Reactions at surfaces in the atmosphere: integration of experiments and theory as necessary (but not necessarily sufficient) for predicting the physical chemistry of aerosols.

PubMed

Finlayson-Pitts, Barbara J

2009-09-28

While particles have significant deleterious impacts on human health, visibility and climate, quantitative understanding of their formation, composition and fates remains problematic. Indeed, in many cases, even qualitative understanding is lacking. One area of particular uncertainty is the nature of particle surfaces and how this determines interactions with gases in the atmosphere, including water, which is important for cloud formation and properties. The focus in this Perspective article is on some chemistry relevant to airborne particles and especially to reactions occurring on their surfaces. The intent is not to provide a comprehensive review, but rather to highlight a few selected examples of interface chemistry involving inorganic and organic species that may be important in the lower atmosphere. This includes sea salt chemistry, nitrate and nitrite ion photochemistry, organics on surfaces and heterogeneous reactions of oxides of nitrogen on proxies for airborne mineral dust and boundary layer surfaces. Emphasis is on the molecular level understanding that can only be gained by fully integrating experiment and theory to elucidate these complex systems.

Feeling Interpersonally Controlled While Pursuing Materialistic Goals: A Problematic Combination for Moral Behavior.

PubMed

Sheldon, Kennon M; Sommet, Nicolas; Corcoran, Mike; Elliot, Andrew J

2018-04-01

We created a life-goal assessment drawing from self-determination theory and achievement goal literature, examining its predictive power regarding immoral behavior and subjective well-being. Our source items assessed direction and energization of motivation, via the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic aims and between intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for acting, respectively. Fused source items assessed four goal complexes representing a combination of direction and energization. Across three studies ( Ns = 109, 121, and 398), the extrinsic aim/extrinsic reason complex was consistently associated with immoral and/or unethical behavior beyond four source and three other goal complex variables. This was consistent with the triangle model of responsibility's claim that immoral behaviors may result when individuals disengage the self from moral prescriptions. The extrinsic/extrinsic complex also predicted lower subjective well-being, albeit less consistently. Our goal complex approach sheds light on how self-determination theory's goal contents and organismic integration mini-theories interact, particularly with respect to unethical behavior.

Integrative assessment of Evolutionary theory acceptance and knowledge levels of Biology undergraduate students from a Brazilian university

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavares, Gustavo Medina; Bobrowski, Vera Lucia

2018-03-01

The integrative role that Evolutionary theory plays within Biology is recognised by most scientific authors, as well as in governmental education policies, including Brazilian policies. However, teaching and learning evolution seems problematic in many countries, and Brazil is among those. Many factors may affect teachers' and students' perceptions towards evolution, and studies can help to reveal those factors. We used a conceptual questionnaire, the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) instrument, and a Knowledge test to assess (1) the level of acceptance and understanding of 23 undergraduate Biology students nearing the end of their course, (2) other factors that could affect these levels, including course structure, and (3) the most difficult topics regarding evolutionary biology. The results of this study showed that the students, on average, had a 'Very High Acceptance' (89.91) and a 'Very Low Knowledge' (59.42%) of Evolutionary theory, and also indicated a moderate positive correlation between the two (r = 0.66, p = .001). The most difficult topics were related to the definition of evolution and dating techniques. We believe that the present study provides evidence for policymakers to reformulate current school and university curricula in order to improve the teachers' acceptance and understanding of evolution and other biological concepts, consequently, helping students reduce their misconceptions related to evolutionary biology.

The quartet theory: Implications for autism spectrum disorder. Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: An integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehrs, Corinna; Samson, Andrea C.; Gross, James J.

2015-06-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication deficits as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors [1]. Specific deficits include failure to initiate reciprocal social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, decreased sensitivity to social and emotional cues, and limited perspective-taking abilities. Social withdrawal, avoidance or indifference to affection or physical contact, lack of eye contact, and decreased joint attention and facial responsiveness are also common [2]. In addition to these core features, there is a growing body of literature that describes problematic patterns of emotional reactivity (increased negative and decreased positive emotions) and emotion regulation (increased use of maladaptive and decreased use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies) [3-5]. The present comment seeks to link difficulties in socio-emotional domains to the Quartet Theory of Human Emotions by mapping characteristic ASD social deficits and emotion dysregulation onto two of the affect systems described in this theory: the hippocampal and orbitofrontal-centered systems.

The State of the Field: Interdisciplinary Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, William H.

2013-01-01

This chronological overview of the development of interdisciplinary theory starts with the pre-cursors of theory: the development and elaboration of the definition of interdisciplinary studies, influential but problematic images of interdisciplinary studies proposed by Donald Campbell and Erich Jantsch, and best practices in interdisciplinary…

Do I Know What I'm Doing? Cognitive Dissonance and Action Identification Theory.

PubMed

Fointiat, Valérie; Pelt, Audrey

2015-11-27

Our main purpose was to explore hypotheses derived from the Identification of Action Theory in a particular situation that is, a dissonant situation. Thus, we varied the identification (low versus high-level) of a problematic behavior (to stop speaking for 24 hours) in the forced compliance paradigm. Two modes of dissonance reduction were presented: cognitive rationalization (classical attitude-change) and behavioral rationalization (target behavior: to stop speaking for 48 hours). As predicted, the results showed that high-level identity of action leads to cognitive rationalization whereas low-level identity leads to behavioural rationalization. Thus, participants identifying the problematic behavior at a low-level were more inclined to accept the target behavior, compared with participants identifying their problematic behavior at a higher-level. These results are of particular interest for understanding the extent to which the understanding of the discrepant act interferes with the cognitive processes of dissonance reduction.

Why Is Organizing Human Resource Development so Problematic? Perspectives from the Learning-Network Theory (Part I)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poell, Rob F.; van der Krogt, Ferd

2017-01-01

Purpose: Human resource development (HRD) is an important field within management. Developing employees is often regarded as an instrument to improve the internal labor market and support organizational change. Organizing HRD to these ends, however, is frequently a problematic affair, in terms of training effectiveness, participant motivation and…

Why is Organizing Human Resource Development so Problematic? Perspectives from the Learning-Network Theory (Part II)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poell, Rob F.; Van Der Krogt, Ferd

2017-01-01

Purpose: Human resource development (HRD) is an important field within management. Developing employees is often regarded as an instrument to improve the internal labor market and support organizational change. Organizing HRD to these ends, however, is frequently a problematic affair, in terms of training effectiveness, participant motivation and…

Getting to the Source: An Instrument for Examining the Dynamics of Problematic Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cui, Xia

2014-01-01

A major challenge faced in research seeking to investigate the underlying dynamics of problematic interactions is that, when asked about the rationale underpinning what they said and did--their "theory of action in-use" (Argyris and Schön, 1974, 1978, 1996)--participants are often unaware of what prompts their behaviour--or decide to…

Moving from Student Development to Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillett-Karam, Rosemary

2016-01-01

By using a reconstructionist and critical theory approach, a review of student development theories demonstrates the problematic nature of such ideas as they continue to be used to shape student affairs practice in community colleges.

Theory-Driven Intervention for Changing Personality: Expectancy Value Theory, Behavioral Activation, and Conscientiousness

PubMed Central

Magidson, Jessica F.; Roberts, Brent; Collado-Rodriguez, Anahi; Lejuez, C.W.

2013-01-01

Considerable evidence suggests that personality traits may be changeable, raising the possibility that personality traits most linked to health problems can be modified with intervention. A growing body of research suggests that problematic personality traits may be altered with behavioral intervention using a bottom-approach. That is, by targeting core behaviors that underlie personality traits with the goal of engendering new, healthier patterns of behavior that over time become automatized and manifest in changes in personality traits. Nevertheless, a bottom-up model for changing personality traits is somewhat diffuse and requires clearer integration of theory and relevant interventions to enable real clinical application. As such, this manuscript proposes a set of guiding principles for theory-driven modification of targeted personality traits using a bottom-up approach, focusing specifically on targeting the trait of conscientiousness using a relevant behavioral intervention, Behavioral Activation (BA), considered within the motivational framework of Expectancy Value Theory (EVT). We conclude with a real case example of the application of BA to alter behaviors counter to conscientiousness in a substance dependent patient, highlighting the EVT principles most relevant to the approach and the importance and viability of a theoretically-driven, bottom-up approach to changing personality traits. PMID:23106844

An Alternative to the Problematic Macro-Micro Structure of Introductory Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinari, Frank D.

The paper explains an alternative structure to teaching micro and macroeconomic theory and describes the characteristics that make it an effective framework for introductory and principles courses. The teaching of economics principles typically proceeds by separating macroeconomic theory and microeconomic theory. But the use of the macro-micro…

Understanding Authority in Classrooms: A Review of Theory, Ideology, and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pace, Judith L.; Hemmings, Annette

2007-01-01

Authority is a fundamental, problematic, and poorly understood component of classroom life. A better understanding of classroom authority can be achieved by reviewing writings on social theory, educational ideology, and qualitative research in schools. Social theories provide important analytical tools for examining the constitutive elements of…

Eisner's Aesthetic Theory of Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, H. A.

1986-01-01

The author argues that Elliot Eisner's assumptions underpinning his theory of educational evaluation are problematic. Nevertheless, if the role of artistic thinking in the genesis of educational concept were developed more fully, his approach could bear considerable fruit. (MT)

Developing a Model of Theory-to-Practice-to-Theory in Student Affairs: An Extended Case Analysis of Theories of Student Learning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimball, Ezekiel W.

2012-01-01

Recent literature suggests a problematic connection between theory and practice in higher education scholarship generally and the study of student learning and development specifically (e.g. Bensimon, 2007; Kezar, 2000; Love, 2012). Much of this disconnect stems from a lack of differentiation between various types of theory used in student affairs…

More than Just Story-Telling: Cultural-Historical Activity Theory as an Under-Utilized Methodology for Educational Change Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yew-Jin

2011-01-01

Sociocultural theory is increasingly popular as a paradigm for research in education. A recent member in this family of theories is introduced--cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)--that shows much promise to complement and invigorate the field of educational change, a large, multi-faceted, and persistent problematic. In particular,…

Relating Theory and Practice in Laboratory Work: A Variation Theoretical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckerdal, Anna

2015-01-01

Computer programming education has practice-oriented as well as theory-oriented learning goals. Here, lab work plays an important role in students' learning. It is however widely reported that many students face great difficulties in learning theory as well as practice. This paper investigates the important but problematic relation between the…

Removal of Asperger's syndrome from the DSM V: community response to uncertainty.

PubMed

Parsloe, Sarah M; Babrow, Austin S

2016-01-01

The May 2013 release of the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V) subsumed Asperger's syndrome under the wider diagnostic label of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The revision has created much uncertainty in the community affected by this condition. This study uses problematic integration theory and thematic analysis to investigate how participants in Wrong Planet, a large online community associated with autism and Asperger's syndrome, have constructed these uncertainties. The analysis illuminates uncertainties concerning both the likelihood of diagnosis and value of diagnosis, and it details specific issues within these two general areas of uncertainty. The article concludes with both conceptual and practical implications.

A boost and bounce theory of temporal attention.

PubMed

Olivers, Christian N L; Meeter, Martijn

2008-10-01

What is the time course of visual attention? Attentional blink studies have found that the 2nd of 2 targets is often missed when presented within about 500 ms from the 1st target, resulting in theories about relatively long-lasting capacity limitations or bottlenecks. Earlier studies, however, reported quite the opposite finding: Attention is transiently enhanced, rather than reduced, for several hundreds of milliseconds after a relevant event. The authors present a general theory, as well as a working computational model, that integrate these findings. There is no central role for capacity limitations or bottlenecks. Central is a rapidly responding gating system (or attentional filter) that seeks to enhance relevant and suppress irrelevant information. When items sufficiently match the target description, they elicit transient excitatory feedback activity (a "boost" function), meant to provide access to working memory. However, in the attentional blink task, the distractor after the target is accidentally boosted, resulting in subsequent strong inhibitory feedback response (a "bounce"), which, in effect, closes the gate to working memory. The theory explains many findings that are problematic for limited-capacity accounts, including a new experiment showing that the attentional blink can be postponed.

Environmental factors and their role in community integration after spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Lysack, Cathy; Komanecky, Marie; Kabel, Allison; Cross, Katherine; Neufeld, Stewart

2007-01-01

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model presents an opportunity to better understand previously neglected longterm social outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), especially the experience of participation. The study explored the relationship between perceived environmental barriers and perceived community integration (a participation proxy) in a sample of adults with traumatic SCI. The study interviewed African American and White women and men (n = 136) who had lived with SCI for an average of 11.5 years. Participants reported environmental barriers at twice the level indicated by previous studies; the natural environment and the policies of government were the most problematic. Levels of community integration were also high. Data suggest a significant relationship (p < .01) between perceived environmental barriers and community integration for adults with SCI, providing support for the ICF model. Improved measures and more sophisticated concepts and theories are needed to explicate the relationship between environmental factors and participation concepts in the ICE With respect to practice, occupational therapists need to be aware that removal of environmental barriers is only a first step in the more complex effort to facilitate optimal community integration after SCI.

[Creating an integrated nursing curriculum].

PubMed

Romano, R A; Papa, L M; Lopes, G T

1997-01-01

During the last two decades, Brazilian society has gone through great changes into political, ideological and economical fields. These changes left their strings into society, specially in population health. The nurse formation based on the Law n(o) 5540/68 and on the Statement n(o) 163/72, no more meets population demands. Since 1992, the Nursing Faculty of UERJ-FEUerj intensifies the reflection movement upon teaching-learning process searching for transforming its own reality. The making of this project presents two complementary and important reasons: FEUerj docents and discents' desire in elaborating a curriculum which searches for nurses' formation that articulates teaching-work-community, theory and practice, based on a Critical Theory of Education, on the line of PROBLEMATIZATION, and the accomplishment of Statement n(o) 314/94 from the CFE and from the Letter of Order MEC n(o) 1171/15/dez/94. From debating, the professional profile has been defined from the social environment where the profession is performed and the alumnate's characteristics; area determination or group of attributions, according to professional praxis adequation, concept hierachization, processes, etc., which in the process of 'classification and syntheses' of knowledge results into a netlike chained and related tree. In the first phase of the curriculum study, it has diagnosed as principal condition, the actual curriculum 'DECONTEXTUALIZATION' and the 'US' to be faced to lead it to an end the Curriculum Reformulation Proposal. The Process of Pedagogical Abilitation for professors, workshops, researches on the desirable and present profile, seminars, performance, abilities and principles systematization, identification of areas which compose the integrated curriculum, subjects localization into areas and articulation between professional subjects and other activities, has been implemented. Based on this work on the problematized pedagogy first step, an instrument 'Research on the Professional Profile for the Nursing Graduation Course', was built, identifying the performances and principles which sustain them on each subject making the present profile clear and desirable to docents and discents.

Theory-driven intervention for changing personality: expectancy value theory, behavioral activation, and conscientiousness.

PubMed

Magidson, Jessica F; Roberts, Brent W; Collado-Rodriguez, Anahi; Lejuez, C W

2014-05-01

Considerable evidence suggests that personality traits may be changeable, raising the possibility that personality traits most linked to health problems can be modified with intervention. A growing body of research suggests that problematic personality traits may be altered with behavioral intervention using a bottom-up approach. That is, by targeting core behaviors that underlie personality traits with the goal of engendering new, healthier patterns of behavior that, over time, become automatized and manifest in changes in personality traits. Nevertheless, a bottom-up model for changing personality traits is somewhat diffuse and requires clearer integration of theory and relevant interventions to enable real clinical application. As such, this article proposes a set of guiding principles for theory-driven modification of targeted personality traits using a bottom-up approach, focusing specifically on targeting the trait of conscientiousness using a relevant behavioral intervention, Behavioral Activation (BA), considered within the motivational framework of expectancy value theory (EVT). We conclude with a real case example of the application of BA to alter behaviors counter to conscientiousness in a substance-dependent patient, highlighting the EVT principles most relevant to the approach and the importance and viability of a theoretically driven, bottom-up approach to changing personality traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Problematic video game play in a college sample and its relationship to time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomology.

PubMed

Tolchinsky, Anatol; Jefferson, Stephen D

2011-09-01

Although numerous benefits have been uncovered related to moderate video game play, research suggests that problematic video game playing behaviors can cause problems in the lives of some video game players. To further our understanding of this phenomenon, we investigated how problematic video game playing symptoms are related to an assortment of variables, including time management skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Additionally, we tested several simple mediation/moderation models to better explain previous theories that posit simple correlations between these variables. As expected, the results from the present study indicated that time management skills appeared to mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problematic play endorsement (though only for men). Unexpectedly, we found that ADHD symptoms appeared to mediate the relation between time management skills and problematic play behaviors; however, this was only found for women in our sample. Finally, future implications are discussed.

Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design

PubMed Central

Harkin, Lydia

2018-01-01

Internet-enabled smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous in the Western world. Research suggests a number of problems can result from mobile phone overuse, including dependence, dangerous and prohibited use. For over a decade, this has been measured by the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q). Given the rapid developments in mobile technologies, changes of use patterns and possible problematic and addictive use, the aim of the present study was to investigate and validate an updated contemporary version of the PMPU-Q (PMPU-Q-R). A mixed methods convergent design was employed, including a psychometric survey (N = 512) alongside qualitative focus groups (N = 21), to elicit experiences and perceptions of problematic smartphone use. The results suggest the PMPU-Q-R factor structure can be updated to include smartphone dependence, dangerous driving, and antisocial smartphone use factors. Theories of problematic mobile phone use require consideration of the ubiquity and indispensability of smartphones in the present day and age, particularly regarding use whilst driving and in social interactions. PMID:29337883

Problematic Smartphone Use: Investigating Contemporary Experiences Using a Convergent Design.

PubMed

Kuss, Daria J; Harkin, Lydia; Kanjo, Eiman; Billieux, Joel

2018-01-16

Internet-enabled smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous in the Western world. Research suggests a number of problems can result from mobile phone overuse, including dependence, dangerous and prohibited use. For over a decade, this has been measured by the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q). Given the rapid developments in mobile technologies, changes of use patterns and possible problematic and addictive use, the aim of the present study was to investigate and validate an updated contemporary version of the PMPU-Q (PMPU-Q-R). A mixed methods convergent design was employed, including a psychometric survey ( N = 512) alongside qualitative focus groups ( N = 21), to elicit experiences and perceptions of problematic smartphone use. The results suggest the PMPU-Q-R factor structure can be updated to include smartphone dependence, dangerous driving, and antisocial smartphone use factors. Theories of problematic mobile phone use require consideration of the ubiquity and indispensability of smartphones in the present day and age, particularly regarding use whilst driving and in social interactions.

School connectedness and problematic internet use in adolescents: a moderated mediation model of deviant peer affiliation and self-control.

PubMed

Li, Dongping; Li, Xian; Wang, Yanhui; Zhao, Liyan; Bao, Zhenzhou; Wen, Fangfang

2013-11-01

Although a growing body of research documents the negative association between school connectedness and adolescent problematic Internet use (PIU), little is known about the mediating mechanism (i.e., how school connectedness relates to PIU?) and moderating mechanism (i.e., when the protection is most potent?) underlying this relation. The present study examined whether deviant peer affiliation mediated the relationship between school connectedness and PIU, and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescent self-control. A total of 2,758 Chinese adolescents (46 % male; mean age = 13.53 years, SD = 1.06) from 10 middle schools completed anonymous questionnaires regarding school connectedness, deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and PIU. After controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, and parental attachment, it was found that the negative association between school connectedness and adolescent PIU was partially mediated by deviant peer affiliation. Moreover, this indirect link was stronger for adolescents with low self-control than for those with high self-control. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the social control theory and organism-environment interaction model to understand how and when school connectedness impacts adolescent PIU.

Couples coping with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review.

PubMed

Trump, Lisa J; Mendenhall, Tai J

2017-03-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Its potential ramifications on all aspects of life, for patients and partners, are just beginning to be understood. Although research has focused on the individual who has received the diagnosis, relatively little is known about how couples manage CVD. This article presents a systematic review of literature that focuses on how couples cope with one partner's CVD diagnosis. A systematic review is warranted to orient practitioners, policy makers, and researchers to the state of existing knowledge and its gaps and to identify what still needs to be done. Data were extracted from 25 peer-reviewed articles that met our inclusion criteria. Content examined included theory integration, coping constructs and instruments, samples, analyses, and findings. Most articles successfully integrated theory in the studies' respective conceptualizations and designs. Most used valid and reliable instruments to measure coping. Principal limitations included problematic sampling strategies and analysis techniques, thereby limiting external validity. Principal implications of this review's findings relate to our fields' need to provide more care focused on dyads (vs. individual patients), adopt an integrated model in health care, and conduct systemic, longitudinal research to gain a better grasp on how coping changes over time. Doing so will serve to better equip providers in the support of patients and partners living with CVD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Children, Individualism and Community. Review of "The Missing Child in Liberal Theory: Towards a Covenant Theory of Family, Community, Welfare and the Civic State" by John O'Neill.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qvortrup, Jens

1997-01-01

Asserts that O'Neill's book is excellent critique of liberalism and its neglect of children, but that suggestions for implementing covenant theory (rather than contract theory) as the basis for societal thinking and policy-making, although appealing, are problematic; paradoxically, in order to re-establish close relations between people, calls…

Being a pedestrian with dementia: A qualitative study using photo documentation and focus group interviews.

PubMed

Brorsson, Anna; Öhman, Annika; Lundberg, Stefan; Nygård, Louise

2016-09-01

The aim of the study was to identify problematic situations in using zebra crossings. They were identified from photo documentations comprising film sequences and the perspectives of people with dementia. The aim was also to identify how they would understand, interpret and act in these problematic situations based on their previous experiences and linked to the film sequences.A qualitative grounded theory approach was used. Film sequences from five zebra crossings were analysed. The same film sequences were used as triggers in two focus group interviews with persons with dementia. Individual interviews with three informants were also performed.The core category, the hazard of meeting unfolding problematic traffic situations when only one layer at a time can be kept in focus, showed how a problematic situation as a whole consisted of different layers of problematic situations. The first category, adding layers of problematic traffic situations to each other, was characterized by the informants' creation of a problematic situation as a whole. The different layers were described in the subcategories of layout of streets and zebra crossings, weather conditions, vehicles and crowding of pedestrians. The second category, actions used to meet different layers of problematic traffic situations, was characterized by avoiding problematic situations, using traffic lights as reminders and security precautions, following the flow at the zebra crossing and being cautious pedestrians.In conclusion, as community-dwelling people with dementia commonly are pedestrians, it is important that health care professionals and caregivers take their experiences and management of problematic traffic situations into account when providing support. © The Author(s) 2014.

[Gender relations and interdependence: reflections on changes in the hospital configuration].

PubMed

Pereira, Audrey Vidal; Rotenberg, Lúcia; Oliveira, Simone Santos

2013-01-01

The article analyzes changes that have occurred in hospitals over the years, with a focus on the dynamics of gender relations as experienced by healthcare workers. We use the notions of configuration and interdependence, taken from Norbert Elias' theory of the civilizing process, along with discussions of gender relations at work; drawing from Michel Foucault, we also reference the disciplinary practices employed down through hospital history. This linkage of discussions on gender issues and on interdependent relations opens up to a reflection on conflicts of interests, power struggles, and the balance of tensions, which in turn makes it possible to problematize gender inequalities with the ultimate aim of achieving an interdisciplinary effort that will promote health care of an integral nature.

Patients' and partners' perspectives of chronic illness and its management.

PubMed

Checton, Maria G; Greene, Kathryn; Magsamen-Conrad, Kate; Venetis, Maria K

2012-06-01

This study is framed in theories of illness uncertainty (Babrow, A. S., 2007, Problematic integration theory. In B. B. Whaley & W. Samter (Eds.), Explaining communication: Contemporary theories and exemplars (pp. 181-200). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; Babrow & Matthias, 2009; Brashers, D. E., 2007, A theory of communication and uncertainty management. In B. B. Whaley & W. Samter (Eds.), Explaining communication: Contemporary theories and exemplars (pp. 201-218). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum; Hogan, T. P., & Brashers, D. E. (2009). The theory of communication and uncertainty management: Implications for the wider realm of information behavior. In T. D. Afifi & W. A. Afifi (Eds.), Uncertainty and information regulation in interpersonal contexts: Theories and applications, (pp. 45-66). New York, NY: Routledge; Mishel, M. H. (1999). Uncertainty in chronic illness. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 17, 269-294; Mishel, M. H., & Clayton, M. F., 2003, Theories of uncertainty. In M. J. Smith & P. R. Liehr (Eds.), Middle range theory for nursing (pp. 25-48). New York, NY: Springer) and health information management (Afifi, W. A., & Weiner, J. L., 2004, Toward a theory of motivated information management. Communication Theory, 14, 167-190. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2004.tb00310.x; Greene, K., 2009, An integrated model of health disclosure decision-making. In T. D. Afifi & W. A. Afifi (Eds.), Uncertainty and information regulation in interpersonal contexts: Theories and applications (pp. 226-253). New York, NY: Routledge) and examines how couples experience uncertainty and interference related to one partner's chronic health condition. Specifically, a model is hypothesized in which illness uncertainty (i.e., stigma, prognosis, and symptom) and illness interference predict communication efficacy and health condition management. Participants include 308 dyads in which one partner has a chronic health condition. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that there are significant differences in (a) how patients and partners experience illness uncertainty and illness interference and (b) how appraisals of illness uncertainty and illness interference influence communication efficacy and health condition management. We discuss the findings and implications of the study.

Complementary medicines in medicine: Conceptualising terminology among Australian medical students using a constructivist grounded theory approach.

PubMed

Templeman, Kate; Robinson, Anske; McKenna, Lisa

2015-02-01

Terminology around the use of complementary medicines (CM) within medical discourse is ambiguous. Clear collective discourse within the medical context is required. This study reports the findings of a Constructivist Grounded Theory Method study used to explore medical students' conceptualisation of terminology and associated value components around CMs as evidenced within their discourse community. The results show that terminology surrounding CMs within medicine is politically charged and fraught with value judgements. Terms used to describe CMs were considered, many of which were deemed problematic. Categorisation of specific medicines was also deemed inappropriate in certain contexts. Conceptualisation of CM terminology, categorisation and value implications, discriminated between levels of evidence for CMs and provided insights into the social change of medicine towards emergence of an evidence-based integrative approach. The results show that terminology surrounding CM is a social construct consistent with fluid conceptualisation and operationalisation in different social contexts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory Revision: Moving Culture From the Macro Into the Micro.

