activity cycles. Sunspot cycle statistics are examined, and curve fitting and linear regression analysis techniques are utilized.

The effects of supervisors' supportive role, job stress, and work-family conflicts on the nurses' attitudes.

PubMed

Farhadi, Payam; Sharifian, Roxana; Feili, Ardalan; Shokrpour, Nasrin

2013-01-01

This study developed and tested a research model that examined the effects of supervisor support (SUPPORT), work-family conflict (W-FCON), family-work conflict (F-WCON), and job stress (JSTRESS) on a number of selected consequences using data collected from nurses and nurse axillaries in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences hospitals in Fars province (south of Iran). The results demonstrated that W-FCON and F-WCON exerted a significant positive influence on JSTRESS. Contrary to the study hypothesis, the results did not provide any empirical support for the significant negative relationship between W-FCON, F-WCON, and JSTRESS with family satisfaction (FSAT). The findings further revealed that higher JSTRESS led to lower life satisfaction (LSAT). As expected, high levels of FSAT resulted in increased LSAT. However, this study failed to find significant negative relationships between conflicts in the work-family interface and LSAT. The results also revealed that JSTRESS was not significantly associated with LSAT. Consonant with the study hypotheses, W-FCON, F-WCON, and JSTRESS were found to be significant for turnover intentions, whereas LSAT did not. Implications for managers and future research directions are presented.

Tapping environmental history to recreate America's colonial hydrology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pastore, Christopher L.; Green, Mark B.; Bain, Daniel J.; Muñoz-Hernandez, Andrea; Vorosmarty, Charles J.; Arrigo, Jennifer; Brandt, Sara; Duncan, Jonathan M.; Greco, Francesca; Kim, Hyojin; Kumar, Sanjiv; Lally, Michael; Parolari, Anthony J.; Pellerin, Brian A.; Salant, Nira; Schlosser, Adam; Zalzal, Kate

2010-01-01

As scientists labor to understand present-day hydrologic systems and make predictions about the future, the value of expanding the geographic (1, 2) and temporal scopes (3, 4) of their studies has become increasingly evident. Pollen and tree-ring analyses have helped shed light on past climate and land-use patterns. But other nonscientific sources and methods can be equally revealing and in some cases complement empirical studies (5). This paper argues that environmental science, particularly that concerned with the human dimensions of water resources, stands to profit from using historical literature and archival sources. By considering work in environmental history, forging closer working relationships between the geophysical and social sciences, and seriously entertaining narratives as a form of evidence, environmental scientists can not only look farther into the past and across broader geographic areas, but they can also more accurately describe the nuances and complexities that define the ways humans have changed the world around them. In this paper, we present the recommendations of a multidisciplinary summer institute that developed 1) a conceptual and methodological framework for conducting historical hydrology, and 2) suggestions for ways that historical information can be used to inform the hydrologic sciences. Our intent here is to encourage further work along these or similar lines. We believe that future efforts that build on our famework and draw and expand upon the sources referenced below will produce scholarship of great utility to both environmental and social sciences.

'The End of Sitting': An Empirical Study on Working in an Office of the Future.

PubMed

Withagen, Rob; Caljouw, Simone R

2016-07-01

Inspired by recent findings that prolonged sitting has detrimental health effects, Rietveld Architecture Art Affordances (RAAAF) and visual artist Barbara Visser designed a working environment without chairs and desks. This environment, which they called The End of Sitting, is a sculpture whose surfaces afford working in several non-sitting postures (e.g. lying, standing, leaning). In the present study, it was tested how people use and experience The End of Sitting. Eighteen participants were to work in this environment and in a conventional office with chairs and desks, and the participants' activities, postures, and locations in each working environment were monitored. In addition, participants' experiences with working in the offices were measured with a questionnaire. It was found that 83 % of participants worked in more than one non-sitting posture in The End of Sitting. All these participants also changed location in this working environment. On the other hand, in the conventional office all but one participant sat on a chair at a desk during the entire work session. On average, participants reported that The End of Sitting supported their well-being more than the conventional office. Participants also felt more energetic after working in The End of Sitting. No differences between the working environments were found in reported concentration levels and satisfaction with the created product. The End of Sitting is a potential alternative working environment that deserves to be examined in more detail.

Empirical Likelihood in Nonignorable Covariate-Missing Data Problems.

PubMed

Xie, Yanmei; Zhang, Biao

2017-04-20

Missing covariate data occurs often in regression analysis, which frequently arises in the health and social sciences as well as in survey sampling. We study methods for the analysis of a nonignorable covariate-missing data problem in an assumed conditional mean function when some covariates are completely observed but other covariates are missing for some subjects. We adopt the semiparametric perspective of Bartlett et al. (Improving upon the efficiency of complete case analysis when covariates are MNAR. Biostatistics 2014;15:719-30) on regression analyses with nonignorable missing covariates, in which they have introduced the use of two working models, the working probability model of missingness and the working conditional score model. In this paper, we study an empirical likelihood approach to nonignorable covariate-missing data problems with the objective of effectively utilizing the two working models in the analysis of covariate-missing data. We propose a unified approach to constructing a system of unbiased estimating equations, where there are more equations than unknown parameters of interest. One useful feature of these unbiased estimating equations is that they naturally incorporate the incomplete data into the data analysis, making it possible to seek efficient estimation of the parameter of interest even when the working regression function is not specified to be the optimal regression function. We apply the general methodology of empirical likelihood to optimally combine these unbiased estimating equations. We propose three maximum empirical likelihood estimators of the underlying regression parameters and compare their efficiencies with other existing competitors. We present a simulation study to compare the finite-sample performance of various methods with respect to bias, efficiency, and robustness to model misspecification. The proposed empirical likelihood method is also illustrated by an analysis of a data set from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

A DEIM Induced CUR Factorization

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-18

CUR approximate matrix factorization based on the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM). For a given matrix A, such a factorization provides a...CUR approximations based on leverage scores. 1 Introduction This work presents a new CUR matrix factorization based upon the Discrete Empirical...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT We derive a CUR approximate matrix factorization based on the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM). For a given

What do Internet-based alcohol treatment websites offer?

PubMed

Toll, Benjamin A; Sobell, Linda C; D'Arienzo, Justin; Sobell, Mark B; Eickleberry-Goldsmith, Lori; Toll, Heather J

2003-12-01

The Internet was searched for websites that advertised or provided treatment or help for alcohol problems. Websites were evaluated for the types of treatment offered and whether the treatment had an empirical basis. While a wide range of treatments were advertised, very few websites offered online services. In addition, very few sites provided or advertised alcohol treatment programs that were empirically based. Recommendations for future Internet-based health care and treatment are offered.

"It's Just Like Learning, Only Fun"--A Teacher's Perspective of Empirically Validating Effectiveness of a Math App

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Ka Rene

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative of work in progress to validate a math app designed for number sense. To date I have conducted classroom research and pilot studies across ten early childhood classrooms in two schools and will begin an empirical study at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. Through my work I believe the…

Peers and Obesity during Childhood and Adolescence: A Review of the Empirical Research on Peers, Eating, and Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Salvy, Sarah-Jeanne; Bowker, Julie C.

2015-01-01

Obesity during childhood and adolescence is a growing problem in the United States, Canada, and around the world that leads to significant physical, psychological, and social impairment. In recent years, empirical research on factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity has begun to consider peer experiences, such as peer rejection, peer victimization, and friendship. Peer experiences have been theoretically and empirically related to the “Big Two” contributors to the obesity epidemic, eating and physical activity, but there has not been a comprehensive review of the extant empirical literature. In this article, we review and synthesize the emerging theoretical and empirical literatures on peer experiences in relation to: (a) eating (food consumption and food selection); and (b) physical activity, during childhood and adolescence. A number of limitations and issues in the theoretical and empirical literatures are also discussed, along with future research directions. In conclusion, we argue that the involvement of children and adolescents’ peer networks in prevention and intervention efforts may be critical for promoting and maintaining positive behavioral health trajectories. PMID:28090396

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

Reid, Douglas J.; Bearden, Mark D.; Cabe, James E.

This report explains the development, commissioning, and testing of an engineering scale slagging coal gasifier at PNNL. The initial objective of this project was to commission the gasifier with zero safety incidents. The commissioning work was primarily an empirical study that required an engineering design approach. After bringing the gasifier on-line, tests were conducted to assess the impact of various operating parameters on the synthesis gas (syngas) product composition. The long-term intent of this project is to produce syngas product for use by internal Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers in catalyst, materials, and instrumentation development. Future work on themore » project will focus on improving the reliability and performance of the gasifier, with a goal of continuous operation for greater than 4 hours using coal feedstock. In addition, alternate designs that allow for increased flexibility regarding the fuel sources that can be used for syngas production is desired. Continued modifications to the fuel feed system will be pursued to address these goals. Alternative feed mechanisms such as a coal/methanol slurry are being considered.« less

Towards a balanced software team formation based on Belbin team role using fuzzy technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, Mazni; Hasan, Bikhtiyar; Ahmad, Mazida; Yasin, Azman; Baharom, Fauziah; Mohd, Haslina; Darus, Norida Muhd

2016-08-01

In software engineering (SE), team roles play significant impact in determining the project success. To ensure the optimal outcome of the project the team is working on, it is essential to ensure that the team members are assigned to the right role with the right characteristics. One of the prevalent team roles is Belbin team role. A successful team must have a balance of team roles. Thus, this study demonstrates steps taken to determine balance of software team formation based on Belbin team role using fuzzy technique. Fuzzy technique was chosen because it allows analyzing of imprecise data and classifying selected criteria. In this study, two roles in Belbin team role, which are Shaper (Sh) and Plant (Pl) were chosen to assign the specific role in software team. Results show that the technique is able to be used for determining the balance of team roles. Future works will focus on the validation of the proposed method by using empirical data in industrial setting.

Making stronger causal inferences: Accounting for selection bias in associations between high performance work systems, leadership, and employee and customer satisfaction.

PubMed

Schmidt, Joseph A; Pohler, Dionne M

2018-05-17

We develop competing hypotheses about the relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) with employee and customer satisfaction. Drawing on 8 years of employee and customer survey data from a financial services firm, we used a recently developed empirical technique-covariate balanced propensity score (CBPS) weighting-to examine if the proposed relationships between HPWS and satisfaction outcomes can be explained by reverse causality, selection effects, or commonly omitted variables such as leadership behavior. The results provide support for leader behaviors as a primary driver of customer satisfaction, rather than HPWS, and also suggest that the problem of reverse causality requires additional attention in future human resource (HR) systems research. Model comparisons suggest that the estimates and conclusions vary across CBPS, meta-analytic, cross-sectional, and time-lagged models (with and without a lagged dependent variable as a control). We highlight the theoretical and methodological implications of the findings for HR systems research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

A review of research on the environmental impact of e-business and ICT.

PubMed

Yi, Lan; Thomas, Hywel R

2007-08-01

This paper attempts to provide a review of the current state of the art of how e-business/ICT affects the environment. The work reviewed is in various forms including journal papers and thesis which have been peer-reviewed, as well as other resources such as projects and project reports, conference and symposia, and websites. It is claimed that the research examined has captured the most important work to date, either for a general knowledge of this new area or for background study by experts carrying out future research. The review has found that the currently dominant approach is either a micro-level case study approach or a macro-level statistical approach. It is concluded that a more predictive and empirical model, which can be applied within a sector of society, should be more beneficial in the long term. This approach should help simulate potential impacts resulting from changes of indicators, so that positive effects can be promoted and negative ones alleviated proactively, rather than knowing and accepting outcomes passively.

Assessment in health psychology: Introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Butt, Zeeshan

2016-09-01

For the past 27 years, Psychological Assessment has been committed to publishing empirical research relevant to clinical assessment of basic and applied cognition, personality, interpersonal behavior, psychopathology, forensics, and biological psychology. There is growing interest in the use of patient-centered outcomes in medical/surgical care and for measuring health care performance. Patient-centered outcome measures complement traditional clinical outcomes of morbidity and mortality, capturing the patient’s perspective regarding their health and its treatment. In this issue, we highlight 11 articles that address different aspects of such work. The articles in this special issue represent both the depth and breadth of the opportunities that exist for psychological assessment in the health setting. While there are countless patient-centered measures currently in use to measure health and health outcomes, the evidence base for their use can be quite variable (Butt, 2016). The hope is that future issues of Psychological Assessment will highlight more work in this area. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Developmental Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furman, Wyndol; Wehner, Elizabeth A.

1997-01-01

Presents a conceptual and empirical framework for examining the developmental changes that romantic relationships undergo over the course of adolescence. Describes several empirical studies that have examined age differences and delineates an agenda for subsequent developmental work. (JPB)

Mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide calibration for pavement rehabilitation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is in the process of implementing the recently introduced AASHTO : Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for new pavement sections. The majority of pavement work : conducted by ODOT involve...

Sequenced neurocognitive and behavioral parent training for the treatment of ADHD in school-age children.

PubMed

Chacko, A; Bedard, A-C V; Marks, D; Gopalan, G; Feirsen, N; Uderman, J; Chimiklis, A; Heber, E; Cornwell, M; Anderson, L; Zwilling, A; Ramon, M

2018-05-01

The present study examines the potential of sequencing a neurocognitive intervention with behavioral parent training (BPT) to improve executive functions (EFs), psychiatric symptoms, and multiple indices of functional impairment in school-age children aged 7 to 11 years who have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specifically, in a randomized controlled trial design, 85 children were assigned to either Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) followed by an empirically supported, manualized BPT intervention, or to a placebo version of CWMT followed by the same BPT intervention. Working memory maintenance (i.e., attention control/short-term memory), working memory processing and manipulation, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, impairment in parent-child dynamics, familial impairment, and overall functional compromise were evaluated as outcomes. The results suggest specific effects of the combined CWMT and BPT program on verbal and nonverbal working memory storage and nonverbal working memory processing and manipulation but no incremental benefits in regard to ADHD symptoms, ODD symptoms, and functional outcomes. The present findings do not support the hypothesis regarding the complementary and augmentative benefits of sequenced neurocognitive and BPT interventions for the treatment of ADHD. These results, the study's limitations, and future directions for research are further discussed.

Occupational back disability in U.S. Army personnel.

PubMed

Berkowitz, S M; Feuerstein, M; Lopez, M S; Peck, C A

1999-06-01

Musculoskeletal disorders represent a prevalent source of outpatient visits, lost work time, hospitalization, and disability in the military. Recent research has identified patterns among military occupations, gender, and musculoskeletal disability. Although back disorders accounted for a high percentage of all cases, little is known about the relationship between job type and disability in soldiers. The present study analyzed 41,750 disability cases to determine (1) prevalence of work-related back disability diagnoses, (2) specific jobs associated with greater risk of back disability, and (3) association among gender, job type, and disability. The results indicate that (1) lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome represent the most prevalent diagnoses for back disability, (2) certain occupations were associated with higher back disability risk, and (3) specific jobs were identified in which females experienced higher rates of back disability than males. The nature of these high-risk jobs, and recent research on work disability factors in U.S. Army soldiers, suggest that a combination of ergonomic and individual/organizational psychosocial factors may play a role in the development, exacerbation, and maintenance of work disability. Future research that identifies specific job factors contributing to increased back disability risk should assist in the development of empirically based work site prevention programs to improve musculoskeletal health and readiness.

Working memory training in healthy young adults: Support for the null from a randomized comparison to active and passive control groups.

PubMed

Clark, Cameron M; Lawlor-Savage, Linette; Goghari, Vina M

2017-01-01

Training of working memory as a method of increasing working memory capacity and fluid intelligence has received much attention in recent years. This burgeoning field remains highly controversial with empirically-backed disagreements at all levels of evidence, including individual studies, systematic reviews, and even meta-analyses. The current study investigated the effect of a randomized six week online working memory intervention on untrained cognitive abilities in a community-recruited sample of healthy young adults, in relation to both a processing speed training active control condition, as well as a no-contact control condition. Results of traditional null hypothesis significance testing, as well as Bayesian factor analyses, revealed support for the null hypothesis across all cognitive tests administered before and after training. Importantly, all three groups were similar at pre-training for a variety of individual variables purported to moderate transfer of training to fluid intelligence, including personality traits, motivation to train, and expectations of cognitive improvement from training. Because these results are consistent with experimental trials of equal or greater methodological rigor, we suggest that future research re-focus on: 1) other promising interventions known to increase memory performance in healthy young adults, and; 2) examining sub-populations or alternative populations in which working memory training may be efficacious.

Being While Doing: An Inductive Model of Mindfulness at Work

PubMed Central

Lyddy, Christopher J.; Good, Darren J.

2017-01-01

Mindfulness at work has drawn growing interest as empirical evidence increasingly supports its positive workplace impacts. Yet theory also suggests that mindfulness is a cognitive mode of “Being” that may be incompatible with the cognitive mode of “Doing” that undergirds workplace functioning. Therefore, mindfulness at work has been theorized as “being while doing,” but little is known regarding how people experience these two modes in combination, nor the influences or outcomes of this interaction. Drawing on a sample of 39 semi-structured interviews, this study explores how professionals experience being mindful at work. The relationship between Being and Doing modes demonstrated changing compatibility across individuals and experience, with two basic types of experiences and three types of transitions. We labeled experiences when informants were unable to activate Being mode while engaging Doing mode as Entanglement, and those when informants reported simultaneous co-activation of Being and Doing modes as Disentanglement. This combination was a valuable resource for offsetting important limitations of the typical reliance on the Doing cognitive mode. Overall our results have yielded an inductive model of mindfulness at work, with the core experience, outcomes, and antecedent factors unified into one system that may inform future research and practice. PMID:28270775

How the Future Orientation of Traditional Israeli Palestinian Girls Links Beliefs about Women's Roles and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seginer, Rachel; Mahajna, Sami

2004-01-01

A model in which future orientation links perceived fathers' and girls' beliefs about traditional women's roles and academic achievement was tested on data collected from traditional Israeli Palestinian girls (N=295) attending a Moslem all-girl senior high school. LISREL analyses estimated two empirical models pertaining to educational and family…

Changing the Legacy of Divorce: Evidence from Prevention Programs and Future Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haine, Rachel A.; Sandler, Irwin N.; Wolchik, Sharlene A.; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Dawson-McClure, Spring R.

2003-01-01

Assesses efforts to prevent mental health problems in children of divorce by highlighting the importance of using theory in the design and evaluation of prevention programs and by reviewing the empirical research on the efficacy of programs to improve outcomes for children of divorce. Also proposes two future directions for advancing theory-based…

20 Years of Research into Violence and Trauma: Past and Future Developments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamphuis, Jan H.; Emmelkamp, Paul M. G.

2005-01-01

This reflection on major developments in the past, present, and future of the wider field of violence and trauma is a personal (and probably biased) sampling of what the authors hold to be important. The authors reviewed advances for victims and perpetrators of violence separately. For victims, the authors note that empirical research has…

The Impact of FTP on Commitment to Career Choices: Situating within a Social Cognitive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy P.

2015-01-01

Future time perspective (FTP) is an important theoretical construct that may assist educators in their understanding of individuals' learning, motivation and decision-making. There is empirical evidence attesting to the predictive effects of anticipation of future goals on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. The present study, based on…

Views of HR Specialists on Formal Mentoring: Current Situation and Prospects for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laiho, Maarit; Brandt, Tiina

2012-01-01

Purpose: The article aims to report the findings of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits, drawbacks and future prospects of formal mentoring in medium-sized and large organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical data for the study were collected via an online survey, and consist of responses from 152 human resource…

An Experimental Evaluation of Competing Age-Predictions of Future Time Perspective between Workplace and Retirement Domains

PubMed Central

Kerry, Matthew J.; Embretson, Susan E.

2018-01-01

Future time perspective (FTP) is defined as “perceptions of the future as being limited or open-ended” (Lang and Carstensen, 2002; p. 125). The construct figures prominently in both workplace and retirement domains, but the age-predictions are competing: Workplace research predicts decreasing FTP age-change, in contrast, retirement scholars predict increasing FTP age-change. For the first time, these competing predictions are pitted in an experimental manipulation of subjective life expectancy (SLE). A sample of N = 207 older adults (age 45–60) working full-time (>30-h/week) were randomly assigned to SLE questions framed as either ‘Live-to’ or ‘Die-by’ to evaluate competing predictions for FTP. Results indicate general support for decreasing age-change in FTP, indicated by independent-sample t-tests showing lower FTP in the ‘Die-by’ framing condition. Further general-linear model analyses were conducted to test for interaction effects of retirement planning with experimental framings on FTP and intended retirement; While retirement planning buffered FTP’s decrease, simple-effects also revealed that retirement planning increased intentions for sooner retirement, but lack of planning increased intentions for later retirement. Discussion centers on practical implications of our findings and consequences validity evidence in future empirical research of FTP in both workplace and retirement domains. PMID:29375435

Empirical Requirements Analysis for Mars Surface Operations Using the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Lee, Pascal; Sierhuis, Maarten; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Living and working on Mars will require model-based computer systems for maintaining and controlling complex life support, communication, transportation, and power systems. This technology must work properly on the first three-year mission, augmenting human autonomy, without adding-yet more complexity to be diagnosed and repaired. One design method is to work with scientists in analog (mars-like) setting to understand how they prefer to work, what constrains will be imposed by the Mars environment, and how to ameliorate difficulties. We describe how we are using empirical requirements analysis to prototype model-based tools at a research station in the High Canadian Arctic.

'A civilizing mission'? Austrian medicine and the reform of medical structures in the Ottoman Empire, 1838-1850.

PubMed

Chahrour, Marcel

2007-12-01

During the 1840s, physicians from the Habsburg Empire played a decisive role in the reform of medical structures in the Ottoman Empire. This paper discusses different aspects of this scientific and cultural encounter. It emphasizes the importance of Austrian health care structures as a model for the work of these physicians in the Ottoman Empire and studies the role of the medical school ran by the Austrians as a means of representing, on the one hand, the reformatory efforts of the Ottoman Empire and, on the other hand, the motivations of the Habsburg monarchy for an involvement in Ottoman health care affairs, strongly bound up with its own quarantine politics towards the Ottoman Empire.

Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition Impact through the Feed the Future Initiative.