PubMed

Vélez-Agosto, Nicole M; Soto-Crespo, José G; Vizcarrondo-Oppenheimer, Mónica; Vega-Molina, Stephanie; García Coll, Cynthia

2017-09-01

Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development is one of the most widely known theoretical frameworks in human development. In spite of its popularity, the notion of culture within the macrosystem, as a separate entity of everyday practices and therefore microsystems, is problematic. Using the theoretical and empirical work of Rogoff and Weisner, and influenced as they are by Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective, we reconceptualize Bronfenbrenner's model by placing culture as an intricate part of proximal development processes. In our model, culture has the role of defining and organizing microsystems and therefore becomes part of the central processes of human development. Culture is an ever changing system composed of the daily practices of social communities (families, schools, neighborhoods, etc.) and the interpretation of those practices through language and communication. It also comprises tools and signs that are part of the historical legacy of those communities, and thus diversity is an integral part of the child's microsystems, leading to culturally defined acceptable developmental processes and outcomes.

The Abandonment of Hope: Curriculum Theory and White Moral Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maudlin, Julie Garlen

2014-01-01

In this article, I suggest that an ideology of hope, even "educated" (Giroux, 2003) and "radical" (Farley, 2009) conceptualizations, might be problematic for curriculum theory because it operates to reinscribe White privilege and perpetuate the assumption that Whites can transcend the critique of Whiteness (Applebaum, 2010).…

Using Rasch Analysis to Inform Rating Scale Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Zile-Tamsen, Carol

2017-01-01

The use of surveys, questionnaires, and rating scales to measure important outcomes in higher education is pervasive, but reliability and validity information is often based on problematic Classical Test Theory approaches. Rasch Analysis, based on Item Response Theory, provides a better alternative for examining the psychometric quality of rating…

Reconceptualizing Student Motivation: Accounting for the Social Context beyond the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winn, Sandra; Harley, Dave; Wilcox, Paula; Pemberton, Sarah

2007-01-01

This paper problematizes the widespread use of self-determination theory, with its dichotomized conceptualization of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as an adequate means of understanding higher education student motivation. We draw on theories of situated motivation and extend them to encompass areas of students' lives beyond the academic…

Exploring Stephen Krashen's "i+1" Acquisition Model in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Mark

2011-01-01

Stephen Krashen's theories can appear "seductive" to teachers of languages, in that they identify a seemingly clear way forward for language acquisition in the classroom. However, reification of Krashen's theories, in particular the notion of attaining "i+1" through comprehensible input, is demonstrated to be problematic. Based…

Informed Grounded Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornberg, Robert

2012-01-01

There is a widespread idea that in grounded theory (GT) research, the researcher has to delay the literature review until the end of the analysis to avoid contamination--a dictum that might turn educational researchers away from GT. Nevertheless, in this article the author (a) problematizes the dictum of delaying a literature review in classic…

Using Motivational Interviewing to Address College Client Alcohol Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholl, Mark B.; Schmitt, Dorothy M.

2009-01-01

Motivational Interviewing (MI; W. R. Miller & S. Rollnick, 2002) is presented as a potentially effective counseling strategy for assisting traditionally aged college students in reducing their problematic, heavy alcohol use. MI's congruence with two developmental theories--Self-Determination Theory (R. M. Ryan & E. L. Deci, 2000) and…

Cognitive Metaphor Theory and the Metaphysics of Immediacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, Mathias W.

2016-01-01

One of the core tenets of cognitive metaphor theory is the claim that metaphors ground abstract knowledge in concrete, first-hand experience. In this paper, I argue that this grounding hypothesis contains some problematic conceptual ambiguities and, under many reasonable interpretations, empirical difficulties. I present evidence that there are…

NAEP Testing for Twelfth Graders: Motivational Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere; Ames, Carole

2005-01-01

This paper draws on theory and research on motivation in education to identify principles that might guide decision making concerning National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments for twelfth graders. It draws on three areas of motivation theory, identifies motivational issues that make twelfth-grade NAEP assessments problematic,…

Instructional Supervision and Curriculum Monitoring: Reinterpreting the Principal's Role through the Arts of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Nancy J.; Solloway, Sharon G.; Allen, Louise Anderson

2007-01-01

The gulf between educational leadership theory and contemporary curriculum scholarship is becoming increasingly problematic now that principals have been legally mandated to add curriculum monitoring to their duties as instructional leaders. Lacking familiarity with curriculum theory and practice, many overburdened administrators are turning to…

The Impact of Technology Integration through a Transformative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cubillos, Jo Ann

2013-01-01

The integration of technology into classroom instruction in K-12 schools remains problematic. The problems associated with this integration are troubling, as technology integration may change a teacher's pedagogy toward more innovative approaches that increase student achievement. The purpose of this study was to document teachers' experiences as…

Alcohol and drug use among sexual minority college students and their heterosexual counterparts: the effects of experiencing and witnessing incivility and hostility on campus

PubMed Central

Woodford, Michael R; Krentzman, Amy R; Gattis, Maurice N

2012-01-01

Purpose Research suggests that discrimination contributes to increased substance use among sexual minorities. Subtle discrimination and witnessing mistreatment, however, have received little attention. Using minority stress theory as a conceptual framework the authors examined the intersection of sexual orientation, experiencing and witnessing incivility and hostility, and students’ alcohol and drug use. The authors hypothesized that experiencing/witnessing incivility/hostility would mediate the relationship between sexual minority status and drinking and drug use, as well as problematic use of these substances. Methods Data were taken from a campus climate survey (n = 2497; age mean [M] = 23.19 years; 61% female; 17% sexual minorities). Controlling for demographics, logistic regressions depicted specifications for each path of the mediation analysis and bootstrapping was used to assess the significance of each sexual minority-mistreatment-drinking/drug use path. Results Experiencing incivility mediated the relationship between sexual minority status and problematic drinking. Sexual minority college students were more likely to personally experience incivility (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51–2.33), which was associated with greater odds of problematic drinking (AOR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.35–2.00). The mediation path was significant at P < 0.001. Further, witnessing hostility mediated the relationship between sexual minority status and problematic drinking. Sexual minority college students were more likely to witness hostility (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.48–2.36), which was associated with greater odds of problematic drinking (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.24–1.90). The mediation path was significant at P < 0.01. Conclusion The results provide further evidence for minority stress theory and suggest that clinical alcohol use interventions with sexual minorities need to assess personal incivilities and witnessing interpersonal mistreatment, especially hostility. Campus climate interventions that address subtle discrimination as well as harassment and violence may help reduce problematic drinking. PMID:24474863

[Discovery-based teaching and learning strategies in health: problematization and problem-based learning].

PubMed

Cyrino, Eliana Goldfarb; Toralles-Pereira, Maria Lúcia

2004-01-01

Considering the changes in teaching in the health field and the demand for new ways of dealing with knowledge in higher learning, the article discusses two innovative methodological approaches: problem-based learning (PBL) and problematization. Describing the two methods' theoretical roots, the article attempts to identify their main foundations. As distinct proposals, both contribute to a review of the teaching and learning process: problematization, focused on knowledge construction in the context of the formation of a critical awareness; PBL, focused on cognitive aspects in the construction of concepts and appropriation of basic mechanisms in science. Both problematization and PBL lead to breaks with the traditional way of teaching and learning, stimulating participatory management by actors in the experience and reorganization of the relationship between theory and practice. The critique of each proposal's possibilities and limits using the analysis of their theoretical and methodological foundations leads us to conclude that pedagogical experiences based on PBL and/or problematization can represent an innovative trend in the context of health education, fostering breaks and more sweeping changes.

Validation of a new scale for measuring problematic internet use: implications for pre-employment screening.

PubMed

Davis, Richard A; Flett, Gordon L; Besser, Avi

2002-08-01

The current study introduced a theory-driven, multidimensional measure of problematic Internet use: the Online Cognition Scale (OCS). Undergraduate students (n = 211) in an industrial/organizational psychology course completed the OCS, along with measures of procrastination, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, depression, and impulsivity. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that problematic Internet use consists of four dimensions: diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction. As hypothesized, the OCS predicted all of the study variables in the expected directions. Representing a departure from previous research in this area, the current article focused on procrastination, impulsivity, and social rejection as key elements of problematic Internet use. Furthermore, interactive applications (e.g., chat) were most related to problematic Internet use, and scores on the OCS predicted being reprimanded at school or work for inappropriate Internet use. As a result, the utility of the OCS for both clinical assessment of Internet addiction and as an organizational preemployment screening measure to identify potential employees who are likely to abuse the Internet in the workplace (also known as "cyberslacking") were discussed.

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia.

PubMed

Macur, Mirna; Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-09-01

Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation.

Theory-Driven Intervention for Changing Personality: Expectancy Value Theory, Behavioral Activation, and Conscientiousness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magidson, Jessica F.; Roberts, Brent W.; Collado-Rodriguez, Anahi; Lejuez, C. W.

2014-01-01

Considerable evidence suggests that personality traits may be changeable, raising the possibility that personality traits most linked to health problems can be modified with intervention. A growing body of research suggests that problematic personality traits may be altered with behavioral intervention using a bottom-up approach. That is, by…

A Contingency View of Problem Solving in Schools: A Case Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, E. Mark; Brown, Michael E.

Patterns of problem-solving activity in one middle-class urban high school are examined and a problem solving model rooted in a conceptual framework of contingency theory is presented. Contingency theory stresses that as political, economic, and social conditions in an organization's environment become problematic, the internal structures of the…

How to Improve the Relationship between Theory and Practice in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Jens; Rash-Christensen, Andreas

2015-01-01

The Expert in Teaching study pays special attention to the objective of connecting coursework more directly to practice in pre-service teacher education. The study was focused on developing better solutions to the problematic, weak, or even sometimes totally missing, link between theory (teaching at college) and practice (teaching internship) in…

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

Arroja, Frederico; Chen, Che-Yu; Chen, Pisin

In this work, we investigate O (4)-symmetric instantons within the Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity theory (EiBI) . We discuss the regular Hawking-Moss instanton and find that the tunneling rate reduces to the General Relativity (GR) value, even though the action value is different by a constant. We give a thorough analysis of the singular Vilenkin instanton and the Hawking-Turok instanton with a quadratic scalar field potential in the EiBI theory. In both cases, we find that the singularity can be avoided in the sense that the physical metric, its scalar curvature and the scalar field are regular under some parameter restrictions, butmore » there is a curvature singularity of the auxiliary metric compatible with the connection. We find that the on-shell action is finite and the probability does not reduce to its GR value. We also find that the Vilenkin instanton in the EiBI theory would still cause the instability of the Minkowski space, similar to that in GR, and this is observationally inconsistent. This result suggests that the singularity of the auxiliary metric may be problematic at the quantum level and that these instantons should be excluded from the path integral.« less

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

Arroja, Frederico; Chen, Che -Yu; Chen, Pisin

In this study, we investigate O(4)-symmetric instantons within the Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity theory (EiBI) . We discuss the regular Hawking-Moss instanton and find that the tunneling rate reduces to the General Relativity (GR) value, even though the action value is different by a constant. We give a thorough analysis of the singular Vilenkin instanton and the Hawking-Turok instanton with a quadratic scalar field potential in the EiBI theory. In both cases, we find that the singularity can be avoided in the sense that the physical metric, its scalar curvature and the scalar field are regular under some parameter restrictions, but theremore » is a curvature singularity of the auxiliary metric compatible with the connection. We find that the on-shell action is finite and the probability does not reduce to its GR value. We also find that the Vilenkin instanton in the EiBI theory would still cause the instability of the Minkowski space, similar to that in GR, and this is observationally inconsistent. This result suggests that the singularity of the auxiliary metric may be problematic at the quantum level and that these instantons should be excluded from the path integral.« less

Singular instantons in Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity

DOE PAGES

Arroja, Frederico; Chen, Che -Yu; Chen, Pisin; ...

2017-03-23

In this study, we investigate O(4)-symmetric instantons within the Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity theory (EiBI) . We discuss the regular Hawking-Moss instanton and find that the tunneling rate reduces to the General Relativity (GR) value, even though the action value is different by a constant. We give a thorough analysis of the singular Vilenkin instanton and the Hawking-Turok instanton with a quadratic scalar field potential in the EiBI theory. In both cases, we find that the singularity can be avoided in the sense that the physical metric, its scalar curvature and the scalar field are regular under some parameter restrictions, but theremore » is a curvature singularity of the auxiliary metric compatible with the connection. We find that the on-shell action is finite and the probability does not reduce to its GR value. We also find that the Vilenkin instanton in the EiBI theory would still cause the instability of the Minkowski space, similar to that in GR, and this is observationally inconsistent. This result suggests that the singularity of the auxiliary metric may be problematic at the quantum level and that these instantons should be excluded from the path integral.« less

Clinical implications of contemporary gender theory.

PubMed

Kulish, Nancy

2010-04-01

The current intellectual scene in psychoanalysis is marked by vigorous theoretical controversies about gender. The ideas being debated have important implications for clinical work, which have not been thoroughly explicated or integrated into common practice. These implications include the following: gender can accrue idiosyncratic meanings; gender identity is considered fluid and rigidity of gender identity deemed problematic; gender-related conflicts are typically described as divergent; analysis of superego conflicts related to gender becomes particularly important; and, finally, gender-related biases are seen as inevitable and must be taken into account in the clinical situation. A detailed clinical example illustrates the application of these ideas. While the more dramatic cases related to gender have been more frequent subjects of study, conflicts about gender are everyday occurrences for our patients and deserve further attention.

[Training of community health workers: experience of teaching and practice with nursing students].

PubMed

Cardoso, Fátima Aparecida; Cordeiro, Vitória Régia de Negreiros; Lima, Daniele Barreto de; Melo, Bárbara de Caldas; Menezes, Raquel Nobre Barreto de; Moulaz, Ana Luiza Silva de; Sá, Gabrielle Boff de; Souza, Adalgisa Vânia Fernandes de

2011-01-01

This paper aims to report an experience carried out by nursing students from the Undergraduate School of Health Sciences, Federal District, during their first year of study. The objective was to implement a training for 22 community health workers, in order to clarify them about their role in community work and to elevate their self esteem. A methodology of problematization and various educational techniques were used. The themes were: duties and rights, responsibilities, communication, ethics, team work, children´s health, care for the elderly and domestic violence. The result was considered positive for both sides: the community workers acquired new knowledge/capabilities and better feeling of self worth and the students were able to integrate theory and practice and become active participants in the learning process.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of resilience scale specific to cancer: an item response theory analysis.

PubMed

Ye, Zeng Jie; Liang, Mu Zi; Zhang, Hao Wei; Li, Peng Fei; Ouyang, Xue Ren; Yu, Yuan Liang; Liu, Mei Ling; Qiu, Hong Zhong

2018-06-01

Classic theory test has been used to develop and validate the 25-item Resilience Scale Specific to Cancer (RS-SC) in Chinese patients with cancer. This study was designed to provide additional information about the discriminative value of the individual items tested with an item response theory analysis. A two-parameter graded response model was performed to examine whether any of the items of the RS-SC exhibited problems with the ordering and steps of thresholds, as well as the ability of items to discriminate patients with different resilience levels using item characteristic curves. A sample of 214 Chinese patients with cancer diagnosis was analyzed. The established three-dimension structure of the RS-SC was confirmed. Several items showed problematic thresholds or discrimination ability and require further revision. Some problematic items should be refined and a short-form of RS-SC maybe feasible in clinical settings in order to reduce burden on patients. However, the generalizability of these findings warrants further investigations.

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Methods Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. Results 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). Conclusion 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation. PMID:27703540

Analyzing Poverty, Learning, and Teaching through a Critical Race Theory Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milner, H. Richard, IV

2013-01-01

In this article, the author explores poverty as an outside-of-school factor and its influence on the inside-of-school experiences and outcome of students. He considers the interconnected space of learning, instructional practices, and poverty. In particular, he uses critical race theory as an analytic tool to unpack, shed light on, problematize,…

Closing the Theory-Practice Gap: Physical Education Students' Use of Jigsaw Learning in a Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Nick; Wattison, Nicole; Edwards, Toni; Bryan, Kate

2015-01-01

Recognising that the theory-practice gap remains problematic in the preparation of physical education (PE) teachers, this study sought to explore three undergraduate students use of jigsaw learning teaching gymnastics during a secondary school placement. Specifically, the research attempted to identify those issues that arose using this learning…

Latcrit Educational Leadership and Advocacy: Struggling over Whiteness as Property in Texas School Finance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleman, Enrique, Jr.

2009-01-01

In this article, the author seeks to re-imagine the political and policy roles of educational leaders of color, offering an alternative method for educational leadership, advocacy, and policy analysis. The author uses critical race theory (CRT) and Latina/o critical (LatCrit) theory to problematize the way politically-active Mexican American…

Strategic Theory for the 21st Century: The Little Book on Big Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

Theory for the 21st Century: The Little Book on Big Startegy 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...to international norms. For the United States, this can be particularly problematic. U.S. liberal culture (free markets , equal opportunity, free

Satisfying needs through Social Networking Sites: A pathway towards problematic Internet use for socially anxious people?

PubMed

Casale, Silvia; Fioravanti, Giulia

2015-06-01

Following the theoretical frameworks of the dual-factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory, the present study hypothesizes that the satisfaction of unmet needs through Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may represent a pathway towards problematic use of Internet communicative services (GPIU) for socially anxious people. Four hundred undergraduate students (females = 51.8%; mean age = 22.45 + 2.09) completed three brief scales measuring the satisfaction via SNSs of the need to belong, the need for self-presentation and the need for assertiveness, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Structural equation modeling was performed separately for males and females. A direct effect of social anxiety on GPIU was found among both genders. Socially anxious males and females tend to use SNSs for self-presentation purposes, as well as for the opportunity to be more assertive. The association between social anxiety and GPIU was partially mediated by the need for self-presentation only among males. The present results extend our understanding of the development of problematic use of Internet communicative services, based on the framework of the dual factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory. The fulfillment of an unmet need for self-presentation (i.e. the desire to create a positive impression of one's self in others) through SNSs could be one of the possible pathways to GPIU for socially anxious males.

Eta Meson Production in Proton-Proton and Nuclear Collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norbury, John W.; Dick, Frank

2008-01-01

Total cross sections for eta meson production in proton - proton collisions are calculated. The eta meson is mainly produced via decay of the excited nucleon resonance at 1535 MeV. A scalar quantum field theory is used to calculate cross sections, which also include resonance decay. Comparison between theory and experiment is problematic near threshold when resonance decay is not included. When the decay is included, the comparison between theory and experiment is much better.

Rethinking Inhibition Theory: On the Problematic Status of the Inhibition Theory for Forgetting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raaijmakers, Jeroen G. W.; Jakab, Emoke

2013-01-01

The standard textbook account of interference and forgetting is based on the assumption that retrieval of a memory trace is affected by competition by other memory traces. In recent years, a number of researchers have questioned this view and have proposed an alternative account of forgetting based on a mechanism of suppression. In this inhibition…

The Problem of Taste within the Problematic of Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenster, Mark

Theories of taste are efforts to understand the processes of signification by which cultural forms take on meaning, and how subjects are inserted into such processes. One of these theories is the notion of "taste cultures," set forth by Herbert Gans in the 1960s and continued by George Lewis into the 1980s. A taste culture is an…

Problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation among firefighters: A multi-study investigation of the explanatory roles of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness.

PubMed

Gallyer, Austin J; Dougherty, Sean P; Gai, Anna R; Stanley, Ian H; Hom, Melanie A; Rogers, Megan L; Duffy, Mary E; Buchman-Schmitt, Jennifer M; Spencer-Thomas, Sally; Joiner, Thomas E

2018-05-31

Firefighters are at increased risk for both problematic alcohol use and suicidality. Research has found that problematic alcohol use is related to suicidality among this population; however, limited data exist regarding what might account for this association. The present two-study investigation (1) examined the association between suicidality and problematic alcohol use among two large samples of firefighters and (2) tested whether interpersonal theory of suicide constructs-perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB)-serve as indirect indicators of this relationship. Participants in Study 1 were 944 U.S. firefighters (12.5% female); participants in Study 2 were 241 U.S. women firefighters. Participants completed the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (Study 1) or the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Short Form (Study 2). Bias-corrected bootstrap indirect effects path analyses were utilized. In Study 1, more problematic alcohol use was significantly associated with more severe career suicidal ideation via PB but not TB. In Study 2, problematic alcohol use was associated with career suicidal ideation via both PB and TB. PB seems to account for the relationship between problematic alcohol use and career suicidal ideation among male and female firefighters. Limitations include use of a cross-sectional design, use of retrospective measures of suicidal ideation, and our findings derived from subsamples of two existing datasets. Findings suggest that PB and TB may explain the relationship between problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation, but that this effect is discrepant based on gender. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nursing rounds as a pedagogical strategy: anchoring theory to practice in gerontological nursing.

PubMed

Perry, J; Paterson, B L

2005-03-01

There is considerable concern among nursing educators that baccalaureate nursing students' ageist attitudes about the elderly and the lack of understanding of the praxis of nursing care of older adults is not significantly changed by classroom lectures or discussions. Although there is general agreement that working with an experienced practitioner may positively impact on nursing students' perceptions and knowledge about the nursing care of older adults, the clinical learning experiences in this field are often uneven and problematic. In the paper, the authors present a strategy, an adaptation of traditional bedside rounds, in which students are invited to become members of a learning community in the nursing care of older adults. Based on the theory of situated learning by Lave and Wenger, the strategy entails nursing students' active involvement with skilled practitioners in the three phases of the strategy, i.e., orientation, adaptation, and integration. The authors describe how the strategy was implemented in one school of nursing. They conclude with an invitation for faculty and practitioners to further refine and assess this strategy.

Integrating Pregnancy Ambivalence and Effectiveness in Contraceptive Choice.

PubMed

Sundstrom, Beth; Ferrara, Merissa; DeMaria, Andrea L; Baker-Whitcomb, Annalise; Payne, Jackelyn B

2017-07-01

Approximately 70% of pregnancies among young unmarried women living in the United States are unintended. Unintended pregnancy results in negative health and economic outcomes for infants, children, women, and families. Further research into the decision-making process of contraceptive selection is needed to meet young women's contraceptive needs in the United States. Overall, 53 women ages 18-24 years completed in-depth qualitative interviews. Researchers used analytical techniques from grounded theory and HyperRESEARCH 3.5.2 qualitative data analysis software to identify emergent themes. Problematic integration theory provided a theoretical lens to identify young women's probabilistic and evaluative orientations toward contraception. Researchers identified two profound values at stake to participants regarding their contraceptive decisions: avoiding pregnancy in the present, and protecting future fertility. Participants resisted long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods (e.g., the intrauterine device and the implant) due to concerns about safety and fears about infertility. Participants experienced ambivalence toward the idea of pregnancy, which complicated contraceptive decisions, especially regarding long-term methods. Uncertainty led participants to rationalize their use of less effective methods and reduced information seeking. Findings from this study offer practical suggestions for practitioners and health communication campaign planners. Contraceptive access campaigns should focus on the effectiveness, safety, and convenience of LARC methods. Messages should help young women make contraceptive choices that better fit their needs in order to reduce unintended pregnancy.

[Significance of emotion-focused concepts to cognitive-behavioral therapy].

PubMed

Lammers, C-H

2006-09-01

Emotions are the central process of motivation and play a key role in adaptive behavior in humans. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy stresses the importance of changing both cognition and behavior, there is growing emphasis on direct therapeutic work on emotions and emotional processing, as problematic emotional processes are at the core of nearly all psychic disorders. This type of work is the goal of emotion-focused psychotherapy, which centers on direct change of problematic emotions, especially those which are usually suppressed resp. overregulated by the patient. This paper examines the basic phobic/emotional conflict, the problematic emotional processes arising from this conflict, and the importance to cognitive-behavioral therapy of their potentially integrative role.

Integrating Computer-Mediated Communication Strategy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Levi

2016-01-01

Communication strategies (CSs) play important roles in resolving problematic second language interaction and facilitating language learning. While studies in face-to-face contexts demonstrate the benefits of communication strategy instruction (CSI), there have been few attempts to integrate computer-mediated communication and CSI. The study…

Theorizing with/out "Mediators".

PubMed

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Jornet, Alfredo

2017-01-05

Mediation is one of the most often cited concepts in current cultural-historical theory literature, in which cultural actions and artifacts are often characterized as mediators standing between situational stimuli and behavioral responses. Most often presented as a means to overcome Cartesian dualism between subject and object, and between individual and society, some scholars have nonetheless raised criticism suggesting that such mediators are problematic for a dialectical psychology that takes a unit analysis (monist) approach. In fact, Spinoza develops a monist theory of mind and body that goes without and even excludes every form of mediation. In this study, we follow up on the latter criticisms and explore what we consider to be problematic uses of the notion of mediation as an analytical construct in the literature. We elaborate an empirically grounded discussion on the ways the concept of mediation may lead to dualistic readings; and we offer an alternative account where the notion of mediator is not needed. We conclude discussing prospects for and implications of a cultural-historical theory where the notion of mediation no longer is invoked to account for human action and development.

What is the role of theories in the study of schizophrenia?

PubMed

Cannon, Tyrone D

2009-05-01

As an epilogue to the themed papers on "Theories of Schizophrenia" in this issue of Schizophrenia Bulletin, this article reviews some basic philosophy of science principles in regard to the role of theories in the evolving state of a natural science discipline. While in early phases inductive and abductive logic are the primary vehicles for organizing observations and developing models, when a critical set of "facts" have been elucidated which can be explained by competing theoretical perspectives, hypothetico-deductive logic provides a more robust and efficient approach to scientific progress. The key principle is to determine where two or more theories predict different observations and then to devise studies that collect critical observations-correlations or experimental outcomes that are predicted differentially by the competing theories. To a large extent, current theories of schizophrenia (eg, focusing on aberrant dopaminergic signaling, neural dysconnectivity, and disrupted neural development) are not (and are not intended by their authors to be) mutually exclusive of each other. Rather, they provide explanations that differ in relative emphases, eg, on distal vs proximal causes and on broad vs narrow behavioral end points. It is therefore possible for all of them to be "right" at least in a general sense. This non-exclusivity is problematic when considered in light of the strong inferences principles characteristic of a mature natural science discipline. The contrast points are likely to be found in constructions that integrate influences across different levels of analysis, as in additive vs interactive models, direct effects vs mediation models, and developmental vs deteriorative models.

Source-Message-Receiver in Integrated Marketing Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broussard, Sharee LeBlanc

2011-01-01

This is an abbreviation of the author's dissertation. Because integrated marketing communication (IMC) research has traditionally been problematic, this study used an existing scale to determine that higher educational institutional advancement (alumni, marketing-communications, development) is an appropriate venue to study the process model of…

Toward a cognitive-affective model of goal-setting in rehabilitation: is self-regulation theory a key step?

PubMed

Siegert, Richard J; McPherson, Kathryn M; Taylor, William J

2004-10-21

The aim of this article is to argue that self-regulation theory might offer a useful model for clinical practice, theory-building and empirical research on goal-setting in rehabilitation. Relevant literature on goal-setting and motivation in rehabilitation is considered and some problematic issues for current practice and future research are highlighted. Carver and Scheier's self-regulation theory and its application to rehabilitation research is examined. It is argued that self-regulation theory offers a robust theoretical framework for goal-setting and one in which the salient concepts of motivation and emotion are prominent. Self-regulation theory offers a potentially useful heuristic framework for rehabilitation research.

Teachers' Self-Regulated Learning Lesson Design: Integrating Learning from Problems and Successes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalsky, Tova; Schechter, Chen

2018-01-01

Teachers' design of a lesson is critical for helping their students develop academically effective forms of self-regulating learning (SRL) in classrooms. Using a quasi-experimental design, the researchers integrated systematic collaborative learning from problematic and successful experiences into teachers' preparatory programs and examined how…

Psychological Flexibility, ACT, and Organizational Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Frank W.; Hayes, Steven C.; Barnes-Holmes, Dermot

2006-01-01

This paper offers organizational behavior management (OBM) a behavior analytically consistent way to expand its analysis of, and methods for changing, organizational behavior. It shows how Relational Frame Theory (RFT) suggests that common, problematic, psychological processes emerge from language itself, and they produce psychological…

The Emerging Professional: An Investigation into Teacher Education Students' Developing Conceptions of the Relationship between Theory and Classroom Practice before, during and after a Postgraduate Teaching Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Rupert

2012-01-01

The role of theory in educational practice has long been seen as problematic (Pring 2004) and within initial teacher education (ITE) specifically, various models linking the two have been proposed (Korthagen 2010). In England, ITE is currently in a state of flux, with the majority of university-based postgraduate programmes operating partly at…

Using the theory of planned behaviour to understand the motivation to learn about HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents in Tigray, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Gebreeyesus Hadera, H; Boer, H; Kuiper, W A J M

2007-08-01

Various studies indicate that school- or university-based HIV prevention curricula can reduce the prevalence of sexual risk behaviour among adolescent youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, effective HIV/AIDS prevention education may be problematic, if the needs of youth are not served adequately. To date, little attention has been given to the motivation of youth to learn about HIV/AIDS and about their preferences for HIV/AIDS curriculum design options. The aim of this study was to get insight into the determinants of the motivation of youth to learn about HIV/AIDS prevention and to assess their curriculum design preferences. Students from a university in Tigray, Ethiopia, filled out a structured questionnaire, which assessed demographics, variables that according to the Theory of Planned Behaviour are related to the motivation to learn, and their preferences for independent, carrier and integrated HIV/AIDS curriculum designs. On average, participants were highly motivated to learn about HIV/AIDS. Motivation to learn was primarily related to social norms and was not related to self-efficacy to discuss HIV/AIDS in class. The often discussed reluctance to discuss sexuality and condom use in curricula in Sub-Saharan Africa, seems to be more related to existing negative social norms, than to lack of self-efficacy. Participants revealed a high preference for the independent, carrier and integrated curriculum design options. However, students with a higher motivation to learn about HIV/AIDS were more attracted to the independent course design.

Anglo-American nursing theory, individualism and mental health care: a social conflict perspective.

PubMed

Leighton, Kevin

2004-01-01

This paper uses social conflict theory to reconsider the relationship of American nursing theory and individualised mental health care in the UK. It is argued that nursing theory has developed within a context of 'American dream' individualism, and that this ideology may be problematic for some UK mental health nurses and service users whose values and beliefs are those of different socio-political traditions. The paper explores the historical background of Anglo-American nursing theory, and then uses conflict theory to generate challenging propositions about the culture bias and political instrumentality of individualised care in mental health settings. In so doing, it critiques the 'scientific' and 'liberal' preconceptions of individualised care which have dominated mental health care policy for over a decade.

Why don't zebras have machine guns? Adaptation, selection, and constraints in evolutionary theory.

PubMed

Shanahan, Timothy

2008-03-01

In an influential paper, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin (1979) contrasted selection-driven adaptation with phylogenetic, architectural, and developmental constraints as distinct causes of phenotypic evolution. In subsequent publications Gould (e.g., 1997a,b, 2002) has elaborated this distinction into one between a narrow "Darwinian Fundamentalist" emphasis on "external functionalist" processes, and a more inclusive "pluralist" emphasis on "internal structuralist" principles. Although theoretical integration of functionalist and structuralist explanations is the ultimate aim, natural selection and internal constraints are treated as distinct causes of evolutionary change. This distinction is now routinely taken for granted in the literature in evolutionary biology. I argue that this distinction is problematic because the effects attributed to non-selective constraints are more parsimoniously explained as the ordinary effects of selection itself. Although it may still be a useful shorthand to speak of phylogenetic, architectural, and developmental constraints on phenotypic evolution, it is important to understand that such "constraints" do not constitute an alternative set of causes of evolutionary change. The result of this analysis is a clearer understanding of the relationship between adaptation, selection and constraints as explanatory concepts in evolutionary theory.

Intergenerational solidarity: the paradox of reciprocity imbalance in ageing welfare states.

PubMed

Thijssen, Peter

2016-12-01

In this article a new theoretical framework is applied to a research field that is somewhat fragmented, namely that of intergenerational solidarity in ageing welfare states. Inspired by utilitarian considerations many scholars tend to problematize the lack of reciprocity characterizing intergenerational exchanges. As some generations are longer old and more numerous they may receive excessive state-administered support of the younger generations, especially in a democratic setting. However, in reality there is limited empirical evidence of intergenerational conflict and theoretical explanations of this paradox are rare. An integrated and dynamical approach that incorporates Durkheim's solidarity theory, Honneth's intersubjective recognition theory, and the current work on reciprocal exchange is necessary in order to understand the survival of intergenerational solidarity in ageing welfare states. According to this model reciprocal recognition leading to the empathization of exchanges is the driving force of intergenerational solidarity in a prefigurative and democratized culture where the status of the young has risen dramatically. Hence, we come to the paradoxical conclusion that attempts to preserve intergenerational solidarity by openly denouncing excessive transfers and trying to bypass them institutionally sometimes might be counterproductive because they may erode their empathic underpinnings. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

Evolution of the Treatment Integrity Concept: Current Status and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gresham, Frank M.

2009-01-01

The concept of treatment integrity cuts across a diversity of fields involved with providing treatments or interventions to individuals. In medical treatments, the concept of "treatment compliance" or "treatment adherence" is an important and problematic issue. In the field of nutrition, the concept of "dietary adherence" is important for…

Goal Dissensus and Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prebble, Thomas K.

1978-01-01

Current developments in organizational theory suggest that the degree of goal consensus within many organizations may be problematic. This study uses an intensive case study to explore the implications of goal dissensus in the adoption of a four-day teaching week in a Canadian high school. (Author/IRT)

The normative background of empirical-ethical research: first steps towards a transparent and reasoned approach in the selection of an ethical theory.

PubMed

Salloch, Sabine; Wäscher, Sebastian; Vollmann, Jochen; Schildmann, Jan

2015-04-04

Empirical-ethical research constitutes a relatively new field which integrates socio-empirical research and normative analysis. As direct inferences from descriptive data to normative conclusions are problematic, an ethical framework is needed to determine the relevance of the empirical data for normative argument. While issues of normative-empirical collaboration and questions of empirical methodology have been widely discussed in the literature, the normative methodology of empirical-ethical research has seldom been addressed. Based on our own research experience, we discuss one aspect of this normative methodology, namely the selection of an ethical theory serving as a background for empirical-ethical research. Whereas criteria for a good ethical theory in philosophical ethics are usually related to inherent aspects, such as the theory's clarity or coherence, additional points have to be considered in the field of empirical-ethical research. Three of these additional criteria will be discussed in the article: (a) the adequacy of the ethical theory for the issue at stake, (b) the theory's suitability for the purposes and design of the empirical-ethical research project, and (c) the interrelation between the ethical theory selected and the theoretical backgrounds of the socio-empirical research. Using the example of our own study on the development of interventions which support clinical decision-making in oncology, we will show how the selection of an ethical theory as a normative background for empirical-ethical research can proceed. We will also discuss the limitations of the procedures chosen in our project. The article stresses that a systematic and reasoned approach towards theory selection in empirical-ethical research should be given priority rather than an accidental or implicit way of choosing the normative framework for one's own research. It furthermore shows that the overall design of an empirical-ethical study is a multi-faceted endeavor which has to balance between theoretical and pragmatic considerations.

Cosmological implications of quantum corrections and higher-derivative extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chialva, Diego; Mazumdar, Anupam

2015-02-01

We discuss the challenges for the early universe cosmology from quantum corrections, and in particular higher-derivative terms, in the gravitational and inflaton sectors of the models. The work is divided in two parts. In the first one we review the already well-known issues due to quantum corrections to the inflaton potential, in particular focusing on chaotic/slow-roll single-field models. We will point out some issues concerning the proposed mechanisms to cope with the corrections, and also argue how the presence of higher-derivative corrections could be problematic for those mechanisms. In the second part we will more directly focus on higher-derivative corrections. We will show how, in order to discuss a number of high-energy phenomena relevant to inflation (such as its actual onset) one has to deal with energy scales where the derivative expansion breaks down, presenting problems such as quantum vacuum instability and ghosts. To discuss such phenomena in the convenient framework of the effective theory, one must then abandon the derivative expansion and resort to the full nonlocal formulation of the theory, which is in fact equivalent to re-integrating back the relevant physics, but with the benefit of using a more compact single-field formalism. Finally, we will briefly discuss possible advantages offered by the presence of higher derivatives and a nonlocal theory to build better controlled UV models of inflation.

Gentlemanly Orthodoxy: Critical Race Feminism, Whiteness Theory, and the APA Manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Audrey

2004-01-01

Although often viewed as burdensome, academic writing guidelines are rarely treated as actively problematic. Even progressive scholars are unlikely to challenge the cultural assumptions or political investments of academic style guides. Yet standards regarding clarity, precision, appropriateness, sensitivity, and objectivity are not politically…

Moral Education and the Perils of Developmentalism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, David

2002-01-01

Discusses conception of moral formation. Traces progress to moral maturity through well defined stages of cognitive, conative, and/or affective growth. Explains that logical status of developmental theories are not clear. Argues that the accounts are more evaluative than descriptive. Explores the problematic moral educational implications of this…

Questions That Science Teachers Find Difficult (II).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Alan

2003-01-01

Presents some questions that science teachers find difficult. Focuses on three further questions relating to "simple" everyday situations that are normally explained in terms of the kinetic theory of matter. Identifies looking at the difference between chemical and physical changes as the most problematic question. (Author/YDS)

"What Is ?Curriculum Theorizing": For a People yet to Come

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallin, Jason J.

2011-01-01

"What is ?Curriculum Theory" articulates the problematic of difference, diversity, and multiplicity in contemporary curriculum thought. More specifically, this essay argues that the conceptualization of difference that dominates the contemporary curriculum landscape is inadequate to either the task of ontological experimentation or the creation of…

Theory-Based Interventions for School Children Cared for by Their Grandparents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Oliver W.; Sweeney, Aldrin E.

2007-01-01

The growing social phenomenon of grandparents caring for their grandchildren has implications for educational psychology practice, since children who are wards of their grandparents frequently experience problematic school functioning. In this paper, the literature regarding children cared for by grandparents is reviewed. Issues concerning…

The Audacity of Hope: Towards Poorer Pedagogies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenwick, Tara

2006-01-01

This paper critically examines popular discourses of pedagogy circulating in adult education theory and practice: pedagogy as (heroic or nurturing) person, as prescriptive strategy, as political purpose, and as situated practices. I argue that problematic conceptions and desires can be identified across these discourses that lead to orientations…

[Democracy and conflict in pluralist contexts: an interview with Chantal Mouffe].

PubMed

Mouffe, Chantal; Ramos, Aura Helena; de Oliveira, Anna Luiza A R Martins; de Oliveira, Gustavo Gilson S; de Mesquita, Rui Gomes de Mattos

2014-01-01

Chantal Mouffe, along with Argentinian political theorist Ernesto Laclau (1935-2014), laid down the bases of discourse theory in 1985. She later developed her work by exploring in more detail how discourse theory formulations influence the analysis of contemporary democracies. Approaching conflict as a product of the encounter with difference, Mouffe sees it as an indelible part of the constitution of social relationships. In this encounter with the author, we seek to reflect upon certain themes and problematics that are central to her work, and upon the implications of her theory for the field of contemporary education.

Public Discourses on Education Governance and Social Integration and Exclusion: Analyses of Policy Texts in European Contexts. Uppsala Reports on Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindblad, Sverker, Ed.; Popkewitz, Thomas S., Ed.

This volume is a collection of public discourses on European education governance, and social integration and exclusion, focusing in particular on changes in education governance in Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, England, and Scotland. Ten chapters include: (1) "Introduction: Research Problematics and…

Are Archetypes Essential?

PubMed

Colman, Warren

2018-06-01

This paper distinguishes between Jung's theoretical discourse regarding the archetypes and his phenomenological account of numinous experience. For this author, the initial attraction of 'my Jung' came from both the vivid Romanticism of his descriptions of the anima and the apparent 'ground of being' offered by his theory of archetypes. However, the essentialism inherent to archetypal theory in general and the anima in particular has necessitated a re-evaluation of Jung's theory in terms of emergence theory. My own version of this emphasises the role of symbols in the constitution of affect through collective human action in the world. In this reconfiguration, the visceral energy of numinous experience is retained while the problematic theory of archetypes is no longer needed. © 2018, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

A socio-cognitive inquiry of excessive mobile phone use.

PubMed

Pourrazavi, Sara; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari; Matlabi, Hossein

2014-08-01

The study examined the predictive ability of selected demographic and socio-psychological characteristics in explaining excessive mobile phone use (EMPU) behavior and problematic use in a sample of university students on the basis of the social cognitive theory. The sample consisted of 476 randomly selected university students in Tabriz, Iran. The study was cross-sectional in nature. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used for the purpose of data collection. No causal inferences were drawn due to non-experimental nature of the study. It was found that having boyfriend/girlfriend increases the likelihood of EMPU while self-efficacy to avoid EMPU decreases it. Self-efficacy to avoid EMPU, self-regulation, observational learning, self-control, and attitude toward EMPU were predictors of mobile phone problematic use. The results provided a proper fit for a conceptual model of reciprocal determinism. Although social cognitive constructs may predict mobile phone problematic use, they are not useful in predicting the behavior of EMPU. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intercultural Comparative Research: Rethinking Insider and Outsider Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Peter

2014-01-01

A commonsense problematic positions comparative researchers as either inside or outside cultures, or their situation is considered so as to acknowledge cultural fluidity and fragmentation. This article rejects the objectivism of these positions to provide a relational account. Using the lens of social practice theory, comparative pedagogy is…

Present Company Excepted or Accepted?: Recognizing Each Other's Faces in Educational Leadership's Scholarship and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Place, A. William; Lindle, Jane Clark

2006-01-01

Purpose: The persisting tension over the relative importance of theory and practice creates a crevasse between scholars and practitioners. The purpose here is to problematize divisions between cultural norms found among scholars and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach: Both authors, higher education scholars, experienced temporary…

Taking a Developmental Approach to Treating Juvenile Sexual Behavior Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creeden, Kevin

2013-01-01

While theories on the etiology of sexually problematic and offending behavior have become increasingly developmental in their perspective, treatment approaches that are utilized to address these issues have not significantly changed to address this thinking. Adolescent behavioral problems are especially linked to a wide range of personal and…

Addressing Parent-Child Conflict: Attachment-Based Interventions with Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindsvatter, Aaron; Desmond, Kimberly J.

2013-01-01

This article describes the use of attachment theory to address parent-child conflict. The authors propose that parent-child conflict is attributable to the unmet attachment needs of both children and parents and that attachment insecurity results in problematic patterns of attachment in parent-child relationships. Three conversational frames are…

Templates in Early Phonological Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sowers-Wills, Sara

2017-01-01

Child language data are notoriously noisy. Children may produce several phonetic variants for a given word or use the same forms for several different words. As such, child data are characterized by little apparent systematicity. Competing theories have arisen to account for a range of problematic phenomena, but each has struggled to relate child…

Validity for What? The Peril of Overclarifying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Kevin R.

2012-01-01

As Paul Newton so ably demonstrates, the concept of validity is both important and problematic. Over the last several decades, a consensus definition of validity has emerged; the current edition of "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" notes, "Validity refers to the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of…

Mario Bunge's Scientific Realism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordero, Alberto

2012-01-01

This paper presents and comments on Mario Bunge's scientific realism. After a brief introduction in Sects. 1 and 2 outlines Bunge's conception of realism. Focusing on the case of quantum mechanics, Sect. 3 explores how his approach plays out for problematic theories. Section 4 comments on Bunge's project against the background of the current…

A Code of Ethics for Democratic Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molina, Ricardo; Klinker, JoAnn Franklin

2012-01-01

Democratic leadership rests on sacred values, awareness, judgement, motivation and courage. Four turning points in a 38-year school administrator's career revealed decision-making in problematic moments stemmed from values in a personal and professional code of ethics. Reflection on practice and theory added vocabulary and understanding to make…

Covering Adoption: General Depictions in Broadcast News

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kline, Susan L.; Karel, Amanda I.; Chatterjee, Karishma

2006-01-01

Using theories of stigma (Goffman, 1963) and media frames (Iyengar, 1991), 292 news stories pertaining to adoption that appeared on major broadcast networks between 2001 and 2004 were analyzed. Media coverage of adoptees contained more problematic than positive depictions. Although birth parents were not always depicted, adoptive parent and…

Creepy White Gaze: Rethinking the Diorama as a Pedagogical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterzuk, Andrea; Mulholland, Valerie

2011-01-01

Drawing on gaze and postcolonial theory, this article provides a theoretical discussion of a problematic photograph published in a provincial teachers' newsletter. The photo consists of a White settler child and two White settler educators gathered around his heritage fair entry diorama entitled "Great Plains Indians." This article…

Tradition, Authority and Disciplinary Practice in History Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordham, Michael

2017-01-01

The concepts of "tradition" and "authority" are generally understood to be problematical in history curriculum design. Drawing on MacIntyre's account of disciplines as social practices, this article argues that, to the contrary, these are concepts that need to be incorporated into any curriculum theory that attempts to build a…

Balancing Generalization and Lexical Conservatism: An Artificial Language Study with Child Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wonnacott, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Successful language acquisition involves generalization, but learners must balance this against the acquisition of lexical constraints. Such learning has been considered problematic for theories of acquisition: if learners generalize abstract patterns to new words, how do they learn lexically-based exceptions? One approach claims that learners use…

Turbulent kinetic energy and a possible hierarchy of length scales in a generalization of the Navier-Stokes alpha theory.

PubMed

Fried, Eliot; Gurtin, Morton E

2007-05-01

We present a continuum-mechanical formulation and generalization of the Navier-Stokes alpha theory based on a general framework for fluid-dynamical theories with gradient dependencies. Our flow equation involves two additional problem-dependent length scales alpha and beta. The first of these scales enters the theory through the internal kinetic energy, per unit mass, alpha2|D|2, where D is the symmetric part of the gradient of the filtered velocity. The remaining scale is associated with a dissipative hyperstress which depends linearly on the gradient of the filtered vorticity. When alpha and beta are equal, our flow equation reduces to the Navier-Stokes alpha equation. In contrast to the original derivation of the Navier-Stokes alpha equation, which relies on Lagrangian averaging, our formulation delivers boundary conditions. For a confined flow, our boundary conditions involve an additional length scale l characteristic of the eddies found near walls. Based on a comparison with direct numerical simulations for fully developed turbulent flow in a rectangular channel of height 2h, we find that alphabeta approximately Re(0.470) and lh approximately Re(-0.772), where Re is the Reynolds number. The first result, which arises as a consequence of identifying the internal kinetic energy with the turbulent kinetic energy, indicates that the choice alpha=beta required to reduce our flow equation to the Navier-Stokes alpha equation is likely to be problematic. The second result evinces the classical scaling relation eta/L approximately Re(-3/4) for the ratio of the Kolmogorov microscale eta to the integral length scale L . The numerical data also suggests that l < or = beta . We are therefore led to conjecture a tentative hierarchy, l < or = beta < alpha , involving the three length scales entering our theory.

Medical professionalism of foreign-born and foreign-trained physicians under close scrutiny: A qualitative study with stakeholders in Germany.

PubMed

Klingler, Corinna; Ismail, Fatiha; Marckmann, Georg; Kuehlmeyer, Katja

2018-01-01

Hospitals in Germany employ increasing numbers of foreign-born and foreign-trained (FB&FT) physicians. Studies have investigated how FB&FT physicians experience their professional integration into the German healthcare system, however, the perspectives of stakeholders working with and shaping the work experiences of FB&FT physicians in German hospitals have so far been neglected. This study explores relevant stakeholders' opinions and attitudes towards FB&FT physicians-which likely influence how these physicians settle in-and how these opinions were formed. We conducted a qualitative interview study with 25 stakeholders working in hospitals or in health policy development. The interviews were analyzed within a constructivist research paradigm using methods derived from Grounded Theory (situational analysis as well as open, axial and selective coding). We found that stakeholders tended to focus on problems in FB&FT physicians' work performance. Participants criticized FB&FT physicians' work for deviating from presumably shared professional standards (skill or knowledge and behavioral standards). The professional standards invoked to justify problem-focused statements comprised the definition of an ideal behavior, attitude or ability and a tolerance range that was adapted in a dynamic process. Behavior falling outside the tolerance range was criticized as unacceptable, requiring action to prevent similar deviations in the future. Furthermore, we derived three strategies (minimization, homogenization and quality management) proposed by participants to manage deviations from assumed professional standards by FB&FT physicians. We critically reflect on the social processes of evaluation and problematization and question the legitimacy of professional standards invoked. We also discuss discriminatory tendencies visible in evaluative statements of some participants as well as in some of the strategies proposed. We suggest it will be key to develop and implement better support strategies for FB&FT physicians while also addressing problematic attitudes within the receiving system to further professional integration.

Medical professionalism of foreign-born and foreign-trained physicians under close scrutiny: A qualitative study with stakeholders in Germany

PubMed Central

Ismail, Fatiha; Marckmann, Georg; Kuehlmeyer, Katja

2018-01-01

Hospitals in Germany employ increasing numbers of foreign-born and foreign-trained (FB&FT) physicians. Studies have investigated how FB&FT physicians experience their professional integration into the German healthcare system, however, the perspectives of stakeholders working with and shaping the work experiences of FB&FT physicians in German hospitals have so far been neglected. This study explores relevant stakeholders’ opinions and attitudes towards FB&FT physicians—which likely influence how these physicians settle in—and how these opinions were formed. We conducted a qualitative interview study with 25 stakeholders working in hospitals or in health policy development. The interviews were analyzed within a constructivist research paradigm using methods derived from Grounded Theory (situational analysis as well as open, axial and selective coding). We found that stakeholders tended to focus on problems in FB&FT physicians’ work performance. Participants criticized FB&FT physicians’ work for deviating from presumably shared professional standards (skill or knowledge and behavioral standards). The professional standards invoked to justify problem-focused statements comprised the definition of an ideal behavior, attitude or ability and a tolerance range that was adapted in a dynamic process. Behavior falling outside the tolerance range was criticized as unacceptable, requiring action to prevent similar deviations in the future. Furthermore, we derived three strategies (minimization, homogenization and quality management) proposed by participants to manage deviations from assumed professional standards by FB&FT physicians. We critically reflect on the social processes of evaluation and problematization and question the legitimacy of professional standards invoked. We also discuss discriminatory tendencies visible in evaluative statements of some participants as well as in some of the strategies proposed. We suggest it will be key to develop and implement better support strategies for FB&FT physicians while also addressing problematic attitudes within the receiving system to further professional integration. PMID:29447259

Classifying clinical decision making: a unifying approach.

PubMed

Buckingham, C D; Adams, A

2000-10-01

This is the first of two linked papers exploring decision making in nursing which integrate research evidence from different clinical and academic disciplines. Currently there are many decision-making theories, each with their own distinctive concepts and terminology, and there is a tendency for separate disciplines to view their own decision-making processes as unique. Identifying good nursing decisions and where improvements can be made is therefore problematic, and this can undermine clinical and organizational effectiveness, as well as nurses' professional status. Within the unifying framework of psychological classification, the overall aim of the two papers is to clarify and compare terms, concepts and processes identified in a diversity of decision-making theories, and to demonstrate their underlying similarities. It is argued that the range of explanations used across disciplines can usefully be re-conceptualized as classification behaviour. This paper explores problems arising from multiple theories of decision making being applied to separate clinical disciplines. Attention is given to detrimental effects on nursing practice within the context of multidisciplinary health-care organizations and the changing role of nurses. The different theories are outlined and difficulties in applying them to nursing decisions highlighted. An alternative approach based on a general model of classification is then presented in detail to introduce its terminology and the unifying framework for interpreting all types of decisions. The classification model is used to provide the context for relating alternative philosophical approaches and to define decision-making activities common to all clinical domains. This may benefit nurses by improving multidisciplinary collaboration and weakening clinical elitism.

The mind-body relationship in psychotherapy: grounded cognition as an explanatory framework

PubMed Central

Leitan, Nuwan D.; Murray, Greg

2014-01-01

As a discipline, psychology is defined by its location in the ambiguous space between mind and body, but theories underpinning the application of psychology in psychotherapy are largely silent on this fundamental metaphysical issue. This is a remarkable state of affairs, given that psychotherapy is typically a real-time meeting between two embodied agents, with the goal of facilitating behavior change in one party. The overarching aim of this paper is to problematize the mind–body relationship in psychotherapy in the service of encouraging advances in theory and practice. The paper briefly explores various psychotherapeutic approaches to help explicate relationships between mind and body from these perspectives. Themes arising from this analysis include a tendency toward dualism (separation of mind and body from the conceptualization of human functioning), exclusivism (elimination of either mind or body from the conceptualization of human functioning), or mind–body monism (conceptualization of mind and body as a single, holistic system). We conclude that the literature, as a whole, does not demonstrate consensus, regarding the relationship between mind and body in psychotherapy. We then introduce a contemporary, holistic, psychological conceptualization of the relationship between mind and body, and argue for its potential utility as an organizing framework for psychotherapeutic theory and practice. The holistic approach we explore, “grounded cognition,” arises from a long philosophical tradition, is influential in current cognitive science, and presents a coherent empirically testable framework integrating subjective and objective perspectives. Finally, we demonstrate how this “grounded cognition” perspective might lead to advances in the theory and practice of psychotherapy. PMID:24904486

The mind-body relationship in psychotherapy: grounded cognition as an explanatory framework.