PubMed

Du, Lidan; Pinga, Victor; Klein, Alyssa; Danton, Heather

2015-01-01

Nutrition is a multisectoral problem; current state of empirical evidence for agricultural interventions' impacts on nutrition is weak. In the past 10 years, both agriculture and nutrition have risen on the global policy agenda. Several recent international movements have created great momentum for nutrition among global political leaders and policymakers. The 2008 world food price crisis prompted larger investment pledges to agricultural development. The U.S. Government launched the Feed the Future initiative in 2009 to address global hunger and food security, with a primary goal to reduce poverty and undernutrition by simultaneously promoting inclusive agriculture sector growth and improved nutritional status for women and children. With operations in 19 focus countries, Feed the Future provides an important laboratory of learning where efforts can be effective and, once proven, taken to scale to make agriculture work for nutrition. The Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) project has been conducting a series of research on the Feed the Future initiative. This chapter will first provide a review of the nutrition narrative in relation to food and nutrition, introduce the current understanding of linkages between agriculture and nutrition and the Feed the Future initiative's efforts to strengthen the nutritional impact of agricultural and economic growth activities, and describe an extensive review of how the design and early implementation of Feed the Future activities linked agriculture and nutrition. Finally, the chapter presents an updated framework that incorporates ways to improve nutrition outcomes of agricultural programming in the broader context of food system. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fuel Performance Experiments and Modeling: Fission Gas Bubble Nucleation and Growth in Alloy Nuclear Fuels

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

McDeavitt, Sean; Shao, Lin; Tsvetkov, Pavel

2014-04-07

Advanced fast reactor systems being developed under the DOE's Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative are designed to destroy TRU isotopes generated in existing and future nuclear energy systems. Over the past 40 years, multiple experiments and demonstrations have been completed using U-Zr, U-Pu-Zr, U-Mo and other metal alloys. As a result, multiple empirical and semi-empirical relationships have been established to develop empirical performance modeling codes. Many mechanistic questions about fission as mobility, bubble coalescience, and gas release have been answered through industrial experience, research, and empirical understanding. The advent of modern computational materials science, however, opens new doors of development suchmore » that physics-based multi-scale models may be developed to enable a new generation of predictive fuel performance codes that are not limited by empiricism.« less

Heavy use of equations impedes communication among biologists.

PubMed

Fawcett, Tim W; Higginson, Andrew D

2012-07-17

Most research in biology is empirical, yet empirical studies rely fundamentally on theoretical work for generating testable predictions and interpreting observations. Despite this interdependence, many empirical studies build largely on other empirical studies with little direct reference to relevant theory, suggesting a failure of communication that may hinder scientific progress. To investigate the extent of this problem, we analyzed how the use of mathematical equations affects the scientific impact of studies in ecology and evolution. The density of equations in an article has a significant negative impact on citation rates, with papers receiving 28% fewer citations overall for each additional equation per page in the main text. Long, equation-dense papers tend to be more frequently cited by other theoretical papers, but this increase is outweighed by a sharp drop in citations from nontheoretical papers (35% fewer citations for each additional equation per page in the main text). In contrast, equations presented in an accompanying appendix do not lessen a paper's impact. Our analysis suggests possible strategies for enhancing the presentation of mathematical models to facilitate progress in disciplines that rely on the tight integration of theoretical and empirical work.

Individuals’ Uncertainty about Future Social Security Benefits and Portfolio Choice

PubMed Central

Delavande, Adeline

2013-01-01

Summary Little is known about the degree to which individuals are uncertain about their future Social Security benefits, how this varies within the U.S. population, and whether this uncertainty influences financial decisions related to retirement planning. To illuminate these issues, we present empirical evidence from the Health and Retirement Study Internet Survey and document systematic variation in respondents’ uncertainty about their future Social Security benefits by individual characteristics. We find that respondents with higher levels of uncertainty about future benefits hold a smaller share of their wealth in stocks. PMID:23914049

Wavelet modeling and prediction of the stability of states: the Roman Empire and the European Union

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaroshenko, Tatyana Y.; Krysko, Dmitri V.; Dobriyan, Vitalii; Zhigalov, Maksim V.; Vos, Hendrik; Vandenabeele, Peter; Krysko, Vadim A.

2015-09-01

How can the stability of a state be quantitatively determined and its future stability predicted? The rise and collapse of empires and states is very complex, and it is exceedingly difficult to understand and predict it. Existing theories are usually formulated as verbal models and, consequently, do not yield sharply defined, quantitative prediction that can be unambiguously validated with data. Here we describe a model that determines whether the state is in a stable or chaotic condition and predicts its future condition. The central model, which we test, is that growth and collapse of states is reflected by the changes of their territories, populations and budgets. The model was simulated within the historical societies of the Roman Empire (400 BC to 400 AD) and the European Union (1957-2007) by using wavelets and analysis of the sign change of the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents. The model matches well with the historical events. During wars and crises, the state becomes unstable; this is reflected in the wavelet analysis by a significant increase in the frequency ω (t) and wavelet coefficients W (ω, t) and the sign of the largest Lyapunov exponent becomes positive, indicating chaos. We successfully reconstructed and forecasted time series in the Roman Empire and the European Union by applying artificial neural network. The proposed model helps to quantitatively determine and forecast the stability of a state.

Experience Effect in E-Learning Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bing; Xu, WenXia; Ge, Jun

This study is a productivity review on the literature gleaned from SSCI, SCIE databases concerning experience in E-Learning research. The result indicates that the number of literature productions on experience effect in ELearning research is still growing from 2005. The main research development country is Croatia, and from the analysis of the publication year, the number of papers is increasing to the peaking in 2010. And the main source title is British Journal of Educational Technology. In addition the subject area concentrated on Education & Educational Research. Moreover the research focuses on are mainly survey research and empirical research, in order to explore experience effect in E-Learning research. Also the limitations and future research of these research were discussed, so that the direction for further research work can be exploited

The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Quarter Century in Review

PubMed Central

Liu, Richard T.; Kleiman, Evan M.; Nestor, Bridget A.; Cheek, Shayna M.

2015-01-01

Since the formulation of the hopelessness theory of depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) a quarter century ago, it has garnered considerable interest. The current paper presents a systematic review of this theory including its subsequent elaborations (Rose and Abramson’s [1992] developmental elaboration, Abela and Sarin’s [2002] weakest-link approach, Panzarella, Alloy, and Whitehouse’s [2006] expansion of the hopelessness theory, and the hopelessness theory of suicide [Abramson et al., 2000]), followed by recommendations for future study. Although empirical support was consistently found for several major components of the hopelessness theory, further work is required assessing this theory in relation to clinically significant phenomena. Among the most significant hindrances to advancement in this area is the frequent conceptual confusion between the hopelessness theory and the reformulated learned helplessness theory. PMID:26709338

Depressive symptoms, depression proneness, and outcome expectancies for cigarette smoking.

PubMed

Friedman-Wheeler, Dara G; Ahrens, Anthony H; Haaga, David A F; McIntosh, Elizabeth; Thorndike, Frances P

2007-08-01

The high rates of cigarette smoking among depressed persons may be partially explained by increased positive expectancies for cigarette smoking among this population. In view of theoretical and empirical work on depressed people's negative views of the future, though, it would be expected that depressed smokers would hold particularly negative expectancies about the effects of cigarette smoking. The two current studies examined the relations between depression and smoking outcome expectancies in (a) a general population of adult regular smokers and (b) adult smokers seeking to quit smoking. Depressive symptoms and depression proneness both showed significant positive correlations with positive expectancies for cigarette smoking. Several positive correlations with negative expectancies also emerged. Thus, experiencing depressive symptoms may serve to amplify both favorable and unfavorable expectancies about the effects of smoking.

The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Quarter Century in Review.

PubMed

Liu, Richard T; Kleiman, Evan M; Nestor, Bridget A; Cheek, Shayna M

2015-12-01

Since the formulation of the hopelessness theory of depression (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989) a quarter century ago, it has garnered considerable interest. The current paper presents a systematic review of this theory including its subsequent elaborations (Rose and Abramson's [1992] developmental elaboration, Abela and Sarin's [2002] weakest-link approach, Panzarella, Alloy, and Whitehouse's [2006] expansion of the hopelessness theory, and the hopelessness theory of suicide [Abramson et al., 2000]), followed by recommendations for future study. Although empirical support was consistently found for several major components of the hopelessness theory, further work is required assessing this theory in relation to clinically significant phenomena. Among the most significant hindrances to advancement in this area is the frequent conceptual confusion between the hopelessness theory and the reformulated learned helplessness theory.

Are Leadership and Management Essential for Good Research? An Interview Study of Genetic Researchers

PubMed Central

Antes, Alison L.; Mart, Adelina; DuBois, James M.

2016-01-01

Principal investigators are responsible for a myriad of leadership and management activities in their work. The practices they employ to navigate these responsibilities ultimately influence the quality and integrity of research. However, leadership and management roles in research have received scant empirical examination. Semi-structured interviews with 32 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded genetic researchers revealed that they considered leadership and management essential for effective research, but their scientific training inadequately prepared them. We also report management practices that the researchers described employing in their labs, as well as their perceptions of a proposed intervention to enhance laboratory leadership. These findings suggest best practices for the research community, future directions for scientific training, and implications for research on leadership and management in science. PMID:27646401

Are Leadership and Management Essential for Good Research? An Interview Study of Genetic Researchers.

PubMed

Antes, Alison L; Mart, Adelina; DuBois, James M

2016-12-01

Principal investigators are responsible for a myriad of leadership and management activities in their work. The practices they use to navigate these responsibilities ultimately influence the quality and integrity of research. However, leadership and management roles in research have received scant empirical examination. Semi-structured interviews with 32 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded genetic researchers revealed that they considered leadership and management essential for effective research, but their scientific training inadequately prepared them. We also report management practices that the researchers described using in their labs, as well as their perceptions of a proposed intervention to enhance laboratory leadership. These findings suggest best practices for the research community, future directions for scientific training, and implications for research on leadership and management in science.

Bringing a Time-Depth Perspective to Collective Animal Behaviour.

PubMed

Biro, Dora; Sasaki, Takao; Portugal, Steven J

2016-07-01

The field of collective animal behaviour examines how relatively simple, local interactions between individuals in groups combine to produce global-level outcomes. Existing mathematical models and empirical work have identified candidate mechanisms for numerous collective phenomena but have typically focused on one-off or short-term performance. We argue that feedback between collective performance and learning - giving the former the capacity to become an adaptive, and potentially cumulative, process - is a currently poorly explored but crucial mechanism in understanding collective systems. We synthesise material ranging from swarm intelligence in social insects through collective movements in vertebrates to collective decision making in animal and human groups, to propose avenues for future research to identify the potential for changes in these systems to accumulate over time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Search for Cosmic String Loops Using GADGET-2 Cosmological N-Body Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braverman, William; Cousins, Bryce; Jia, Hewei

2018-01-01

Cosmic string loops are an extremely elusive hypothetical entity that have eluded the grasp of physicists and astronomers since their existence was postulated in the 1970’s. Finding evidence of their existence could be the first empirical evidence of string theory.Simulating their basic motion in a cold dark matter background using GADGET-2 allows us to predict where they may cluster during large scale structure formation (if they cluster at all). Here, we present our progress in placing cosmic strings into GADGET-2 with their basic equations of motion to lay a ground work for more complex simulations to find where these strings cluster. Ultimately, these simulations could lay a groundwork as to where future microlensing and gravitational wave observatories should look for cosmic strings.

The intersectionality framework and identity intersections in the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist: A content analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Richard Q; Welch, Jamie C; Kaya, Aylin E; Yeung, Jeffrey G; Obana, Chynna; Sharma, Rajni; Vernay, Collin N; Yee, Stephanie

2017-10-01

The framework of intersectionality is a powerful analytical tool for making sense of how interlocking systems of privilege and oppression are experienced by individuals and groups. Despite the long history of the concept, intersectionality has only recently gained attention in psychology. We conducted a content analysis to assess counseling psychology's engagement with an intersectional perspective. All articles published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (n = 4,800) and The Counseling Psychologist (n = 1,915) from their first issues until July 2016 were reviewed to identify conceptual and empirical work focused on intersectionality. A total of 40 articles were identified and examined for themes. Limitations and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Using the lessons of behavioral economics to design more effective pay-for-performance programs.

PubMed

Mehrotra, Ateev; Sorbero, Melony E S; Damberg, Cheryl L

2010-07-01

To describe improvements in the design of pay-for-performance (P4P) programs that reflect the psychology of how people respond to incentives. Investigation of the behavioral economics literature. We describe 7 ways to improve P4P program design in terms of frequency and types of incentive payments. After discussing why P4P incentives can have unintended adverse consequences, we outline potential ways to mitigate these. Although P4P incentives are increasingly popular, the healthcare literature shows that these have had minimal effect. Design improvements in P4P programs can enhance their effectiveness. Lessons from behavioral economics may greatly enhance the design and effectiveness of P4P programs in healthcare, but future work is needed to demonstrate this empirically.

Training-as-treatment: effectiveness of the Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist Training.

PubMed

Gentry, J Eric; Baggerly, Jennifer; Baranowsky, Anna

2004-01-01

Mental health and other service professionals who work with trauma survivors often experience the debilitating effects of compassion fatigue and caregiver stress. Leaders within the field have called for effective, empirically supported interventions for professionals who experience these negative effects. In response to the call, this study examines the treatment effectiveness of the Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist Training (CCFST) for 83 participating mental health professionals. Results show a statistically and clinically significant decrease in participants' compassion fatigue and burnout symptoms and increase in their compassion satisfaction. A "training-as-treatment" effect of CCFST is introduced, described, and evaluated. Discussion of these findings, clinical implications, limitations, and future directions are provided. CCFST appears to be an effective intervention for ameliorating compassion fatigue symptoms in mental health professionals.

Creating a firestorm: a review of children who deliberately light fires.

PubMed

Lambie, Ian; Randell, Isabel

2011-04-01

Deliberate firesetting is a significant social problem that causes millions of dollars of property damage each year. Of particular concern is that a high proportion of these arson offences are committed by children and adolescents. Youth firesetters are a unique and diverse group, variant in their motivations, needs and behavior and distinct from their adult counterparts. The study of firesetting has been approached in a number of ways and thus the existing body of research lacks a coherent, consistent and comprehensive set of empirical findings. In synthesizing the literature on child and adolescent firesetting, this review considers the potential relationships between firesetting typologies, risk factors, development and treatment. It considers the extent to which firesetting can be considered within the framework of antisocial behavior and what implications such a relationship may have for clinical practice. The review concludes that despite a number of risk factors being repeatedly identified, an understanding of the etiology behind firesetting behavior and potential developmental trajectories remains theoretically rather than empirically based. Existing typological theories do not take sufficient account of the complexities of firesetting behavior and there is not yet a typology and accompanying assessment that has undergone thorough empirical testing and is of significant clinical utility. Despite indications that the relationship between firesetting and antisocial behavior is of a serious nature, there has been a general lack of attention to this in literature and practice. Attention to this relationship is necessary not just in the area of firesetting research and practice, but also amongst those working with youth with behavioral difficulties and conduct problems, as for these individuals firesetting is likely to indicate particularly high risk for severity of behavior and future offending. Because of this relationship and the diversity of firesetting populations there is a need for collaborative intervention for firesetters that includes thorough assessment and provides an individualized, and developmentally appropriate approach best suited to the needs of the individual. This review reflects on the methodological limitations as well as clinical implications of existing studies and suggests necessary directions for future research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron cyclotron resonance sources: Historical review and future prospects (invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, R.

1998-03-01

Low charge state electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) work since 1965 and high charge state ECRIS since 1974. These ECR sources are categorized into three main sections: (1) Low charged ion (ECRIS) inside simple magnetic mirror or Bucket configurations. (2) High charged ion ECRIS inside min-B mirror configurations. (3) Short pulsed ECRIS with highly charged ions where the ion confinement is disturbed for a short while, which allows the extraction of intense ion pulses. Future prospects are based on rational scaling of the magnetic confinement including high B modes, by increasing the radio frequency (rf) frequency and ECR magnetic field. In this case, charge exchange has to be minimized and plasma instabilities have to be avoided. However, clever empirical tricks lead also to outstanding not always predicted improvements. Let us cite: optimized rf plasma coupling, electron guns, gas mixing, wall coating, biased electrodes, and more recently multiple ECR frequency heating. ECRIS have not yet achieved their optimal possibilities. Let us wait for the next generation of superconducting ECRIS and the possible use of subcentimeter waves.

Electron cyclotron resonance sources: Historical review and future prospects (invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, R.

1998-02-01

Low charge state electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) work since 1965 and high charge state ECRIS since 1974. These ECR sources are categorized into three main sections: (1) Low charged ion (ECRIS) inside simple magnetic mirror or Bucket configurations. (2) High charged ion ECRIS inside min-B mirror configurations. (3) Short pulsed ECRIS with highly charged ions where the ion confinement is disturbed for a short while, which allows the extraction of intense ion pulses. Future prospects are based on rational scaling of the magnetic confinement including high B modes, by increasing the radio frequency (rf) frequency and ECR magnetic field. In this case, charge exchange has to be minimized and plasma instabilities have to be avoided. However, clever empirical tricks lead also to outstanding not always predicted improvements. Let us cite: optimized rf plasma coupling, electron guns, gas mixing, wall coating, biased electrodes, and more recently multiple ECR frequency heating. ECRIS have not yet achieved their optimal possibilities. Let us wait for the next generation of superconducting ECRIS and the possible use of subcentimeter waves.

The Many Faces of Apomorphine: Lessons from the Past and Challenges for the Future.

PubMed

Auffret, Manon; Drapier, Sophie; Vérin, Marc

2018-06-01

Apomorphine is now recognized as the oldest antiparkinsonian drug on the market. Though still underused, it is increasingly prescribed in Europe for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations. However, its history is far from being limited to movement disorders. This paper traces the history of apomorphine, from its earliest empirical use, to its synthesis, pharmacological development, and numerous indications in human and veterinary medicine, in light of its most recent uses and newest challenges. From shamanic rituals in ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica, to the treatment of erectile dysfunction, from being discarded as a pharmacological tool to becoming an essential antiparkinsonian drug, the path of apomorphine in the therapeutic armamentarium has been tortuous and punctuated by setbacks and groundbreaking discoveries. Throughout history, three main clinical indications stood out: emetic (gastric emptying, respiratory disorders, aversive conditioning), sedative (mental disorders, clinical anesthesia, alcoholism), and antiparkinsonian (fluctuations). New indications may arise in the future, both in PD (palliative care, nonmotor symptoms, withdrawal of oral dopaminergic medication), and outside PD, with promising work in neuroprotection or addiction.

Piloting a psycho-social intervention for incarcerated women with trauma histories: lessons learned and future recommendations.

PubMed

Liebman, Rachel E; Burnette, Mandi L; Raimondi, Christina; Nichols-Hadeed, Corey; Merle, Patricia; Cerulli, Catherine

2014-08-01

Trauma and related mental health disorders are common among incarcerated women, but empirically sound mental health interventions are lacking in prisons. Implementing such interventions is fraught with legal and logistical barriers. These barriers can be particularly detrimental for trauma-specific interventions given the unique needs of trauma survivors, yet there is little documentation of these issues or how to address them. This study describes a pilot study of an 8-week, strengths-based, trauma-focused intervention for 26 incarcerated women. Women reported considerable mental health problems and trauma. The study highlights the importance of adapting stringent research methodologies for prison-based trauma interventions. For instance, women with trauma were reluctant to participate in an intervention advertised as trauma-based. Moreover, a randomized wait list control design was unfeasible because women wanted the support of their friends when discussing trauma and could not control their schedules 9 weeks in advance. Ultimately, this work may inform future efforts to implement effective trauma-based interventions behind prison walls. © The Author(s) 2013.

Emotion regulation and mental health: recent findings, current challenges, and future directions.

PubMed

Berking, Matthias; Wupperman, Peggilee

2012-03-01

In recent years, deficits in emotion regulation have been studied as a putative maintaining factor and promising treatment target in a broad range of mental disorders. This article aims to provide an integrative review of the latest theoretical and empirical developments in this rapidly growing field of research. Deficits in emotion regulation appear to be relevant to the development, maintenance, and treatment of various forms of psychopathology. Increasing evidence demonstrates that deficits in the ability to adaptively cope with challenging emotions are related to depression, borderline personality disorder, substance-use disorders, eating disorders, somatoform disorders, and a variety of other psychopathological symptoms. Unfortunately, studies differ with regard to the conceptualization and assessment of emotion regulation, thus limiting the ability to compare findings across studies. Future research should systematically work to use comparable methods in order to clarify the following: which individuals have; what kinds of emotion regulation difficulties with; which types of emotions; and what interventions are most effective in alleviating these difficulties. Despite some yet to be resolved challenges, the concept of emotion regulation has a broad and significant heuristic value for research in mental health.

An Empirical Test of Causal Inference Between Role Perceptions, Satisfaction with Work, Performance and Organizational Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szilagyi, Andrew D.

1977-01-01

Attempts to empirically verify the causal source and direction of causal influence between role ambiguity, role conflict and job satisfaction and performance for three organizational levels in a hospital environment. (Author/RK)

Climate, CO2, and demographic impacts on global wildfire emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knorr, W.; Jiang, L.; Arneth, A.

2015-09-01

Wildfires are by far the largest contributor to global biomass burning and constitute a large global source of atmospheric traces gases and aerosols. Such emissions have a considerable impact on air quality and constitute a major health hazard. Biomass burning also influences the radiative balance of the atmosphere and is thus not only of societal, but also of significant scientific interest. There is a common perception that climate change will lead to an increase in emissions as hot and dry weather events that promote wildfire will become more common. However, even though a few studies have found that the inclusion of CO2 fertilization of photosynthesis and changes in human population patterns will tend to somewhat lower predictions of future wildfire emissions, no such study has included full ensemble ranges of both climate predictions and population projections, including the effect of different degrees of urbanisation. Here, we present a series of 124 simulations with the LPJ-GUESS-SIMFIRE global dynamic vegetation - wildfire model, including a semi-empirical formulation for the prediction of burned area based on fire weather, fuel continuity and human population density. The simulations comprise Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate predictions from eight Earth system models using two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and five scenarios of future human population density based on the series of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), sensitivity tests for the effect of climate and CO2, as well as a sensitivity analysis using two alternative parameterisations of the semi-empirical burned-area model. Contrary to previous work, we find no clear future trend of global wildfire emissions for the moderate emissions and climate change scenario based on the RCP 4.5. Only historical population change introduces a decline by around 15 % since 1900. Future emissions could either increase for low population growth and fast urbanisation, or continue to decline for high population growth and slow urbanisation. Only for high future climate change (RCP8.5), wildfire emissions start to rise again after ca. 2020 but are unlikely to reach the levels of 1900 by the end of the 21st century. We find that climate warming will generally increase the risk of fire, but that this is only one of several equally important factors driving future levels of wildfire emissions, which include population change, CO2 fertilisation causing woody thickening, increased productivity and fuel load, and faster litter turnover in a warmer climate.

Climate, CO2 and human population impacts on global wildfire emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knorr, W.; Jiang, L.; Arneth, A.

2016-01-01

Wildfires are by far the largest contributor to global biomass burning and constitute a large global source of atmospheric traces gases and aerosols. Such emissions have a considerable impact on air quality and constitute a major health hazard. Biomass burning also influences the radiative balance of the atmosphere and is thus not only of societal, but also of significant scientific interest. There is a common perception that climate change will lead to an increase in emissions as hot and dry weather events that promote wildfire will become more common. However, even though a few studies have found that the inclusion of CO2 fertilisation of photosynthesis and changes in human population patterns will tend to somewhat lower predictions of future wildfire emissions, no such study has included full ensemble ranges of both climate predictions and population projections, including the effect of different degrees of urbanisation.

Here, we present a series of 124 simulations with the LPJ-GUESS-SIMFIRE global dynamic vegetation-wildfire model, including a semi-empirical formulation for the prediction of burned area based on fire weather, fuel continuity and human population density. The simulations use Climate Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) climate predictions from eight Earth system models. These were combined with two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and five scenarios of future human population density based on the series of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) to assess the sensitivity of emissions to the effect of climate, CO2 and humans. In addition, two alternative parameterisations of the semi-empirical burned-area model were applied. Contrary to previous work, we find no clear future trend of global wildfire emissions for the moderate emissions and climate change scenario based on the RCP 4.5. Only historical population change introduces a decline by around 15 % since 1900. Future emissions could either increase for low population growth and fast urbanisation, or continue to decline for high population growth and slow urbanisation. Only for high future climate change (RCP8.5), wildfire emissions start to rise again after ca. 2020 but are unlikely to reach the levels of 1900 by the end of the 21st century. We find that climate warming will generally increase the risk of fire, but that this is only one of several equally important factors driving future levels of wildfire emissions, which include population change, CO2 fertilisation causing woody thickening, increased productivity and fuel load and faster litter turnover in a warmer climate.

Towards a universal model for carbon dioxide uptake by plants

DOE PAGES

Wang, Han; Prentice, I. Colin; Keenan, Trevor F.; ...

2017-09-04

Gross primary production (GPP) - the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2) by leaves, and its conversion to sugars by photosynthesis - is the basis for life on land. Earth System Models (ESMs) incorporating the interactions of land ecosystems and climate are used to predict the future of the terrestrial sink for anthropogenic CO 2. ESMs require accurate representation of GPP. However, current ESMs disagree on how GPP responds to environmental variations, suggesting a need for a more robust theoretical framework for modelling. Here in this work, we focus on a key quantity for GPP, the ratio of leaf internalmore » to external CO 2 (χ). χ is tightly regulated and depends on environmental conditions, but is represented empirically and incompletely in today's models. We show that a simple evolutionary optimality hypothesis predicts specific quantitative dependencies of χ on temperature, vapour pressure deficit and elevation; and that these same dependencies emerge from an independent analysis of empirical χ values, derived from a worldwide dataset of >3,500 leaf stable carbon isotope measurements. A single global equation embodying these relationships then unifies the empirical light-use efficiency model with the standard model of C 3 photosynthesis, and successfully predicts GPP measured at eddy-covariance flux sites. This success is notable given the equation's simplicity and broad applicability across biomes and plant functional types. Finally, it provides a theoretical underpinning for the analysis of plant functional coordination across species and emergent properties of ecosystems, and a potential basis for the reformulation of the controls of GPP in next-generation ESMs.« less

Towards a universal model for carbon dioxide uptake by plants

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

Wang, Han; Prentice, I. Colin; Keenan, Trevor F.

Gross primary production (GPP) - the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2) by leaves, and its conversion to sugars by photosynthesis - is the basis for life on land. Earth System Models (ESMs) incorporating the interactions of land ecosystems and climate are used to predict the future of the terrestrial sink for anthropogenic CO 2. ESMs require accurate representation of GPP. However, current ESMs disagree on how GPP responds to environmental variations, suggesting a need for a more robust theoretical framework for modelling. Here in this work, we focus on a key quantity for GPP, the ratio of leaf internalmore » to external CO 2 (χ). χ is tightly regulated and depends on environmental conditions, but is represented empirically and incompletely in today's models. We show that a simple evolutionary optimality hypothesis predicts specific quantitative dependencies of χ on temperature, vapour pressure deficit and elevation; and that these same dependencies emerge from an independent analysis of empirical χ values, derived from a worldwide dataset of >3,500 leaf stable carbon isotope measurements. A single global equation embodying these relationships then unifies the empirical light-use efficiency model with the standard model of C 3 photosynthesis, and successfully predicts GPP measured at eddy-covariance flux sites. This success is notable given the equation's simplicity and broad applicability across biomes and plant functional types. Finally, it provides a theoretical underpinning for the analysis of plant functional coordination across species and emergent properties of ecosystems, and a potential basis for the reformulation of the controls of GPP in next-generation ESMs.« less

Gender Differences in Child and Adolescent Social Withdrawal: A Commentary

PubMed Central

Barstead, Matthew G.

2015-01-01

In a manuscript entitled, “Bashful boys and coy girls: A review of gender differences in childhood shyness” Doey et al. (2013) suggest that shyness and its related constructs pose a greater developmental risk for boys compared to girls. They support this claim by citing empirical evidence suggesting that shy and anxiously withdrawn boys are responded to more negatively by important others (i.e., parents, peers, and teachers) and that the relationship between internalizing problems and anxious withdrawal is stronger for boys compared to girls. The principal aim of our commentary is to provide a critical examination of Doey et al.’s conclusions vis-à-vis gender differences in child and adolescent shyness. In this response, we begin by providing important theoretical background regarding shyness and its related constructs. Next, we critically examine the two main arguments the authors use in support of their conclusion through a review of existing empirical and theoretical work as well as the presentation of data from The Friendship Project. These data were analyzed with the specific purpose of providing an empirical test of the hypotheses implicit in Doey et al.’s primary arguments: 1) shy and anxiously withdrawn boys are responded to more negatively than girls and 2) the association between anxious withdrawal and internalizing problems is stronger for boys compared to girls. Our results indicate mixed support for these two claims. Finally, we conclude by suggesting new directions for future researchers interested in clarifying the relationship between gender and both the correlates and outcomes of childhood shyness. PMID:25709144

Potential Changes in Tree Species Richness and Forest Community Types following Climate Change

Treesearch

Louis R. Iverson; Anantha M. Prasad

2001-01-01

Potential changes in tree species richness and forest community types were evaluated for the eastern United States according to five scenarios of future climate change resulting from a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). DISTRIB, an empirical model that uses a regression tree analysis approach, was used to generate suitable habitat, or potential future...

Simulated Sustainable Societies: Students' Reflections on Creating Future Cities in Computer Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nilsson, Elisabet M.; Jakobsson, Anders

2011-01-01

The empirical study, in this article, involved 42 students (ages 14-15), who used the urban simulation computer game SimCity 4 to create models of sustainable future cities. The aim was to explore in what ways the simulated "real" worlds provided by this game could be a potential facilitator for science learning contexts. The topic investigated is…

Simulating the effects of climate change on population connectivity of American marten (Martes americana) in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA

Treesearch

T. N. Wasserman; S. A. Cushman; A. S. Shirk; E. L. Landguth; J. S. Littell

2012-01-01

We utilize empirically derived estimates of landscape resistance to assess current landscape connectivity of American marten (Martes americana) in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA, and project how a warming climate may affect landscape resistance and population connectivity in the future. We evaluate the influences of five potential future temperature scenarios...

Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Past, Present and Future

PubMed Central

Markowitz, John C.; Weissman, Myrna M.

2012-01-01

The authors briefly describe the origins, theory, and development of interpersonal psychotherapy: its roots in clinical outcome research, its spread from major depression to other psychiatric disorders and its increasing dissemination as an empirically validated clinical intervention included in treatment guidelines. They attempt to forecast research, organizational and training issues the growing interpersonal psychotherapy community may face in the future. PMID:22331561

Prediction of the future number of wells in production (in Spanish)

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

Coca, B.P.

1981-01-01

A method to predict the number of wells that will continue producing at a certain date in the future is presented. The method is applicable to reservoirs of the depletion type and is based on the survival probability concept. This is useful when forecasting by empirical methods. An example of a field in primary production is presented.

Collaborative 3D Learning Games for Future Learning: Teachers' Instructional Practices to Enhance Shared Knowledge Construction among Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hämäläinen, Raija; Oksanen, Kimmo

2014-01-01

Collaborative games will enable new kinds of possibilities for learning. In the future, the goal of game-based learning should be to introduce new ideas and deepen learners' in-depth understanding. However, studies have shown that shared high-level knowledge construction is a challenging process. Moreover, thus far, few empirical studies have…

Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time.

PubMed

Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

2015-12-17

Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective.

Meditation research, past, present, and future: perspectives from the Nalanda contemplative science tradition

PubMed Central

Loizzo, Joseph

2014-01-01

This article offers an overview of meditation research: its history, recent developments, and future directions. As the number and scope of studies grow, the field has converged with cognitive and affective neuroscience, and spawned many clinical applications. Recent work has shed light on the mechanisms and effects of diverse practices, and is entering a new phase where consensus and coherent paradigms are within reach. This article suggests an unusual path for future advancement: complementing conventional research with rigorous dialogue with the contemplative traditions that train expert meditators and best know the techniques. It explores the Nalanda tradition developed in India and preserved in Tibet, because its cumulative approach to contemplative methods produced a comprehensive framework that may help interpret data and guide research, and because its naturalistic theories and empirical methods may help bridge the gulf between science and other contemplative traditions. Examining recent findings and models in light of this framework, the article introduces the Indic map of the central nervous system and presents three testable predictions based on it. Finally, it reviews two studies that suggest that the multimodal Nalanda approach to contemplative learning is as well received as more familiar approaches, while showing promise of being more effective. PMID:24673149

Self-efficacy beliefs of medical students: a critical review.

PubMed

Klassen, Robert M; Klassen, Joel R L

2018-04-01

Self-efficacy is a theoretically and empirically robust motivation belief that has been shown to play an important role in the learning and development of new skills and knowledge. In this article, we critically review research on the self-efficacy beliefs of medical students, with a goal to evaluate the existing research and to strengthen future work. In particular, we sought to describe the state of research on medical student self-efficacy and to critically examine the conceptualization and measurement of the construct. Finally, we aimed to provide directions for future self-efficacy research. We critically reviewed 74 published articles that included measures of self-efficacy beliefs of medical students. Our review showed that (a) research on the self-efficacy beliefs of medical students is growing and is becoming increasingly international, and (b) that nearly half (46%) of self-efficacy measures showed conceptual and operational flaws. Our critical review of 74 research studies on self-efficacy of medical students found that although research in the field is increasing, nearly half of measures labelled as self-efficacy were incongruent with the conceptual guidelines set by self-efficacy experts. We provide five suggestions for future research on the self-efficacy of medical students.

A Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Trust in Automation: Implications for Understanding Autonomy in Future Systems.

PubMed

Schaefer, Kristin E; Chen, Jessie Y C; Szalma, James L; Hancock, P A

2016-05-01

We used meta-analysis to assess research concerning human trust in automation to understand the foundation upon which future autonomous systems can be built. Trust is increasingly important in the growing need for synergistic human-machine teaming. Thus, we expand on our previous meta-analytic foundation in the field of human-robot interaction to include all of automation interaction. We used meta-analysis to assess trust in automation. Thirty studies provided 164 pairwise effect sizes, and 16 studies provided 63 correlational effect sizes. The overall effect size of all factors on trust development was ḡ = +0.48, and the correlational effect was [Formula: see text]  = +0.34, each of which represented medium effects. Moderator effects were observed for the human-related (ḡ  = +0.49; [Formula: see text] = +0.16) and automation-related (ḡ = +0.53; [Formula: see text] = +0.41) factors. Moderator effects specific to environmental factors proved insufficient in number to calculate at this time. Findings provide a quantitative representation of factors influencing the development of trust in automation as well as identify additional areas of needed empirical research. This work has important implications to the enhancement of current and future human-automation interaction, especially in high-risk or extreme performance environments. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time

PubMed Central

Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

2015-01-01

Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective. PMID:26694439

Review essay: empires, ancient and modern.

PubMed

Hall, John A

2011-09-01

This essay drews attention to two books on empires by historians which deserve the attention of sociologists. Bang's model of the workings of the Roman economy powerfully demonstrates the tributary nature of per-industrial tributary empires. Darwin's analysis concentrates on modern overseas empires, wholly different in character as they involved the transportation of consumption items for the many rather than luxury goods for the few. Darwin is especially good at describing the conditions of existence of late nineteenth century empires, noting that their demise was caused most of all by the failure of balance of power politics in Europe. Concluding thoughts are offered about the USA. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2011.

A global assessment of gross and net land change dynamics for current conditions and future scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Richard; Prestele, Reinhard; Verburg, Peter H.

2018-05-01

The consideration of gross land changes, meaning all area gains and losses within a pixel or administrative unit (e.g. country), plays an essential role in the estimation of total land changes. Gross land changes affect the magnitude of total land changes, which feeds back to the attribution of biogeochemical and biophysical processes related to climate change in Earth system models. Global empirical studies on gross land changes are currently lacking. Whilst the relevance of gross changes for global change has been indicated in the literature, it is not accounted for in future land change scenarios. In this study, we extract gross and net land change dynamics from large-scale and high-resolution (30-100 m) remote sensing products to create a new global gross and net change dataset. Subsequently, we developed an approach to integrate our empirically derived gross and net changes with the results of future simulation models by accounting for the gross and net change addressed by the land use model and the gross and net change that is below the resolution of modelling. Based on our empirical data, we found that gross land change within 0.5° grid cells was substantially larger than net changes in all parts of the world. As 0.5° grid cells are a standard resolution of Earth system models, this leads to an underestimation of the amount of change. This finding contradicts earlier studies, which assumed gross land changes to appear in shifting cultivation areas only. Applied in a future scenario, the consideration of gross land changes led to approximately 50 % more land changes globally compared to a net land change representation. Gross land changes were most important in heterogeneous land systems with multiple land uses (e.g. shifting cultivation, smallholder farming, and agro-forestry systems). Moreover, the importance of gross changes decreased over time due to further polarization and intensification of land use. Our results serve as an empirical database for land change dynamics that can be applied in Earth system models and integrated assessment models.

Stop, look, listen: the need for philosophical phenomenological perspectives on auditory verbal hallucinations

PubMed Central

McCarthy-Jones, Simon; Krueger, Joel; Larøi, Frank; Broome, Matthew; Fernyhough, Charles

2013-01-01

One of the leading cognitive models of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) proposes such experiences result from a disturbance in the process by which inner speech is attributed to the self. Research in this area has, however, proceeded in the absence of thorough cognitive and phenomenological investigations of the nature of inner speech, against which AVHs are implicitly or explicitly defined. In this paper we begin by introducing philosophical phenomenology and highlighting its relevance to AVHs, before briefly examining the evolving literature on the relation between inner experiences and AVHs. We then argue for the need for philosophical phenomenology (Phenomenology) and the traditional empirical methods of psychology for studying inner experience (phenomenology) to mutually inform each other to provide a richer and more nuanced picture of both inner experience and AVHs than either could on its own. A critical examination is undertaken of the leading model of AVHs derived from phenomenological philosophy, the ipseity disturbance model. From this we suggest issues that future work in this vein will need to consider, and examine how interdisciplinary methodologies may contribute to advances in our understanding of AVHs. Detailed suggestions are made for the direction and methodology of future work into AVHs, which we suggest should be undertaken in a context where phenomenology and physiology are both necessary, but neither sufficient. PMID:23576974

Working memory involvement in stuttering: exploring the evidence and research implications.

PubMed

Bajaj, Amit

2007-01-01

Several studies of utterance planning and attention processes in stuttering have raised the prospect of working memory involvement in the disorder. In this paper, potential connections between stuttering and two elements of Baddeley's [Baddeley, A. D. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Neuroscience, 4, 829-839] working memory model, phonological memory and central executive, are posited. Empirical evidence is drawn from studies on phonological memory and dual-task performance among children and adults who stutter to examine support for the posited connections. Implications for research to examine working memory as one of the psycholinguistic bases of stuttering are presented. The reader will learn about and be able to: (1) appraise potential relationships between working memory and stuttering; (2) evaluate empirical evidence that suggests the possibility of working memory involvement in stuttering; and (3) identify research directions to explore the role of working memory in stuttering.

Investigation of connections among physical, social and economic factors in case of optimal Land Use System Planning in the Egri-Bükkalja Foothill Area of North Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobos, Anna; Utasi, Zoltán; Tóth, Antal; Csabai Kitti, Edina; Laborczi, Annamária; Takács, Katalin; Hegyi, Balázs; Tamás Hegyi, Péter; Pásztor, László; Mika, János

2016-04-01

Nowadays, detailed knowledge of landscape elements and their capabilties, furthermore the probable tendency of climate change play important role in spatial planning of optimal land use system and solving agricultural and social challeges. During our research work, we have investigated three settlements (Cserépfalu, Egerszólát, Kerecsend) based on different landscape factors in the Egri-Bükkalja Fothill Areas of North Hungary. Our aim was to point out the landscape differences along north - south direction inside this microlandscape unit and their effects on land use system, economic developments, social challenges and their changeable tendency in the future We have investigated quantitative and qualitative connections among different landscape factors in suitable GIS environment. Based on the identified relationships thematic maps were compiled. The elaborated GIS integrates digitally processed legacy data, properly selected spatial data infrastructure elements and recently collected field data originating from our geomopholgical and pedological investigations carried out in last three years. We discribed soil features in soil profiles using methods according to FAO (2006) and Novák (2013). Soils were featured by soil type, the thickness of A horizon and the rate of soil erosion. Projected climate changes have also been considered for the region. Besides collection of the available recent OAGCM outputs and outputs by four RCM run in Hungary, an empirical approach has been also included. This is based on empirical regression relationship between relevant grid-point values of the CarpatClim data base and the temperature of the Northern Hemisphere. Land use maps were created based on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Military Survey Maps and aerial photographs covering a relatively long period from the 18th century till nowadays. Main social and economic factors and processes were characterized using data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, population census and empirical methods (analysis of documents, interviews and field works). We pointed out that landscape factors change intensively in north-south direction in the Egri-Bükkalja Foothill Area. A smaller zonation system can be recognised inside this microlandscape units. Different optimal possibilities are guaranteed for planning of land use systems in the edge of middle-height mountain areas, in pediments and in the boundary between pediment and low plain areas. We have explored connection among landscape factors and socio-economic facilities and their processes of three settlements and we have explained spatial differences as well. We could explain land-use changes during last 230 years inside this microlandscape unit. Our research work effected new scientific results in this microlandscape unit and our results can be built up into different settlement development plans, and the processing of agricultural or landscape protection development processes in pediments in the future.

An empirical definition of clinical supervision.

PubMed

Milne, Derek

2007-11-01

The growing recognition of clinical supervision as the basis for high-quality mental health services is apparent in policy, research and clinical practice, but an empirical definition is required to progress research and practice. A logical analysis was used to draft a working definition, and then a systematic review of 24 empirical studies of clinical supervision produced a best evidence synthesis, which was used to test and improve this definition. The logical analysis indicated that the most popular definition (Bernard & Goodyear, 1992) failed all four necessary tests of a good definition: precision, specification, operationalization and corroboration. The systematic review synthesis was then used to test the working definition, which passed these tests (with two amendments). These two complementary review approaches created a firmer basis for advancing research and practice.

Adapting the SERVQUAL scale to hospital services: an empirical investigation.

PubMed Central

Babakus, E; Mangold, W G

1992-01-01

Defining and measuring the quality of service has been a major challenge for health care marketers. A comprehensive service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL) is empirically evaluated for its potential usefulness in a hospital service environment. Active participation by hospital management helped to address practical and user-related aspects of the assessment. The completed expectations and perceptions scales met various criteria for reliability and validity. Suggestions are provided for the managerial use of the scale, and a number of future research issues are identified. PMID:1737708

Navigating rough waters: an overview of psychological aspects of surrogacy.

PubMed

Ciccarelli, Janice C; Beckman, Linda J

2005-03-01

This article provides an overview of the social and psychological aspects surrounding the surrogacy process including attitudes about surrogacy, perceptions and problems of surrogate mothers and intended/social parents, and questions concerning children resulting from contractual parenting. Review of the literature on contractual parenting reveals a wealth of discussion about the ethical, moral, legal, and psychological implications, but limited empirical data on the psychological and social aspects. Future research can provide empirical evidence as a foundation for counseling at all phases of the surrogacy process.

Stress-Preventive Management Competencies, Psychosocial Work Environments, and Affective Well-Being: A Multilevel, Multisource Investigation.

PubMed

Toderi, Stefano; Balducci, Cristian

2018-02-26

The Management Competencies for Preventing and Reducing Stress at Work framework represents one of the few tailored models of leadership for work stress prevention purposes, but it has never been empirically evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supervisors' stress-preventive management competencies, as measured by the Stress Management Competencies Indicator Tool (SMCIT), are related to employees' affective well-being through psychosocial work environmental factors. To this end, multilevel structural equation modelling (MSEM) was developed and tested, including data provided by both supervisors and employees. Supervisors ( n = 84) self-assessed their stress-preventive management competencies (i.e., being respectful and responsible, managing and communicating existing and future work, reasoning and managing difficult situations, and managing the individual within the team) with a previously validated reduced version of the SMCIT. The supervised employees ( n = 584) rated job content (e.g., job demands) and work context (e.g., role clarity) psychosocial factors and their job-related affective well-being. Supervisors' job-related affective well-being was also included in the tested model. The results revealed that the stress-preventive competencies factor was related to employees' affective well-being through the psychosocial work environment only when the latter was operationalized by means of contextual work factors. Supervisors' affective well-being was related to their stress-preventive competencies, but it was not related to employees' affective well-being. We discuss the implications of the results obtained.

Directed Forgetting and Directed Remembering in Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

Williams, Melonie; Woodman, Geoffrey F.