PubMed

Leitan, Nuwan D; Murray, Greg

2014-01-01

As a discipline, psychology is defined by its location in the ambiguous space between mind and body, but theories underpinning the application of psychology in psychotherapy are largely silent on this fundamental metaphysical issue. This is a remarkable state of affairs, given that psychotherapy is typically a real-time meeting between two embodied agents, with the goal of facilitating behavior change in one party. The overarching aim of this paper is to problematize the mind-body relationship in psychotherapy in the service of encouraging advances in theory and practice. The paper briefly explores various psychotherapeutic approaches to help explicate relationships between mind and body from these perspectives. Themes arising from this analysis include a tendency toward dualism (separation of mind and body from the conceptualization of human functioning), exclusivism (elimination of either mind or body from the conceptualization of human functioning), or mind-body monism (conceptualization of mind and body as a single, holistic system). We conclude that the literature, as a whole, does not demonstrate consensus, regarding the relationship between mind and body in psychotherapy. We then introduce a contemporary, holistic, psychological conceptualization of the relationship between mind and body, and argue for its potential utility as an organizing framework for psychotherapeutic theory and practice. The holistic approach we explore, "grounded cognition," arises from a long philosophical tradition, is influential in current cognitive science, and presents a coherent empirically testable framework integrating subjective and objective perspectives. Finally, we demonstrate how this "grounded cognition" perspective might lead to advances in the theory and practice of psychotherapy.

Violence Against Women in Cambodia: Towards a Culturally Responsive Theory of Change.

PubMed

Eisenbruch, Maurice

2018-06-01

Almost one in four women in Cambodia is a victim of physical, emotional or sexual violence. This article brings together two seldom connected fields: Theory of Change (ToC) and cultural responsiveness in international development. It applies these approaches to a priority in global health, which is to prevent violence against women (VAW) and, drawing on my research on the epigenesis of VAW in Cambodia, develops an argument on the need for interventions to work with tradition and culture rather than only highlight it in problematic terms. The research draws on an ethnographic study carried out in Cambodia with 102 perpetrators and survivors of emotional, physical and sexual VAW and 228 key informants from the Buddhist and healing sectors. The eight 'cultural attractors' identified in the author's prior research highlight the cultural barriers to acceptance of the current Theory of Change. ToC for VAW prevention in Cambodia seems to assume that local culture promotes VAW and that men and women must be educated to eradicate the traditional gender norms. There is a need for interventions to work with tradition and culture rather than only highlight it in problematic terms. The cultural epigenesis of VAW in Cambodia is an insight which can be used to build culturally responsive interventions and strengthen the primary prevention of VAW.

Rebooting Kirkpatrick: Integrating Information System Theory Into the Evaluation of Web-based Continuing Professional Development Interventions for Interprofessional Education.

PubMed

Shen, Nelson; Yufe, Shira; Saadatfard, Omid; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Wiljer, David

2017-01-01

Information system research has stressed the importance of theory in understanding how user perceptions can motivate the use and adoption of technology such as web-based continuing professional development programs for interprofessional education (WCPD-IPE). A systematic review was conducted to provide an information system perspective on the current state of WCPD-IPE program evaluation and how current evaluations capture essential theoretical constructs in promoting technology adoption. Six databases were searched to identify studies evaluating WCPD-IPE. Three investigators determined eligibility of the articles. Evaluation items extracted from the studies were assessed using the Kirkpatrick-Barr framework and mapped to the Benefits Evaluation Framework. Thirty-seven eligible studies yielded 362 evaluation items for analysis. Most items (n = 252) were assessed as Kirkpatrick-Barr level 1 (reaction) and were mainly focused on the quality (information, service, and quality) and satisfaction dimensions of the Benefits Evaluation. System quality was the least evaluated quality dimension, accounting for 26 items across 13 studies. WCPD-IPE use was reported in 17 studies and its antecedent factors were evaluated in varying degrees of comprehensiveness. Although user reactions were commonly evaluated, greater focus on user perceptions of system quality (ie, functionality and performance), usefulness, and usability of the web-based platform is required. Surprisingly, WCPD-IPE use was reported in less than half of the studies. This is problematic as use is a prerequisite to realizing any individual, organizational, or societal benefit of WCPD-IPE. This review proposes an integrated framework which accounts for these factors and provides a theoretically grounded guide for future evaluations.

Sitting with the Enemy: How to Integrate a Former Violent Group into Government

DTIC Science & Technology

It has been 17 years since the deployment of the United States armed forces to Afghanistan on 7 October 2001, and American military forces continue...end the violence. Therefore, this thesis analyzes how to integrate a former violent group into government, and how those processes can apply to...attempt to stabilize the government of Afghanistan. This is problematic but other states have integrated former violent groups into government as a means to

Evaluating the validity of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (Canadian French version) using classical test theory and item response theory.

PubMed

Hong, Quan Nha; Coutu, Marie-France; Berbiche, Djamal

2017-01-01

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (WRFQ) was developed to assess workers' perceived ability to perform job demands and is used to monitor presenteeism. Still few studies on its validity can be found in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the items and factorial composition of the Canadian French version of the WRFQ (WRFQ-CF). Two measurement approaches were used to test the WRFQ-CF: Classical Test Theory (CTT) and non-parametric Item Response Theory (IRT). A total of 352 completed questionnaires were analyzed. A four-factor and three-factor model models were tested and shown respectively good fit with 14 items (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.04, Bentler Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.98) and with 17 items (RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.048, CFI = 0.98). Using IRT, 13 problematic items were identified, of which 9 were common with CTT. This study tested different models with fewer problematic items found in a three-factor model. Using a non-parametric IRT and CTT for item purification gave complementary results. IRT is still scarcely used and can be an interesting alternative method to enhance the quality of a measurement instrument. More studies are needed on the WRFQ-CF to refine its items and factorial composition.

Policy responses to problematic video game use: A systematic review of current measures and future possibilities.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Griffiths, Mark D; King, Daniel L; Lee, Hae-Kook; Lee, Seung-Yup; Bányai, Fanni; Zsila, Ágnes; Takacs, Zsofia K; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2017-09-01

Background and aims Empirical research into problematic video game playing suggests that overuse might cause functional and psychological impairments for a minority of gamers. Therefore, the need for regulation in the case of video games (whether governmental or self-imposed) has arisen but has only been implemented in a few countries around the world, and predominantly in Asia. This paper provides a systematic review of current and potential policies addressing problematic gaming. Methods After conducting a systematic search in the areas of prevention, treatment, and policy measures relating to problematic Internet and video game use, papers were selected that targeted problematic gaming policies (N = 12; six in English and six in Korean). These papers served as the basis of this review. Results Policies were classified into three major groups: (i) policy measures limiting availability of video games (e.g., shutdown policy, fatigue system, and parental controls), (ii) measures aiming to reduce risk and harm (e.g., warning messages), and (iii) measures taken to provide help services for gamers. Beyond the attempt to classify the current and potential policy measures, the authors also tried to evaluate their efficiency theoretically and (if data were available) empirically. Discussion and conclusions Overall, it appears that although several steps have been taken to address problematic video game playing, most of these steps were not as effective as expected, or had not been evaluated empirically for efficacy. The reason for this may lie in the fact that the policies outlined only addressed or influenced specific aspects of the problem instead of using a more integrative approach.

Traditional and Nontraditional Bullying among Youth: A Test of General Strain Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patchin, Justin W.; Hinduja, Sameer

2011-01-01

Bullying at school is a common problem facing youth, school officials, and parents. A significant body of research has detailed the serious consequences associated with bullying victimization. Recently, however, a new permutation has arisen and arguably become even more problematic. "Cyberbullying," as it has been termed, occurs when youth use…

The Mathematical Event: Mapping the Axiomatic and the Problematic in School Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Freitas, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Traditional philosophy of mathematics has been concerned with the nature of mathematical objects rather than events. This traditional focus on reified objects is reflected in dominant theories of learning mathematics whereby the learner is meant to acquire familiarity with ideal mathematical objects, such as number, polygon, or tangent. I argue…

Toward a Feminist Ethic of Self-Care for Environmental Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloro-Bidart, Teresa; Semenko, Keri

2017-01-01

Feminist theory and philosophy have examined how dominant ideologies oppress women, nonhuman animals, and the environment. Feminist scholars also have begun to discuss how neoliberalism problematically re-inscribes women as the primary providers of care, regardless of the impact of this care work on their own well-being. This article synthesizes…

Issues of Ideology in English Language Education Worldwide: An Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirhosseini, Seyyed-Abdolhamid

2018-01-01

The relatively limited consideration of ideology in mainstream theory and research of English language teaching (ELT) has arguably prevented the problematization of many taken-for-granted perceptions and practices in the field. This article brings part of this marginalised body of scholarship on issues of ideology in the area of ELT together to…

A Backwards Binding Construction in Zapotec.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Cheryl A.

Many of the Zapotecan (Mexico) languages have a unique way of signaling co-reference between the subject and the possessor of the object: the subject is null. Analysis of such a construction is problematic to current theories of anaphoric construction. In this analysis, the construction is described and the theoretical problem is underlined by…

Postcoloniality and Ethnography: Negotiating Gender, Ethnicity and Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Cynthia

2009-01-01

This paper draws on black and postcolonial feminist theory in problematizing the interplay of difference and power within the identity practices of Malaysian women. I examine strategic essentialism and cultural difference in ways of being Malay-Muslim, Chinese and Indian women. I highlight the ways in which ethnic and gender politics privileges…

Which Notion of Implication Is the Right One? From Logical Considerations to a Didactic Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durand-Guerrier, Viviane

2003-01-01

Summarizes Tarski's semantic truth theory to clarify different aspects of implication. Extends the classical definition of implication as a relationship between propositions to a relationship between open sentences with at least one free variable. Analyzes two problematic situations and the presentation of some experimental results from research…

Problematizing War: Reviving the Historical Focus of Peace Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCorkle, William

2017-01-01

In the last forty years, peace education has broadened its focus from primarily international peace and the prevention of war to an approach that encompasses social justice, environmental education, critical theory, and multicultural education. While this is a positive evolution in many respects, there is a danger in de-emphasizing the actual…

The Li(f)e of the Self: Missing Persons and Auto/Archeological Excavations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burdick, Jake

2014-01-01

This article describes and enacts a process of autobiographical inquiry, auto/archeology, which seeks to address problematic confluences of memory and identity in reconstructing one's historical narrative. Drawing on curriculum theory and Lacanian psychoanalysis, the author describes a process of excavation in which understandings of a prior…

Early Communication in Dyads with Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rattray, Julie; Zeedyk, M. Suzanne

2005-01-01

The ability of dyads with restricted access to the visual channel of communication to establish a reliable pre-linguistic communicative signalling system has traditionally been viewed as problematic. Such a conclusion is due in part to the emphasis that has been placed on vision as central to communication by traditional theory. The data presented…

Reflections of Native American Teacher Education on Bear Ridge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locke, Steven

2004-01-01

This study examines an elementary teacher education certification program delivered by a state university to Native American teacher aides on the reservation. Data were collected over two semesters using a Freirean critical theory framework to analyze the data and to explicate the problematic nature of Native American education. Analysis of the…

Is Aggression the Same for Boys and Girls? Assessing Measurement Invariance with Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sangwon; Kim, Seock-Ho; Kamphaus, Randy W.

2010-01-01

Gender differences in aggression have typically been based on studies utilizing a mean difference method. From a measurement perspective, this method is inherently problematic unless an aggression measure possesses comparable validity across gender. Stated differently, establishing measurement invariance on the measure of aggression is…

Ethnicity, Class and Multicultural Education. Sociology of the School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizvi, Fazal

This monograph examines the nature of ethnicity as a general feature of human society, as it functions in Australia, and how it is used in the development of policy on multicultural education in Australia. Three influential accounts of ethnicity are examined, and it is argued that, although different, the theories share common problematics and…

College Students' Evaluations of Heavy Drinking: The Influence of Gender, Age, and College Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colby, Suzanne M.; Swanton, Dale N.; Colby, John J.

2012-01-01

College students tend not to view their drinking as problematic despite negative consequences. Nevertheless, excessive drinking tends to desist when students graduate. We examined how college drinking is influenced by attitudes and perceived norms using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Using standardized vignettes, we assessed the extent to…

Thinking beyond Student Resistance: A Difficult Assemblage in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanas, Maija; Huuki, Tuija

2017-01-01

This paper draws on feminist new materialist, poststructuralist and post-human theories to rethink discomforting moments when engaging with sensitive topics in teacher education. It is argued that the common approach to such events--as instances of student resistance or pedagogical failures--is both simplistic and problematic, and that a more…

Problematizing Videogames: Teaching Students to Be Critical Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Mark

2017-01-01

This contribution aims to familiarize educators with the unique ways in which videogames convey meaning as a media form and to provide an instrument, based on videogame theory, that educators can easily employ in intermediate and advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms to teach critical media literacy. In order to equip teachers…

Young Children, Gender and the Heterosexual Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paechter, Carrie

2017-01-01

In this paper I consider the adult focus of current mainstream gender theory. I relate this to how the concept of the heterosexual matrix originates in a social contract which excludes children from civil society. I argue that this exclusion is problematic both for theoretical reasons and from the perspective of children themselves. I start by…

Physiological markers of biased decision-making in problematic Internet users.

PubMed

Nikolaidou, Maria; Fraser, Danaë Stanton; Hinvest, Neal

2016-09-01

Background and aims Addiction has been reliably associated with biased emotional reactions to risky choices. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a relatively new concept and its classification as an addiction is debated. Implicit emotional responses were measured in individuals expressing nonproblematic and problematic Internet behaviors while they made risky/ambiguous decisions to explore whether they showed similar responses to those found in agreed-upon addictions. Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Participants were adult Internet users (N = 72). All testing took place in the Psychophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, UK. Participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) which provides an index of an individual's ability to process and learn probabilities of reward and loss. Integration of emotions into current decision-making frameworks is vital for optimal performance on the IGT and thus, skin conductance responses (SCRs) to reward, punishment, and in anticipation of both were measured to assess emotional function. Results Performance on the IGT did not differ between the groups of Internet users. However, problematic Internet users expressed increased sensitivity to punishment as revealed by stronger SCRs to trials with higher punishment magnitude. Discussion and conclusions PIU seems to differ on behavioral and physiological levels with other addictions. However, our data imply that problematic Internet users were more risk-sensitive, which is a suggestion that needs to be incorporated into in any measure and, potentially, any intervention for PIU.

Is Knowledge of Physical Reality Still Kantian? Some Remarks About the Transcendental Character of Loop Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laino, Luigi

2018-06-01

In the following paper, the author will try to test the meaning of the transcendental approach in respect of the inner changes implied by the idea of quantum gravity. He will firstly describe the basic methodological Kant's aim, viz. the grounding of a meta-science of physics as the a priori corpus of physical knowledge. After that, he will take into account the problematic physical and philosophical relationship between the theory of relativity and the quantum mechanics; in showing how the elementary ontological and epistemological assumptions of experience result to be changed within them, he will also show the further modifications occurred in the development of the loop quantum gravity. He will particularly focus on the tough problem of the relationship space-matter, in order to settle the decisive question about the possibility of keeping a transcendental approach in the light of quantum gravity. He will positively answer by recalling Cassirer's theory of the invariants of experience, although he will also add some problematic issues arising from the new physical context.

Recontextualizing Dance Skills: Overcoming Impediments to Motor Learning and Expressivity in Ballet Dancers

PubMed Central

Karin, Janet

2016-01-01

The process of transmitting ballet’s complex technique to young dancers can interfere with the innate processes that give rise to efficient, expressive and harmonious movement. With the intention of identifying possible solutions, this article draws on research across the fields of neurology, psychology, motor learning, and education, and considers their relevance to ballet as an art form, a technique, and a training methodology. The integration of dancers’ technique and expressivity is a core theme throughout the paper. A brief outline of the historical development of ballet’s aesthetics and training methods leads into factors that influence dancers’ performance. An exploration of the role of the neuromotor system in motor learning and the acquisition of expert skills reveals the roles of sensory awareness, imagery, and intention in cuing efficient, expressive movement. It also indicates potentially detrimental effects of conscious muscle control, explicit learning and persistent naïve beliefs. Finally, the paper presents a new theory regarding the acquisition of ballet skills. Recontextualization theory proposes that placing a problematic task within a new context may engender a new conceptual approach and/or sensory intention, and hence the genesis of new motor programs; and that these new programs may lead to performance that is more efficient, more rewarding for the dancer, more pleasing aesthetically, and more expressive. From an anecdotal point of view, this theory appears to be supported by the progress of many dancers at various stages of their dancing lives. PMID:27047437

Recontextualizing Dance Skills: Overcoming Impediments to Motor Learning and Expressivity in Ballet Dancers.

PubMed

Karin, Janet

2016-01-01

The process of transmitting ballet's complex technique to young dancers can interfere with the innate processes that give rise to efficient, expressive and harmonious movement. With the intention of identifying possible solutions, this article draws on research across the fields of neurology, psychology, motor learning, and education, and considers their relevance to ballet as an art form, a technique, and a training methodology. The integration of dancers' technique and expressivity is a core theme throughout the paper. A brief outline of the historical development of ballet's aesthetics and training methods leads into factors that influence dancers' performance. An exploration of the role of the neuromotor system in motor learning and the acquisition of expert skills reveals the roles of sensory awareness, imagery, and intention in cuing efficient, expressive movement. It also indicates potentially detrimental effects of conscious muscle control, explicit learning and persistent naïve beliefs. Finally, the paper presents a new theory regarding the acquisition of ballet skills. Recontextualization theory proposes that placing a problematic task within a new context may engender a new conceptual approach and/or sensory intention, and hence the genesis of new motor programs; and that these new programs may lead to performance that is more efficient, more rewarding for the dancer, more pleasing aesthetically, and more expressive. From an anecdotal point of view, this theory appears to be supported by the progress of many dancers at various stages of their dancing lives.

An emerging research framework for studying informal learning and schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Laura M. W.

2004-07-01

In recognition of the fact that science centers and other informal educational institutions can play a role in the reform of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, several major research and professional programs are currently underway. This article discusses one such effort, the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS), a collaboration of the Exploratorium, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and King's College, London and the need for a theoretical framework based on socio-cultural theory to link discussion of varied efforts characterizing science learning in informal settings. The article discusses two key problematics related to developments in the science education field of the past decade: (1) integrating studies that are undertaken from multiple disciplinary perspectives, namely, science education, developmental psychology, and cultural studies, and (2) characterizing critical properties of informal learning in museums. It reviews work that has been conducted in nonschool settings and, using examples from research conducted by the Center for Informal Learning and Schools, it reviews questions currently under investigation.

Sentence comprehension in agrammatic aphasia: history and variability to clinical implications.

PubMed

Johnson, Danielle; Cannizzaro, Michael S

2009-01-01

Individuals with Broca's aphasia often present with deficits in their ability to comprehend non-canonical sentences. This has been contrastingly characterized as a systematic loss of specific grammatical abilities or as individual variability in the dynamics between processing load and resource availability. The present study investigated sentence level comprehension in participants with Broca's aphasia in an attempt to integrate these contrasting views into a clinically useful process. Two participants diagnosed with Broca's aphasia were assessed using a sentence-to-picture matching paradigm and a truth-value judgement task, across sentence constructions thought to be problematic for this population. The data demonstrate markedly different patterns of performance between participants, as well as variability within participants (e.g. by sentence type). These findings support the notion of individual performance variability in persons with aphasia. Syntactic theory was instructive for assessing sentence level comprehension, leading to a clinically relevant process of identifying treatment targets considering both performance variability and syntactic complexity for this population.

Wilber's Integral Theory and Dossey's Theory of Integral Nursing: An Examination of Two Integral Approaches in Nursing Scholarship.

PubMed

Shea, Linda; Frisch, Noreen

2016-09-01

The purpose of this article is to examine Dossey's theory of integral nursing in relation to its major theoretical source, Wilber's integral theory. Although several nursing scholars have written about integral theory in relation to nursing scholarship and practice, Dossey's theory of integral nursing may be influencing how nurses take up integral theory in a significant way due to an extensive outreach in the holistic nursing community. Despite this wide circulation, the theory of integral nursing has yet to be reviewed in the nursing literature. This article (a) compares Dossey's theory of integral nursing with Wilber's integral theory and (b) contrasts Dossey's integral approach with another integral approach used by other scholars of integral theory. © The Author(s) 2015.

Problematic Internet Use, Mental Health and Impulse Control in an Online Survey of Adults

PubMed Central

Yau, Yvonne H. C.; Potenza, Marc N.; White, Marney A.

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Internet use has become a popular entertainment source and has become highly integrated into daily life. However, some people display problematic or addictive usage of the Internet. The present study attempts to fill current knowledge gaps regarding at-risk/problematic Internet use (ARPIU) and its relation to various health and functioning measures. Methods Online survey data from 755 adults in the United States were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVAs. Results The ARPIU group did not differ from the non-ARPIU group with respect to substance use. Individuals with ARPIU were, however, more likely to report at-risk/problematic engagement in video-game playing and gambling. Compared to the non-ARPIU group, the ARPIU group reported poorer self-control and higher levels of impulsivity and depression. Conclusions ARPIU appears associated with other risk behaviors, particularly those that might be performed on the Internet. Future studies should examine the extent to which the Internet may promote engagement in these risk behaviors and the extent to which preventative interventions targeting better self-control or negative mood states might help a range of non-substance-related addictive behaviors. PMID:24294501

Hedonic and incentive signals for body weight control.

PubMed

Egecioglu, Emil; Skibicka, Karolina P; Hansson, Caroline; Alvarez-Crespo, Mayte; Friberg, P Anders; Jerlhag, Elisabet; Engel, Jörgen A; Dickson, Suzanne L

2011-09-01

Here we review the emerging neurobiological understanding of the role of the brain's reward system in the regulation of body weight in health and in disease. Common obesity is characterized by the over-consumption of palatable/rewarding foods, reflecting an imbalance in the relative importance of hedonic versus homeostatic signals. The popular 'incentive salience theory' of food reward recognises not only a hedonic/pleasure component ('liking') but also an incentive motivation component ('wanting' or 'reward-seeking'). Central to the neurobiology of the reward mechanism is the mesoaccumbal dopamine system that confers incentive motivation not only for natural rewards such as food but also by artificial rewards (eg. addictive drugs). Indeed, this mesoaccumbal dopamine system receives and integrates information about the incentive (rewarding) value of foods with information about metabolic status. Problematic over-eating likely reflects a changing balance in the control exerted by hypothalamic versus reward circuits and/or it could reflect an allostatic shift in the hedonic set point for food reward. Certainly, for obesity to prevail, metabolic satiety signals such as leptin and insulin fail to regain control of appetitive brain networks, including those involved in food reward. On the other hand, metabolic control could reflect increased signalling by the stomach-derived orexigenic hormone, ghrelin. We have shown that ghrelin activates the mesoaccumbal dopamine system and that central ghrelin signalling is required for reward from both chemical drugs (eg alcohol) and also from palatable food. Future therapies for problematic over-eating and obesity may include drugs that interfere with incentive motivation, such as ghrelin antagonists.

Critical social theory as a model for the informatics curriculum for nursing.

PubMed

Wainwright, P; Jones, P G

2000-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that the education and training of nurses in information management and technology is problematic. Drawing from recent research this paper presents a theoretical framework within which the nature of the problems faced by nurses in the use of information may be analyzed. This framework, based on the critical social theory of Habermas, also provides a model for the informatics curriculum. The advantages of problem based learning and multi-media web-based technologies for the delivery of learning materials within this area are also discussed.

Political power beyond the State: problematics of government. 1992.

PubMed

Rose, Nikolas; Miller, Peter

2010-01-01

This paper sets out an approach to the analysis of political power in terms of problematics of government. It argues against an overvaluation of the 'problem of the State' in political debate and social theory. A number of conceptual tools are suggested for the analysis of the many and varied alliances between political and other authorities that seek to govern economic activity, social life and individual conduct. Modern political rationalities and governmental technologies are shown to be intrinsically linked to developments in knowledge and to the powers of expertise. The characteristics of liberal problematics of government are investigated, and it is argued that they are dependent upon technologies for 'governing at a distance', seeking to create locales, entities and persons able to operate a regulated autonomy. The analysis is exemplified through an investigation of welfarism as a mode of 'social' government. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of neo-liberalism which demonstrates that the analytical language structured by the philosophical opposition of state and civil society is unable to comprehend contemporary transformations in modes of exercise of political power.(1).

Field validation of polyurethane technology in remediating rail substructure and enhancing rail freight capacity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Railways are an important component of a multi-modal freight transport network. The structural integrity of rail substructure and problematic railway elements can be compromised leading to track instability and ultimately, train derailments. Because ...

Risky online behaviors among adolescents: Longitudinal relations among problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online.

PubMed

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Borrajo, Erika; Almendros, Carmen

2016-03-01

Background and aims This study aims to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between three major risky online behaviors during adolescence: problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online. An additional objective was to study the role of impulsivity-irresponsibility as a possible explanatory variable of the relationships between these risky online behaviors. Methods The study sample was 888 adolescents that completed self-report measures at time 1 and time 2 with an interval of 6 months. Results The findings showed a significant cross-sectional relationship between the risky online behaviors analyzed. At the longitudinal level, problematic Internet use at time 1 predicted an increase in the perpetration of cyberbullying and meeting strangers online at time 2. Furthermore, meeting strangers online increased the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration at time 2. Finally, when impulsivity-irresponsibility was included in the model as an explanatory variable, the relationships previously found remained significant. Discussion These results extend traditional problem behavior theory during adolescence, also supporting a relationship between different risky behaviors in cyberspace. In addition, findings highlighted the role of problematic Internet use, which increased the chances of developing cyberbullying perpetration and meeting strangers online over time. However, the results suggest a limited role of impulsivity-irresponsibility as an explicative mechanism. Conclusions The findings suggest that various online risk activities ought to be addressed together when planning assessment, prevention and intervention efforts.

Consciousness: here, there and everywhere?

PubMed

Tononi, Giulio; Koch, Christof

2015-05-19

The science of consciousness has made great strides by focusing on the behavioural and neuronal correlates of experience. However, while such correlates are important for progress to occur, they are not enough if we are to understand even basic facts, for example, why the cerebral cortex gives rise to consciousness but the cerebellum does not, though it has even more neurons and appears to be just as complicated. Moreover, correlates are of little help in many instances where we would like to know if consciousness is present: patients with a few remaining islands of functioning cortex, preterm infants, non-mammalian species and machines that are rapidly outperforming people at driving, recognizing faces and objects, and answering difficult questions. To address these issues, we need not only more data but also a theory of consciousness-one that says what experience is and what type of physical systems can have it. Integrated information theory (IIT) does so by starting from experience itself via five phenomenological axioms: intrinsic existence, composition, information, integration and exclusion. From these it derives five postulates about the properties required of physical mechanisms to support consciousness. The theory provides a principled account of both the quantity and the quality of an individual experience (a quale), and a calculus to evaluate whether or not a particular physical system is conscious and of what. Moreover, IIT can explain a range of clinical and laboratory findings, makes a number of testable predictions and extrapolates to a number of problematic conditions. The theory holds that consciousness is a fundamental property possessed by physical systems having specific causal properties. It predicts that consciousness is graded, is common among biological organisms and can occur in some very simple systems. Conversely, it predicts that feed-forward networks, even complex ones, are not conscious, nor are aggregates such as groups of individuals or heaps of sand. Also, in sharp contrast to widespread functionalist beliefs, IIT implies that digital computers, even if their behaviour were to be functionally equivalent to ours, and even if they were to run faithful simulations of the human brain, would experience next to nothing.