2013-01-01

A defining characteristic of visual working memory is its limited capacity. This means that it is crucial to maintain only the most relevant information in visual working memory. However, empirical research is mixed as to whether it is possible to selectively maintain a subset of the information previously encoded into visual working memory. Here we examined the ability of subjects to use cues to either forget or remember a subset of the information already stored in visual working memory. In Experiment 1, participants were cued to either forget or remember one of two groups of colored squares during a change-detection task. We found that both types of cues aided performance in the visual working memory task, but that observers benefited more from a cue to remember than a cue to forget a subset of the objects. In Experiment 2, we show that the previous findings, which indicated that directed-forgetting cues are ineffective, were likely due to the presence of invalid cues that appear to cause observers to disregard such cues as unreliable. In Experiment 3, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) and show that an electrophysiological index of focused maintenance is elicited by cues that indicate which subset of information in visual working memory needs to be remembered, ruling out alternative explanations of the behavioral effects of retention-interval cues. The present findings demonstrate that observers can focus maintenance mechanisms on specific objects in visual working memory based on cues indicating future task relevance. PMID:22409182

Emergent Hydrological Regimes in Amazonia Determine Vegetation Productivity and Structure.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahlström, A.; Canadell, J.; Schurgers, G.; Berry, J. A.; Guan, K.; Jackson, R. B.

2016-12-01

The Amazon rain forest has a disproportionate significance for global CO2 storage and biodiversity. Earth system models (ESMs) that estimate future climate and vegetation show little agreement in simulations in Amazonia. Here we show that evapotranspiration (ET), gross primary productivity (GPP) and above ground biomass in both models and empirical data align on an emergent hydrologically determined relationship that describes a functional relationship with annual precipitation (P). The physical relationship describes the potential for plant productivity and has a breakpoint at 2000 mm annual precipitation, where the system transitions between water and radiation limitation of annual ET. While ESM GPP is generally underestimated due to a low-bias in their internally generated P, their response to annual precipitation generally matches empirical data. It is different for biomass: ESMs show some ability in capturing biomass levels in the energy-limited wet hydrological regime above 2000 mm annual precipitation but they do not fully capture the biomass structure tipping point found in empirical data at the hydrological regime breakpoint that coincide with the forest-savanna transition. This discrepancy is likely due to the relatively simple representation of disturbances, primarily fires, and vegetation dynamics found in ESMs, and implies that ESMs likely overestimate the resilience to a potential future drying of the Amazon. Future elevated CO2 may increase plant water use efficiency and shift GPP upwards, but it will not affect the breakpoint between the regimes or the susceptibility of the forest which are both determined by precipitation and its role in determining the hydrological regime. This analysis reconciles and explains the findings of many studies on the Amazon. Our results suggests that future Amazonian biomass is governed by changes in precipitation, vegetation dynamics and disturbances, none of which are well predicted and represented by ESMs. Improvements of these processes are the most pressing challenges for more accurate future predictions on the fate of the Amazon and the global tropics.

Health priorities and public preferences: the relative importance of past health experience and future health prospects.

PubMed

Dolan, Paul; Tsuchiya, Aki

2005-07-01

We explore people's choices where the preference for those with worse future health prospects and the preference for the young over the old conflict. The empirical study used scenarios with four attributes: past years, past health, future years without treatment, and future health without treatment. One hundred respondents ranked various patient groups described in these terms. The results suggest a strong effect of past years: younger groups (40-year-olds) were always chosen over older ones (60-year-olds). Past health was significant in one question but not the other and future health and years without treatment were both non-significant.

Subgroup A : nuclear model codes report to the Sixteenth Meeting of the WPEC

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

Talou, P.; Chadwick, M. B.; Dietrich, F. S.

2004-01-01

The Subgroup A activities focus on the development of nuclear reaction models and codes, used in evaluation work for nuclear reactions from the unresolved energy region up to the pion threshold production limit, and for target nuclides from the low teens and heavier. Much of the efforts are devoted by each participant to the continuing development of their own Institution codes. Progresses in this arena are reported in detail for each code in the present document. EMPIRE-II is of public access. The release of the TALYS code has been announced for the ND2004 Conference in Santa Fe, NM, October 2004.more » McGNASH is still under development and is not expected to be released in the very near future. In addition, Subgroup A members have demonstrated a growing interest in working on common modeling and codes capabilities, which would significantly reduce the amount of duplicate work, help manage efficiently the growing lines of existing codes, and render codes inter-comparison much easier. A recent and important activity of the Subgroup A has therefore been to develop the framework and the first bricks of the ModLib library, which is constituted of mostly independent pieces of codes written in Fortran 90 (and above) to be used in existing and future nuclear reaction codes. Significant progresses in the development of ModLib have been made during the past year. Several physics modules have been added to the library, and a few more have been planned in detail for the coming year.« less

Empirical linelist of 13CH4 at 1.67 micron with lower state energies using intensities at 296 and 81 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyulin, O. M.; Kassi, S.; Campargue, A.; Sung, K.; Brown, L. R.

2010-04-01

The high resolution absorption spectra of 13CH4 were recorded at 81 K by differential absorption spectroscopy using a cryogenic cell and a series of Distributed Feed Back (DFB) diode lasers and at room temperature by Fourier transform spectroscopy. The investigated spectral region corresponds to the 13CH4 tetradecad containing 2nu3 near 5988 cm-1. Empirical linelists were constructed for 1629 transitions at 81 K (5852-6124 cm-1) and for 3488 features at room temperature (5850 - 6150 cm-1); the smallest observed intensity was 3×10-26 cm/molecule at 81 K. The lower state energy values were derived for 1208 13CH4 transitions using line intensities at 81 K and 296 K. Over 400 additional features were seen only at 81 K. The quality of the resulting empirical low energy values is demonstrated by the excellent agreement with the already-assigned transitions and the clear propensity of the empirical low J values to be close to integers. The two line lists at 81 K and at 296 K provided as Supplementary Material will enable future theoretical analyses of the upper 13CH4 tetradecad. Acknowledgements O.M. L. (IAO, Tomsk) is grateful to the French Embassy in Moscow for a two months visiting support at Grenoble University. This work is part of the ANR project "CH4@Titan" (ref: BLAN08-2_321467). The supports by RFBR (Grant RFBR 09-05-92508-ИК_а), CRDF (grant RUG1-2954-TO-09) and by the Groupement de Recherche International SAMIA between CNRS (France), RFBR (Russia) and CAS (China) is acknowledged. Part of the research described in this paper was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Optical dosimetry probes to validate Monte Carlo and empirical-method-based NIR dose planning in the brain.

PubMed

Verleker, Akshay Prabhu; Shaffer, Michael; Fang, Qianqian; Choi, Mi-Ran; Clare, Susan; Stantz, Keith M

2016-12-01

A three-dimensional photon dosimetry in tissues is critical in designing optical therapeutic protocols to trigger light-activated drug release. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of a Monte Carlo-based optical therapy planning software by developing dosimetry tools to characterize and cross-validate the local photon fluence in brain tissue, as part of a long-term strategy to quantify the effects of photoactivated drug release in brain tumors. An existing GPU-based 3D Monte Carlo (MC) code was modified to simulate near-infrared photon transport with differing laser beam profiles within phantoms of skull bone (B), white matter (WM), and gray matter (GM). A novel titanium-based optical dosimetry probe with isotropic acceptance was used to validate the local photon fluence, and an empirical model of photon transport was developed to significantly decrease execution time for clinical application. Comparisons between the MC and the dosimetry probe measurements were on an average 11.27%, 13.25%, and 11.81% along the illumination beam axis, and 9.4%, 12.06%, 8.91% perpendicular to the beam axis for WM, GM, and B phantoms, respectively. For a heterogeneous head phantom, the measured % errors were 17.71% and 18.04% along and perpendicular to beam axis. The empirical algorithm was validated by probe measurements and matched the MC results (R²0.99), with average % error of 10.1%, 45.2%, and 22.1% relative to probe measurements, and 22.6%, 35.8%, and 21.9% relative to the MC, for WM, GM, and B phantoms, respectively. The simulation time for the empirical model was 6 s versus 8 h for the GPU-based Monte Carlo for a head phantom simulation. These tools provide the capability to develop and optimize treatment plans for optimal release of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cancer. Future work will test and validate these novel delivery and release mechanisms in vivo.

Integrated urban systems model with multiple transportation supply agents.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-10-01

This project demonstrates the feasibility of developing quantitative models that can forecast future networks under : current and alternative transportation planning processes. The current transportation planning process is modeled : based on empiric...

A review of the health and economic implications of patent protection, with a specific focus on Thailand.

PubMed

Yamabhai, Inthira; Smith, Richard D

2012-08-01

Although it has been two decades since the Thai Patent Act was amended to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), there has been little emphasis given to assessing the implications of this amendment. The purpose of this review is to summarize the health and economic impact of patent protection, with a focus on the experience of Thailand. A review of national and international empirical evidence on the health and economic implications of patents from 1980 to 2009 was undertaken. The findings illustrate the role of patent protection in four areas: price, present access, future access, and international trade and investment. Forty-three empirical studies were found, three of which were from Thai databases. Patenting does increase price, although the size of effect differs according to the methodology and country. Although weakening patent rights could increase present access, evidence suggests that strengthening patenting may benefit future access; although this is based on complex assumptions and estimations. Moreover, while patent protection appears to have a positive impact on trade flow, the implication for foreign direct investment (FDI) is equivocal. Empirical studies in Thailand, and other similar countries, are rare, compromising the robustness and generalizability of conclusions. However, evidence does suggest that patenting presents a significant inter-temporal challenge in balancing aspects of current versus future access to technologies. This underlines the urgent need to prioritize health research resources to assess the wider implications of patent protection.

Uncertainties associated with quantifying climate change impacts on human health: a case study for diarrhea.

PubMed

Kolstad, Erik W; Johansson, Kjell Arne

2011-03-01

Climate change is expected to have large impacts on health at low latitudes where droughts and malnutrition, diarrhea, and malaria are projected to increase. The main objective of this study was to indicate a method to assess a range of plausible health impacts of climate change while handling uncertainties in a unambiguous manner. We illustrate this method by quantifying the impacts of projected regional warming on diarrhea in this century. We combined a range of linear regression coefficients to compute projections of future climate change-induced increases in diarrhea using the results from five empirical studies and a 19-member climate model ensemble for which future greenhouse gas emissions were prescribed. Six geographical regions were analyzed. The model ensemble projected temperature increases of up to 4°C over land in the tropics and subtropics by the end of this century. The associated mean projected increases of relative risk of diarrhea in the six study regions were 8-11% (with SDs of 3-5%) by 2010-2039 and 22-29% (SDs of 9-12%) by 2070-2099. Even our most conservative estimates indicate substantial impacts from climate change on the incidence of diarrhea. Nevertheless, our main conclusion is that large uncertainties are associated with future projections of diarrhea and climate change. We believe that these uncertainties can be attributed primarily to the sparsity of empirical climate-health data. Our results therefore highlight the need for empirical data in the cross section between climate and human health.

Approximate numerical abilities and mathematics: Insight from correlational and experimental training studies.

PubMed

Hyde, D C; Berteletti, I; Mou, Y

2016-01-01

Humans have the ability to nonverbally represent the approximate numerosity of sets of objects. The cognitive system that supports this ability, often referred to as the approximate number system (ANS), is present in early infancy and continues to develop in precision over the life span. It has been proposed that the ANS forms a foundation for uniquely human symbolic number and mathematics learning. Recent work has brought two types of evidence to bear on the relationship between the ANS and human mathematics: correlational studies showing individual differences in approximate numerical abilities correlate with individual differences in mathematics achievement and experimental studies showing enhancing effects of nonsymbolic approximate numerical training on exact, symbolic mathematical abilities. From this work, at least two accounts can be derived from these empirical data. It may be the case that the ANS and mathematics are related because the cognitive and brain processes responsible for representing numerical quantity in each format overlap, the Representational Overlap Hypothesis, or because of commonalities in the cognitive operations involved in mentally manipulating the representations of each format, the Operational Overlap hypothesis. The two hypotheses make distinct predictions for future work to test. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk and Threat via Online Social Network among Academia at Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaker Hussain, Hanizan; Din, Roshidi; Zulkarnaen Khidzir, Nik; Azhar Mat Daud, Khairul; Ahmad, Suzastri

2018-05-01

The evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT) nowadays has changed the life style of human living. The current modern societies have adopted ICT as an important thing that they are really needed in their life, especially as a tool to be used for communications activity. However, unfortunately ICT also exposed its user in circumstances of risk, threats and vulnerability. This paper will discuss the risk and threats to the users who are using social media as a medium to communicate. In this paper, the fraction of user will be divided by two types which are gender and working experience. The data that obtained from the distributed of questionnaires among respondent will be analysed by using SPSS. Data will be analysed by using two-way ANOVA statistic in order to examine the significant level in between gender and working experience as an independent variable in this study with the level of threats in cybersecurity risk towards lecturers who are working in higher education institutions in Malaysia. This article also will provide an empirical data and will be referred to another researcher in the future for their further research perhaps.

Perceived workplace harassment experiences and problem drinking among physicians: broadening the stress/alienation paradigm.

PubMed

Richman, J A; Flaherty, J A; Rospenda, K M

1996-03-01

Sociologists who embrace the stress or alienation paradigms generally focus on explaining problem drinking in low status occupations. By contrast, this paper argues that a broadened conceptualization of stress and alienation which incorporates abusive work relationships has utility for explaining male and female drinking outcomes in both high and low status occupations. We provide empirical data on the relationship between perceived abusive experiences and drinking outcomes in a cohort of male and female physicians in their internship year of training. The data show that perceived sexual harassment, discriminatory treatment and psychological humiliation relate to various drinking outcomes in men and women, controlling for drinking prior to the internship year. While females were more likely to report experiencing abuse, these perceived experiences had deleterious effects on drinking outcomes for both genders. Personal vulnerability (narcissism) brought into the training environment somewhat influenced the later reporting of abusive experiences by males but not by females. Regression analyses showed that, for both males and females, work-place abusive experiences in interaction with personality vulnerability best explained drinking outcomes. The implications of these results for the design of future alcohol-related work-place studies are discussed.

A Review and Annotated Bibliography of Training Performance Measurement and Assessment Literature

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

work envirorments and orgoIizational climate questomaires. Identifies empirical eaures of Army unit effectiveness . Key Points: Looks at inspection reparts, mission accompil lsl’nt results, eff iclwy measures etc. A-63 ...PROJECT TASK WORK UNIT TRADE/ARI), 12350 Research Parkway ELEMENT NO. NO. NO. ACCESSION NO. Orlando, FL 32826-3276 (continued) 6.3.7.43 A794 4.3.2 C.1 11... effectiveness . Researchers should investigate means for developing more empirical data, better analytic methods, and standardized measurement. Increased

Principles of Work Sample Testing. 1. A Non-Empirical Taxonomy of Test Uses

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-04-01

ARI TECHNICAL REPORT TR-79-A8 Principles of Work Sample Testingi I. A Non-Empirical Taxonomy of Test Uses b y Robert M. Guion BOWLING GREEN STATE...UNIVERSITY % ’ Bowling Green , Ohio 43403 e April 1979 Contract DAHC 19-77-C-0007 Cj Prepared for U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTEfor the BEHAVIORAL and...M./io DAlICl9-77-Cji11J7 * 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK Bowling Green State UniversityAEAWOKUINMER

Factors affecting employment outcomes for people with disabilities who received Disability Employment Services in Taiwan.

PubMed

Jang, Yuh; Wang, Yun-Tung; Lin, Meng-Hsiu

2014-03-01

One of the most important rehabilitation goals is to return people with disabilities to paid employment. The purposes of this study were (1) to explore employment status and (2) to identify factors that may affect the employment outcomes of people with disabilities who received Disability Employment Services (DES). A retrospective study was conducted on clients who commenced and closed DES between January 2008 and December 2010 in a metropolitan city in Taiwan, using the files from the National Vocational Rehabilitation Services Documentary System. Sixty-nine percent (1,684 out of 2,452) of the clients in this study were engaged in paid employment after receiving DES. Logistic regression analyses indicated that clients with no psychiatric disability or mild impairment and with useful vocational qualifications, typical work experience, more post-employment services, and less pre-employment services were associated with a higher rate of successful employment outcomes. This study provides empirical evidence of the association between person- and DES-related factors and the employment outcomes of people with disabilities. Future improvements in health, school-to-work transition services, and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities should place more emphasis on providing work-based work experience, professional vocational training, access to college/professional education, career exploration, effective supported employment services, and other post-employment services.

Compassion Fatigue Following the September 11 Terrorist Attacks: A Study of Secondary Trauma among New York City Social Workers

PubMed Central

Boscarino, Joseph A.; Figley, Charles R.; Adams, Richard E.

2009-01-01

Experience suggests that individuals working in the caring and psychotherapeutic professions are among those to provide mental health services to disaster victims suffering from psychological trauma following catastrophic events. Yet, few studies have focused on the emotional exhaustion from working with such clients, referred to as compassion fatigue (CF) in this study, and how CF differs from other occupational hazards, such as secondary trauma (ST) and job burnout. In the present study, we used recently validated scales to predict ST and job burnout related to providing services to those affected by the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks. Our study data were based on a random survey of 236 social workers living in New York City (NYC), over 80% of which reported being involved in post-WTC disaster counseling efforts. Our analyses indicated that controlling for demographic factors, years of counseling, and personal trauma history, ST was positively associated with WTC recovery involvement (p < .001) and negatively associated with having a supportive work environment (p < .01). In contrast, job burnout was negatively associated with having a supportive work environment (p < .01), but not associated with WTC involvement or WTC counseling efforts. We discuss these results in light of future conceptual and empirical research needs. PMID:15298076

A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men in Western Countries.

PubMed

Shi Shiu, Chen; Voisin, Dexter R; Chen, Wet-Ti; Lo, Yi-An; Hardestry, Melissa; Nguyen, Huong

2016-05-01

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men's unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social-ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were organized on a social-ecological framework. Twenty-two articles were included in the analysis; among these 13 were quantitative, 8 were qualitative, and 1 was mixed-methods research. Results indicated that demographic characteristics, psychological resources, behavioral patterns, relationships with family and friends, dynamics with romantic or sexual partners, community involvement, culture, discrimination, and institutional factors were related to unprotected anal intercourse. This article presents a critique of this literature and discusses implications for future research with this population. It concludes with prevention/intervention initiatives based on review findings. © The Author(s) 2015.

Towards an Airframe Noise Prediction Methodology: Survey of Current Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farassat, Fereidoun; Casper, Jay H.

2006-01-01

In this paper, we present a critical survey of the current airframe noise (AFN) prediction methodologies. Four methodologies are recognized. These are the fully analytic method, CFD combined with the acoustic analogy, the semi-empirical method and fully numerical method. It is argued that for the immediate need of the aircraft industry, the semi-empirical method based on recent high quality acoustic database is the best available method. The method based on CFD and the Ffowcs William- Hawkings (FW-H) equation with penetrable data surface (FW-Hpds ) has advanced considerably and much experience has been gained in its use. However, more research is needed in the near future particularly in the area of turbulence simulation. The fully numerical method will take longer to reach maturity. Based on the current trends, it is predicted that this method will eventually develop into the method of choice. Both the turbulence simulation and propagation methods need to develop more for this method to become useful. Nonetheless, the authors propose that the method based on a combination of numerical and analytical techniques, e.g., CFD combined with FW-H equation, should also be worked on. In this effort, the current symbolic algebra software will allow more analytical approaches to be incorporated into AFN prediction methods.

Transtheoretical Model of Change during Travel Behavior Interventions: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Friman, Margareta; Huck, Jana; Olsson, Lars E

2017-05-30

This study aims to identify the relevant empirical work, to synthesize its findings, and to thus attain a general understanding of the application of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in transport behavior research. An integrative literature review was used to determine whether or not the implemented interventions impact the stages and processes of travel behavior change. Data was collected from different databases. English language articles published between 2002 and 2017 were included. After sequentially narrowing the search and removing duplicates, 53 relevant papers remained, 13 of which fulfilled the stated criteria of constituting a transport intervention study using the TTM as a reference frame. The final 13 studies were classified and categorized according to stages and processes in the TTM. Findings showed that none of the interventions met the method requirements for a proper evaluation of design and outcome measurement. Reporting did not follow a standardized structure desirable when enabling comparative analyses. Allowing for these shortcomings, it is inferred that positive travel behavior changes have been obtained during some interventions. Importantly, although it was stated that the empirical studies were based on the TTM, the included interventions were implemented irrespective of the individual's stage of change. For future research, it will be necessary to conduct evaluations of higher quality.

Patterns of developmental plasticity in response to incubation temperature in reptiles.

PubMed

While, Geoffrey M; Noble, Daniel W A; Uller, Tobias; Warner, Daniel A; Riley, Julia L; Du, Wei-Guo; Schwanz, Lisa E

2018-05-28

Early life environments shape phenotypic development in important ways that can lead to long-lasting effects on phenotype and fitness. In reptiles, one aspect of the early environment that impacts development is temperature (termed 'thermal developmental plasticity'). Indeed, the thermal environment during incubation is known to influence morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits, some of which have important consequences for many ecological and evolutionary processes. Despite this, few studies have attempted to synthesize and collate data from this expansive and important body of research. Here, we systematically review research into thermal developmental plasticity across reptiles, structured around the key papers and findings that have shaped the field over the past 50 years. From these papers, we introduce a large database (the 'Reptile Development Database') consisting of 9,773 trait means across 300 studies examining thermal developmental plasticity. This dataset encompasses data on a range of phenotypes, including morphological, physiological, behavioral, and performance traits along with growth rate, incubation duration, sex ratio, and survival (e.g., hatching success) across all major reptile clades. Finally, from our literature synthesis and data exploration, we identify key research themes associated with thermal developmental plasticity, important gaps in empirical research, and demonstrate how future progress can be made through targeted empirical, meta-analytic, and comparative work. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transtheoretical Model of Change during Travel Behavior Interventions: An Integrative Review

PubMed Central

Friman, Margareta; Huck, Jana; Olsson, Lars E.

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the relevant empirical work, to synthesize its findings, and to thus attain a general understanding of the application of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in transport behavior research. An integrative literature review was used to determine whether or not the implemented interventions impact the stages and processes of travel behavior change. Data was collected from different databases. English language articles published between 2002 and 2017 were included. After sequentially narrowing the search and removing duplicates, 53 relevant papers remained, 13 of which fulfilled the stated criteria of constituting a transport intervention study using the TTM as a reference frame. The final 13 studies were classified and categorized according to stages and processes in the TTM. Findings showed that none of the interventions met the method requirements for a proper evaluation of design and outcome measurement. Reporting did not follow a standardized structure desirable when enabling comparative analyses. Allowing for these shortcomings, it is inferred that positive travel behavior changes have been obtained during some interventions. Importantly, although it was stated that the empirical studies were based on the TTM, the included interventions were implemented irrespective of the individual’s stage of change. For future research, it will be necessary to conduct evaluations of higher quality. PMID:28556810

A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men in Western Countries

PubMed Central

Shiu, Chen Shi; Voisin, Dexter R.; Chen, Wet-Ti; Lo, Yi-An; Hardestry, Melissa; Nguyen, Huong

2017-01-01

Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men’s unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social–ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were organized on a social–ecological framework. Twenty-two articles were included in the analysis; among these 13 were quantitative, 8 were qualitative, and 1 was mixed-methods research. Results indicated that demographic characteristics, psychological resources, behavioral patterns, relationships with family and friends, dynamics with romantic or sexual partners, community involvement, culture, discrimination, and institutional factors were related to unprotected anal intercourse. This article presents a critique of this literature and discusses implications for future research with this population. It concludes with prevention/intervention initiatives based on review findings. PMID:25563383

The Matthew effect in empirical data

PubMed Central

Perc, Matjaž

2014-01-01

The Matthew effect describes the phenomenon that in societies, the rich tend to get richer and the potent even more powerful. It is closely related to the concept of preferential attachment in network science, where the more connected nodes are destined to acquire many more links in the future than the auxiliary nodes. Cumulative advantage and success-breads-success also both describe the fact that advantage tends to beget further advantage. The concept is behind the many power laws and scaling behaviour in empirical data, and it is at the heart of self-organization across social and natural sciences. Here, we review the methodology for measuring preferential attachment in empirical data, as well as the observations of the Matthew effect in patterns of scientific collaboration, socio-technical and biological networks, the propagation of citations, the emergence of scientific progress and impact, career longevity, the evolution of common English words and phrases, as well as in education and brain development. We also discuss whether the Matthew effect is due to chance or optimization, for example related to homophily in social systems or efficacy in technological systems, and we outline possible directions for future research. PMID:24990288

Psychosocial functioning in the context of diagnosis: assessment and theoretical issues.

PubMed

Ro, Eunyoe; Clark, Lee Anna

2009-09-01

Psychosocial functioning is an important focus of attention in the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Researchers and clinicians are converging upon the opinion that psychometrically strong, comprehensive assessment of individuals' functioning is needed to characterize disorder fully. Also shared is the realization that existing theory and research in this domain have critical shortcomings. The authors urge that the field reexamine the empirical evidence and address theoretical issues to guide future development of the construct and its measurement. The authors first discuss several theoretical issues relevant to the conceptualization and assessment of functioning: (a) definitions of functioning, (b) the role of functioning in defining disorder, and (c) understanding functioning within environmental contexts. The authors then present data regarding empirical domains of psychosocial functioning and their interrelations. Self-reported data on multiple domains of psychosocial functioning were collected from 429 participants. Factor-analytic results (promax rotation) suggest a 4-factor structure of psychosocial functioning: Well-Being, Basic Functioning, Self-Mastery, and Interpersonal and Social Relationships. Finally, the authors propose an integration of theory and empirical findings, which they believe will better incorporate psychosocial functioning into future diagnostic systems. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Thucydides was Right: Defining the Future Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

and the historical parallel, because the former is fun- damentally empirically unsound . History does not repeat itself in ways essential for analogy...ADVANCING STRATEGIC THOUGHT SERIES THUCYDIDES WAS RIGHT: DEFINING THE FUTURE THREAT Colin S. Gray FOR THIS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS, VISIT US AT...Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response

Preparing Future Teachers through Distance Learning: An Empirical Study on Students' Perception of Teacher Education Program Provided by AIOU Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadeem, Mohammed; Ali, Akhtar; Maqbool, Saira

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to analyse the pre service teachers training programs for the distance learners of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Islamabad, Pakistan. This kind of training is provided to the future teachers enrolled to acquire pre service training to become a teacher in a Government educational institution in Pakistan.…

Collective animal navigation and migratory culture: from theoretical models to empirical evidence

PubMed Central

Dell, Anthony I.

2018-01-01

Animals often travel in groups, and their navigational decisions can be influenced by social interactions. Both theory and empirical observations suggest that such collective navigation can result in individuals improving their ability to find their way and could be one of the key benefits of sociality for these species. Here, we provide an overview of the potential mechanisms underlying collective navigation, review the known, and supposed, empirical evidence for such behaviour and highlight interesting directions for future research. We further explore how both social and collective learning during group navigation could lead to the accumulation of knowledge at the population level, resulting in the emergence of migratory culture. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Collective movement ecology’. PMID:29581394

Hospital Board Oversight of Quality and Patient Safety: A Narrative Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Research

PubMed Central

Millar, Ross; Mannion, Russell; Freeman, Tim; Davies, Huw TO

2013-01-01

Context Recurring problems with patient safety have led to a growing interest in helping hospitals’ governing bodies provide more effective oversight of the quality and safety of their services. National directives and initiatives emphasize the importance of action by boards, but the empirical basis for informing effective hospital board oversight has yet to receive full and careful review. Methods This article presents a narrative review of empirical research to inform the debate about hospital boards’ oversight of quality and patient safety. A systematic and comprehensive search identified 122 papers for detailed review. Much of the empirical work appeared in the last ten years, is from the United States, and employs cross-sectional survey methods. Findings Recent empirical studies linking board composition and processes with patient outcomes have found clear differences between high- and low-performing hospitals, highlighting the importance of strong and committed leadership that prioritizes quality and safety and sets clear and measurable goals for improvement. Effective oversight is also associated with well-informed and skilled board members. External factors (such as regulatory regimes and the publication of performance data) might also have a role in influencing boards, but detailed empirical work on these is scant. Conclusions Health policy debates recognize the important role of hospital boards in overseeing patient quality and safety, and a growing body of empirical research has sought to elucidate that role. This review finds a number of areas of guidance that have some empirical support, but it also exposes the relatively inchoate nature of the field. Greater theoretical and methodological development is required if we are to secure more evidence-informed governance systems and practices that can contribute to safer care. PMID:24320168

Robot Wars: US Empire and geopolitics in the robotic age

PubMed Central

Shaw, Ian GR

2017-01-01

How will the robot age transform warfare? What geopolitical futures are being imagined by the US military? This article constructs a robotic futurology to examine these crucial questions. Its central concern is how robots – driven by leaps in artificial intelligence and swarming – are rewiring the spaces and logics of US empire, warfare, and geopolitics. The article begins by building a more-than-human geopolitics to de-center the role of humans in conflict and foreground a worldly understanding of robots. The article then analyzes the idea of US empire, before speculating upon how and why robots are materializing new forms of proxy war. A three-part examination of the shifting spaces of US empire then follows: (1) Swarm Wars explores the implications of miniaturized drone swarming; (2) Roboworld investigates how robots are changing US military basing strategy and producing new topological spaces of violence; and (3) The Autogenic Battle-Site reveals how autonomous robots will produce emergent, technologically event-ful sites of security and violence – revolutionizing the battlespace. The conclusion reflects on the rise of a robotic US empire and its consequences for democracy. PMID:29081605

Robot Wars: US Empire and geopolitics in the robotic age.

PubMed

Shaw, Ian Gr

2017-10-01

How will the robot age transform warfare? What geopolitical futures are being imagined by the US military? This article constructs a robotic futurology to examine these crucial questions. Its central concern is how robots - driven by leaps in artificial intelligence and swarming - are rewiring the spaces and logics of US empire, warfare, and geopolitics. The article begins by building a more-than-human geopolitics to de-center the role of humans in conflict and foreground a worldly understanding of robots. The article then analyzes the idea of US empire, before speculating upon how and why robots are materializing new forms of proxy war. A three-part examination of the shifting spaces of US empire then follows: (1) Swarm Wars explores the implications of miniaturized drone swarming; (2) Roboworld investigates how robots are changing US military basing strategy and producing new topological spaces of violence; and (3) The Autogenic Battle-Site reveals how autonomous robots will produce emergent, technologically event-ful sites of security and violence - revolutionizing the battlespace. The conclusion reflects on the rise of a robotic US empire and its consequences for democracy.

Destruction of rocks by low velocity impact and its implications for accretion and fragmentation processes of planetesimals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, T.; Waza, T.

1984-02-01

Empirical relations linking the mass of the largest fragment, the kinetic energy released divided by the target mass, and the work done during impact are presented. It is found that the relation between the mass of the largest fragment, the mass of the target, and the work done during impact is not affected by the impact velocity. This work is seen as a useful means of describing phenomena associated with the impact destruction of rocks. On the basis of the empirical relations discussed here, a fragmentation model of the parent bodies of Eos and Koronis families is presented.

Narrative synthesis of equine-assisted psychotherapy literature: Current knowledge and future research directions.

PubMed

Lee, Ping-Tzu; Dakin, Emily; McLure, Merinda

2016-05-01

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is an innovative emerging approach to mental health treatment. This narrative synthesis explores the current state of knowledge and areas for future research in EAP. Specifically reviewed are qualitative and quantitative empirical studies, including both articles published in peer-reviewed journals and research presented in theses and dissertations. We selected 24 studies for final inclusion in this study, dating between 2005 and 2013, and including the first EAP empirical research completed in 2005. Four of these studies are peer-reviewed journal articles, while 20 are master's theses or doctoral dissertations. The reviewed qualitative research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing adolescents' communication and relationship skills. The reviewed experimental and quasi-experimental research provides initial evidence for the value of EAP for enhancing children's and adolescents' emotional, social and behavioural functioning. Yet, conclusions about the effectiveness of EAP must still be considered preliminary due to various methodological limitations in the reviewed research. The narrative review describes these methodological limitations and concludes with recommendations for future research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prior robust empirical Bayes inference for large-scale data by conditioning on rank with application to microarray data

PubMed Central

Liao, J. G.; Mcmurry, Timothy; Berg, Arthur

2014-01-01

Empirical Bayes methods have been extensively used for microarray data analysis by modeling the large number of unknown parameters as random effects. Empirical Bayes allows borrowing information across genes and can automatically adjust for multiple testing and selection bias. However, the standard empirical Bayes model can perform poorly if the assumed working prior deviates from the true prior. This paper proposes a new rank-conditioned inference in which the shrinkage and confidence intervals are based on the distribution of the error conditioned on rank of the data. Our approach is in contrast to a Bayesian posterior, which conditions on the data themselves. The new method is almost as efficient as standard Bayesian methods when the working prior is close to the true prior, and it is much more robust when the working prior is not close. In addition, it allows a more accurate (but also more complex) non-parametric estimate of the prior to be easily incorporated, resulting in improved inference. The new method’s prior robustness is demonstrated via simulation experiments. Application to a breast cancer gene expression microarray dataset is presented. Our R package rank.Shrinkage provides a ready-to-use implementation of the proposed methodology. PMID:23934072

Working memory training in healthy young adults: Support for the null from a randomized comparison to active and passive control groups

PubMed Central

Lawlor-Savage, Linette; Goghari, Vina M.

2017-01-01

Training of working memory as a method of increasing working memory capacity and fluid intelligence has received much attention in recent years. This burgeoning field remains highly controversial with empirically-backed disagreements at all levels of evidence, including individual studies, systematic reviews, and even meta-analyses. The current study investigated the effect of a randomized six week online working memory intervention on untrained cognitive abilities in a community-recruited sample of healthy young adults, in relation to both a processing speed training active control condition, as well as a no-contact control condition. Results of traditional null hypothesis significance testing, as well as Bayesian factor analyses, revealed support for the null hypothesis across all cognitive tests administered before and after training. Importantly, all three groups were similar at pre-training for a variety of individual variables purported to moderate transfer of training to fluid intelligence, including personality traits, motivation to train, and expectations of cognitive improvement from training. Because these results are consistent with experimental trials of equal or greater methodological rigor, we suggest that future research re-focus on: 1) other promising interventions known to increase memory performance in healthy young adults, and; 2) examining sub-populations or alternative populations in which working memory training may be efficacious. PMID:28558000

Landslide Hazard from Coupled Inherent and Dynamic Probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strauch, R. L.; Istanbulluoglu, E.; Nudurupati, S. S.

2015-12-01

Landslide hazard research has typically been conducted independently from hydroclimate research. We sought to unify these two lines of research to provide regional scale landslide hazard information for risk assessments and resource management decision-making. Our approach couples an empirical inherent landslide probability, based on a frequency ratio analysis, with a numerical dynamic probability, generated by combining subsurface water recharge and surface runoff from the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macro-scale land surface hydrologic model with a finer resolution probabilistic slope stability model. Landslide hazard mapping is advanced by combining static and dynamic models of stability into a probabilistic measure of geohazard prediction in both space and time. This work will aid resource management decision-making in current and future landscape and climatic conditions. The approach is applied as a case study in North Cascade National Park Complex in northern Washington State.

Face race processing and racial bias in early development: A perceptual-social linkage.

PubMed

Lee, Kang; Quinn, Paul C; Pascalis, Olivier

2017-06-01

Infants have asymmetrical exposure to different types of faces (e.g., more human than other-species, more female than male, and more own-race than other-race). What are the developmental consequences of such experiential asymmetry? Here we review recent advances in research on the development of cross-race face processing. The evidence suggests that greater exposure to own- than other-race faces in infancy leads to developmentally early perceptual differences in visual preference, recognition, category formation, and scanning of own- and other-race faces. Further, such perceptual differences in infancy may be associated with the emergence of implicit racial bias, consistent with a Perceptual-Social Linkage Hypothesis. Current and future work derived from this hypothesis may lay an important empirical foundation for the development of intervention programs to combat the early occurrence of implicit racial bias.

Toward an integrative understanding of narrative and emotion processes in Emotion-focused therapy of depression: implications for theory, research and practice.

PubMed

Angus, Lynne

2012-01-01

This paper addresses the fundamental contributions of client narrative disclosure in psychotherapy and its importance for the elaboration of new emotional meanings and self understanding in the context of Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) of depression. An overview of the multi-methodological steps undertaken to empirically investigate the contributions of client story telling, emotional differentiation and meaning-making processes (Narrative Processes Coding System; Angus et al., 1999) in EFT treatments of depression is provided, followed by a summary of key research findings that informed the development of a narrative-informed approach to Emotion-focused therapy of depression (Angus & Greenberg, 2011). Finally, the clinical practice and training implications of adopting a research-informed approach to working with narrative and emotion processes in EFT are described, and future research directions discussed.

The beneficial role of memory reactivation for language learning during sleep: A review.

PubMed

Schreiner, Thomas; Rasch, Björn

2017-04-01

Sleep is essential for diverse aspects of language learning. According to a prominent concept these beneficial effects of sleep rely on spontaneous reactivation processes. A series of recent studies demonstrated that inducing such reactivation processes by re-exposure to memory cues during sleep enhances foreign vocabulary learning. Building upon these findings, the present article reviews recent models and empirical findings concerning the beneficial effects of sleep on language learning. Consequently, the memory function of sleep, its neural underpinnings and the role of the sleeping brain in language learning will be summarized. Finally, we will propose a working model concerning the oscillatory requirements for successful reactivation processes and future research questions to advance our understanding of the role of sleep on language learning and memory processes in general. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The promises and limitations of gender-transformative health programming with men: critical reflections from the field.

PubMed

Dworkin, Shari L; Fleming, Paul J; Colvin, Christopher J

2015-01-01

Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, researchers and practitioners have engaged in a series of efforts to shift health programming with men from being gender-neutral to being more gender-sensitive and gender-transformative. Efforts in this latter category have been increasingly utilised, particularly in the last decade, and attempt to transform gender relations to be more equitable in the name of improved health outcomes for both women and men. We begin by assessing the conceptual progression of social science contributions to gender-transformative health programming with men. Next, we briefly assess the empirical evidence from gender-transformative health interventions with men. Finally, we examine some of the challenges and limitations of gender-transformative health programmes and make recommendations for future work in this thriving interdisciplinary area of study.

Understanding the Effects of Sampling on Healthcare Risk Modeling for the Prediction of Future High-Cost Patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moturu, Sai T.; Liu, Huan; Johnson, William G.

Rapidly rising healthcare costs represent one of the major issues plaguing the healthcare system. Data from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Arizona's Medicaid program provide a unique opportunity to exploit state-of-the-art machine learning and data mining algorithms to analyze data and provide actionable findings that can aid cost containment. Our work addresses specific challenges in this real-life healthcare application with respect to data imbalance in the process of building predictive risk models for forecasting high-cost patients. We survey the literature and propose novel data mining approaches customized for this compelling application with specific focus on non-random sampling. Our empirical study indicates that the proposed approach is highly effective and can benefit further research on cost containment in the healthcare industry.

The promises and limitations of gender-transformative health programming with men: critical reflections from the field

PubMed Central

Dworkin, Shari L.; Fleming, Paul J.; Colvin, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, researchers and practitioners have engaged in a series of efforts to shift health programming with men from being gender-neutral to being more gender-sensitive and gender-transformative. Efforts in this latter category have been increasingly utilised, particularly in the last decade, and attempt to transform gender relations to be more equitable in the name of improved health outcomes for both women and men. We begin by assessing the conceptual progression of social science contributions to gender-transformative health programming with men. Next, we briefly assess the empirical evidence from gender-transformative health interventions with men. Finally, we examine some of the challenges and limitations of gender-transformative health programmes and make recommendations for future work in this thriving interdisciplinary area of study. PMID:25953008

Applying One Health to the Study of Animal-Assisted Interventions.

PubMed

Chalmers, Darlene; Dell, Colleen Anne

2015-12-01

The use of animal-assisted interventions in therapeutic programs is a growing phenomenon. Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) involve a variety of species (dogs, cats, horses, domesticated birds, etc.) in primary health care. Despite their increasing application in a wide range of therapeutic services, the empirical evidence base of AAIs is limited. The authors of this paper propose that the public health framework of One Health can be adapted to advance AAI research. One Health's perspective on the environment is primarily ecological. The environmental impact on the human-animal interactions within AAIs, however, incorporates social, cultural, political, and economic factors. The environment has received minimal attention in AAI research. The authors discuss how this framework has been used in their prior AAI research and work with Indigenous people. Applying this framework to AAIs may guide future AAI research.

The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success?

PubMed

Lyubomirsky, Sonja; King, Laura; Diener, Ed

2005-11-01

Numerous studies show that happy individuals are successful across multiple life domains, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health. The authors suggest a conceptual model to account for these findings, arguing that the happiness-success link exists not only because success makes people happy, but also because positive affect engenders success. Three classes of evidence--crosssectional, longitudinal, and experimental--are documented to test their model. Relevant studies are described and their effect sizes combined meta-analytically. The results reveal that happiness is associated with and precedes numerous successful outcomes, as well as behaviors paralleling success. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that positive affect--the hallmark of well-being--may be the cause of many of the desirable characteristics, resources, and successes correlated with happiness. Limitations, empirical issues, and important future research questions are discussed.

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Lieneman, Corey C; Brabson, Laurel A; Highlander, April; Wallace, Nancy M; McNeil, Cheryl B

2017-01-01

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically supported intervention originally developed to treat disruptive behavior problems in children between the ages of 2 and 7 years. Since its creation over 40 years ago, PCIT has been studied internationally with various populations and has been found to be an effective intervention for numerous behavioral and emotional issues. This article summarizes progress in the PCIT literature over the past decade (2006–2017) and outlines future directions for this important work. Recent PCIT research related to treatment effectiveness, treatment components, adaptations for specific populations (age groups, cultural groups, military families, individuals diagnosed with specific disorders, trauma survivors, and the hearing-impaired), format changes (group and home-based), teacher–child interaction training (TCIT), intensive PCIT (I-PCIT), treatment as prevention (for externalizing problems, child maltreatment, and developmental delays), and implementation are discussed. PMID:28790873

Equal Work, Unequal Pay: Gender Discrimination within Work-Similar Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemp, Alice Abel; Beck, E. M.

1986-01-01

Describes an empirical method to identify work-similar occupations using selected measures from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Examines male-female earnings differences within a group of work-similar occupations and finds that discrimination against females is extensive. (Author/CH)

Clearing Away Assumptions through Philosophy and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wortham, Stanton

2015-01-01

This article illustrates one way in which philosophical inquiry and empirical research can be combined to illuminate processes like learning and social identification. Over the past 20 years, my empirical work in classrooms and communities has drawn on philosophical discussions about how knowledge is interconnected with social relationships and…

Examining the Premises Supporting the Empirically Supported Intervention Approach to Social Work Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBeath, Bowen; Briggs, Harold E.; Aisenberg, Eugene

2010-01-01

Federal, state, and local policymakers and funders have increasingly organized human service delivery functions around the selection and implementation of empirically supported interventions (ESIs), under the expectation that service delivery through such intervention frameworks results in improvements in cost-effectiveness and system performance.…

Using Paperclips to Explain Empirical Formulas to Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nassiff, Peter; Czerwinski, Wendy A.

2014-01-01

Early in their chemistry education, students learn to do empirical formula calculations by rote without an understanding of the historical context behind them or the reason why their calculations work. In these activities, students use paperclip "atoms", construct a series of simple compounds representing real molecules, and discover,…

(Re)constructing Strategies: A Methodological Experiment on Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holge-Hazelton, Bibi; Krojer, Jo

2008-01-01

The article describes an experiment in which two researchers engaged in developing poetic forms of representing qualitative empirical research switch their individually produced empirical material and work simultaneously on each other's products. The intention is to investigate what we, as researchers, are adding to and extracting from the…

Empirically Supported Treatment's Impact on Organizational Culture and Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson-Silver Wolf, David A.; Dulmus, Catherine N.; Maguin, Eugene

2012-01-01

Objectives: With the continued push to implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs) into community-based organizations, it is important to investigate whether working condition disruptions occur during this process. While there are many studies investigating best practices and how to adopt them, the literature lacks studies investigating the…

Developmental Implications of the Levels of Processing Memory Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naus, Mary J.

The levels of processing framework for understanding memory development has generated little empirical or theoretical work that furthers an understanding of the developmental memory system. Although empirical studies by those testing the levels of processing framework have demonstrated that mnemonic strategies employed by children are the critical…

Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in the Preschool Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luby, Joan L.