Consciousness: here, there and everywhere?

PubMed Central

Tononi, Giulio; Koch, Christof

2015-01-01

The science of consciousness has made great strides by focusing on the behavioural and neuronal correlates of experience. However, while such correlates are important for progress to occur, they are not enough if we are to understand even basic facts, for example, why the cerebral cortex gives rise to consciousness but the cerebellum does not, though it has even more neurons and appears to be just as complicated. Moreover, correlates are of little help in many instances where we would like to know if consciousness is present: patients with a few remaining islands of functioning cortex, preterm infants, non-mammalian species and machines that are rapidly outperforming people at driving, recognizing faces and objects, and answering difficult questions. To address these issues, we need not only more data but also a theory of consciousness—one that says what experience is and what type of physical systems can have it. Integrated information theory (IIT) does so by starting from experience itself via five phenomenological axioms: intrinsic existence, composition, information, integration and exclusion. From these it derives five postulates about the properties required of physical mechanisms to support consciousness. The theory provides a principled account of both the quantity and the quality of an individual experience (a quale), and a calculus to evaluate whether or not a particular physical system is conscious and of what. Moreover, IIT can explain a range of clinical and laboratory findings, makes a number of testable predictions and extrapolates to a number of problematic conditions. The theory holds that consciousness is a fundamental property possessed by physical systems having specific causal properties. It predicts that consciousness is graded, is common among biological organisms and can occur in some very simple systems. Conversely, it predicts that feed-forward networks, even complex ones, are not conscious, nor are aggregates such as groups of individuals or heaps of sand. Also, in sharp contrast to widespread functionalist beliefs, IIT implies that digital computers, even if their behaviour were to be functionally equivalent to ours, and even if they were to run faithful simulations of the human brain, would experience next to nothing. PMID:25823865

The Lecture as Experiential Education: The Cucumber in 17th-Century Flemish Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blenkinsop, Sean; Nolan, Carrie; Hunt, Jasper; Stonehouse, Paul; Telford, John

2016-01-01

This article uses an unconventional format to problematize a common dichotomy found in the theory and practice of experiential education. The article comprises the contributions of five authors and begins with one author's description of a potential real-life scenario that provokes the question of whether an art history lecture might be understood…

Conceptualizing Color-Evasiveness: Using Dis/Ability Critical Race Theory to Expand a Color-Blind Racial Ideology in Education and Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annamma, Subini Ancy; Jackson, Darrell D.; Morrison, Deb

2017-01-01

Color-blind racial ideology has historically been conceptualized as an ideology wherein race is immaterial. Efforts not to "see" race insinuate that recognizing race is problematic; therefore, scholars have identified and critiqued color-blindness ideology. In this paper, we first examine Gotanda's (1991) identification and critique of…

Why Self-Discipline Is Overrated: The (Troubling) Theory and Practice of Control from within

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Alfie

2008-01-01

Traditional and progressive educators alike have endorsed the benefits of self-discipline, the idea being for students to override their unconstructive impulses, resist temptation, and do what needs to be done. But author Alfie Kohn suggests that the concept of self-discipline is actually problematic in three ways: It reflects a simplistic…

The Influence of Student Characteristics on the Dependability of Behavioral Observation Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briesch, Amy M.; Volpe, Robert J.; Ferguson, Tyler David

2014-01-01

Although generalizability theory has been used increasingly in recent years to investigate the dependability of behavioral estimates, many of these studies have relied on use of general education populations as opposed to those students who are most likely to be referred for assessment due to problematic classroom behavior (e.g., inattention,…

"Is This What You're Talking About?": Identity Negotiation in International Teaching Assistants' Instructional Interactions with U.S. College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Shiao-Yun

2016-01-01

The instructional performance of international teaching assistants (ITA) in U.S. universities is generally considered as problematic due to linguistic and cultural differences in existing studies. Drawing on interactional sociolinguistics, conversation analysis, and positioning theory, this study aims to find out how ITAs are juxtaposed between…

The Self-Managed Heart: Teaching Gender and Doing Emotional Labour in a Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koster, Shirley

2011-01-01

It is considered good pedagogical practice for undergraduate social science students to reflexively use their real-life experiences to illustrate concepts and theories, especially in relation to themes of social inequality and power. When teaching gender and sexuality, this can become problematic because of the emotional topics involved such as…

Using Social Disorganization Theory to Guide Substance Abuse Prevention among Adolescents: Implications for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaynes, Shane

2014-01-01

Substance use and abuse are problematic in the lives of adolescents, including interpersonal problems and scholastic problems. Risk for substance use has commonly been assessed at the individual level. This paper examines risk of adolescent substance abuse as a variable impacted by environmental or contextual factors surrounding the individual.…

Access and Equity Denied: Key Theories for School Psychologists to Consider When Assessing Black and Hispanic Students for Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Donna Y.; Wright, Brian L.; Washington, Ahmad; Henfield, Malik S.

2016-01-01

Black and Hispanic students are consistently underrepresented in gifted education. Several factors contribute to their low identification and lack of access to such programs and services. While teacher underreferral is a significant contributing factor, problematic also is testing and assessment, which is often administered by school…

Teacher Educators as Cultural Workers: Problematizing Teacher Education Pedagogies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de los Ríos, Cati; Souto-Manning, Mariana

2015-01-01

From a Latina/o Critical Race Theory perspective, in this article we engage in a process of testimonio co-creation to trace Freire's notion of critical pedagogy in our lives as former schoolteachers and current teacher educators. Through the critical analysis of our lived experiences, we unveil the powerful affordances we have gained by employing…

Educational Resistance in a Runaway World: Poetic Meditations on Power and Surveillance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Michael

2008-01-01

It is becoming clear that standard, linear solutions to the problems of resistant children are problematic because they imagine a world of schooling in which place and power do not matter. Poetry can challenge the typically linear, prescriptive, and modernist assumptions that are central to much educational theory and practice. In this article,…

Using Solution-Focused Approaches in Motivational Interviewing with Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Cathy; Amesu, Mawuli

2007-01-01

This article explores the theory and practice of using the solution-focused approach of motivational interviewing (MI) with young people. MI is based on the premise that people are not always at a stage of readiness to change behaviours, such as smoking, drinking or drug use, which are perceived by others to be problematic. The article explores…

Exploring Students' Ideas about Risks and Benefits of Nuclear Power Using Risk Perception Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilinc, Ahmet; Boyes, Edward; Stanisstreet, Martin

2013-01-01

Due to increased energy demand, Turkey is continuing to explore the possibilities of introducing nuclear power. Gaining acceptance from local populations, however, may be problematic because nuclear power has a negative image and risk perceptions are complicated by a range of psychological and cultural factors. In this study, we explore the views…

The Value of Reflection in Writing Courses in ELT Preservice Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikan, Arda

2006-01-01

Constructivist theory has brought significant momentum to all aspects of teacher education. Currently, personal growth of the individual in educational domains is so important that teacher candidates are asked to develop their reflective skills in many courses so that they grow by having internalized and problematized the issues under study by…

Minds between Us: Autism, Mindblindness and the Uncertainty of Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Anne E.; Michalko, Rod

2011-01-01

This paper problematizes contemporary cultural understandings of autism. We make use of the developmental psychology concepts of "Theory of Mind" and "mindblindness" to uncover the meaning of autism as expressed in these concepts. Our concern is that autism is depicted as a puzzle and that this depiction governs not only the way Western culture…

The Efficacy of Contingency Models of Reinforcement on Group Expectations and Reading Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, Valerie Kristine

2011-01-01

Social learning theory contends that group contingent reinforcement can be used as a means of shaping problematic behavior in both academic and nonacademic settings. Prior research has focused on contingent management of academic behaviors with older populations at the college level and younger students both with and without disabilities in the…

Using Item Response Theory to Conduct a Distracter Analysis on Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battisti, Bryce Thomas; Hanegan, Nikki; Sudweeks, Richard; Cates, Rex

2010-01-01

Concept inventories are often used to assess current student understanding although conceptual change models are problematic. Due to controversies with conceptual change models and the realities of student assessment, it is important that concept inventories are evaluated using a variety of theoretical models to improve quality. This study used a…

Visual Body Pedagogies: How Anti-Oppressive Education Informs the Teaching and Learning of Sporting Bodies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Robert E.; LeBlanc, Roger G.; Brown, Pam K.

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors borrow from anti-oppressive education theory for its potential to disrupt how students visually conceive sporting bodies and to problematize the teaching and learning of these bodies within undergraduate physical education (PE) programs. Fourteen photo stories produced by students enrolled in PE programs at two…

Layout pattern analysis using the Voronoi diagram of line segments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Sandeep Kumar; Cheilaris, Panagiotis; Gabrani, Maria; Papadopoulou, Evanthia

2016-01-01

Early identification of problematic patterns in very large scale integration (VLSI) designs is of great value as the lithographic simulation tools face significant timing challenges. To reduce the processing time, such a tool selects only a fraction of possible patterns which have a probable area of failure, with the risk of missing some problematic patterns. We introduce a fast method to automatically extract patterns based on their structure and context, using the Voronoi diagram of line-segments as derived from the edges of VLSI design shapes. Designers put line segments around the problematic locations in patterns called "gauges," along which the critical distance is measured. The gauge center is the midpoint of a gauge. We first use the Voronoi diagram of VLSI shapes to identify possible problematic locations, represented as gauge centers. Then we use the derived locations to extract windows containing the problematic patterns from the design layout. The problematic locations are prioritized by the shape and proximity information of the design polygons. We perform experiments for pattern selection in a portion of a 22-nm random logic design layout. The design layout had 38,584 design polygons (consisting of 199,946 line segments) on layer Mx, and 7079 markers generated by an optical rule checker (ORC) tool. The optical rules specify requirements for printing circuits with minimum dimension. Markers are the locations of some optical rule violations in the layout. We verify our approach by comparing the coverage of our extracted patterns to the ORC-generated markers. We further derive a similarity measure between patterns and between layouts. The similarity measure helps to identify a set of representative gauges that reduces the number of patterns for analysis.

The cosmopolitan contradictions of planetary urbanization.

PubMed

Millington, Gareth

2016-09-01

This paper explores the empirical, conceptual and theoretical gains that can be made using cosmopolitan social theory to think through the urban transformations that scholars have in recent years termed planetary urbanization. Recognizing the global spread of urbanization makes the need for a cosmopolitan urban sociology more pressing than ever. Here, it is suggested that critical urban sociology can be invigorated by focusing upon the disconnect that Henri Lefebvre posits between the planetarization of the urban - which he views as economically and technologically driven - and his dis-alienated notion of a global urban society. The first aim of this paper is to highlight the benefits of using 'cosmopolitan' social theory to understand Lefebvre's urban problematic (and to establish why this is also a cosmopolitan problematic); the second is to identify the core cosmopolitan contradictions of planetary urbanization, tensions that are both actually existing and reproduced in scholarly accounts. The article begins by examining the challenges presented to urban sociology by planetary urbanization, before considering how cosmopolitan sociological theory helps provide an analytical 'grip' on the deep lying social realities of contemporary urbanization, especially in relation to questions about difference, culture and history. These insights are used to identify three cosmopolitan contradictions that exist within urbanized (and urbanizing) space; tensions that provide a basis for a thoroughgoing cosmopolitan investigation of planetary urbanization. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

The Value of the Model of a Socially Integral Teaching/Learning Environment in the Classroom from the Point of View of Learners Who Tend to Socially Withdraw

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyburiene, Laima; Navickiene, Gemma

2015-01-01

The article gives a review of the investigations publicised in the scientific papers of various countries, which reveal the increase in social closure and analyse the problematic conception of social withdrawal; introduces the theoretical (ideal) model of a socially integral teaching/learning environment in the classroom; uncovers its impact on…

Approaches to integrating indicators into 3D landscape visualisations and their benefits for participative planning situations.

PubMed

Wissen, Ulrike; Schroth, Olaf; Lange, Eckart; Schmid, Willy A

2008-11-01

In discussing issues of landscape change, the complex relationships in the landscape have to be assessed. In participative planning processes, 3D visualisations have a high potential as an aid in understanding and communicating characteristics of landscape conditions by integrating visual and non-visual landscape information. Unclear is, which design and how much interactivity is required for an indicator visualisation that would suit stakeholders best in workshop situations. This paper describes the preparation and application of three different types of integrated 3D visualisations in workshops conducted in the Entlebuch UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (CH). The results reveal that simple representations of a complex issue created by draping thematic maps on the 3D model can make problematic developments visible at a glance; that diagrams linked to the spatial context can help draw attention to problematic relationships not considered beforehand; and that the size of species as indicators of conditions of the landscape's production and biotope function seems to provide a common language for stakeholders with different perspectives. Overall, the of the indicators the functions required to assist in information processing. Further research should focus on testing the effectiveness of the integrated visualisation tools in participative processes for the general public.

Lesbian Studies after The Lesbian Postmodern: toward a new genealogy.

PubMed

Doan, Laura

2007-01-01

While Lesbian Studies is established as a commodity in the academic marketplace, its disciplinary contours are rather more obscure-and even more problematically, its disciplinary genealogy remains somewhat crude. The dominant genealogy of Lesbian Studies might best be characterized as a 'collision model,' a battle between politics and theory, even though much existing scholarship draws on both Lesbian-Feminist Theory and Queer Theory.1 This article proposes that the tools and methods of a sub-field called 'Lesbian Cultural History' might be useful in generating other historical accounts of the origins and evolution of Lesbian Studies. Such a project is vital because the writing of our disciplinary History clarifies how we envision a disciplinary future.

Physiological markers of biased decision-making in problematic Internet users

PubMed Central

Nikolaidou, Maria; Fraser, Danaë Stanton

2016-01-01

Background and aims Addiction has been reliably associated with biased emotional reactions to risky choices. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a relatively new concept and its classification as an addiction is debated. Implicit emotional responses were measured in individuals expressing nonproblematic and problematic Internet behaviors while they made risky/ambiguous decisions to explore whether they showed similar responses to those found in agreed-upon addictions. Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Participants were adult Internet users (N = 72). All testing took place in the Psychophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, UK. Participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) which provides an index of an individual’s ability to process and learn probabilities of reward and loss. Integration of emotions into current decision-making frameworks is vital for optimal performance on the IGT and thus, skin conductance responses (SCRs) to reward, punishment, and in anticipation of both were measured to assess emotional function. Results Performance on the IGT did not differ between the groups of Internet users. However, problematic Internet users expressed increased sensitivity to punishment as revealed by stronger SCRs to trials with higher punishment magnitude. Discussion and conclusions PIU seems to differ on behavioral and physiological levels with other addictions. However, our data imply that problematic Internet users were more risk-sensitive, which is a suggestion that needs to be incorporated into in any measure and, potentially, any intervention for PIU. PMID:27554505

75 FR 43615 - Program Integrity: Gainful Employment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

... institutions could be problematic if earnings are not sufficient. \\4\\ National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey...: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to amend the Student Assistance General... remain eligible for the student financial assistance programs authorized under title IV of the Higher...

Cultural Explanations for Racial and Ethnic Stratification in Academic Achievement: A Call for a New and Improved Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warikoo, Natasha; Carter, Prudence

2009-01-01

In this article we assess the literature on cultural explanations for ethno-racial differences in K-12 schooling and academic performance. Some cultural arguments problematically define certain ethno-racial identities and cultures as subtractive from the goal of academic mobility while defining the ethnic cultures and identities of others as…

Examining Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy as a Treatment for Adopted and Foster Children: A Review of Research and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Jean

2014-01-01

Dyadic developmental psychotherapy (DDP) is a mental health intervention intended primarily for children with problematic attachment histories. It has received increased attention in the United Kingdom and the United States in the last few years. DDP has been publicized as a research-supported treatment, but a review of research shows that it does…

Performing Research at University Centers for Academic Development--An Explorative Case Study in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stigmar, Martin; Edgren, Gudrun

2017-01-01

The aim is to explore the absence or presence of, and motives for, research at centers for academic development and to problematize the research situation among academic developers. Boyer's and Healey's theories are used as lenses for the analysis based on the questionnaires that were used for data collection. The conclusion is that research is a…

Confidence Intervals for the Between-Study Variance in Random Effects Meta-Analysis Using Generalised Cochran Heterogeneity Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Dan

2013-01-01

Statistical inference is problematic in the common situation in meta-analysis where the random effects model is fitted to just a handful of studies. In particular, the asymptotic theory of maximum likelihood provides a poor approximation, and Bayesian methods are sensitive to the prior specification. Hence, less efficient, but easily computed and…

Reflections on a Proposed Theory of Reservation-Dwelling American Indian Alcohol Use: Comment on Spillane and Smith (2007)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beals, Janette; Belcourt-Dittloff, Annie; Freedenthal, Stacey; Kaufman, Carol; Mitchell, Christina; Whitesell, Nancy; Albright, Karen; Beauvais, Fred; Belcourt, Gordon; Duran, Bonnie; Fleming, Candace; Floersch, Natasha; Foley, Kevin; Jervis, Lori; Kipp, Billie Jo; Mail, Patricia; Manson, Spero; May, Philip; Mohatt, Gerald; Morse, Bradley; Novins, Douglas; O'Connell, Joan; Parker, Tassy; Quintero, Gilbert; Spicer, Paul; Stiffman, Arlene; Stone, Joseph; Trimble, Joseph; Venner, Kamilla; Walters, Karina

2009-01-01

In their recent article, N. Spillane and G. Smith suggested that reservation-dwelling American Indians have higher rates of problem drinking than do either non-American Indians or those American Indians living in nonreservation settings. These authors further argued that problematic alcohol use patterns in reservation communities are due to the…

Representing the Quantum Object through Fiction in Teaching: The Ontological Contribution of Gamow's Narrative as Part of an Introduction to Quantum Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Héraud, Jean-Loup; Lautesse, Philippe; Ferlin, Fabrice; Chabot, Hugues

2017-01-01

Our work extends a previous study of epistemological presuppositions in teaching quantum physics in upper scientific secondary school in France. Here, the problematic reference of quantum theory's concepts is treated at the ontological level (the counterintuitive nature of quantum objects). We consider the approach of using narratives describing…

Dialogic Multicultural Education Theory and Praxis: Dialogue and the Problems of Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elkader, Nermine Abd

2015-01-01

The purpose of this theoretical article is to highlight the role that dialogic pedagogy can play in critical multicultural education for pre-service teachers. The article starts by discussing the problematic that critical multicultural education poses in a democratic society that claims freedom of speech and freedom of expression as a basic tenet…

Going Critical: The Problem of Problematizing Knowledge in Education Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Rob

2007-01-01

This paper raises the issue of what it is to be "critical" in education studies and in social theory more generally. It argues that this idea has for a long time been associated with forms of social constructionism and sociological reductionism. These understand the idea that knowledge is social in terms of reducing it to the experiences and…

Mind, brain, and personality disorders.

PubMed

Gabbard, Glen O

2005-04-01

The use of the terms "mind" and "brain" in psychiatry is often associated with a set of polarities. Concepts such as environment, psychosocial, and psychotherapy are linked with "mind," while genes, biology, and medication are often associated with "brain." The author examines these dichotomies as they apply to personality disorders. Research on antisocial and borderline personality disorders that is relevant to these dichotomies is evaluated. The implications of the findings for the understanding of pathogenesis and treatment are reconsidered. In the clinical setting, it is problematic to lump together terms such as "genes," "brain," and "biological" as though they are separate and distinct from terms such as "environment," "mind," and "psychosocial." These dichotomies are problematic, because genes and environment are inextricably intertwined in the pathogenesis of personality disorders, psychosocial experiences may result in permanent changes in the brain, and psychotherapy may have its effect by altering brain structure and function. The "theory of mind" is a useful construct for bridging "mind" and "brain" in the treatment of personality disorders. Severe personality disorders are best understood and treated without "either-or" dichotomies of brain and mind. Each domain has a different language, however, and the language of the mind is necessary to help the patient develop a theory of mind.

Zone of proximal development (ZPD) as an ability to play in psychotherapy: a theory-building case study of very brief therapy.

PubMed

Zonzi, Anna; Barkham, Michael; Hardy, Gillian E; Llewelyn, Susan P; Stiles, William B; Leiman, Mikael

2014-12-01

This theory-building case study examined the zone of proximal development (ZPD) in psychotherapy within the assimilation model. Theoretically, the ZPD is the segment of the continuum of therapeutic development within which assimilation of problematic experiences can take place. Work within a problem's current ZPD may be manifested as a Winnicottian ability to play, that is, an ability to adopt a flexible reflexive stance to the presenting problem and be involved in joint examination of possible alternatives. Play may be recognized in the client's receptivity to and creative use of the therapist's formulations of the presenting problems. A case was selected from a comparative clinical trial of two very brief psychotherapies for mild to moderate depression, the Two-Plus-One Project (Barkham, Shapiro, Hardy, & Rees, 1999, J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 67, 201). Martha, a woman in her late forties, received two sessions of psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy 1 week apart and a follow-up ('plus one') session approximately 3 months later. Dialogical sequence analysis was used to analyse the transcripts of the three sessions. The analysis revealed Martha's problematic action pattern, which remained unchanged throughout the three sessions. Her ability to use and elaborate the therapist's formulations depended on the referential object that the therapist addressed; in particular, she seemed unable to play with the therapist's formulations of her more problematic experiences. The case helped elucidate how the ZPD is content dependent. Winnicott's conception of playing emphasizes the quality of client response as an indicator of this content sensitivity. Differing breadths of major problems' ZPD, manifested as differing abilities to play with therapists' formulations may explain why some clients improve in psychotherapy while some do not. Accessing very problematic content may be very difficult even though the client's ability to mentalize other material appears ordinary. Mildly depressed clients who have developed powerful care-taking coping strategies may not respond to very brief therapeutic interventions. A client's minimal acknowledgements may mislead the therapist into supplementing the client's failing self-reflection rather than addressing the issue that provokes this failure. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Some thoughts about consciousness: from a quantum mechanics perspective.

PubMed

Gargiulo, Gerald J

2013-08-01

The article explores some of the basic findings of quantum physics and information theory and their possible usefulness in offering new vistas for understanding psychoanalysis and the patient-analyst interchange. Technical terms are explained and placed in context, and examples of applying quantum models to clinical experience are offered. Given the complexity of the findings of quantum mechanics and information theory, the article aims only to introduce some of the major concepts from these disciplines. Within this framework the article also briefly addresses the question of mind as well as the problematic of reducing the experience of consciousness to neurological brain functioning.

Exploring the role of experiential avoidance from the perspective of attachment theory and the dual process model.

PubMed

Shear, M Katherine

2010-01-01

Avoidance can be adaptive and facilitate the healing process of acute grief or it can be maladaptive and hinder this same process. Maladaptive cognitive or behavioral avoidance comprises the central feature of the condition of complicated grief. This article explores the concept of experiential avoidance as it applies to bereavement, including when it is adaptive when it is problematic. Adaptive avoidance is framed using an attachment theory perspective and incorporates insights from the dual process model (DPM). An approach to clinical management of experiential avoidance in the syndrome of complicated grief is included.

Perpendicular cultivation for improved weed control in organic peanut production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intensive cultivation in organic peanut is partially effective, but in-row weed control remains problematic. In an attempt to improve in-row weed control, trials were conducted to determine the feasibility of early-season cultivation perpendicular to row direction using a tine weeder when integrate...

Metacognitive Scaffolding in an Innovative Learning Arrangement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molenaar, Inge; van Boxtel, Carla A. M.; Sleegers, Peter J. C.

2011-01-01

This study examined the effects of metacognitive scaffolds on learning outcomes of collaborating students in an innovative learning arrangement. The triads were supported by computerized scaffolds, which were dynamically integrated into the learning process and took a structuring or problematizing form. In an experimental design the two…

Vandalized: Educational Opportunity, Inclusion, and Academic Outsiders at the University of Idaho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clyde, Scott

2013-01-01

This dissertation employed a critical action research methodology to problematize the University of Idaho's observed failure to successfully integrate nontraditional scholars into its academic culture. This dissertation explores the appropriate role and responsibility of the embedded educational opportunity programs in assisting academic outsiders…

CARBOHYDRATE USE AND ASSIMILATION BY LITTER AND SOIL FUNGI ASSESSED BY CARBON ISOTOPES AND BIOLOG ASSAYS

EPA Science Inventory

Soil fungi are integral to decomposition in forests, yet identification of probable functional roles of different taxa is problematic. Here, we compared carbohydrate assimilation patterns derived from stable isotope analyses on cultures with those produced from cultures on Biolo...

Risky online behaviors among adolescents: Longitudinal relations among problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online

PubMed Central

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Borrajo, Erika; Almendros, Carmen

2016-01-01

Background and aims This study aims to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between three major risky online behaviors during adolescence: problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online. An additional objective was to study the role of impulsivity–irresponsibility as a possible explanatory variable of the relationships between these risky online behaviors. Methods The study sample was 888 adolescents that completed self-report measures at time 1 and time 2 with an interval of 6 months. Results The findings showed a significant cross-sectional relationship between the risky online behaviors analyzed. At the longitudinal level, problematic Internet use at time 1 predicted an increase in the perpetration of cyberbullying and meeting strangers online at time 2. Furthermore, meeting strangers online increased the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration at time 2. Finally, when impulsivity–irresponsibility was included in the model as an explanatory variable, the relationships previously found remained significant. Discussion These results extend traditional problem behavior theory during adolescence, also supporting a relationship between different risky behaviors in cyberspace. In addition, findings highlighted the role of problematic Internet use, which increased the chances of developing cyberbullying perpetration and meeting strangers online over time. However, the results suggest a limited role of impulsivity–irresponsibility as an explicative mechanism. Conclusions The findings suggest that various online risk activities ought to be addressed together when planning assessment, prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:28092196

Unusual square roots in the ghost-free theory of massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovnev, Alexey; Smirnov, Fedor

2017-06-01

A crucial building block of the ghost free massive gravity is the square root function of a matrix. This is a problematic entity from the viewpoint of existence and uniqueness properties. We accurately describe the freedom of choosing a square root of a (non-degenerate) matrix. It has discrete and (in special cases) continuous parts. When continuous freedom is present, the usual perturbation theory in terms of matrices can be critically ill defined for some choices of the square root. We consider the new formulation of massive and bimetric gravity which deals directly with eigenvalues (in disguise of elementary symmetric polynomials) instead of matrices. It allows for a meaningful discussion of perturbation theory in such cases, even though certain non-analytic features arise.