2013-01-01

Objective: Empirical studies have established that clinical anxiety and depressive disorders may arise in preschool children as young as 3.0 years. Because empirical studies validating and characterizing these disorders in preschoolers are relatively recent, less work has been done on the development and testing of age-appropriate treatments.…

Families, Social Capital and Educational Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croll, Paul

2004-01-01

This paper engages with recent theoretical and empirical studies relating to the inter-generational transmission of social, economic and educational characteristics. It considers the different ways in which the role of the family has been conceptualized in this work and discusses some of the results of empirical studies of family roles in relation…

What is the Meaning of the Physical Magnitude `Work'?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanderakis, Nikos

2014-06-01

Usually, in physics textbooks, the physical magnitude `work' is introduced as the product of a force multiplied by its displacement, in relation to the transfer of energy. In other words, `work' is presented as an internal affair of physics theory, while its relation to the world of experience, that is its empirical meaning, is missing. On the other hand, in the history of its creation, `work' was a concept that had empirical meaning from the start. It was constructed by engineers to measure the work (labor) of motor engines, men, and animals. Very soon however this initial meaning seems to vanish. In this article, it will be looked at how `work' is presented in physics textbooks, what was its initial meaning in the history of its formulation, under what circumstances this initial meaning faded, and how elements from the history of its creation can be used in the classroom to teach it.

Worse and worse off: the impact of lymphedema on work and career after breast cancer.

PubMed

Boyages, John; Kalfa, Senia; Xu, Ying; Koelmeyer, Louise; Mackie, Helen; Viveros, Hector; Taksa, Lucy; Gollan, Paul

2016-01-01

Our study examines the impact of breast cancer-related lymphedema on women's work and career. Our research addresses a significant knowledge gap regarding the additional impact of lymphedema on breast cancer survivors. An online national survey was conducted with 361 women who either had breast cancer without lymphedema (Group 1, n = 209) or breast cancer with lymphedema (Group 2, n = 152). Participant recruitment was supported by the Breast Cancer Network Australia and the Australasian Lymphology Association. Both breast cancer and lymphedema had a significant negative influence on women's work and career. Respondents reported changes in employment resulting from stress and/or physical impairment, which affected attendance and work performance. The perceived negative impact of breast cancer on respondents' work and career was noticeably greater in Group 2 (63 %) than Group 1 (51 %) (p = 0.03). Of the participants who were in paid employment at some time (either at diagnosis of lymphedema or at the time of the survey (n = 103), 43 (42 %) indicated that lymphedema impacted their work performance. The impact of lymphedema on work was incremental with increased severity of lymphedema (range 22-75 %). The annual number of days off work for subclinical/mild lymphedema participants was 1.4 versus 8.1 days for moderate or severe participants (p = 0.003). This study identifies an additional detrimental effect of lymphedema on women's work and career over and above the initial impact of breast cancer and provides empirical evidence for future prospective studies and policy improvement.

Empirical modeling of Single-Event Upset (SEU) in NMOS depletion-mode-load static RAM (SRAM) chips

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.; Smith, S. L.; Atwood, G. E.

1986-01-01

A detailed experimental investigation of single-event upset (SEU) in static RAM (SRAM) chips fabricated using a family of high-performance NMOS (HMOS) depletion-mode-load process technologies, has been done. Empirical SEU models have been developed with the aid of heavy-ion data obtained with a three-stage tandem van de Graaff accelerator. The results of this work demonstrate a method by which SEU may be empirically modeled in NMOS integrated circuits.

The future of housing in the United States: an econometric model of long-term predictions for the 2000 RPA timber assessment.

Treesearch

Claire A. Montgomery

2001-01-01

This report presents historical trends and future projections of forest, agricultural, and urban and other land uses for the South-Central United States. A land use share model is used to investigate the relation between the areas of land in alternative uses and economic and demographic factors influencing land use decisions. Two different versions of the empirical...

Drivers' communicative interactions: on-road observations and modelling for integration in future automation systems.

PubMed

Portouli, Evangelia; Nathanael, Dimitris; Marmaras, Nicolas

2014-01-01

Social interactions with other road users are an essential component of the driving activity and may prove critical in view of future automation systems; still up to now they have received only limited attention in the scientific literature. In this paper, it is argued that drivers base their anticipations about the traffic scene to a large extent on observations of social behaviour of other 'animate human-vehicles'. It is further argued that in cases of uncertainty, drivers seek to establish a mutual situational awareness through deliberate communicative interactions. A linguistic model is proposed for modelling these communicative interactions. Empirical evidence from on-road observations and analysis of concurrent running commentary by 25 experienced drivers support the proposed model. It is suggested that the integration of a social interactions layer based on illocutionary acts in future driving support and automation systems will improve their performance towards matching human driver's expectations. Practitioner Summary: Interactions between drivers on the road may play a significant role in traffic coordination. On-road observations and running commentaries are presented as empirical evidence to support a model of such interactions; incorporation of drivers' interactions in future driving support and automation systems may improve their performance towards matching driver's expectations.

Adolescents with anxiety and depression: is social recovery relevant?

PubMed

Simonds, Laura M; Pons, Rebecca A; Stone, Nicola J; Warren, Fiona; John, Mary

2014-01-01

Social recovery has become a prominent aspect of mental health service design and delivery in the past decade. Much of the literature on social recovery is derived from first-person accounts or primary research with adult service users experiencing severe mental illness. There is a lack of both theoretical and empirical work that could inform consideration of how the concept of social recovery might apply to adolescents experiencing common (non-psychotic) mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The current study was conducted to understand the process of experiencing anxiety and depression in young people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adolescents with anxiety and depression (seven girls and two boys aged 14-16 years) and 12 mothers who were recruited from a specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in the South of England. Thematic analysis indicated that young people do experience a process of 'recovery'; the processes participants described have some congruence with the earlier stages of adult recovery models involving biographical disruption and the development of new meanings, in this case of anxiety or depression, and changes in sense of identity. The accounts diverge with regard to later stages of adult models involving the development of hope and responsibility. The findings suggest that services should attend to social isolation and emphasise support for positive aspirations for future selves whilst also attending to young people's and parents' expectations about change. Methodological challenges face enquiry about 'recovery' given its connotations with cure in everyday language. Theoretical and empirical work on social recovery in young people and families is lacking. Using interviews, this study sought to understand the relevance of social recovery for adolescents with anxiety and depression and their mothers. Findings suggest some congruence with the earlier stages of adult recovery models involving meaning and identity. Findings diverge with regard to later stages of adult recovery models involving hope and responsibility. Social recovery in mental health services for young people needs significant empirical attention and critical debate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modeling returns volatility: Realized GARCH incorporating realized risk measure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wei; Ruan, Qingsong; Li, Jianfeng; Li, Ye

2018-06-01

This study applies realized GARCH models by introducing several risk measures of intraday returns into the measurement equation, to model the daily volatility of E-mini S&P 500 index futures returns. Besides using the conventional realized measures, realized volatility and realized kernel as our benchmarks, we also use generalized realized risk measures, realized absolute deviation, and two realized tail risk measures, realized value-at-risk and realized expected shortfall. The empirical results show that realized GARCH models using the generalized realized risk measures provide better volatility estimation for the in-sample and substantial improvement in volatility forecasting for the out-of-sample. In particular, the realized expected shortfall performs best for all of the alternative realized measures. Our empirical results reveal that future volatility may be more attributable to present losses (risk measures). The results are robust to different sample estimation windows.

Hurst exponent and prediction based on weak-form efficient market hypothesis of stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eom, Cheoljun; Choi, Sunghoon; Oh, Gabjin; Jung, Woo-Sung

2008-07-01

We empirically investigated the relationships between the degree of efficiency and the predictability in financial time-series data. The Hurst exponent was used as the measurement of the degree of efficiency, and the hit rate calculated from the nearest-neighbor prediction method was used for the prediction of the directions of future price changes. We used 60 market indexes of various countries. We empirically discovered that the relationship between the degree of efficiency (the Hurst exponent) and the predictability (the hit rate) is strongly positive. That is, a market index with a higher Hurst exponent tends to have a higher hit rate. These results suggested that the Hurst exponent is useful for predicting future price changes. Furthermore, we also discovered that the Hurst exponent and the hit rate are useful as standards that can distinguish emerging capital markets from mature capital markets.

Integrating technology readiness into the expectation-confirmation model: an empirical study of mobile services.

PubMed

Chen, Shih-Chih; Liu, Ming-Ling; Lin, Chieh-Peng

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to integrate technology readiness into the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) for explaining individuals' continuance of mobile data service usage. After reviewing the ECM and technology readiness, an integrated model was demonstrated via empirical data. Compared with the original ECM, the findings of this study show that the integrated model may offer an ameliorated way to clarify what factors and how they influence the continuous intention toward mobile services. Finally, the major findings are summarized, and future research directions are suggested.

Theory of earthquakes interevent times applied to financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagielski, Maciej; Kutner, Ryszard; Sornette, Didier

2017-10-01

We analyze the probability density function (PDF) of waiting times between financial loss exceedances. The empirical PDFs are fitted with the self-excited Hawkes conditional Poisson process with a long power law memory kernel. The Hawkes process is the simplest extension of the Poisson process that takes into account how past events influence the occurrence of future events. By analyzing the empirical data for 15 different financial assets, we show that the formalism of the Hawkes process used for earthquakes can successfully model the PDF of interevent times between successive market losses.

Pathological Gambling: Neuropsychopharmacology and Treatment

PubMed Central

Bullock, Scott A.; Potenza, Marc N.

2013-01-01

Pathological gambling (PG) affects about 0.2–2% of adults and the impact extends to family members, employers and society as a whole. Recent research has identified similarities in the pathophysiologies of PG and substance use disorders (SUDs). As such, findings regarding SUDs provide a framework for investigating PG. The aims of the manuscript are two-fold. First, we will briefly revivew neural systems implicated in PG. Cortico-limbic circuitry involving the ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are discussed as are the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, opioids, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This background will provide a framework for reviewing the psychopharmacological treatments that have been tested for efficacy and safety in treating PG. Of medications, the strongest data suggest the efficacy and tolerability of opioid antagonists in the treatment of PG, and other agents have varying degree of empirical support. As behavioral therapies have also shown efficacy, they will be briefly considered as well. Future research is needed to understand how treatments work in PG and for whom specific treatments might work best. PMID:24349964

Review of Refugee Mental Health Interventions Following Resettlement: Best Practices and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Murray, Kate E; Davidson, Graham R; Schweitzer, Robert D

2013-01-01

There are increasing numbers of refugees worldwide, with approximately 16 million refugees in 2007 and over 2.5 million refugees resettled in the United States since the start of its humanitarian program. Psychologists and other health professionals who deliver mental health services for individuals from refugee backgrounds need to have confidence that the therapeutic interventions they employ are appropriate and effective for the clients with whom they work. The current review briefly surveys refugee research, examines empirical evaluations of therapeutic interventions in resettlement contexts, and provides recommendations for best practices and future directions in resettlement countries. The resettlement interventions found to be most effective typically target culturally homogeneous client samples and demonstrate moderate to large outcome effects on aspects of traumatic stress and anxiety reduction. Further evaluations of the array of psychotherapeutic, psychosocial, pharmacological, and other therapeutic approaches, including psycho-educational and community-based interventions that facilitate personal and community growth and change, are encouraged. There is a need for increased awareness, training and funding to implement longitudinal interventions that work collaboratively with clients from refugee backgrounds through the stages of resettlement. PMID:20950298

Review of refugee mental health interventions following resettlement: best practices and recommendations.

PubMed

Murray, Kate E; Davidson, Graham R; Schweitzer, Robert D

2010-10-01

There are increasing numbers of refugees worldwide, with approximately 16 million refugees in 2007 and over 2.5 million refugees resettled in the United States since the start of its humanitarian program. Psychologists and other health professionals who deliver mental health services for individuals from refugee backgrounds need to have confidence that the therapeutic interventions they employ are appropriate and effective for the clients with whom they work. The current review briefly surveys refugee research, examines empirical evaluations of therapeutic interventions in resettlement contexts, and provides recommendations for best practices and future directions in resettlement countries. The resettlement interventions found to be most effective typically target culturally homogeneous client samples and demonstrate moderate to large outcome effects on aspects of traumatic stress and anxiety reduction. Further evaluations of the array of psychotherapeutic, psychosocial, pharmacological, and other therapeutic approaches, including psychoeducational and community-based interventions that facilitate personal and community growth and change, are encouraged. There is a need for increased awareness, training and funding to implement longitudinal interventions that work collaboratively with clients from refugee backgrounds through the stages of resettlement. © 2010 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

Pay or conditions? The role of workplace characteristics in nurses' labor supply.

PubMed

Eberth, Barbara; Elliott, Robert F; Skåtun, Diane

2016-07-01

Empirically rigorous studies of nursing labor supply have to date relied on extant secondary data and focused almost exclusively on the role of pay. Yet the conditions under which nurses work and the timing and convenience of the hours they work are also important determinants of labor supply. Where there are national pay structures and pay structures are relatively inflexible, as in nursing in European countries, these factors become more important. One of the principal ways in which employers can improve the relative attractiveness of nursing jobs is by changing these other conditions of employment. This study uses new primary data to estimate an extended model of nursing labor supply. It is the first to explore whether and how measures of non-pecuniary workplace characteristics and observed individual (worker) heterogeneity over non-pecuniary job aspects impact estimates of the elasticity of hours with respect to wages. Our results have implications for the future sustainability of an adequately sized nurse workforce and patient care especially at a time when European healthcare systems are confronted with severe financial pressures that have resulted in squeezes in levels of healthcare funding.

Parallel worlds? French and anglophone perspectives on health geography.

PubMed

Hoyez, Anne-Cécile; Collins, Damian; Fleuret, Sébastien

2016-09-01

In this short commentary, we address the following question: setting aside the issue of translation, do health geographers in France speak the same language as their English-speaking counterparts in various parts of the world? Specifically, do they have comparable empirical, theoretical and political concerns? We briefly survey the 'states of knowledge' in both fields for points of difference and similarity. We devote particular attention to the diverse contexts in which health geography is practiced. Our overarching goal is not to oppose two 'blocks'; nor is it to produce syntheses of two bodies of work. Rather, we seek to identify the diverse contexts in which geographic knowledge of health issues is produced, and to encourage reflection on what these mean for current and future collaboration across linguistic boundaries. We contend that meaningful Anglo-French comparative work will need to be particularly attentive to takes on theory that is 'the same, but different', to alternative spatial lenses (territory vs. place), and to sometimes sharply distinct perspectives on social difference. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building Energy Simulation Test for Existing Homes (BESTEST-EX) (Presentation)

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

Judkoff, R.; Neymark, J.; Polly, B.

2011-12-01

This presentation discusses the goals of NREL Analysis Accuracy R&D; BESTEST-EX goals; what BESTEST-EX is; how it works; 'Building Physics' cases; 'Building Physics' reference results; 'utility bill calibration' cases; limitations and potential future work. Goals of NREL Analysis Accuracy R&D are: (1) Provide industry with the tools and technical information needed to improve the accuracy and consistency of analysis methods; (2) Reduce the risks associated with purchasing, financing, and selling energy efficiency upgrades; and (3) Enhance software and input collection methods considering impacts on accuracy, cost, and time of energy assessments. BESTEST-EX Goals are: (1) Test software predictions of retrofitmore » energy savings in existing homes; (2) Ensure building physics calculations and utility bill calibration procedures perform up to a minimum standard; and (3) Quantify impact of uncertainties in input audit data and occupant behavior. BESTEST-EX is a repeatable procedure that tests how well audit software predictions compare to the current state of the art in building energy simulation. There is no direct truth standard. However, reference software have been subjected to validation testing, including comparisons with empirical data.« less

Reviewing RAWP. Variations in admission rates: implications for equitable allocation of resources.

PubMed Central

Bevan, G; Ingram, R

1987-01-01

The review of the Resource Allocation Working Party (RAWP) formula by the National Health Service Management Board has considered the method used to account for cross boundary flows between health authorities. There is no consensus on how this should be done subregionally, as it raises the unresolved problem of the best method of estimating the size of catchment populations. Different methods produce different population sizes when the admission rates of individuals living in different districts vary. The National Health Service/Department of Health and Social Security acute services working group on performance indicators recently considered the assumptions made by different methods in terms of admission thresholds set by hospital clinicians. More complicated methods of assessing catchment areas seem to offer little advantage over the simplest method, but none of the methods answer the underlying questions of what truly determines admission rates and whether higher admission rates are better than lower ones. Empirical research into variations in admission rates and their relation to outcomes is important for determining the fair allocation of resources in future. PMID:3120865

Toward an Empirical Multidimensional Structure of Anhedonia, Reward Sensitivity, and Positive Emotionality: An Exploratory Factor Analytic Study.

PubMed

Olino, Thomas M; McMakin, Dana L; Forbes, Erika E

2016-11-20

Positive emotionality, anhedonia, and reward sensitivity share motivational and experiential elements of approach motivation and pleasure. Earlier work has examined the interrelationships among these constructs from measures of extraversion. More recently, the Research Domain Criteria introduced the Positive Valence Systems as a primary dimension to better understand psychopathology. However, the suggested measures tapping this construct have not yet been integrated within the structural framework of personality, even at the level of self-report. Thus, this study conducted exploratory factor and exploratory bifactor analyses on 17 different dimensions relevant to approach motivation, spanning anhedonia, behavioral activation system functioning, and positive emotionality. Convergent validity of these dimensions is tested by examining associations with depressive symptoms. Relying on multiple indices of fit, our preferred model included a general factor along with specific factors of affiliation, positive emotion, assertiveness, and pleasure seeking. These factors demonstrated different patterns of association with depressive symptoms. We discuss the plausibility of this model and highlight important future directions for work on the structure of a broad Positive Valence Systems construct. © The Author(s) 2016.

Pathological Gambling: Neuropsychopharmacology and Treatment.

PubMed

Bullock, Scott A; Potenza, Marc N

2012-02-01

Pathological gambling (PG) affects about 0.2-2% of adults and the impact extends to family members, employers and society as a whole. Recent research has identified similarities in the pathophysiologies of PG and substance use disorders (SUDs). As such, findings regarding SUDs provide a framework for investigating PG. The aims of the manuscript are two-fold. First, we will briefly revivew neural systems implicated in PG. Cortico-limbic circuitry involving the ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are discussed as are the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, opioids, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This background will provide a framework for reviewing the psychopharmacological treatments that have been tested for efficacy and safety in treating PG. Of medications, the strongest data suggest the efficacy and tolerability of opioid antagonists in the treatment of PG, and other agents have varying degree of empirical support. As behavioral therapies have also shown efficacy, they will be briefly considered as well. Future research is needed to understand how treatments work in PG and for whom specific treatments might work best.

Work engagement, work commitment and their association with well-being in health care.

PubMed

Kanste, Outi

2011-12-01

The aim was to examine whether work engagement and work commitment can be empirically discriminated and how they are associated with well-being. The terminology used in literature and in practice is confused by the interchangeable use of these terms. Only few studies, like Hallberg and Schaufeli's study, have examined the relationships between work engagement and work commitment systematically by using empirical data. In this study, the data were gathered via self-reported questionnaire from the healthcare staff working in 14 health centres and four hospitals in Finland. The data consisted of 435 responses. The material was analysed by using structural equation modelling (SEM) and correlations. The items of work engagement and work commitment dimensions (identification with organization, willingness to exert in organization's favour, occupational commitment and job involvement) loaded on their own latent variables in SEM analysis, so the data supported this five-factor model. Work engagement and work commitment dimensions were positively related, sharing between 2 and 33% of their variances. These constructs also displayed different correlations with some indicators of well-being measured as personal accomplishment, psychological well-being, mental resources, internal work motivation and willingness to stay on at work. Work engagement had moderate positive correlation to personal accomplishment (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). Identification with organization (r = 0.40, p < 0.001), willingness to exert in organization's favour (r =0.44, p < 0.001) and occupational commitment (r =0.37, p < 0.001) had low correlations to personal accomplishment. The results support the notion that work engagement can be empirically discriminated from work commitment. They are distinct, yet related constructs that complement each other, describing different aspects of positive attitudes towards work. The results can be utilized in interventions aimed at quality of working life in health care as well as in studies investigating discriminant and construct validity. © 2011 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

What does quality of life refer to in bipolar disorders research? A systematic review of the construct's definition, usage and measurement.

PubMed

Morton, Emma; Michalak, Erin E; Murray, Greg

2017-04-01

Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly investigated in bipolar disorders (BD) research, yet little attention has been paid to its optimal definition and measurement. This is a significant limitation, as the broader QoL literature recognises a number of divergent meanings and measurement tensions. The aim here was to advance understanding of QoL in BD by clarifying use of the construct in the existing literature and considering measurement implications. Thematic analysis techniques were used to interrogate articles identified via systematic search for (a) explicit discussion of QoL definitional/measurement issues, and (b) usage of the term QoL. A total of 275 articles were included in the analysis. A range of definitional and methodological issues confounding the study of QoL in BD were identified. While explicit definition of QoL proved rare, thematic analysis of usage of the construct revealed the concepts of functioning, health, subjective experience and wellbeing were thought to be relevant to QoL in BD. The review does not engage in top-down theory development. Our analysis was grounded in the empirical literature to support future theoretical work relevant to existing usage of QoL in BD. There was no evidence of a consensus definition of QoL in BD. A plurality of QoL definitions is not necessarily a flaw in the literature, but points to empirical and conceptual issues demanding attention. Awareness of the diversity of constructs associated with QoL will enable clinicians to better select treatments on the basis of specific QoL outcomes. A research agenda and provisional considerations for empirical research are outlined based on the present analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A philosophical taxonomy of ethically significant moral distress.

PubMed

Thomas, Tessy A; McCullough, Laurence B

2015-02-01

Moral distress is one of the core topics of clinical ethics. Although there is a large and growing empirical literature on the psychological aspects of moral distress, scholars, and empirical investigators of moral distress have recently called for greater conceptual clarity. To meet this recognized need, we provide a philosophical taxonomy of the categories of what we call ethically significant moral distress: the judgment that one is not able, to differing degrees, to act on one's moral knowledge about what one ought to do. We begin by unpacking the philosophical components of Andrew Jameton's original formulation from his landmark 1984 work and identify two key respects in which that formulation remains unclear: the origins of moral knowledge and impediments to acting on that moral knowledge. We then selectively review subsequent literature that shows that there is more than one concept of moral distress and that explores the origin of the values implicated in moral distress and impediments to acting on those values. This review sets the stage for identifying the elements of a philosophical taxonomy of ethically significant moral distress. The taxonomy uses these elements to create six categories of ethically significant moral distress: challenges to, threats to, and violations of professional integrity; and challenges to, threats to, and violations of individual integrity. We close with suggestions about how the proposed philosophical taxonomy of ethically significant moral distress sheds light on the concepts of moral residue and crescendo effect of moral distress and how the proposed taxonomy might usefully guide prevention of and future qualitative and quantitative empirical research on ethically significant moral distress. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An all-atom structure-based potential for proteins: bridging minimal models with all-atom empirical forcefields.

PubMed

Whitford, Paul C; Noel, Jeffrey K; Gosavi, Shachi; Schug, Alexander; Sanbonmatsu, Kevin Y; Onuchic, José N

2009-05-01

Protein dynamics take place on many time and length scales. Coarse-grained structure-based (Go) models utilize the funneled energy landscape theory of protein folding to provide an understanding of both long time and long length scale dynamics. All-atom empirical forcefields with explicit solvent can elucidate our understanding of short time dynamics with high energetic and structural resolution. Thus, structure-based models with atomic details included can be used to bridge our understanding between these two approaches. We report on the robustness of folding mechanisms in one such all-atom model. Results for the B domain of Protein A, the SH3 domain of C-Src Kinase, and Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 are reported. The interplay between side chain packing and backbone folding is explored. We also compare this model to a C(alpha) structure-based model and an all-atom empirical forcefield. Key findings include: (1) backbone collapse is accompanied by partial side chain packing in a cooperative transition and residual side chain packing occurs gradually with decreasing temperature, (2) folding mechanisms are robust to variations of the energetic parameters, (3) protein folding free-energy barriers can be manipulated through parametric modifications, (4) the global folding mechanisms in a C(alpha) model and the all-atom model agree, although differences can be attributed to energetic heterogeneity in the all-atom model, and (5) proline residues have significant effects on folding mechanisms, independent of isomerization effects. Because this structure-based model has atomic resolution, this work lays the foundation for future studies to probe the contributions of specific energetic factors on protein folding and function.

An All-atom Structure-Based Potential for Proteins: Bridging Minimal Models with All-atom Empirical Forcefields

PubMed Central

Whitford, Paul C.; Noel, Jeffrey K.; Gosavi, Shachi; Schug, Alexander; Sanbonmatsu, Kevin Y.; Onuchic, José N.

2012-01-01

Protein dynamics take place on many time and length scales. Coarse-grained structure-based (Gō) models utilize the funneled energy landscape theory of protein folding to provide an understanding of both long time and long length scale dynamics. All-atom empirical forcefields with explicit solvent can elucidate our understanding of short time dynamics with high energetic and structural resolution. Thus, structure-based models with atomic details included can be used to bridge our understanding between these two approaches. We report on the robustness of folding mechanisms in one such all-atom model. Results for the B domain of Protein A, the SH3 domain of C-Src Kinase and Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 are reported. The interplay between side chain packing and backbone folding is explored. We also compare this model to a Cα structure-based model and an all-atom empirical forcefield. Key findings include 1) backbone collapse is accompanied by partial side chain packing in a cooperative transition and residual side chain packing occurs gradually with decreasing temperature 2) folding mechanisms are robust to variations of the energetic parameters 3) protein folding free energy barriers can be manipulated through parametric modifications 4) the global folding mechanisms in a Cα model and the all-atom model agree, although differences can be attributed to energetic heterogeneity in the all-atom model 5) proline residues have significant effects on folding mechanisms, independent of isomerization effects. Since this structure-based model has atomic resolution, this work lays the foundation for future studies to probe the contributions of specific energetic factors on protein folding and function. PMID:18837035

Psychosocial stressors and the prognosis of major depression: a test of Axis IV

PubMed Central

Gilman, Stephen E.; Trinh, Nhi-Ha; Smoller, Jordan W.; Fava, Maurizio; Murphy, Jane M.; Breslau, Joshua

2013-01-01

Background Axis IV is for reporting “psychosocial and environmental problems that may affect the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of mental disorders.” No studies have examined the prognostic value of Axis IV in DSM-IV. Method We analyzed data from 2,497 participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions with major depressive episode (MDE). We hypothesized that psychosocial stressors predict a poor prognosis of MDE. Secondarily, we hypothesized that psychosocial stressors predict a poor prognosis of anxiety and substance use disorders. Stressors were defined according to DSM-IV’s taxonomy, and empirically using latent class analysis. Results Primary support group problems, occupational problems, and childhood adversity increased the risks of depressive episodes and suicidal ideation by 20–30%. Associations of the empirically derived classes of stressors with depression were larger in magnitude. Economic stressors conferred a 1.5-fold increase in risk for a depressive episode (CI=1.2–1.9); financial and interpersonal instability conferred a 1.3-fold increased risk of recurrent depression (CI=1.1–1.6). These two classes of stressors also predicted the recurrence of anxiety and substance use disorders. Stressors were not related to suicidal ideation independent from depression severity. Conclusions Psychosocial and environmental problems are associated with the prognosis of MDE and other Axis I disorders. Though DSM-IV’s taxonomy of stressors stands to be improved, these results provide empirical support for the prognostic value of Axis IV. Future work is needed to determine the reliability of Axis IV assessments in clinical practice, and the usefulness of this information to improving the clinical course of mental disorders. PMID:22640506

Data mining in forecasting PVT correlations of crude oil systems based on Type1 fuzzy logic inference systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Sebakhy, Emad A.

2009-09-01

Pressure-volume-temperature properties are very important in the reservoir engineering computations. There are many empirical approaches for predicting various PVT properties based on empirical correlations and statistical regression models. Last decade, researchers utilized neural networks to develop more accurate PVT correlations. These achievements of neural networks open the door to data mining techniques to play a major role in oil and gas industry. Unfortunately, the developed neural networks correlations are often limited, and global correlations are usually less accurate compared to local correlations. Recently, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems have been proposed as a new intelligence framework for both prediction and classification based on fuzzy clustering optimization criterion and ranking. This paper proposes neuro-fuzzy inference systems for estimating PVT properties of crude oil systems. This new framework is an efficient hybrid intelligence machine learning scheme for modeling the kind of uncertainty associated with vagueness and imprecision. We briefly describe the learning steps and the use of the Takagi Sugeno and Kang model and Gustafson-Kessel clustering algorithm with K-detected clusters from the given database. It has featured in a wide range of medical, power control system, and business journals, often with promising results. A comparative study will be carried out to compare their performance of this new framework with the most popular modeling techniques, such as neural networks, nonlinear regression, and the empirical correlations algorithms. The results show that the performance of neuro-fuzzy systems is accurate, reliable, and outperform most of the existing forecasting techniques. Future work can be achieved by using neuro-fuzzy systems for clustering the 3D seismic data, identification of lithofacies types, and other reservoir characterization.

Intrinsic incompatibilities evolving as a by-product of divergent ecological selection: Considering them in empirical studies on divergence with gene flow.

PubMed

Kulmuni, J; Westram, A M

2017-06-01

The possibility of intrinsic barriers to gene flow is often neglected in empirical research on local adaptation and speciation with gene flow, for example when interpreting patterns observed in genome scans. However, we draw attention to the fact that, even with gene flow, divergent ecological selection may generate intrinsic barriers involving both ecologically selected and other interacting loci. Mechanistically, the link between the two types of barriers may be generated by genes that have multiple functions (i.e., pleiotropy), and/or by gene interaction networks. Because most genes function in complex networks, and their evolution is not independent of other genes, changes evolving in response to ecological selection can generate intrinsic barriers as a by-product. A crucial question is to what extent such by-product barriers contribute to divergence and speciation-that is whether they stably reduce gene flow. We discuss under which conditions by-product barriers may increase isolation. However, we also highlight that, depending on the conditions (e.g., the amount of gene flow and the strength of selection acting on the intrinsic vs. the ecological barrier component), the intrinsic incompatibility may actually destabilize barriers to gene flow. In practice, intrinsic barriers generated as a by-product of divergent ecological selection may generate peaks in genome scans that cannot easily be interpreted. We argue that empirical studies on divergence with gene flow should consider the possibility of both ecological and intrinsic barriers. Future progress will likely come from work combining population genomic studies, experiments quantifying fitness and molecular studies on protein function and interactions. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Conceptual Foundation for Measures of Physical Function and Behavioral Health Function for Social Security Work Disability Evaluation

PubMed Central

Marfeo, Elizabeth E.; Haley, Stephen M.; Jette, Alan M.; Eisen, Susan V.; Ni, Pengsheng; Bogusz, Kara; Meterko, Mark; McDonough, Christine M.; Chan, Leighton; Brandt, Diane E.; Rasch, Elizabeth K.

2014-01-01

Physical and mental impairments represent the two largest health condition categories for which workers receive Social Security disability benefits. Comprehensive assessment of physical and mental impairments should include aspects beyond medical conditions such as a person’s underlying capabilities as well as activity demands relevant to the context of work. The objective of this paper is to describe the initial conceptual stages of developing new measurement instruments of behavioral health and physical functioning relevant for Social Security work disability evaluation purposes. To outline a clear conceptualization of the constructs to be measured, two content models were developed using structured and informal qualitative approaches. We performed a structured literature review focusing on work disability and incorporating aspects of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a unifying taxonomy for framework development. Expert interviews provided advice and consultation to enhance face validity of the resulting content models. The content model for work-related behavioral health function identifies five major domains (1) Behavior Control, (2) Basic Interactions, (3) Temperament and Personality, (4) Adaptability, and (5) Workplace Behaviors. The content model describing physical functioning includes three domains (1) Changing and Maintaining Body Position, (2) Whole Body Mobility, and (3) Carrying, Moving and Handling Objects. These content models informed subsequent measurement properties including item development, measurement scale construction, and provided conceptual coherence guiding future empirical inquiry. The proposed measurement approaches show promise to comprehensively and systematically assess physical and behavioral health functioning relevant to work. PMID:23548543

An examination of pharmacists' labor supply and wages.

PubMed

Polgreen, Linnea A; Mott, David A; Doucette, William R

2011-12-01

For the last decade, there has been a shortage of pharmacists for most of the United States. This shortage is in part because of demand-side phenomena (eg, increasing prescription drug use, increases in the complexity of drug regimens, and an aging population). However, there also may be supply-side causes. Although the number of pharmacy school graduates has increased, most graduates are women, many of whom may choose to work part-time. Because of the change in sex composition of the workforce, some researchers conclude that pharmacist shortages will be even more critical in the future. The goals of this article are to model pharmacists' decisions to work, estimate pharmacists' wages, and identify influences on the number of hours worked by pharmacists in the United States. Pharmacist labor supply is examined using a static, 3-step, empirical labor supply model that estimates the decision to work, hourly wages, and number of hours worked for U.S. pharmacists. Pharmacists have high starting wages but flat wage trajectories. Although many pharmacists are working part-time, this is true for women and men. Income effects do not dominate substitution effects, even at the high level of compensation found here. Results indicate that previous predictions brought about by the changing sex composition of the pharmacist labor force might not come to pass, and additional pharmacists may be attracted to the profession by higher wages and flexible schedules. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized Constitutive-Based Theoretical and Empirical Models for Hot Working Behavior of Functionally Graded Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanini, Seyed Ali Sadough; Abolghasemzadeh, Mohammad; Assadi, Abbas

2013-07-01

Functionally graded steels with graded ferritic and austenitic regions including bainite and martensite intermediate layers produced by electroslag remelting have attracted much attention in recent years. In this article, an empirical model based on the Zener-Hollomon (Z-H) constitutive equation with generalized material constants is presented to investigate the effects of temperature and strain rate on the hot working behavior of functionally graded steels. Next, a theoretical model, generalized by strain compensation, is developed for the flow stress estimation of functionally graded steels under hot compression based on the phase mixture rule and boundary layer characteristics. The model is used for different strains and grading configurations. Specifically, the results for αβγMγ steels from empirical and theoretical models showed excellent agreement with those of experiments of other references within acceptable error.

Multifractal spectrum analysis of nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shu-Peng; He, Ling-Yun

2010-04-01

Based on Partition Function and Multifractal Spectrum Analysis, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets, namely, Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE for short) and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE for short), where nearly all agricultural futures contracts are traded in the two markets. Firstly, we found nontrivial multifractal spectra, which are the empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features, in 4 representative futures markets in China, that is, Hard Winter wheat (HW for short) and Strong Gluten wheat (SG for short) futures markets from ZCE and Soy Meal (SM for short) futures and Soy Bean No.1 (SB for short) futures markets from DCE. Secondly, by shuffling the original time series, we destroyed the underlying nonlinear temporal correlation; thus, we identified that long-range correlation mechanism constitutes major contributions in the formation in the multifractals of the markets. Thirdly, by tracking the evolution of left- and right-half spectra, we found that there exist critical points, between which there are different behaviors, in the left-half spectra for large price fluctuations; but for the right-hand spectra for small price fluctuations, the width of those increases slowly as the delay t increases in the long run. Finally, the dynamics of large fluctuations is significantly different from that of the small ones, which implies that there exist different underlying mechanisms in the formation of multifractality in the markets. Our main contributions focus on that we not only provided empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features in China agricultural commodity futures markets; but also we pioneered in investigating the sources of the multifractality in China’s agricultural futures markets in current literature; furthermore, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms based on spectrum analysis, which offers us insights into the underlying dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets.

Uncertainties Associated with Quantifying Climate Change Impacts on Human Health: A Case Study for Diarrhea

PubMed Central

Kolstad, Erik W.; Johansson, Kjell Arne

2011-01-01

Background Climate change is expected to have large impacts on health at low latitudes where droughts and malnutrition, diarrhea, and malaria are projected to increase. Objectives The main objective of this study was to indicate a method to assess a range of plausible health impacts of climate change while handling uncertainties in a unambiguous manner. We illustrate this method by quantifying the impacts of projected regional warming on diarrhea in this century. Methods We combined a range of linear regression coefficients to compute projections of future climate change-induced increases in diarrhea using the results from five empirical studies and a 19-member climate model ensemble for which future greenhouse gas emissions were prescribed. Six geographical regions were analyzed. Results The model ensemble projected temperature increases of up to 4°C over land in the tropics and subtropics by the end of this century. The associated mean projected increases of relative risk of diarrhea in the six study regions were 8–11% (with SDs of 3–5%) by 2010–2039 and 22–29% (SDs of 9–12%) by 2070–2099. Conclusions Even our most conservative estimates indicate substantial impacts from climate change on the incidence of diarrhea. Nevertheless, our main conclusion is that large uncertainties are associated with future projections of diarrhea and climate change. We believe that these uncertainties can be attributed primarily to the sparsity of empirical climate–health data. Our results therefore highlight the need for empirical data in the cross section between climate and human health. PMID:20929684

A review of the health and economic implications of patent protection, with a specific focus on Thailand

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Although it has been two decades since the Thai Patent Act was amended to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), there has been little emphasis given to assessing the implications of this amendment. The purpose of this review is to summarize the health and economic impact of patent protection, with a focus on the experience of Thailand. Methods A review of national and international empirical evidence on the health and economic implications of patents from 1980 to 2009 was undertaken. Results The findings illustrate the role of patent protection in four areas: price, present access, future access, and international trade and investment. Forty-three empirical studies were found, three of which were from Thai databases. Patenting does increase price, although the size of effect differs according to the methodology and country. Although weakening patent rights could increase present access, evidence suggests that strengthening patenting may benefit future access; although this is based on complex assumptions and estimations. Moreover, while patent protection appears to have a positive impact on trade flow, the implication for foreign direct investment (FDI) is equivocal. Conclusions Empirical studies in Thailand, and other similar countries, are rare, compromising the robustness and generalizability of conclusions. However, evidence does suggest that patenting presents a significant inter-temporal challenge in balancing aspects of current versus future access to technologies. This underlines the urgent need to prioritize health research resources to assess the wider implications of patent protection. PMID:22849392

Toward a Dynamic, Multidimensional Research Framework for Strategic Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinsmore, Daniel L.

2017-01-01

While the empirical literature on strategic processing is vast, understanding how and why certain strategies work for certain learners is far from clear. The purpose of this review is to systematically examine the theoretical and empirical literature on strategic process to parse out current conceptual and methodological progress to inform new…

Relationships among Developmental Competency Measures and Objective Work Outcomes in a New Zealand Retail Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Duncan J. R.; Cooper-Thomas, Helena D.; van Gelderen, Marco; Davis, Jane

2010-01-01

Competencies represent an important and popular topic in human resource development. Despite this popularity, a divide exists between practitioner approaches to developmental competency measures and the empirical scrutiny of such approaches. However, the scarce empirical studies on competency measures have begun to bridge this gap. In the present…

An Empirical Study on the Job Satisfaction of College Graduates in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Changjun, Yue

2014-01-01

This study used nationwide, randomly sampled data from the Peking University Institute of Economics of Education 2011 survey of college graduates to conduct an empirical analysis of their job satisfaction. The results indicate that work-related factors have a significant effect on the job satisfaction of college graduates, while nonwork factors…

The Foundations of Accent and Intelligibility in Pronunciation Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munro, Murray J.; Derwing, Tracey M.

2011-01-01

Our goal in developing this timeline was to trace the empirical bases of current approaches to L2 pronunciation teaching, with particular attention to the concepts of "accent" and "intelligibility". The process of identifying suitable works for inclusion challenged us in several ways. First, the number of empirical studies of pronunciation…

The Role of Empirical Evidence in Modeling Speech Segmentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Lawrence

2015-01-01

Choosing specific implementational details is one of the most important aspects of creating and evaluating a model. In order to properly model cognitive processes, choices for these details must be made based on empirical research. Unfortunately, modelers are often forced to make decisions in the absence of relevant data. My work investigates the…

Deriving Multidimensional Poverty Indicators: Methodological Issues and an Empirical Analysis for Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coromaldi, Manuela; Zoli, Mariangela

2012-01-01

Theoretical and empirical studies have recently adopted a multidimensional concept of poverty. There is considerable debate about the most appropriate degree of multidimensionality to retain in the analysis. In this work we add to the received literature in two ways. First, we derive indicators of multiple deprivation by applying a particular…

Toward a Linguistically Responsive Teacher Identity: An Empirical Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Adrian D.; Strom, Kathryn J.

2016-01-01

Despite current demographic imperatives, little is known about how teachers understand, construct, and enact their professional identities in relation to teaching English learners (ELs). This article, an empirical review of the literature on teacher identity and ELs, examines how teacher identity has been investigated among educators working in…

Test-Taking Engagement in PIAAC. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 133

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhammer, Frank; Martens, Thomas; Christoph, Gabriela; Lüdtke, Oliver

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated how empirical indicators of test-taking engagement can be defined, empirically validated, and used to describe group differences in the context of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). The approach was to distinguish between disengaged and engaged response behavior by means of…

Working Vulnerability: Agency of Caring Children and Children's Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wihstutz, Anne

2011-01-01

A growing number of empirical studies deal with children's participation in care relationships in the family. Based on a review of empirical findings in the UK and Germany, this article discusses care-giving children in terms of vulnerability and agency. The focus is set on understandings of family life as interdependent and reciprocal…

Impact of Trauma Work on Social Work Clinicians: Empirical Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Maddy

2003-01-01

Describes a study of social work clinicians working with two types of trauma: sexual abuse and cancer. The effect of clinician's cognitive schemas and the confounding variables of personal history of abuse and years' experience are described. Clinicians who worked primarily with clients who were sexually abused reported more disruptions in…

Spatial Working Memory Interferes with Explicit, but Not Probabilistic Cuing of Spatial Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Won, Bo-Yeong; Jiang, Yuhong V.

2015-01-01

Recent empirical and theoretical work has depicted a close relationship between visual attention and visual working memory. For example, rehearsal in spatial working memory depends on spatial attention, whereas adding a secondary spatial working memory task impairs attentional deployment in visual search. These findings have led to the proposal…

Effectiveness of resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention.

PubMed

Häggman-Laitila, Arja; Tanninen, Hanna-Mari; Pietilä, Anna-Maija

2010-09-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a resource-enhancing family-oriented intervention. There is very little empirical knowledge of how nurses working in a home context develop relationships with families, what methods they use to enhance families' resources and how such relationships affect the families' health outcomes. The study was designed as a descriptive service evaluation. A total of 129 family members from 30 families with small children participated in the study. Data were collected with family care plans and client reports in 2004-2005. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis and by descriptive statistical methods. Resource-enhancing discussions were carried out in all family meetings. Other methods were video guidance, creation of a family tree and parents' role map, network collaboration, observation and parent-child group activity. The families needed support mostly in parents' health and well-being, coping with parenthood, upbringing and child care, parents' relationships, social relations and children's health and growth. The families had an average of five support needs at the beginning of the intervention and 1·8 needs at the completion. The families set on average 3·6 and achieved 4·5 goals during the family nursing process. The resource-enhancing family nursing can be used for supporting parenthood, the raising of and caring for the children, strengthening of social support networks, decreasing the need for support from the authorities and enhancing the parents' resources to manage the duties related to their work and studies. The study resulted in empirically based concepts that can be used in the future to construct instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of resource-enhancing family nursing from the perspective of families and family health. The findings add to our professional understanding of resource-enhancing family nursing. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A First Look at Electric Motor Noise For Future Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Dennis L.; Henderson, Brenda S.; Envia, Edmane

2016-01-01

Motor tone predictions using a vibration analysis and input from design parameters for high power density motors show that the noise can be significantly higher or lower than the empirical correlations and exceeds the stated uncertainty.

Early stress and human behavioral development: emerging evolutionary perspectives.

PubMed

Del Giudice, M

2014-08-01

Stress experienced early in life exerts a powerful, lasting influence on development. Converging empirical findings show that stressful experiences become deeply embedded in the child's neurobiology, with an astonishing range of long-term effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior. In contrast with the prevailing view that such effects are the maladaptive outcomes of 'toxic' stress, adaptive models regard them as manifestations of evolved developmental plasticity. In this paper, I offer a brief introduction to adaptive models of early stress and human behavioral development, with emphasis on recent theoretical contributions and emerging concepts in the field. I begin by contrasting dysregulation models of early stress with their adaptive counterparts; I then introduce life history theory as a unifying framework, and review recent work on predictive adaptive responses (PARs) in human life history development. In particular, I discuss the distinction between forecasting the future state of the environment (external prediction) and forecasting the future state of the organism (internal prediction). Next, I present the adaptive calibration model, an integrative model of individual differences in stress responsivity based on life history concepts. I conclude by examining how maternal-fetal conflict may shape the physiology of prenatal stress and its adaptive and maladaptive effects on postnatal development. In total, I aim to show how theoretical work from evolutionary biology is reshaping the way we think about the role of stress in human development, and provide researchers with an up-to-date conceptual map of this fascinating and rapidly evolving field.