The problematization of medical tourism: a critique of neoliberalism.

PubMed

Smith, Kristen

2012-04-01

The past two decades have seen the extensive privatisation and marketisation of health care in an ever reaching number of developing countries. Within this milieu, medical tourism is being promoted as a rational economic development strategy for some developing nations, and a makeshift solution to the escalating waiting lists and exorbitant costs of health care in developed nations. This paper explores the need to problematize medical tourism in order to move beyond one dimensional neoliberal discourses that have, to date, dominated the arena. In this problematization, the paper discusses a range of understandings and uses of the term 'medical tourism' and situates it within the context of the neoliberal economic development of health care internationally. Drawing on theory from critical medical anthropology and health and human rights perspectives, the paper critically analyzes the assumed independence between the medical tourism industry and local populations facing critical health issues, where social, cultural and economic inequities are widening in terms of access, cost and quality of health care. Finally, medical tourism is examined in the local context of India, critiquing the increasingly indistinct roles played by government and private sectors, whilst linking these shifts to global market forces. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Problematic Online Pornography Use: A Media Attendance Perspective.

PubMed

Sirianni, Joseph M; Vishwanath, Arun

2016-01-01

Since the rise of the popularity of the Internet, the accessibility of pornography has been a growing concern. One particular concern is the potential risk for addictive behaviors to occur as a result of the ease of viewing online pornographic material. The research presented herein explored online pornography addiction using a media attendance perspective, which allows media critics to examine the needs that people seek to fulfill from engaging with various media. Past studies that have used a media attendance perspective to explore media addiction, rephrased here as problematic media use, have done so using social cognitive theory and the concept of deficient self-regulation. Deficient self-regulation may be experienced by all media consumers and can range from normally impulsive media choices to pathological media choices which may result in detrimental life consequences. Borrowing from this, the current study reevaluated online pornography addiction using deficient self-regulation within a sociocognitive framework of media attendance. Results of our model show deficient self-regulation influences habitual online pornography consumption. Moreover, online pornography use motivated by social needs is perpetuated by deficient self-regulation and may lead to negative life consequences in some individuals. These findings contribute a new perspective and framework for understanding problematic online pornography use.

Interdisciplinarity as cognitive integration: auditory verbal hallucinations as a case study

PubMed Central

Bernini, Marco; Woods, Angela

2015-01-01

In this article, we advocate a bottom-up direction for the methodological modeling of interdisciplinary research based on concrete interactions among individuals within interdisciplinary projects. Drawing on our experience in Hearing the Voice (a cross-disciplinary project on auditory verbal hallucinations running at Durham University), we focus on the dynamic if also problematic integration of cognitive science (neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and of mind), phenomenology, and humanistic disciplines (literature, narratology, history, and theology). We propose a new model for disciplinary integration which brings to the fore an under-investigated dynamic of interdisciplinary projects, namely their being processes of distributed cognition and cognitive integration. PMID:26005512

Problematizing the Practicum to Integrate Practical Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melville, Wayne; Campbell, Todd; Fazio, Xavier; Stefanile, Antonio; Tkaczyk, Nicholas

2014-01-01

This article examines the influence of a practicum teaching experience on two pre-service science teachers. The research is focused on examining a practicum in a secondary science department that actively promotes the teaching and learning of science as inquiry. We investigated the process through which the pre-service science teachers integrated…

Naturalistic Intervention for Asperger Syndrome: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Serene Hyun-Jin; Nieminen, Timo A.

2008-01-01

On the basis of their cognitive abilities, children with Asperger syndrome are attractive candidates for inclusive education and, in Australia, most are in integrated settings. However, social interaction between children with Asperger syndrome and their peers remains problematic, with the children with Asperger syndrome often being left alone…

The Persistence of Myth in Curriculum Discourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornbleth, Catherine

Myth is integral to modern as well as ancient societies in its service to multiple interrelated social functions. Among these are to explain phenomena and direct action, to justify particular interests or practices, to dramatize ideals, and to provide cultural cohesion. Three prevailing myths that are especially problematic are the myths of…

Webbing and Orchestration. Two Interrelated Views on Digital Tools in Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trouche, Luc; Drijvers, Paul

2014-01-01

The integration of digital tools in mathematics education is considered both promising and problematic. To deal with this issue, notions of "webbing" and "instrumental orchestration" are developed. However, the two seemed to be disconnected, and having different cultural and theoretical roots. In this article, we investigate…

Gambling in Ethnic Adolescent Populations: An Exploratory Study of the Utility of Problem Behaviour Theory as an Explanatory Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zangeneh, Masood; Mann, Robert E.; McCready, John; Oseni, Lola

2010-01-01

Problem gambling is a growing concern among adolescents today. According to recent studies, rates of problem gambling among youth are higher than those reported by adults. Though few in number, studies have also shown certain ethnic communities to be prone to gambling-related problems and related problematic behaviours. As yet, there is no…

Self-Schema Theory and Gender-Related Behaviors: Research on Some Correlates of University Women's Participation in Mathematics, Science and Athletic Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lips, Hilary M.; And Others

The usefulness of the self-schema construct for understanding and predicting human behavior and the reason for the gender-relatedness of certain behaviors and experiences were investigated in three studies. The studies examined cognitive correlates of two gender-related behaviors that are more characteristic of and problematic for women than for…

Using Standards and High-Stakes Testing for Students: Exploiting Power with Critical Pedagogy. Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education. Volume 425

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorlewski, Julie A., Ed.; Porfilio, Brad J., Ed.; Gorlewski, David A., Ed.

2012-01-01

This book overturns the typical conception of standards, empowering educators by providing concrete examples of how top-down models of assessment can be embraced and used in ways that are consistent with critical pedagogies. Although standards, as broad frameworks for setting learning targets, are not necessarily problematic, when they are…

Toward a mechanistic explanation of phenotypic evolution: The need for a theory of theory integration.

PubMed

Laubichler, Manfred D; Prohaska, Sonja J; Stadler, Peter F

2018-01-01

Reconciling different underlying ontologies and explanatory contexts has been one of the main challenges and impediments for theory integration in biology. Here, we analyze the challenge of developing an inclusive and integrative theory of phenotypic evolution as an example for the broader challenge of developing a theory of theory integration within the life sciences and suggest a number of necessary formal steps toward the resolution of often incompatible (hidden) assumptions. Theory integration in biology requires a better formal understanding of the structure of biological theories The strategy for integrating theories crucially depends on the relationships of the underlying ontologies. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Acting in Light of the Future: How Do Future-Oriented Cultural Practices Evolve and How Can We Accelerate Their Evolution?

PubMed Central

Biglan, Anthony; Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne

2015-01-01

Despite extensive knowledge of how to prevent or ameliorate serious diseases, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and a wide range of other problems, we often fail to take action that that would prevent or mitigate these problematic outcomes. In short, although we may have sound scientific knowledge about threats to future wellbeing, we appear to have limited insight into how to benefit from this knowledge. With this paper, we argue that our current scientific understanding of how to act in light of the future is limited, but we offer a theoretical analysis of future-oriented behavior at both individual and organizational levels. Specifically, the paper draws on a functional contextualist account of human language and cognition, Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and its integrated therapeutic approach, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and extends this framework to analyzing the evolution of the practices of groups and organizations. This framework can provide an understanding of how human behavior may be modified in the present to serve improving human wellbeing in the future at individual, organizational, and even national levels. PMID:26693140

Comprehensive Plans for a Culture-Driven Local Development: Emergence as a Tool for Understanding Social Impacts of Projects on Built Cultural Heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torre, Stefano Della; Canziani, Andrea

Cultural Heritage is comprehensible within an integrated vision, involving economic, cultural and ethic values, typical of not renewable resources. It is an open system that doesn't correspond just to monuments but is made by the complex interactions of a built environment. The systemic relationships between cultural goods (object, building, landscape), and their environmental context have to be considered of the same importance of the systemic relations established with stakeholders/observers. A first partial answer to Cultural Heritage systemic nature has been the creation of "networks" of cultural institutions, that afterwards have been evolving in "cultural systems" and have been recently followed by "cultural districts". The Cultural District model put forward a precise application for the theory of emergence. But its systemic nature presents also some problematical identifications. For Cultural Heritage the point is not any more limited to "direct" actions. We must consider stakeholders/observers, feedback circuits, emergence of activation of social/cultural/human capital, more than that linked to the architectural design process.

Simulation of the UT inspection of planar defects using a generic GTD-Kirchhoff approach

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

Dorval, Vincent, E-mail: vincent.dorval@cea.fr; Darmon, Michel, E-mail: vincent.dorval@cea.fr; Chatillon, Sylvain, E-mail: vincent.dorval@cea.fr

2015-03-31

The modeling of ultrasonic Non Destructive Evaluation often plays an important part in the assessment of detection capabilities or as a help to interpret experiments. The ultrasonic modeling tool of the CIVA platform uses semi-analytical approximations for fast computations. Kirchhoff and GTD are two classical approximations for the modeling of echoes from plane-like defects such as cracks, and they aim at taking into account two different types of physical phenomena. The Kirchhoff approximation is mainly suitable to predict specular reflections from the flaw surface, whereas GTD is dedicated to the modeling of edge diffraction. As a consequence, these two approximationsmore » have distinct and complementary validity domains. Choosing between them requires expertise and is problematic in some inspection configurations. The Physical Theory of Diffraction (PTD) was developed based on both Kirchhoff and GTD in order to combine their advantages and overcome their limitations. The theoretical basis for PTD and its integration in the CIVA modeling approach are discussed in this communication. Several results that validate this newly developed model and illustrate its advantages are presented.« less

A theoretical perspective to inform assessment and treatment strategies for animal hoarders.

PubMed

Patronek, Gary J; Nathanson, Jane N

2009-04-01

Animal hoarding is a poorly understood, maladaptive, destructive behavior whose etiology and pathology are only beginning to emerge. We compare and contrast animal hoarding to the compulsive hoarding of objects and proceed to draw upon attachment theory, the literature of personality disorder and trauma, and our own clinical experience to propose a developmental trajectory. Throughout life, there is a persistent struggle to form a functional attachment style and achieve positive social integration. For some people, particularly those affected by a dysfunctional primary attachment experience in childhood, a protective, comforting relationship with animals may form an indelible imprint. In adulthood, when human attachment has been chronically problematic, compulsive caregiving of animals can become the primary means of maintaining or building a sense of self. Improving assessment and treatment of animal hoarders requires attention to contributing psychosocial conditions, while taking into account the centrality of the animals to the hoarder's identity, self-esteem and sense of control. It is our hope that the information presented will provide a basis upon which clinicians can focus their own counseling style, assessment, and methods of treatment.

Mentalizing and interpersonal problems in borderline personality disorder: The mediating role of identity diffusion.

PubMed

De Meulemeester, Celine; Lowyck, Benedicte; Vermote, Rudi; Verhaest, Yannic; Luyten, Patrick

2017-12-01

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are characterized by problems in interpersonal functioning and their long-term social integration often remains problematic. Extant theories have linked identity diffusion to many of the interpersonal problems characteristic of BPD patients. Recent theoretical accounts have suggested that identity diffusion results from problems with mentalizing or reflective functioning, that is, the capacity to understand oneself and others in terms of intentional mental states. In this study we tested these assumptions, i.e., whether identity diffusion plays a mediating role in the relationship between mentalizing difficulties and interpersonal problems, in a sample of 167 BPD patients. Highly significant correlations were found between mentalizing impairments, identity diffusion and interpersonal problems. Mediation analyses showed that identity diffusion fully mediated the relationship between mentalizing difficulties and interpersonal problems. This study provides preliminary evidence that impairments in mentalizing are related to identity diffusion, which in turn is related to interpersonal problems in BPD. Further longitudinal research is needed to further substantiate these conclusions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bayesian functional integral method for inferring continuous data from discrete measurements.

PubMed

Heuett, William J; Miller, Bernard V; Racette, Susan B; Holloszy, John O; Chow, Carson C; Periwal, Vipul

2012-02-08

Inference of the insulin secretion rate (ISR) from C-peptide measurements as a quantification of pancreatic β-cell function is clinically important in diseases related to reduced insulin sensitivity and insulin action. ISR derived from C-peptide concentration is an example of nonparametric Bayesian model selection where a proposed ISR time-course is considered to be a "model". An inferred value of inaccessible continuous variables from discrete observable data is often problematic in biology and medicine, because it is a priori unclear how robust the inference is to the deletion of data points, and a closely related question, how much smoothness or continuity the data actually support. Predictions weighted by the posterior distribution can be cast as functional integrals as used in statistical field theory. Functional integrals are generally difficult to evaluate, especially for nonanalytic constraints such as positivity of the estimated parameters. We propose a computationally tractable method that uses the exact solution of an associated likelihood function as a prior probability distribution for a Markov-chain Monte Carlo evaluation of the posterior for the full model. As a concrete application of our method, we calculate the ISR from actual clinical C-peptide measurements in human subjects with varying degrees of insulin sensitivity. Our method demonstrates the feasibility of functional integral Bayesian model selection as a practical method for such data-driven inference, allowing the data to determine the smoothing timescale and the width of the prior probability distribution on the space of models. In particular, our model comparison method determines the discrete time-step for interpolation of the unobservable continuous variable that is supported by the data. Attempts to go to finer discrete time-steps lead to less likely models. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integral definition of the logarithmic function and the derivative of the exponential function in calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaninsky, Alexander

2015-04-01

Defining the logarithmic function as a definite integral with a variable upper limit, an approach used by some popular calculus textbooks, is problematic. We discuss the disadvantages of such a definition and provide a way to fix the problem. We also consider a definition-based, rigorous derivation of the derivative of the exponential function that is easier, more intuitive, and complies with the standard definitions of the number e, the logarithmic, and the exponential functions.

Improving Oversight and Coordination of Department of Defense Programs That Address Problematic Behaviors Among Military Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

Alcohol on Human Aggression: An Integrative Research Review,” Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 107, No. 3, May 1990, pp. 341–354; Stephen T. Chermack and...Peter R. Giancola, “The Relation Between Alcohol and Aggression: An Integrated Biopsychosocial Conceptualization,” Clinical Psychology Review, Vol...M. Jackson and Kenneth J. Sher, “Conjoint Developmental Trajectories of Young Adult Alcohol and Tobacco Use,” Journal of Abnormal Psychology , Vol

The Rorschach texture response: a construct validation study using attachment theory.

PubMed

Cassella, Michael J; Viglione, Donald J

2009-11-01

Using attachment theory, in this research, we explored the construct validity of the Rorschach (Exner, 1974) Texture (T) response as a measure of interpersonal closeness and contact. A total of 40 men and 39 women completed the Rorschach and 2 attachment inventories. Their romantic partners also completed an informant version of the attachment measures. Attachment styles were measured by factor scores involving both self-report and partner report. Results indicate that attachment theory, as a broad conceptual framework, is associated with T. Specifically, T = 1 is most closely associated with a secure attachment style, T > 1 with aspects of the preoccupied style, and T = 0 with aspects of the avoidant style and an absence of secure attachment. Needs for closeness and contact associated with T can be couched within an adult attachment theory, but in this study, we did not test for problematic aspects of insecure attachment. Gender is a complicating factor and deserves more study.

On the fundamental importance of the social psychology of research as a basic paradigm for the philosophy of science: A philosophical case study of the psychology of the Apollo moon scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitroff, I. I.

1972-01-01

A combined philosophical and social psychological study of over 40 of the Apollo moon Scientists reveals that the Orthodox or Received View of Scientific Theories is found wanting in several respects: (1) observations are not theory-free; (2) scientific observations are not directly observable; and (3) observations are no less problematic than theories. The study also raises some severe criticisms of distinction between the context of discovery and the context of justification. Not only does this distinction fail to describe the actual practice of science but even more important it has the dangerous effect of excluding some of the strongest lines of evidence which could most effectively challenge the distinction. The distinction is harmful of efforts to found interdisciplinary theories and philosophies of science.

[Gender theory and politics: historical fragments and current challenges].

PubMed

Meyer, Dagmar Estermann

2004-01-01

This text approaches contemporary gender theories and politics focusing on the tensions permeating these theories. It briefly revisits historical aspects to introduce an understanding of the to the concept of gender in the field of Feminist Studies, and discusses the theoretical and political developments associated with its use. It presents some results from investigations that make the positions of the subject of woman, and particularly the subject of mother, problematic in discourses running through current health and education policies and programs. It concludes by suggesting that studies relating gender, health and education from this perspective contribute to understanding and outlining power structures that come into play with certain educational emphases, knowledge, diagnostic instruments, and ways of assisting and educating women, men and children in these areas today.

Constructing entanglement wedges for Lifshitz spacetimes with Lifshitz gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheyne, Jonathan; Mattingly, David

2018-03-01

Holographic relationships between entanglement entropy on the boundary of a spacetime and the area of minimal surfaces in the bulk provide an important entry in the bulk/boundary dictionary. While constructing the necessary causal and entanglement wedges is well understood in asymptotically AdS spacetimes, less is known about the equivalent constructions in spacetimes with different asymptotics. In particular, recent attempts to construct entanglement and causal wedges for asymptotically Lifshitz solutions in relativistic gravitational theories have proven problematic. We note a simple observation, that a Lifshitz bulk theory, specifically a covariant formulation of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity coupled to matter, has causal propagation defined by Lifshitz modes. We use these modes to construct causal and entanglement wedges and compute the geometric entanglement entropy, which in such a construction matches the field theory prescription.

Explaining Strengthening Mechanisms, Institutional Orientations and Problematic Challenges of University Agricultural Research in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharifzadeh, Aboulghasem; Abdollahzadeh, Gholamhossein

2009-01-01

According to empirical evidence and noted implications of sustainable agricultural development as a systemic and multi-actor process, integration of the research function of higher agricultural education in Iranian agricultural research systems seems to be an ongoing and considerable necessity. With the aim of identification and analysis of…

Llama Herders and Urban Elites: Interdisciplinary Readings of Early Colonial Narratives in the Americas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaule, Christine D.; Quintana, Benito

2017-01-01

We argue for an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach that we call the Integration of Research and Education in the Classroom, which highlights and crosses disciplinary boundaries to challenge each field's assumptions, limitations, conceptual and interpretive purview. We use a set of examples that center on problematizing various aspects of the…

Teaching Areas of Polygons: An Alternative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoosain, Emam

2010-01-01

Measurement is an integral component of the PK-12 mathematics curriculum. At various grade levels, much attention is given to the areas of geometric shapes. However, there is research evidence that measurement is problematic for US students. In this paper, the merits and demerits of two possible sequences (conventional and alternative) in teaching…

The Problem of Constructive Misalignment in International Business Education: A Three-Stage Integrated Approach to Enhancing Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Shasha

2016-01-01

Past evidence suggests that constructive misalignment is particularly problematic in International Business (IB) education, though this paradigm has received limited research attention. Building on the literature of three independent teaching methods (threshold concept, problem-based learning, and technology-based learning), this study contributes…

The Dynamics of Blog Peer Feedback in ESL Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gedera, Dilani S. P.

2012-01-01

Over the past decade aspects pertinent to the area of feedback have been extensively explored by researchers. While some of the studies show positive effects of peer review, others discuss its problematic areas. In spite of the controversies the new ways of integrating peer feedback in ESL classrooms are being explored. Researchers show an…

Even More Racially Isolated than before: Problematizing the Vision for "Diversity" in a Racially Mixed High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welton, Anjalé D.

2013-01-01

Background/Context: The term racial diversity is interchangeably used in the literature with other terms such as racially mixed, integration, and desegregation in reference to policies to design and practices to implement racially heterogeneous communities, districts, and schools. Scholarship that promotes the democratic potential of racially…

Female Computer Science and Engineering Undergraduates: Reflections on Participation in the Academic Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz, Patricia Adriana

2017-01-01

Women continue to be underrepresented in computer science and technology related fields despite their significant contributions. The lack of diversity in technology related fields is problematic as it can result in the perpetuation of negative stereotypes and closed-minded, unchecked biases. As technology tools become integral to our daily lives…

Integrating Academic Journal Review Assignments into a Graduate Business Leadership Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Jennifer L.; Agrimonti, Lisa M.; Higbee, Jeanne L.

2016-01-01

Graduate course assignments that are pragmatic, challenging, scaffold prior learning, and support academic career aspirations can be difficult to create and even more problematic to assess for even the most experienced faculty. This paper presents a class assignment that incorporated a real-world journal reviewing assignment into an elective…

Understanding the Graphical Challenges Faced by Vision-Impaired Students in Australian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Matthew; Holloway, Leona; Marriott, Kim; Goncu, Cagatay

2017-01-01

Information graphics such as plots, maps, plans, charts, tables and diagrams form an integral part of the student learning experience in many disciplines. However, for a vision impaired student accessing such graphical materials can be problematic. This research seeks to understand the current state of accessible graphics provision in Australian…

Introduction of Sustainable Development in Engineers' Curricula: Problematic and Evaluation Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lourdel, N.; Gondran, N.; Laforest, V.; Brodhag, C.

2005-01-01

Purpose: Owing to its complexity, sustainable development cannot be simply integrated as a supplementary course within the engineers' curricula. The first point of this paper aims to focalise on how to reflect pedagogically. After dealing with these questions, a tool that can evaluate the student's understanding of sustainable development concepts…

Effective Visual Design and Communication Practices for Research Posters: Exemplars Based on the Theory and Practice of Multimedia Learning and Rhetoric

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedwell, Rhianna K.; Hardy, James A.; Rowland, Susan L.

2017-01-01

Evidence shows that science graduates often do not have the communication skills they need to meet workplace standards and expectations. One common mode of science communication is the poster. In a review of the literature we show that poster design is historically problematic, and that the guidance provided to students as they create posters for…

A Socio-Cultural Reframing of Science and Dis/ability in Education: Past Problems, Current Concerns, and Future Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, David J.; Valle, Jan W.

2015-01-01

In this article we assert the value of a socio-cultural reframing of science and dis/ability in education. We begin by problematizing current issues in education pertaining to the often-unquestioned concept of dis/ability and the impact that has upon research, theory, practice, and policy. As our topic is broad, we have chosen to focus upon four…

Gender fairness within the Force Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traxler, Adrienne; Henderson, Rachel; Stewart, John; Stewart, Gay; Papak, Alexis; Lindell, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Research on the test structure of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has largely ignored gender, and research on FCI gender effects (often reported as "gender gaps") has seldom interrogated the structure of the test. These rarely crossed streams of research leave open the possibility that the FCI may not be structurally valid across genders, particularly since many reported results come from calculus-based courses where 75% or more of the students are men. We examine the FCI considering both psychometrics and gender disaggregation (while acknowledging this as a binary simplification), and find several problematic questions whose removal decreases the apparent gender gap. We analyze three samples (total Npre=5391 , Npost=5769 ) looking for gender asymmetries using classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item functioning. The combination of these methods highlights six items that appear substantially unfair to women and two items biased in favor of women. No single physical concept or prior experience unifies these questions, but they are broadly consistent with problematic items identified in previous research. Removing all significantly gender-unfair items halves the gender gap in the main sample in this study. We recommend that instructors using the FCI report the reduced-instrument score as well as the 30-item score, and that credit or other benefits to students not be assigned using the biased items.

Adaptive Control Using Residual Mode Filters Applied to Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Susan A.; Balas, Mark J.

2011-01-01

Many dynamic systems containing a large number of modes can benefit from adaptive control techniques, which are well suited to applications that have unknown parameters and poorly known operating conditions. In this paper, we focus on a model reference direct adaptive control approach that has been extended to handle adaptive rejection of persistent disturbances. We extend this adaptive control theory to accommodate problematic modal subsystems of a plant that inhibit the adaptive controller by causing the open-loop plant to be non-minimum phase. We will augment the adaptive controller using a Residual Mode Filter (RMF) to compensate for problematic modal subsystems, thereby allowing the system to satisfy the requirements for the adaptive controller to have guaranteed convergence and bounded gains. We apply these theoretical results to design an adaptive collective pitch controller for a high-fidelity simulation of a utility-scale, variable-speed wind turbine that has minimum phase zeros.

Problematizing Disciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Problematics.

PubMed

Osborne, Peter

2015-09-01

This article situates current debates about transdisciplinarity within the deeper history of academic disciplinarity, in its difference from the notions of inter- and multi-disciplinarity. It offers a brief typology and history of established conceptions of transdisciplinarity within science and technology studies. It then goes on to raise the question of the conceptual structure of transdisciplinary generality in the humanities, with respect to the incorporation of the 19th- and 20th-century German and French philosophical traditions into the anglophone humanities, under the name of 'theory'. It identifies two distinct - dialectical and anti-dialectical, or dialectical and transversal - transdisciplinary trajectories. It locates the various contributions to the special issue of which it is the introduction within this conceptual field, drawing attention to the distinct contribution of the French debates about structuralism and its aftermath - those by Serres, Foucault, Derrida, Guattari and Latour, in particular. It concludes with an appendix on Foucault's place within current debates about disciplinarity and academic disciplines.

More, more, more: the dark side of self-expansion motivation.

PubMed

Burris, Christopher T; Rempel, John K; Munteanu, Armand R; Therrien, Patrick A

2013-05-01

Self-expansion without regard for others' well-being may represent the dark side of an otherwise healthy motive. Guided by Amoebic Self-Theory (AST), we developed the Engulfing Self Scale (ESS) to measure acquisitive tendencies across AST's three domains of the self. Four studies revealed that bodily engulfment appeared generally benign, and that the problematic aspects of social engulfment were generally restricted to interpersonal contexts. Spatial-symbolic engulfment motivation was linked to a breadth of problematic indices such as psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychological entitlement, social dominance orientation, economic system justification, greed, and valuation of power. It also predicted reluctance to expose a cheating group leader when doing so would threaten one's own positive outcomes, greater justification of a looter's behavior when prompted take his or her perspective, and greater justification of self-serving reward allocations after defeating an ostensible competitor. Spatial-symbolic engulfment may be a motivational fountainhead for behaviors that negate others' well-being.

Associations Between Mindfulness and Implicit Cognition and Self-Reported Affect

PubMed Central

Waters, Andrew J.; Reitzel, Lorraine R.; Cinciripini, Paul; Li, Yisheng; Marcus, Marianne T.; Vidrine, Jennifer Irvin; Wetter, David W.

2016-01-01

Theory suggests that mindful individuals exhibit enhanced attentional processing (e.g., attentional control) and that they maintain a detached perspective to problematic stimuli. For smokers, smoking and affective stimuli are problematic stimuli when they try to quit. In this cross-sectional study, smokers (n = 158) completed 3 modified Stroop tasks (to assess attentional control), 3 Implicit Association Tests (IATs; to assess detached perspective), and a battery of self-report assessments. Degree of mindfulness was negatively associated (P < .05) with self-reported negative affect, perceived stress, and depressive symptom severity, and positively associated (P < .05) with positive affect. Degree of mindfulness was not associated with the ability to disengage attention from smoking or affective stimuli. On the depression IAT, more mindful participants exhibited a more negative IAT effect, suggesting that they may have developed a detached perspective to depression-related stimuli. Theoretical and clinical implications of the data are discussed. PMID:19904668

'It is only a pinprick': (or is it?): childhood vaccinations in general practice as 'matter out of place'.

PubMed

Elverdam, Beth

2011-12-01

The analysis presented in this paper is part of a larger study, the aim of which is to describe the GPs' everyday taken-for-granted working life. The study is based on multi-sited anthropological fieldwork in Danish general practices. This paper analyses consultations where children are vaccinated and the analysis shows the way these consultations differ from other consultations in relation to flow and communication. Neither parents nor doctors question the value of the vaccination, but the manner in which they talk about it and handle it in the flow of the consultation points to them experiencing it as being problematic. Taking inspiration from Mary Douglas' theory on cultural classification the injection is interpreted as 'matter out of place'. The analysis identifies the infliction of pain and the discomfort this brings to the doctor and the parent as problematic as well as a breach of the doctor-patient relationship. The aim of vaccination is to prevent potential diseases in the future, but its function in the consultation, besides being fulfilment of national guidelines, is not immediately apparent. It has no real function in the consultation and this makes it problematic in the present, causing the ambiguity that both doctors and parents express.

Classifying clinical decision making: interpreting nursing intuition, heuristics and medical diagnosis.

PubMed

Buckingham, C D; Adams, A

2000-10-01

This is the second of two linked papers exploring decision making in nursing. The first paper, 'Classifying clinical decision making: a unifying approach' investigated difficulties with applying a range of decision-making theories to nursing practice. This is due to the diversity of terminology and theoretical concepts used, which militate against nurses being able to compare the outcomes of decisions analysed within different frameworks. It is therefore problematic for nurses to assess how good their decisions are, and where improvements can be made. However, despite the range of nomenclature, it was argued that there are underlying similarities between all theories of decision processes and that these should be exposed through integration within a single explanatory framework. A proposed solution was to use a general model of psychological classification to clarify and compare terms, concepts and processes identified across the different theories. The unifying framework of classification was described and this paper operationalizes it to demonstrate how different approaches to clinical decision making can be re-interpreted as classification behaviour. Particular attention is focused on classification in nursing, and on re-evaluating heuristic reasoning, which has been particularly prone to theoretical and terminological confusion. Demonstrating similarities in how different disciplines make decisions should promote improved multidisciplinary collaboration and a weakening of clinical elitism, thereby enhancing organizational effectiveness in health care and nurses' professional status. This is particularly important as nurses' roles continue to expand to embrace elements of managerial, medical and therapeutic work. Analysing nurses' decisions as classification behaviour will also enhance clinical effectiveness, and assist in making nurses' expertise more visible. In addition, the classification framework explodes the myth that intuition, traditionally associated with nurses' decision making, is less rational and scientific than other approaches.

Implementation of integrated care for diabetes mellitus type 2 by two Dutch care groups: a case study.

PubMed

Busetto, Loraine; Luijkx, Katrien; Huizing, Anna; Vrijhoef, Bert

2015-08-21

Even though previous research has demonstrated improved outcomes of integrated care initiatives, it is not clear why and when integrated care works. This study aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap by examining the implementation of integrated care for type 2 diabetes by two Dutch care groups. An embedded single case study was conducted including 26 interviews with management staff, care purchasers and health professionals. The Context + Mechanism = Outcome Model was used to study the relationship between context factors, mechanisms and outcomes. Dutch integrated care involves care groups, bundled payments, patient involvement, health professional cooperation and task substitution, evidence-based care protocols and a shared clinical information system. Community involvement is not (yet) part of Dutch integrated care. Barriers to the implementation of integrated care included insufficient integration between the patient databases, decreased earnings for some health professionals, patients' insufficient medical and policy-making expertise, resistance by general practitioner assistants due to perceived competition, too much care provided by practice nurses instead of general practitioners and the funding system incentivising the provision of care exactly as described in the care protocols. Facilitators included performance monitoring via the care chain information system, increased earnings for some health professionals, increased focus on self-management, innovators in primary and secondary care, diabetes nurses acting as integrators and financial incentives for guideline adherence. Economic and political context and health IT-related barriers were discussed as the most problematic areas of integrated care implementation. The implementation of integrated care led to improved communication and cooperation but also to insufficient and unnecessary care provision and deteriorated preconditions for person-centred care. Dutch integrated diabetes care is still a work in progress, in the academic and the practice setting. This makes it difficult to establish whether overall quality of care has improved. Future efforts should focus on areas that this study found to be problematic or to not have received enough attention yet. Increased efforts are needed to improve the interoperability of the patient databases and to keep the negative consequences of the bundled payment system in check. Moreover, patient and community involvement should be incorporated.

The case of Vipul Bhrigu and the federal definition of research misconduct.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Lisa M

2014-06-01

The Office of Research Integrity found in 2011 that Vipul Bhrigu, a postdoctoral researcher who sabotaged a colleague's research materials, was guilty of misconduct. However, I argue that this judgment is ill-considered and sets a problematic precedent for future cases. I first discuss the current federal definition of research misconduct and representative cases of research misconduct. Then, because this case recalls a debate from the 1990s over what the definition of "research misconduct" ought to be, I briefly recapitulate that history and reconsider the Bhrigu case in light of that history and in comparison to other cases involving tampering. Finally, I consider what the aim of a definition of research misconduct ought to be, and argue that the precedent set by the reasoning in this case is problematic.

Agonizing care: care ethics, agonistic feminism and a political theory of care.

PubMed

Cloyes, Kristin G

2002-09-01

'Care' is central to nursing theory and practice, and has been described in a variety of ways. Intense conversations about care have been developing in other fields of study as well, from the social sciences to the humanities. Care ethics has grown out of intellectual exchange between feminist thought, moral theory and the critique of traditional western political philosophy. However, care ethics is not without its critics, as these accounts of care have also sparked vigorous challenges. This paper traces the construct of care through nursing theory, care ethics, feminist critiques of moral and political theory and agonistic feminism to outline a set of problematics that a political theory of care should engage. It discusses how care is conventionally posited in more or less essentialist, universalizing and naturalizing terms. It introduces the ideas of feminist theorists who resist dichotomizing care and the political, and situate care in the context of power and politics. The tensions between care feminism and agonistic feminism are highlighted in order to explore the potential of theorizing both care and nursing in political terms.

Generational Theory and the U.S. Army: Harnessing the True Power of Human Capital

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

World. McGraw Hill: New Y ark City 2009, Page 11. 5. Ibid, 11. 6. Paul Taylor and Scott Keeter. Millennials : A Portrait of Generation Next. Pew...8 Figure 2. Millennials Outpace Older Americans in Technology Use (Pew Research Center) ....... 9 iv Table of Contents...Generation Y Soldiers (Captain and Staff Sergeant and below) on a regular basis. This is potentially problematic in that unique to today, more so

Feelings in context: countertransference and the real world in feminist therapy.

PubMed

Brown, L S

2001-08-01

The concept of countertransference has been seen as problematic by feminist therapists. However, feminist therapy theory is intensely interested in the symbolic levels of the relationships between therapists and clients, with an emphasis on how the here and now social context informs and transforms those symbols. This article describes a feminist perspective on the therapist's symbolic relationships to clients, and the positive and challenging ramifications of those symbolic encounters.

Reflective journal writing in nurse education: whose interests does it serve?

PubMed

Wellard, S J; Bethune, E

1996-11-01

The use of reflective journal writing has become popularized in the past decade. This paper uses the experience of two university lecturers to problematize this practice. The practice of journal writing in nursing courses is explored firstly through the lens of critical theory and secondly that of post-structuralism. This paper challenges nurse academics to confront the power relationships established by the adoption of journal writing uncritically into courses.

The Dialectical Problematic of Resolving the Black-White Academic Achievement Gap and Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mocombe, Paul C.

2018-01-01

In this article, I argue that resolving the Black-White academic achievement gap is incompatible with the emerging issues of global climate change. That is, solutions (equitable funding of schools and resources, school integration movements, and after-school and mentoring programs) for closing the gap in order so that Blacks in America and…

An Evaluation of Grades 9 and 10 Mathematics Textbooks vis-a-vis Fostering Problem Solving Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buishaw, Alemayehu; Ayalew, Assaye

2013-01-01

This study sought to evaluate the adequacy of integration of problematic situations and general problem-solving strategies (heuristics) in grades 9 and 10 mathematics textbooks. Grade 9 and grade 10 mathematics textbooks were used for analysis. Document analysis and interview were used as data gathering instruments. Document analysis was carried…

Prospects and Challenges of Using the Argumentation Instructional Method to Indigenise School Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moyo, Partson Virira; Kizito, Rita

2014-01-01

Identifying an instructional tool for merging scientific and indigenous knowledge (IK) is problematic as there is no clear guidance on how this can be achieved. Argumentation is recommended as a possible integrative instructional theoretical methodology as it imbues notions of dialogue and persuasion, while at the same time embracing the…

Problems Associated with a Lack of Cohesive Policy in K-12 Pre-College Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandler, John; Fontenot, A. Dean; Tate, Derrick

2011-01-01

This article identifies a number of issues associated with current STEM education reform efforts, especially with regard to efforts to integrate engineering education into the K-12 curriculum. Precollege engineering is especially problematic in STEM reform since there is no well-established tradition of engineering in the K-12 curriculum. This…

Missing the Boat with Technology Usage in Early Childhood Settings: A 21st Century View of Developmentally Appropriate Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parette, Howard P.; Quesenberry, Amanda C.; Blum, Craig

2010-01-01

Technology use permeates virtually all aspects of twenty-first century society, though its integration in early childhood settings and recognition as a developmentally appropriate practice remains problematic. A position is taken that education professionals may be "missing the boat" by not embracing technology usage as a developmentally…

Detecting Students' Experiences of Discontinuities between Middle School and High School Mathematics Programs: Learning during Boundary Crossing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansen, Amanda; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth; Smith, John P., III

2012-01-01

Transitions from middle school to high school mathematics programs can be problematic for students due to potential differences between instructional approaches and curriculum materials. Given the minimal research on how students experience such differences, we report on the experiences of two students as they moved out of an integrated,…

High theory/mass markets: Newsweek magazine and the circuits of medical culture.

PubMed

Lewis, Bradley

2007-01-01

Medicine is driven by much more than science and reason (ethics); it is also driven by the circuits of culture within which it operates. This article examines how postmodern theory deconstructs standard ideals of science and reason and allows medical humanities scholars to better contextualize the world of medicine. As such, postmodern theory provides an invaluable tool for understanding the circuits of popular culture and medicine's place within these circuits. Using a recent issue of Newsweek magazine devoted to health and technology to illustrate the main points, this essay argues that contemporary popular influences on medicine are deeply problematic, and that through an appreciation of the dynamics of culture, medical humanities scholars can join the struggle over medical culture. This perspective allows medical humanities to make important contributions toward alternative circuits of medical representation, consumption, and identification.

Innovatively Supporting Teachers' Implementation of School-Based Sex Education: Developing A Web-Based Coaching Intervention From Problem to Solution.

PubMed

Schutte, Lisette; van den Borne, Marieke; Kok, Gerjo; Meijer, Suzanne; Mevissen, Fraukje Ef

2016-07-12

Full program implementation is crucial for effectiveness but is often overlooked or insufficiently considered during development of behavioral change interventions. For school-based health promotion programs, teachers are key players in program implementation, but teacher support in this phase is mostly limited to technical support and information. To ensure optimal implementation of the Dutch school-based sexual health program Long Live Love, a Web-based coaching website was developed to support teachers in completeness and fidelity of program implementation. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the process of systematic development of a Web-based coaching intervention to support teachers in their implementation of a school-based sexual health program. The intervention mapping (IM) protocol was applied for the development of a theory- and evidence-based intervention. The IM process begins with (1) a needs assessment, followed by (2) the formulation of change objectives, (3) the selection of theory-based intervention methods and practical applications that take the parameters for effectiveness into consideration, (4) integration of practical applications into an organized program, (5) planning for adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the program, and finally, (6) generating an evaluation plan to measure program effectiveness. Teacher's implementation behavior was characterized by inconsistently selecting parts of the program and not delivering (all) lessons as intended by program developers. Teachers, however, did not perceive this behavior as problematic, revealing the discrepancy between teacher's actual and perceived need for support in delivering Long Live Love lessons with completeness and fidelity. Teachers did, however, acknowledge different difficulties they encountered which could potentially negatively influence the quality of implementation. With the IM protocol, this Web-based coaching intervention was developed based on a concept of unobtrusive coaching, by and for teachers, to bring about change in teachers' implementation behavior. This paper provides an example of a Web-based intervention to bring about behavioral change in a target group of intermediaries who lack intrinsic motivation for coaching and who's perceptions differ from their actual problematic behavior. The IM protocol is a useful tool for guiding the scientific development of interventions and making them compatible with the needs and preferences of the target group.

Innovatively Supporting Teachers’ Implementation of School-Based Sex Education: Developing A Web-Based Coaching Intervention From Problem to Solution

PubMed Central

Kok, Gerjo; Meijer, Suzanne; Mevissen, Fraukje EF

2016-01-01

Background Full program implementation is crucial for effectiveness but is often overlooked or insufficiently considered during development of behavioral change interventions. For school-based health promotion programs, teachers are key players in program implementation, but teacher support in this phase is mostly limited to technical support and information. To ensure optimal implementation of the Dutch school-based sexual health program Long Live Love, a Web-based coaching website was developed to support teachers in completeness and fidelity of program implementation. Objective The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the process of systematic development of a Web-based coaching intervention to support teachers in their implementation of a school-based sexual health program. Methods The intervention mapping (IM) protocol was applied for the development of a theory- and evidence-based intervention. The IM process begins with (1) a needs assessment, followed by (2) the formulation of change objectives, (3) the selection of theory-based intervention methods and practical applications that take the parameters for effectiveness into consideration, (4) integration of practical applications into an organized program, (5) planning for adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the program, and finally, (6) generating an evaluation plan to measure program effectiveness. Results Teacher’s implementation behavior was characterized by inconsistently selecting parts of the program and not delivering (all) lessons as intended by program developers. Teachers, however, did not perceive this behavior as problematic, revealing the discrepancy between teacher’s actual and perceived need for support in delivering Long Live Love lessons with completeness and fidelity. Teachers did, however, acknowledge different difficulties they encountered which could potentially negatively influence the quality of implementation. With the IM protocol, this Web-based coaching intervention was developed based on a concept of unobtrusive coaching, by and for teachers, to bring about change in teachers’ implementation behavior. Conclusions This paper provides an example of a Web-based intervention to bring about behavioral change in a target group of intermediaries who lack intrinsic motivation for coaching and who’s perceptions differ from their actual problematic behavior. The IM protocol is a useful tool for guiding the scientific development of interventions and making them compatible with the needs and preferences of the target group. PMID:27405241

Nanofat grafting under a split-thickness skin graft for problematic wound management.

PubMed

Kemaloğlu, Cemal Alper

2016-01-01

Obesity and certain medical disorders make the reconstruction of skin defects challenging. Different kind of procedure can be used for these defect, besides, skin grafting is one of the most common and simplest procedure. Fat grafting and stem cells which are located in the adipose tissue have been commonly used in plastic surgery for regeneration and rejuvenation purposes. To decrease graft failure rate we performed nanofat grafting under an autologous split-thickness skin graft in our patient who had a problematic wound. The case of a 35-year-old female patient with a traumatic skin defect on her left anterior crural region is described herein. After subsequent flap reconstruction, the result was disappointing and the defect size was widened. The defect was treated with combined grafting (nanofat grafting under an autologous split-thickness skin graft). At the 6 months follow-up assessment after combined grafting, the integrity of the skin graft was good with excellent pliability. Combined grafting for problematic wounds seems to be a useful technique for cases requiring reconstruction. The potential existence of stem cells may be responsible for the successful result in our patient.

Do violations of the axioms of expected utility theory threaten decision analysis?

PubMed

Nease, R F

1996-01-01

Research demonstrates that people violate the independence principle of expected utility theory, raising the question of whether expected utility theory is normative for medical decision making. The author provides three arguments that violations of the independence principle are less problematic than they might first appear. First, the independence principle follows from other more fundamental axioms whose appeal may be more readily apparent than that of the independence principle. Second, the axioms need not be descriptive to be normative, and they need not be attractive to all decision makers for expected utility theory to be useful for some. Finally, by providing a metaphor of decision analysis as a conversation between the actual decision maker and a model decision maker, the author argues that expected utility theory need not be purely normative for decision analysis to be useful. In short, violations of the independence principle do not necessarily represent direct violations of the axioms of expected utility theory; behavioral violations of the axioms of expected utility theory do not necessarily imply that decision analysis is not normative; and full normativeness is not necessary for decision analysis to generate valuable insights.

Explaining Academic Progress via Combining Concepts of Integration Theory and Rational Choice Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beekhoven, S.; De Jong, U.; Van Hout, H.

2002-01-01

Compared elements of rational choice theory and integration theory on the basis of their power to explain variance in academic progress. Asserts that the concepts should be combined, and the distinction between social and academic integration abandoned. Empirical analysis showed that an extended model, comprising both integration and rational…

Testing Hypotheses on Risk Factors for Scientific Misconduct via Matched-Control Analysis of Papers Containing Problematic Image Duplications.

PubMed

Fanelli, Daniele; Costas, Rodrigo; Fang, Ferric C; Casadevall, Arturo; Bik, Elisabeth M

2018-02-19

It is commonly hypothesized that scientists are more likely to engage in data falsification and fabrication when they are subject to pressures to publish, when they are not restrained by forms of social control, when they work in countries lacking policies to tackle scientific misconduct, and when they are male. Evidence to test these hypotheses, however, is inconclusive due to the difficulties of obtaining unbiased data. Here we report a pre-registered test of these four hypotheses, conducted on papers that were identified in a previous study as containing problematic image duplications through a systematic screening of the journal PLoS ONE. Image duplications were classified into three categories based on their complexity, with category 1 being most likely to reflect unintentional error and category 3 being most likely to reflect intentional fabrication. We tested multiple parameters connected to the hypotheses above with a matched-control paradigm, by collecting two controls for each paper containing duplications. Category 1 duplications were mostly not associated with any of the parameters tested, as was predicted based on the assumption that these duplications were mostly not due to misconduct. Categories 2 and 3, however, exhibited numerous statistically significant associations. Results of univariable and multivariable analyses support the hypotheses that academic culture, peer control, cash-based publication incentives and national misconduct policies might affect scientific integrity. No clear support was found for the "pressures to publish" hypothesis. Female authors were found to be equally likely to publish duplicated images compared to males. Country-level parameters generally exhibited stronger effects than individual-level parameters, because developing countries were significantly more likely to produce problematic image duplications. This suggests that promoting good research practices in all countries should be a priority for the international research integrity agenda.

Bohr's Electron was Problematic for Einstein: String Theory Solved the Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, William

2013-04-01

Neils Bohr's 1913 model of the hydrogen electron was problematic for Albert Einstein. Bohr's electron rotates with positive kinetic energies +K but has addition negative potential energies - 2K. The total net energy is thus always negative with value - K. Einstein's special relativity requires energies to be positive. There's a Bohr negative energy conflict with Einstein's positive energy requirement. The two men debated the problem. Both would have preferred a different electron model having only positive energies. Bohr and Einstein couldn't find such a model. But Murray Gell-Mann did! In the 1960's, Gell-Mann introduced his loop-shaped string-like electron. Now, analysis with string theory shows that the hydrogen electron is a loop of string-like material with a length equal to the circumference of the circular orbit it occupies. It rotates like a lariat around its centered proton. This loop-shape has no negative potential energies: only positive +K relativistic kinetic energies. Waves induced on loop-shaped electrons propagate their energy at a speed matching the tangential speed of rotation. With matching wave speed and only positive kinetic energies, this loop-shaped electron model is uniquely suited to be governed by the Einstein relativistic equation for total mass-energy. Its calculated photon emissions are all in excellent agreement with experimental data and, of course, in agreement with those -K calculations by Neils Bohr 100 years ago. Problem solved!

Beyond Kohn-Sham Approximation: Hybrid Multistate Wave Function and Density Functional Theory.

PubMed

Gao, Jiali; Grofe, Adam; Ren, Haisheng; Bao, Peng

2016-12-15

A multistate density functional theory (MSDFT) is presented in which the energies and densities for the ground and excited states are treated on the same footing using multiconfigurational approaches. The method can be applied to systems with strong correlation and to correctly describe the dimensionality of the conical intersections between strongly coupled dissociative potential energy surfaces. A dynamic-then-static framework for treating electron correlation is developed to first incorporate dynamic correlation into contracted state functions through block-localized Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KSDFT), followed by diagonalization of the effective Hamiltonian to include static correlation. MSDFT can be regarded as a hybrid of wave function and density functional theory. The method is built on and makes use of the current approximate density functional developed in KSDFT, yet it retains its computational efficiency to treat strongly correlated systems that are problematic for KSDFT but too large for accurate WFT. The results presented in this work show that MSDFT can be applied to photochemical processes involving conical intersections.

Where is Cultural Astronomy Going?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sims, Lionel

2015-05-01

Archaeoastronomy has recently been characterised as 'going round in circles', failing to integrate a rapidly expanding body of data with the interpretive models of anthropology (Ruggles 2011). This paper locates some impediments to disciplinary growth in the legacy of our recent origins, a problematical conceptual vocabulary and a narrow and derivative theoretical base. Proposals are made for an alternative future for the discipline.

Teachers' Understanding of Multicultural Education and the Correlates of Multicultural Content Integration in Flanders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirdag, Orhan; Merry, Michael S.; Van Houtte, Mieke

2016-01-01

The bulk of scholarship on multicultural education continues to focus exclusively on U.S. education. Previous studies published in this field also have focused largely on topics that are considered relevant for the United States, whereas little attention has been paid to topics that are less problematized in the United States. In this mixed-method…

All drinking is not equal: how a social practice theory lens could enhance public health research on alcohol and other health behaviours.

PubMed

Meier, Petra Sylvia; Warde, Alan; Holmes, John

2018-02-01

The social meanings, settings and habitual nature of health-related activities and their integration into our daily lives are often overlooked in quantitative public health research. This reflects an overly individualized approach to epidemiological surveillance and evaluations of public health interventions, based on models of behaviour that are rooted in social cognition and rational choice theories. This paper calls for a new approach to alcohol epidemiology and intervention research informed by theories of practice. Practices are conceptualized as routinized types of human activity that are made up of, and can be recognized by, the coming together of several interwoven elements in the same situation (e.g. materials, meanings, skills, locations, timings). Different practices are interconnected-they can occur simultaneously (e.g. drinking and eating), hold each other in place (e.g. after-work drinks) or compete for time (e.g. parenting versus socializing). Applying these principles to alcohol research means shifting attention away from individuals and their behaviours and instead making drinking practices an important unit of analysis. Studying how drinking practices emerge, persist and decay over time, how they spread through populations and local or social networks and how they relate to other activities of everyday life promises new insights into how, why, where, when and with whom drinking and getting drunk occur. Theories of practice provide a framework for generating new explanations of stability and change in alcohol consumption and other health behaviours. This framework offers potential for novel insights into the persistence of health inequalities, unanticipated consequences of policies and interventions and new interventions targets through understanding which elements of problematic practices are likely to be most modifiable. We hope this will generate novel insights into the emergence and decay of drinking practices over time and into the geographical and socio-demographic patterning of drinking. Theories of practice-informed research would consider how alcohol policies and population-level interventions might differentially affect different drinking practices. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

From Foucault to Freire through Facebook: Toward an Integrated Theory of mHealth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Sheana; Ezeanochie, Nnamdi

2016-01-01

Objective: To document the integration of social science theory in literature on mHealth (mobile health) and consider opportunities for integration of classic theory, health communication theory, and social networking to generate a relevant theory for mHealth program design. Method: A secondary review of research syntheses and meta-analyses…

"I'm not abusing or anything": patient-physician communication about opioid treatment in chronic pain.

PubMed

Matthias, Marianne S; Krebs, Erin E; Collins, Linda A; Bergman, Alicia A; Coffing, Jessica; Bair, Matthew J

2013-11-01

To characterize clinical communication about opioids through direct analysis of clinic visits and in-depth interviews with patients. This was a pilot study of 30 patients with chronic pain, who were audio-recorded in their primary care visits and interviewed after the visit about their pain care and relationship with their physicians. Emergent thematic analysis guided data interpretation. Uncertainties about opioid treatment for chronic pain, particularly addiction and misuse, play an important role in communicating about pain treatment. Three patterns of responding to uncertainty emerged in conversations between patients and physicians: reassurance, avoiding opioids, and gathering additional information. Results are interpreted within the framework of Problematic Integration theory. Although it is well-established that opioid treatment for chronic pain poses numerous uncertainties, little is known about how patients and their physicians navigate these uncertainties. This study illuminates ways in which patients and physicians face uncertainty communicatively and collaboratively. Acknowledging and confronting the uncertainties inherent in chronic opioid treatment are critical communication skills for patients taking opioids and their physicians. Many of the communication behaviors documented in this study may serve as a model for training patients and physicians to communicate effectively about opioids. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Wanting and liking: Separable components in problematic eating behavior?

PubMed

Polk, Sarah E; Schulte, Erica M; Furman, Celina R; Gearhardt, Ashley N

2017-08-01

Some individuals may have an addictive-like response to certain foods, possibly contributing to problematic eating. Highly processed foods, with added fats and/or refined carbohydrates, are suggested to be most associated with addictive-like eating. The incentive sensitization theory suggests that wanting (e.g. craving) may drive compulsive drug use rather than liking (e.g. enjoyment), but it is unknown whether highly processed foods elicit similar wanting and liking patterns as drugs of abuse, or whether individual differences exist. The current study examines the association of highly processed foods with craving and liking, and whether these relationships differ by food addiction symptomology, cognitive restraint, or body mass index (BMI). Participants (n = 216) reported craving and liking for 35 foods and completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) and Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Highly processed foods were craved more overall. Craving of highly processed foods was predicted negatively by restraint and positively by YFAS score. Liking of highly processed foods was predicted negatively by restraint and positively by BMI. In conclusion, craving and liking appear distinct with respect to highly processed foods, and may be influenced by addictive-like eating, cognitive restraint, and BMI. This suggests that the incentive sensitization framework may also be relevant for problematic food consumption, especially for individuals reporting food addiction symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The communication process in clinical settings.