Using the time and motion method to study clinical work processes and workflow: methodological inconsistencies and a call for standardized research.

PubMed

Zheng, Kai; Guo, Michael H; Hanauer, David A

2011-01-01

To identify ways for improving the consistency of design, conduct, and results reporting of time and motion (T&M) research in health informatics. We analyzed the commonalities and divergences of empirical studies published 1990-2010 that have applied the T&M approach to examine the impact of health IT implementation on clinical work processes and workflow. The analysis led to the development of a suggested 'checklist' intended to help future T&M research produce compatible and comparable results. We call this checklist STAMP (Suggested Time And Motion Procedures). STAMP outlines a minimum set of 29 data/ information elements organized into eight key areas, plus three supplemental elements contained in an 'Ancillary Data' area, that researchers may consider collecting and reporting in their future T&M endeavors. T&M is generally regarded as the most reliable approach for assessing the impact of health IT implementation on clinical work. However, there exist considerable inconsistencies in how previous T&M studies were conducted and/or how their results were reported, many of which do not seem necessary yet can have a significant impact on quality of research and generalisability of results. Therefore, we deem it is time to call for standards that can help improve the consistency of T&M research in health informatics. This study represents an initial attempt. We developed a suggested checklist to improve the methodological and results reporting consistency of T&M research, so that meaningful insights can be derived from across-study synthesis and health informatics, as a field, will be able to accumulate knowledge from these studies.

Navigating the Complexities of Undergraduate Medical Curriculum Change: Change Leaders' Perspectives.

PubMed

Velthuis, Floor; Varpio, Lara; Helmich, Esther; Dekker, Hanke; Jaarsma, A Debbie C

2018-02-06

Changing an undergraduate medical curriculum is a recurring, high-stakes undertaking at medical schools. This study aimed to explore how people leading major curriculum changes conceived of the process of enacting change and the strategies they relied on to succeed in their efforts. The first author individually interviewed nine leaders who were leading or had led the most recent undergraduate curriculum change in one of the eight medical schools in the Netherlands. Interviews were between December 2015 and April 2016, using a semi-structured interview format. Data analysis occurred concurrently with data collection, with themes being constructed inductively from the data. Leaders conceived of curriculum change as a dynamic, complex process. They described three major challenges they had to deal with while navigating this process: the large number of stakeholders championing a multitude of perspectives, dealing with resistance, and steering the change process. Additionally, strategies for addressing these challenges were described. The authors identified an underlying principle informing the work of these leaders: being and remaining aware of emerging situations, and carefully constructing strategies for ensuring the intended outcomes were reached and contributed to the progress of the change process. This empirical, descriptive study enriches the understanding of how institutional leaders navigate the complexities of major medical curriculum changes. The insights serve as a foundation for training and coaching future change leaders. To broaden the understanding of curriculum change processes, future studies could investigate the processes through alternative stakeholder perspectives.Written work prepared by employees of the Federal Government as part of their official duties is, under the U.S. Copyright Act, a "work of the United States Government" for which copyright protection under Title 17 of the United States Code is not available. As such, copyright does not extend to the contributions of employees of the Federal Government.

Linking Mechanisms of Work-Family Conflict and Segmentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michel, Jesse S.; Hargis, Michael B.

2008-01-01

Despite the abundance of work and family research, few studies have compared the linking mechanisms specified in theoretical models of work-family conflict and segmentation. Accordingly, the current study provides a greater degree of empirical clarity concerning the interplay of work and family by directly examining the indirect effects of…

Rehabilitation Counselor Work Environment: Examining Congruence with Prototypic Work Personality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zanskas, Stephen; Strohmer, Douglas C.

2010-01-01

The profession of rehabilitation counseling has undergone extensive empirical study. Absent from this research has been a theoretical basis for describing and understanding the profession and its associated work environment. The focus of this study was to further our understanding of the nature of the rehabilitation counselor's work environment…

Teaching Online: Applying Need Theory to the Work-Family Interface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicklin, Jessica M.; McNall, Laurel A.; Cerasoli, Christopher P.; Varga, Claire M.; McGivney, R. J.

2016-01-01

Using Warner and Hausdorf's (2009) framework, the authors empirically examined work-life balance and work outcomes among collegiate faculty teaching courses online. Quantitative and qualitative results from 138 online instructors demonstrated that basic psychological need satisfaction was related to higher levels of work-family enrichment, job…

Mining a sea of data: deducing the environmental controls of ocean chlorophyll.

PubMed

Irwin, Andrew J; Finkel, Zoe V

2008-01-01

Chlorophyll biomass in the surface ocean is regulated by a complex interaction of physiological, oceanographic, and ecological factors and in turn regulates the rates of primary production and export of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Mechanistic models of phytoplankton responses to climate change require the parameterization of many processes of which we have limited knowledge. We develop a statistical approach to estimate the response of remote-sensed ocean chlorophyll to a variety of physical and chemical variables. Irradiance over the mixed layer depth, surface nitrate, sea-surface temperature, and latitude and longitude together can predict 83% of the variation in log chlorophyll in the North Atlantic. Light and nitrate regulate biomass through an empirically determined minimum function explaining nearly 50% of the variation in log chlorophyll by themselves and confirming that either light or macronutrients are often limiting and that much of the variation in chlorophyll concentration is determined by bottom-up mechanisms. Assuming the dynamics of the future ocean are governed by the same processes at work today, we should be able to apply these response functions to future climate change scenarios, with changes in temperature, nutrient distributions, irradiance, and ocean physics.

[Exploration of Recent Mobile Technologies Applied in Nursing Education].

PubMed

Wu, Ting-Ting; Lu, Yi-Chen; Chang, Lei

2017-12-01

The development of science and technology has fundamentally changed people's lives and the way that medical systems function. Increasingly, mobile technologies are being introduced and integrated into classroom teaching and clinical applications, resulting in healthcare providers introducing innovative applications into health education. These applications enhance the clinical, education, and research expertise of medical staffs and nurses, while improving quality of care and providing new experiences for patients. In order to understand the current situation and trends in nursing education, the present study adopted literature analysis to explore the influence and effect of mobile technologies that have been introduced into nursing education from the school and clinical environments. The results found that students hold positive attitudes toward introducing these technologies into their curricula. Although these technologies may increase the work efficiency of nurses in the workplace, questions remain user perceptions and professional expression. Therefore, securing patient agreement and healthcare system approval were major turning points in the introduction of mobile technologies into nursing education. In the future, adapting mobile technologies for use in teaching materials and courses may be further developed. Moreover, empirical studies may be used in future research in order to facilitate the increasingly successful integration of relevant technologies into nursing education.

Recent ecological responses to climate change support predictions of high extinction risk

PubMed Central

Maclean, Ilya M. D.; Wilson, Robert J.

2011-01-01

Predicted effects of climate change include high extinction risk for many species, but confidence in these predictions is undermined by a perceived lack of empirical support. Many studies have now documented ecological responses to recent climate change, providing the opportunity to test whether the magnitude and nature of recent responses match predictions. Here, we perform a global and multitaxon metaanalysis to show that empirical evidence for the realized effects of climate change supports predictions of future extinction risk. We use International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria as a common scale to estimate extinction risks from a wide range of climate impacts, ecological responses, and methods of analysis, and we compare predictions with observations. Mean extinction probability across studies making predictions of the future effects of climate change was 7% by 2100 compared with 15% based on observed responses. After taking account of possible bias in the type of climate change impact analyzed and the parts of the world and taxa studied, there was less discrepancy between the two approaches: predictions suggested a mean extinction probability of 10% across taxa and regions, whereas empirical evidence gave a mean probability of 14%. As well as mean overall extinction probability, observations also supported predictions in terms of variability in extinction risk and the relative risk associated with broad taxonomic groups and geographic regions. These results suggest that predictions are robust to methodological assumptions and provide strong empirical support for the assertion that anthropogenic climate change is now a major threat to global biodiversity. PMID:21746924

Recent ecological responses to climate change support predictions of high extinction risk.

PubMed

Maclean, Ilya M D; Wilson, Robert J

2011-07-26

Predicted effects of climate change include high extinction risk for many species, but confidence in these predictions is undermined by a perceived lack of empirical support. Many studies have now documented ecological responses to recent climate change, providing the opportunity to test whether the magnitude and nature of recent responses match predictions. Here, we perform a global and multitaxon metaanalysis to show that empirical evidence for the realized effects of climate change supports predictions of future extinction risk. We use International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria as a common scale to estimate extinction risks from a wide range of climate impacts, ecological responses, and methods of analysis, and we compare predictions with observations. Mean extinction probability across studies making predictions of the future effects of climate change was 7% by 2100 compared with 15% based on observed responses. After taking account of possible bias in the type of climate change impact analyzed and the parts of the world and taxa studied, there was less discrepancy between the two approaches: predictions suggested a mean extinction probability of 10% across taxa and regions, whereas empirical evidence gave a mean probability of 14%. As well as mean overall extinction probability, observations also supported predictions in terms of variability in extinction risk and the relative risk associated with broad taxonomic groups and geographic regions. These results suggest that predictions are robust to methodological assumptions and provide strong empirical support for the assertion that anthropogenic climate change is now a major threat to global biodiversity.

Two decades of reforms. Appraisal of the financial reforms in the Russian public healthcare sector.

PubMed

Gordeev, Vladimir S; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim

2011-10-01

This paper reviews the empirical evidence on the outcomes of the financial reforms in the Russian public healthcare sector. A systematic literature review identified 37 relevant publications that presented empirical evidence on changes in quality, equity, efficiency and sustainability in public healthcare provision due to the Russian public healthcare financial reforms. Evidence suggests that there are substantial inter-regional inequalities across income groups both in terms of financing and access to public healthcare services. There are large efficiency differences between regions, along with inter-regional variations in payment and reimbursement mechanisms. Informal and quasi-formal payments deteriorate access to public healthcare services and undermine the overall financing sustainability. The public healthcare sector is still underfinanced, although the implementation of health insurance gave some premises for future increases of efficiency. Overall, the available empirical data are not sufficient for an evidence-based evaluation of the reforms. More studies on the quality, equity, efficiency and sustainability impact of the reforms are needed. Future reforms should focus on the implementation of cost-efficiency and cost-control mechanisms; provide incentives for better allocation and distribution of resources; tackle problems in equity in access and financing; implement a system of quality controls; and stimulate healthy competition between insurance companies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulating the Risk of Liver Fluke Infection using a Mechanistic Hydro-epidemiological Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltrame, Ludovica; Dunne, Toby; Rose, Hannah; Walker, Josephine; Morgan, Eric; Vickerman, Peter; Wagener, Thorsten

2016-04-01

Liver Fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a common parasite found in livestock and responsible for considerable economic losses throughout the world. Risk of infection is strongly influenced by climatic and hydrological conditions, which characterise the host environment for parasite development and transmission. Despite on-going control efforts, increases in fluke outbreaks have been reported in recent years in the UK, and have been often attributed to climate change. Currently used fluke risk models are based on empirical relationships derived between historical climate and incidence data. However, hydro-climate conditions are becoming increasingly non-stationary due to climate change and direct anthropogenic impacts such as land use change, making empirical models unsuitable for simulating future risk. In this study we introduce a mechanistic hydro-epidemiological model for Liver Fluke, which explicitly simulates habitat suitability for disease development in space and time, representing the parasite life cycle in connection with key environmental conditions. The model is used to assess patterns of Liver Fluke risk for two catchments in the UK under current and potential future climate conditions. Comparisons are made with a widely used empirical model employing different datasets, including data from regional veterinary laboratories. Results suggest that mechanistic models can achieve adequate predictive ability and support adaptive fluke control strategies under climate change scenarios.

a Permanent Magnet Hall Thruster for Orbit Control of Lunar Polar Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Jose Leonardo; Silva Moraes, Bruno; Soares Ferreira, Ivan; Cardozo Mour, Decio; Winter, Othon

Future moon missions devoted to lunar surface remote sensing and to many others scientific exploration topics will require more fine and higher precision orbit control. It is well known that, lunar satellites in polar orbits will suffer a high increase on the eccentricity due to the gravitational perturbation of the Earth. Without proper orbit correction the satellite life time will decrease and end up in a collision with the moon surface. It is pointed out by many authors that this effect is a natural consequence of the Lidov-Kozai resonance. In the present work, we propose a precise method of orbit eccentricity control based on the use of a low thrust Hall plasma thruster. The proposed method is based on an approach intended to keep the orbital eccentricity of the satellite at low values. A previous work on this subject was made using numerical integration considering two systems: the 3-body problem, Moon-Earth-satellite and the 4-body problem, Moon-Earth-Sun-satellite (??). In such simulation it is possible to follow the evolution of the satellite's eccentricity and find empirical expressions for the length of time needed to occur the collision with the moon. In this work, a satellite orbit eccentricity control maneuvering is proposed. It is based on working parameters of a low thrust propulsion permanent magnet Hall plasma thruster (PMHT), which is been developed at University of Brasilia, Brazil. We studied different arcs of active lunar satellite propulsion in order to be able to introduce a correction of the eccentricity at each cycle. The calculations were made considering a set of different thrust values, from 0.1N up to 0.4N which can be obtained by using the PMHT. In each calculation procedure we measured the length of eccentricity correction provided by active propulsion. From these results we obtained empirical expressions of the time needed for the corrections as a function of the initial altitude and as a function of the thrust value. 1. Winter, O. C. et all in Controlling the Eccentricity of Polar Lunar Orbits with Low Thrust Propulsion, Mathematical Problems in Engineering, vol. on Space Dynamics, 2009.

Kindness in Australia: an empirical critique of moral decline sociology.

PubMed

Habibis, Daphne; Hookway, Nicholas; Vreugdenhil, Anthea

2016-09-01

A new sociological agenda is emerging that interrogates how morality can be established in the absence of the moral certainties of the past but there is a shortage of empirical work on this topic. This article establishes a theoretical framework for the empirical analysis of everyday morality drawing on the work of theorists including Ahmed, Bauman and Taylor. It uses the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes to assess the state and shape of contemporary moralities by asking how kind are Australians, how is its expression socially distributed, and what are the motivations for kindness. The findings demonstrate that Australians exhibit a strong attachment and commitment to kindness as a moral value that is primarily motivated by interiorized sources of moral authority. We argue these findings support the work of theorists such as Ahmed and Taylor who argue authenticity and embodied emotion are legitimate sources of morality in today's secular societies. The research also provides new evidence that generational changes are shaping understandings and practices of kindness in unexpected ways. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

Essays on energy derivatives pricing and financial risk management =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madaleno, Mara Teresa da Silva

This thesis consists of an introductory chapter (essay I) and five more empirical essays on electricity markets and CO2 spot price behaviour, derivatives pricing analysis and hedging. Essay I presents the structure of the thesis and electricity markets functioning and characteristics, as well as the type of products traded, to be analyzed on the following essays. In the second essay we conduct an empirical study on co-movements in electricity markets resorting to wavelet analysis, discussing long-term dynamics and markets integration. Essay three is about hedging performance and multiscale relationships in the German electricity spot and futures markets, also using wavelet analysis. We concentrate the investigation on the relationship between coherence evolution and hedge ratio analysis, on a time-frequency-scale approach, between spot and futures which conditions the effectiveness of the hedging strategy. Essays four, five and six are interrelated between them and with the other two previous essays given the nature of the commodity analyzed, CO2 emission allowances, traded in electricity markets. Relationships between electricity prices, primary energy fuel prices and carbon dioxide permits are analyzed on essay four. The efficiency of the European market for allowances is examined taking into account markets heterogeneity. Essay five analyzes stylized statistical properties of the recent traded asset CO2 emission allowances, for spot and futures returns, examining also the relation linking convenience yield and risk premium, for the German European Energy Exchange (EEX) between October 2005 and October 2009. The study was conducted through empirical estimations of CO2 allowances risk premium, convenience yield, and their relation. Future prices from an ex-post perspective are examined to show evidence for significant negative risk premium, or else a positive forward premium. Finally, essay six analyzes emission allowances futures hedging effectiveness, providing evidence for utility gains increases with investor’s preference over risk. Deregulation of electricity markets has led to higher uncertainty in electricity prices and by presenting these essays we try to shed new lights about structuring, pricing and hedging in this type of markets.

Learning through Making and Maker Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Yu-Chang; Baldwin, Sally; Ching, Yu-Hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, we provide an overview of the current efforts in maker education, supported by a review of empirical studies. Our synthesis will inform the community about learning outcomes, potential and common issues, challenges, resources, and future research direction regarding maker education.

Career Counseling with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Persons: The Next Decade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Y. Barry

2003-01-01

Proposes future directions for career counseling with lesbian, gay male, bisexual male and female, and transgendered persons. Suggestions include efforts for theory development, empirical research, career assessment, counseling practice, and counselor education. (Contains 53 references.) (GCP)

Semi-empirical and empirical L X-ray production cross sections for elements with 50 ⩽ Z ⩽ 92 for protons of 0.5 3.0 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nekab, M.; Kahoul, A.

2006-04-01

We present in this contribution, semi-empirical production cross sections of the main X-ray lines Lα, Lβ and Lγ for elements from Sn to U and for protons with energies varying from 0.5 to 3.0 MeV. The theoretical X-ray production cross sections are firstly calculated from the theoretical ionization cross sections of the L i ( i = 1, 2, 3) subshell within the ECPSSR theory. The semi-empirical Lα, Lβ and Lγ cross sections are then deduced by fitting the available experimental data normalized to their corresponding theoretical values and give the better representation of the experimental data in some cases. On the other hand, the experimental data are directly fitted to deduce the empirical L X-ray production cross sections. A comparison is made between the semi-empirical cross sections, the empirical cross sections reported in this work and the empirical ones reported by Reis and Jesus [M.A. Reis, A.P. Jesus, Atom. Data Nucl. Data Tables 63 (1996) 1] and those of Strivay and Weber [Strivay, G. Weber, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 190 (2002) 112].

Review of Empirical Studies on Impact of Religion, Religiosity and Spirituality as Protective Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salgado, Ana C.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to review the empirical researches supporting the positive impact of religion, religiosity and spirituality as protective factors in various areas of human life. An analysis of each variable is performed individually and collectively. Among the conclusions of this work, researches show that they help people to have…

Increasing Functional Communication in Non-Speaking Preschool Children: Comparison of PECS and VOCA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Stacey Jones; Stoner, Julia B.; Beck, Ann R.; Hanley, Laurie; Prochnow, Jessica

2005-01-01

For individuals who have complex communication needs and for the interventionists who work with them, the collection of empirically derived data that support the use of an intervention approach is critical. The purposes of this study were to continue building an empirically derived base of support for, and to compare the relative effectiveness of…

An Empirical Approach to the St. Petersburg Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klyve, Dominic; Lauren, Anna

2011-01-01

The St. Petersburg game is a probabilistic thought experiment. It describes a game which seems to have infinite expected value, but which no reasonable person could be expected to pay much to play. Previous empirical work has centered around trying to find the most likely payoff that would result from playing the game n times. In this paper, we…

An Empirical Study of the Influence of the Concept of "Job-Hunting" on Graduates' Employment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chengwen; Hu, Guiying

2008-01-01

The concept of job-hunting is an important factor affecting university students' employment. This empirical study shows that while hunting for a job, graduates witness negative correlation between their expectation of the nature of work and the demand for occupational types and the accessibility to a post and monthly income; positive correlation…

Designing, Building, and Connecting Networks to Support Distributed Collaborative Empirical Writing Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunk-Chavez, Beth; Pigg, Stacey; Moore, Jessie; Rosinski, Paula; Grabill, Jeffrey T.

2018-01-01

To speak to diverse audiences about how people learn to write and how writing works inside and outside the academy, we must conduct research across geographical, institutional, and cultural contexts as well as research that enables comparison when appropriate. Large-scale empirical research is useful for both of these moves; however, we must…

From Camouflage to Classrooms: An Empirical Examination of Veterans at a Regional Midwestern University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberweis, Trish; Bradford, Matthew

2017-01-01

Despite a large and growing population of former military service members entering colleges and universities, there is very little empirical work that examines veterans' perspectives on service needs or their perceptions and attitudes about their college experience. Much of what we know of student veterans' views is based on a different generation…

An Empirical Introduction to the Concept of Chemical Element Based on Van Hiele's Theory of Level Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vogelezang, Michiel; Van Berkel, Berry; Verdonk, Adri

2015-01-01

Between 1970 and 1990, the Dutch working group "Empirical Introduction to Chemistry" developed a secondary school chemistry education curriculum based on the educational vision of the mathematicians van Hiele and van Hiele-Geldof. This approach viewed learning as a process in which students must go through discontinuous level transitions…

An Empirical Model for the Use of Biglan's Disciplinary Categories. AIR Forum 1979 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muffo, John A.; Langston, Ira W., IV

The Biglan method of grouping academic disciplines for comparative purposes is discussed as well as an empirically-based system for making internal comparisons among different academic units. The clusters of disciplines developed by Biglan (pure and applied, soft and hard, life and nonlife) are useful guides in working with data involving…

N-Loop Learning: Part I--of Hedgehog, Fox, Dodo Bird and Sphinx

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonin, Bernard L.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to encourage greater clarity and stimulate further interest in thorough empirical research in the area of learning levels. The broader motivation here is to urge researchers to not only theorize but also undertake elaborate and much needed empirical work. Design/methodology/approach Part I of the study rests on a…

Review of Literature on the Career Transitions of Performing Artists Pursuing Career Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middleton, Jerry C.; Middleton, Jason A.

2017-01-01

Few studies in the existent empirical literature explore the career transitions of performing artists. First, we provide working definitions of career transition and of a performing artist. Thereafter, we peruse empirical studies, from the 1980s onward, that delineate the career transition process in terms of three main types of transition:…

Pedagogising the University: On Higher Education Policy Implementation and Its Effects on Social Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stavrou, Sophia

2016-01-01

This paper aims at providing a theoretical and empirical discussion on the concept of pedagogisation which derives from the hypothesis of a new era of "totally pedagogised society" in Basil Bernstein's work. The article is based on empirical research on higher education policy, with a focus on the implementation of curriculum change…