PubMed

Mathews, J J

1983-01-01

The communication of information in clinical settings is fraught with problems despite avowed common aims of practitioners and patients. Some reasons for the problematic nature of clinical communication are incongruent frames of reference about what information ought to be shared, sociolinguistic differences and social distance between practitioners and patients. Communication between doctors and nurses is also problematic, largely due to differences in ideology between the professions about what ought to be communicated to patients about their illness and who is ratified to give such information. Recent social changes, such as the Patient Bill of Rights and informed consent which assure access to information, and new conceptualizations of the nurse's role, warrant continued study of the communication process especially in regard to what constitutes appropriate and acceptable information about a patient's illness and who ought to give such information to patients. The purpose of this paper is to outline characteristics of communication in clinical settings and to provide a literature review of patient and practitioner interaction studies in order to reflect on why information exchange is problematic in clinical settings. A framework for presentation of the problems employs principles from interaction and role theory to investigate clinical communication from three viewpoints: (1) the level of shared knowledge between participants; (2) the effect of status, role and ideology on transactions; and (3) the regulation of communication imposed by features of the institution.

The use of normal forms for analysing nonlinear mechanical vibrations

PubMed Central

Neild, Simon A.; Champneys, Alan R.; Wagg, David J.; Hill, Thomas L.; Cammarano, Andrea

2015-01-01

A historical introduction is given of the theory of normal forms for simplifying nonlinear dynamical systems close to resonances or bifurcation points. The specific focus is on mechanical vibration problems, described by finite degree-of-freedom second-order-in-time differential equations. A recent variant of the normal form method, that respects the specific structure of such models, is recalled. It is shown how this method can be placed within the context of the general theory of normal forms provided the damping and forcing terms are treated as unfolding parameters. The approach is contrasted to the alternative theory of nonlinear normal modes (NNMs) which is argued to be problematic in the presence of damping. The efficacy of the normal form method is illustrated on a model of the vibration of a taut cable, which is geometrically nonlinear. It is shown how the method is able to accurately predict NNM shapes and their bifurcations. PMID:26303917

Attachment, Mothering and Mental Illness: Mother-Infant Therapy in an Institutional Context.

PubMed

Masciantonio, Sonia; Hemer, Susan R; Chur-Hansen, Anna

2018-03-01

This paper is an ethnographic exploration of how attachment theory underpins therapeutic practices in an Australian institutional context where mothers of infants have been diagnosed and are undergoing treatment for mental illness. We argue that attachment theory in this particular context rests on a series of principles or assumptions: that attachment theory is universally applicable; that attachment is dyadic and gendered; that there is an attachment template formed which can be transferred across generations and shapes future social interactions; that there is understood to be a mental health risk to the infant when attachment is characterised as problematic; and that this risk can be mitigated through the therapeutic practices advocated by the institution. Through an in-depth case study, this paper demonstrates how these assumptions cohere in practice and are used to assess mothering as deficient, to choose therapeutic options, to shape women's behaviour, and to formulate decisions about child placement.

Primordial magnetic fields from a non-singular bouncing cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Membiela, Federico Agustín

2014-08-01

Although inflation is a natural candidate to generate the lengths of coherence of magnetic fields needed to explain current observations, it needs to break conformal invariance of electromagnetism to obtain significant magnetic amplitudes. Of the simplest realizations are the kinetically-coupled theories f2(ϕ)FμνF (or IFF theories). However, these are known to suffer from electric fields backreaction or the strong coupling problem. In this work we shall confirm that such class of theories are problematic to support magnetogenesis during inflationary cosmology. On the contrary, we show that a bouncing cosmology with a contracting phase dominated by an equation of state with p>-ρ/3 can support magnetogenesis, evading the backreaction/strong-coupling problem. Finally, we study safe magnetogenesis in a particular bouncing model with an ekpyrotic-like contracting phase. In this case we found that f2(ϕ)F2-instabilities might arise during the final kinetic-driven expanding phase for steep ekpyrotic potentials.

Daphnia swarms: from single agent dynamics to collective vortex formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordemann, Anke; Balazsi, Gabor; Caspari, Elizabeth; Moss, Frank

2003-05-01

Swarm theories have become fashionable in theoretical physics over the last decade. They span the range of interactions from individual agents moving in a mean field to coherent collective motions of large agent populations, such as vortex-swarming. But controlled laboratory tests of these theories using real biological agents have been problematic due primarily to poorly known agent-agent interactions (in the case of e.g. bacteria and slime molds) or the large swarm size (e.g. for flocks of birds and schools of fish). Moreover, the entire range of behaviors from single agent interactions to collective vortex motions of the swarm have here-to-fore not been observed with a single animal. We present the results of well defined experiments with the zooplankton Daphnia in light fields showing this range of behaviors. We interpret our results with a theory of the motions of self-propelled agents in a field.

Beyond the anti-kickback statute: new entities, new theories in healthcare fraud prosecutions.

PubMed

Sheehan, James G; Goldner, Jesse A

2007-01-01

The authors analyze existing and developing trends in healthcare fraud litigation. They first review the traditional use of the Medicare-Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute to prosecute such fraudulent activity. They then consider newer theories that have been employed, or may be employed, in cases involving payors, middlemen, agents, and fiduciaries. These include the use of the Civil False Claims Act, the Federal Travel Act, and the Public Contracts Anti-Kickback (sometimes incorporating violations under state commercial bribery and similar state legislation to form the basis of a federal claim or prosecution). The Article then turns to a discussion and warning of attorneys' potential liability for a client's kickback arrangements. Finally, the Article takes a very brief look at relationships under Medicare Part D that may well prove to be a fertile area of problematic conduct, public and congressional scrutiny, and prosecutions utilizing some of these theories.

Making sense of executive sensemaking. A phenomenological case study with methodological criticism.

PubMed

Parry, Jonathan

2003-01-01

This paper attempts to answer the research question, "how do senior executives in my organisation make sense of their professional life?" Having reviewed the sensemaking literature, in particular that of the pre-eminent author in this field, Karl E. Weick, I adopt a phenomenological, interpretist orientation which relies on an ideographic, inductive generation of theory. I situate myself, both as researcher and chief executive of the organisation studied, in the narrative of sensemaking. Using semi-structured interviews and a combination of grounded theory and template analysis to generate categories, seven themes of sensemaking are tentatively produced which are then compared with Weick's characteristics. The methodological approach is then reflected on, criticised and alternative methodologies are briefly considered. The conclusion reached is that the themes generated by the research may have relevance for sensemaking processes, but that the production of formal theory through social research is problematic.

The relationship between psychosocial features of emerging adulthood and substance use change motivation in youth.

PubMed

Goodman, Ilana; Henderson, Joanna; Peterson-Badali, Michele; Goldstein, Abby L

2015-05-01

Despite the peak prevalence of substance use and comorbid mental health problems during emerging adulthood little research has focused on understanding behavior change processes during this transitional period. This study extended Arnett's (2004) theory of the psychosocial features of emerging adulthood to explore how they may relate to treatment motivation (e.g., readiness to comply with treatment) and motivation to change (e.g., problem recognition and taking steps towards change). One hundred sixty-four youth presenting to outpatient substance abuse treatment completed questionnaires investigating problematic substance use, mental health, psychosocial features of emerging adulthood and motivation. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that youth who perceived themselves as having greater responsibility towards others were more intrinsically motivated, recognized their substance use as problematic and were taking steps towards change. None of the other dimensions of emerging adulthood accounted for significant variance beyond relevant controls. Limitations, directions for future research and treatment implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parent relationship quality and infant-mother attachment.

PubMed

Finger, Brent; Hans, Sydney L; Bernstein, Victor J; Cox, Suzanne M

2009-05-01

This project examined interrelations between father-mother conflict, father support of mother, maternal behavior, and infant-mother attachment within a sample of 79 African American families living in a highly stressed urban community. Father support of mother was not related to maternal parenting behavior or infant attachment. Conflicted mother-father relationships were associated with problematic maternal behavior, low maternal sensitivity, infant attachment insecurity, and infant attachment disorganization. The associations between parental conflict and both infant attachment disorganization and insecurity were buffered in families in which fathers co-resided with the mother. Consistent with theory and prior research, links were also observed between maternal sensitive-responsiveness and infant attachment security and between problematic maternal parenting and infant attachment disorganization. However, maternal parenting behavior did not mediate the relation between parental conflict and infant attachment. Results are discussed with respect to whether and under what circumstances child exposure to parent conflict can have a direct effect on infant-mother attachment that is not mediated through dyadic infant-mother interaction.

Predicting adolescent problematic online game use from teacher autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and school engagement: a 2-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Yu, Chengfu; Li, Xian; Zhang, Wei

2015-04-01

Problematic online game use (POGU) has become a serious global public health concern among adolescents. However, its influencing factors and mediating mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study provides the first longitudinal design to test stage-environment fit theory empirically in POGU. A total of 356 Chinese students reported on teacher autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, school engagement, and POGU in the autumn of their 7th-9th grade years. Path analyses supported the proposed pathway: 7th grade teacher autonomy support increased 8th grade basic psychological needs satisfaction, which in turn increased 9th grade school engagement, which ultimately decreased 9th grade POGU. Furthermore, 7th grade teacher autonomy support directly increased 9th grade school engagement, which in turn decreased 9th grade POGU. These findings suggest that teacher autonomy support is an important protective predictor of adolescent POGU, and basic psychological needs satisfaction and school engagement are the primary mediators in this association.

From anomalies of finite symmetries to heterotic GUTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaudrevange, Patrick K. S.

2017-11-01

We review the role of finite symmetries for particle physics with special emphasis on discrete anomalies and on their possible origin from extra dimensions. Then, we apply our knowledge on finite symmetries to the problematic proton decay operators of various mass-dimensions, focusing on ℤ4R , i.e. a special R-symmetry of order 4. We show that this ℤ4R symmetry can naturally originate from extra dimensions as a discrete remnant of higher-dimensional Lorentz symmetry. Finally, in order to obtain a unified picture from the heterotic string theory we discuss grand unified theories (GUTs) in extra dimensions compactified on ℤ2 × ℤ2 orbifolds and show how proton decay operators can be suppressed in a certain class of orbifolds.

Cognitive Metaphor Theory and the Metaphysics of Immediacy.

PubMed

Madsen, Mathias W

2016-05-01

One of the core tenets of cognitive metaphor theory is the claim that metaphors ground abstract knowledge in concrete, first-hand experience. In this paper, I argue that this grounding hypothesis contains some problematic conceptual ambiguities and, under many reasonable interpretations, empirical difficulties. I present evidence that there are foundational obstacles to defining a coherent and cognitively valid concept of "metaphor" and "concrete meaning," and some general problems with singling out certain domains of experience as more immediate than others. I conclude from these considerations that whatever the facts are about the comprehension of individual metaphors, the available evidence is incompatible with the notion of an underlying conceptual structure organized according to the immediacy of experience. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Person-Environment Mergence and Separation: Otto Rank's Psychology of Emotion, Personality, and Culture.

PubMed

Sullivan, Daniel

2016-12-01

Between 1924 and 1939 Otto Rank put forward three major elements of a comprehensive theoretical edifice that has yet to be fully articulated. These are conceptually linked by the fundamental importance of person-environment mergence and separation. Rank's theory of emotions highlights anxiety as the affect of separation, and guilt as the feeling that binds the individual to others. His personality theory distinguishes between the partialist, who responds to life fear with identification, and the totalist, who responds to death fear with projection. His cultural psychology contrasts primal collectivism with contemporary individualism, which orients the person toward individual immortality striving. Individualism has produced problematic self-consciousness and neuroticism, in the face of which Rank struggled to find a new psychology.

"It's Helped Me with My Anger and I'm Realising Where I Go in Life": The Impact of a Scottish Youth Work / Schools Intervention on Young People's Responses to Social Strain and Engagement with Anti-Social Behaviour and Gang Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deuchar, Ross; Ellis, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Moral panics relating to anti-social youth have accelerated in recent years, and there has been an increasing recognition that preventing problematic behaviour is more effective than sanctions once it occurs. Drawing upon General Strain Theory, this paper explores the social pressures that might stimulate anti-social behaviour and gang culture. It…

Derivative plumbing: redesigning washrooms, bodies, and trans affects in ds+r's Brasserie.

PubMed

Crawford, Lucas Cassidy

2014-01-01

diller scofidio + renfro's Brasserie restaurant sets the scene for this article's overarching question: what are the stakes of absorbing "the washroom" into our affective habits as trans people? This article uses architectural theory to show that some hygienic models of transgender-such as "original plumbing"-are less about explaining our genders to ourselves and more about (1) communicating our "fuckability" to (presumably non-trans) others and (2) codifying subtle and often problematic beliefs about the relationship between architecture and the body.

Integrating Multiple Intelligences in EFL/ESL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bas, Gokhan

2008-01-01

This article deals with the integration of the theory of Multiple Intelligences in EFL/ESL classrooms. In this study, after the theory of multiple intelligences was presented shortly, the integration of this theory into English classrooms. Intelligence types in MI Theory were discussed and some possible application ways of these intelligence types…

Theoretical integration and the psychology of sport injury prevention.

PubMed

Chan, Derwin King-Chung; Hagger, Martin S

2012-09-01

Integrating different theories of motivation to facilitate or predict behaviour change has received an increasing amount of attention within the health, sport and exercise science literature. A recent review article in Sports Medicine, by Keats, Emery and Finch presented an integrated model using two prominent theories in social psychology, self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), aimed at explaining and enhancing athletes' adherence to sport injury prevention. While echoing their optimistic views about the utility of these two theories to explain adherence in this area and the virtues of theoretical integration, we would like to seize this opportunity to clarify several conceptual principles arising from the authors' integration of the theories. Clarifying the theoretical assumptions and explaining precisely how theoretical integration works is crucial not only for improving the comprehensiveness of the integrated framework for predicting injury prevention behaviour, but also to aid the design of effective intervention strategies targeting behavioural adherence. In this article, we use the integration of SDT and TPB as an example to demonstrate how theoretical integration can advance the understanding of injury prevention behaviour in sport.

Physical Therapists, Telephone Coaches, and Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Qualitative Study About Working Together to Promote Exercise Adherence.

PubMed

Hinman, Rana S; Delany, Clare M; Campbell, Penelope K; Gale, Janette; Bennell, Kim L

2016-04-01

Integrated models of care are recommended for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Exercise is integral to management, yet exercise adherence is problematic. Telephone-based health coaching is an attractive adjunct to physical therapist-prescribed exercise that may improve adherence. Little is known about the perceptions and interpretations of physical therapists, telephone coaches, and patients engaged in this model of care. The purpose of this study was to explore how stakeholders (physical therapists, telephone coaches, and patients) experienced, and made sense of, being involved in an integrated program of physical therapist-supervised exercise and telephone coaching for people with knee OA. A cross-sectional qualitative design drawing from symbolic interactionism was used. Semistructured interviews with 10 physical therapists, 4 telephone coaches, and 6 patients with painful knee OA. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis informed by grounded theory. Four themes emerged: (1) genuine interest and collaboration, (2) information and accountability, (3) program structure, and (4) roles and communication in teamwork. Patients reported they appreciated personalized, genuine interest from therapists and coaches and were aware of their complementary roles. A collaborative approach, with defined roles and communication strategies, was identified as important for effectiveness. All participants highlighted the importance of sharing information, monitoring, and being accountable to others. Coaches found the lack of face-to-face contact with patients hampered relationship building. Therapists and coaches referred to the importance of teamwork in delivering the intervention. The small number of physical therapists and telephone coaches who delivered the intervention may have been biased toward favorable experiences with the intervention and may not be representative of their respective professions. Integrated physical therapy and telephone coaching was perceived as beneficial by most stakeholders. Programs should be structured but have some flexibility to give therapists and coaches some freedom to adjust treatment to individual patient needs as required. Opportunities for visual communication between telephone coaches and patients could facilitate relationship building. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Promoting Behavioral Change in Psychoanalytic Treatments.

PubMed

Busch, Fredric N

2017-01-01

One of the shibboleths of psychoanalysis is that treatment should not target behavioral change, focusing instead on gaining insight and the therapeutic relationship (Freud, 1917; 1923; Gabbard, 2014; Greenson, 1967). Such an approach is believed to be accompanied by disruptions of exploration or problematic distortions of the transference (Freud, 1917; 1923; Gabbard, 2014; Greenson, 1967). However, ignoring behavioral change can put patients at increased risk for stalemates in treatment and persistent problematic behaviors that interfere with improvement and impair relationships. This article suggests that rather than being at odds or disruptive, efforts at behavioral change can be part of the development and employment of a psychodynamic formulation, and can be used to enhance self-understanding and exploration of the transference. Psychoanalytic approaches provide strategies for behavioral change not included in other psychotherapeutic treatments. This article describes a variety of ways in which efforts at behavioral change can be integrated with and enhanced by psychodynamic exploration.

Should gratitude be a requirement for access to live organ donation?

PubMed

Escher, Monica; Lamuela-Naulin, Monique; Bollondi, Catherine; Flores Menendez, Paola; Hurst, Samia A

2017-11-01

Gratitude is both expected and problematic in live organ donation. Are there grounds to require it, and to forbid access to live donor transplantation to a recipient who fails to signal that he feels any form of gratitude? Recipient gratitude is not currently required for organ donation, but it is expected and may be a moral requirement. Despite this, we argue that making it a condition for live organ transplantation would be unjustified. It would constitute a problematic and disproportionate punishment for perceived immoral behaviour on the part of the recipient. It would also bar the donor from positive aspects of organ donation that remain even in the absence of recipient gratitude. A potential recipient's lack of gratitude should be explored as a possible symptom of other morally problematic issues and integrated into the information provided to the potential donor. Recognition of the donor's gift and gratitude for it may also need to be expressed in part by others. This last aspect is relevant even in cases where the recipient feels and expresses gratitude. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Perturbation theory from automorphic forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, Neil; West, Peter

2010-05-01

Using our previous construction of Eisenstein-like automorphic forms we derive formulae for the perturbative and non-perturbative parts for any group and representation. The result is written in terms of the weights of the representation and the derivation is largely group theoretical. Specialising to the E n+1 groups relevant to type II string theory and the representation associated with node n + 1 of the E n+1 Dynkin diagram we explicitly find the perturbative part in terms of String Theory variables, such as the string coupling g d and volume V n . For dimensions seven and higher we find that the perturbation theory involves only two terms. In six dimensions we construct the SO(5, 5) automorphic form using the vector representation. Although these automorphic forms are generally compatible with String Theory, the one relevant to R 4 involves terms with g d -6 and so is problematic. We then study a constrained SO(5, 5) automorphic form, obtained by summing over null vectors, and compute its perturbative part. We find that it is consistent with String Theory and makes precise predictions for the perturbative results. We also study the unconstrained automorphic forms for E 6 in the 27 representation and E 7 in the 133 representation, giving their perturbative part and commenting on their role in String Theory.

The socially weighted encoding of spoken words: a dual-route approach to speech perception.

PubMed

Sumner, Meghan; Kim, Seung Kyung; King, Ed; McGowan, Kevin B

2013-01-01

Spoken words are highly variable. A single word may never be uttered the same way twice. As listeners, we regularly encounter speakers of different ages, genders, and accents, increasing the amount of variation we face. How listeners understand spoken words as quickly and adeptly as they do despite this variation remains an issue central to linguistic theory. We propose that learned acoustic patterns are mapped simultaneously to linguistic representations and to social representations. In doing so, we illuminate a paradox that results in the literature from, we argue, the focus on representations and the peripheral treatment of word-level phonetic variation. We consider phonetic variation more fully and highlight a growing body of work that is problematic for current theory: words with different pronunciation variants are recognized equally well in immediate processing tasks, while an atypical, infrequent, but socially idealized form is remembered better in the long-term. We suggest that the perception of spoken words is socially weighted, resulting in sparse, but high-resolution clusters of socially idealized episodes that are robust in immediate processing and are more strongly encoded, predicting memory inequality. Our proposal includes a dual-route approach to speech perception in which listeners map acoustic patterns in speech to linguistic and social representations in tandem. This approach makes novel predictions about the extraction of information from the speech signal, and provides a framework with which we can ask new questions. We propose that language comprehension, broadly, results from the integration of both linguistic and social information.

Integrating and Analyzing Psychosocial and Stage Theories To Challenge the Development of the Injured Collegiate Athlete.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Laura L.

2003-01-01

Integrated a psychosocial developmental theory (the Kubler-Ross Stage Theory) and a psychological stage theory (the Ross Stage Theory) and a psychological stage theory (the Chickering and Reisser psychosocial and developmental theory) for challenging injured collegiate student-athletes' personal development. A search of online databases from…

Challenges of Systematic Reviewing Integrative Health Care

PubMed Central

Coulter, Ian D.; Khorsan, Raheleh; Crawford, Cindy; Hsiao, An-Fu

2013-01-01

This article is based on an extensive review of integrative medicine (IM) and integrative health care (IHC). Since there is no general agreement of what constitutes IM/IHC, several major problems were identified that make the review of work in this field problematic. In applying the systematic review methodology, we found that many of those captured articles that used the term integrative medicine were in actuality referring to adjunctive, complementary, or supplemental medicine. The objective of this study was to apply a sensitivity analysis to demonstrate how the results of a systematic review of IM and IHC will differ according to what inclusion criteria is used based on the definition of IM/IHC. By analyzing 4 different scenarios, the authors show that, due to unclear usage of these terms, results vary dramatically, exposing an inconsistent literature base for this field. PMID:23843689

Integrative Family Therapy: Theoretical Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, William M.

Integrative family therapy is an integration of personality theory and counseling theory actualized in the counseling process. Personality theory contributes five interrelated concepts to a model of family therapy, including communication/perception, individual roles, family subunits, family themes, and individual personality dynamics; these…

From Foucault to Freire Through Facebook: Toward an Integrated Theory of mHealth.

PubMed

Bull, Sheana; Ezeanochie, Nnamdi

2016-08-01

To document the integration of social science theory in literature on mHealth (mobile health) and consider opportunities for integration of classic theory, health communication theory, and social networking to generate a relevant theory for mHealth program design. A secondary review of research syntheses and meta-analyses published between 2005 and 2014 related to mHealth, using the AMSTAR (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) methodology for assessment of the quality of each review. High-quality articles from those reviews using a randomized controlled design and integrating social science theory in program design, implementation, or evaluation were reviewed. Results There were 1,749 articles among the 170 reviews with a high AMSTAR score (≥30). Only 13 were published from 2005 to 2014, used a randomized controlled design and made explicit mention of theory in any aspect of their mHealth program. All 13 included theoretical perspectives focused on psychological and/or psychosocial theories and constructs. Conclusions There is a very limited use of social science theory in mHealth despite demonstrated benefits in doing so. We propose an integrated theory of mHealth that incorporates classic theory, health communication theory, and social networking to guide development and evaluation of mHealth programs. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

Motivational beliefs, values, and goals.

PubMed

Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Wigfield, Allan

2002-01-01

This chapter reviews the recent research on motivation, beliefs, values, and goals, focusing on developmental and educational psychology. The authors divide the chapter into four major sections: theories focused on expectancies for success (self-efficacy theory and control theory), theories focused on task value (theories focused on intrinsic motivation, self-determination, flow, interest, and goals), theories that integrate expectancies and values (attribution theory, the expectancy-value models of Eccles et al., Feather, and Heckhausen, and self-worth theory), and theories integrating motivation and cognition (social cognitive theories of self-regulation and motivation, the work by Winne & Marx, Borkowski et al., Pintrich et al., and theories of motivation and volition). The authors end the chapter with a discussion of how to integrate theories of self-regulation and expectancy-value models of motivation and suggest new directions for future research.

Prevalence and correlates of problematic smartphone use in a large random sample of Chinese undergraduates.

PubMed

Long, Jiang; Liu, Tie-Qiao; Liao, Yan-Hui; Qi, Chang; He, Hao-Yu; Chen, Shu-Bao; Billieux, Joël

2016-11-17

Smartphones are becoming a daily necessity for most undergraduates in Mainland China. Because the present scenario of problematic smartphone use (PSU) is largely unexplored, in the current study we aimed to estimate the prevalence of PSU and to screen suitable predictors for PSU among Chinese undergraduates in the framework of the stress-coping theory. A sample of 1062 undergraduate smartphone users was recruited by means of the stratified cluster random sampling strategy between April and May 2015. The Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire was used to identify PSU. We evaluated five candidate risk factors for PSU by using logistic regression analysis while controlling for demographic characteristics and specific features of smartphone use. The prevalence of PSU among Chinese undergraduates was estimated to be 21.3%. The risk factors for PSU were majoring in the humanities, high monthly income from the family (≥1500 RMB), serious emotional symptoms, high perceived stress, and perfectionism-related factors (high doubts about actions, high parental expectations). PSU among undergraduates appears to be ubiquitous and thus constitutes a public health issue in Mainland China. Although further longitudinal studies are required to test whether PSU is a transient phenomenon or a chronic and progressive condition, our study successfully identified socio-demographic and psychological risk factors for PSU. These results, obtained from a random and thus representative sample of undergraduates, opens up new avenues in terms of prevention and regulation policies.

Sexual Perfectionism in Women: Not as Simple as Adaptive or Maladaptive.

PubMed

Kluck, Annette S; Zhuzha, Kseniya; Hughes, Kelly

2016-11-01

According to research and theory, the construct of perfectionism may apply to specific life domains, including being a perfect sexual partner. We extended the research on sexual perfectionism (SP) by examining the relationships between its various dimensions (i.e., self-directed, partner-directed, socially prescribed, partner-prescribed) and communication about sex, sexual functioning, and appearance self-consciousness during sex. Women (N = 208) of ages 19-50 were recruited online to respond to the Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire and measures of communication about sex, sexual functioning, and physical appearance self-consciousness during sex. Dimensions of SP demonstrated a mixed pattern of relationships with measures of adaptive functioning. Partner-prescribed SP was related to greater appearance self-consciousness during sex, indicating an unfavorable role of this dimension of SP. An indirect effect of socially prescribed and partner-prescribed SP on sexual functioning through poor dyadic communication about sex and greater appearance self-consciousness was also found. Self-directed SP was less clearly problematic and uniquely related to better dyadic communication, whereas partner-directed SP was uniquely related to fewer concerns about the body appearance during sex. In conclusion, with respect to personal functioning, higher standards directed towards sexual partners may be less problematic but perceptions that romantic partners expect one to be a perfect sexual partner may have deleterious effects. Overall, SP may relate to sexual experiences of women beyond the college-age group with some aspects of SP being more problematic than others.

Perceived approval of friends and parents as mediators of the relationship between self-determination and drinking.

PubMed

Chawla, Neharika; Neighbors, Clayton; Logan, Diane; Lewis, Melissa A; Fossos, Nicole

2009-01-01

Within the context of self-determination theory, individuals vary in the extent to which they are oriented toward autonomy and control. Previous research on the relationship between motivational orientations and drinking behavior among college students has suggested that students who are more autonomously oriented consume less alcohol whereas those who are more control oriented consume more alcohol. This research evaluated the extent to which these relationships are mediated by the perceived approval of friends and parents, both of which are important sources of potential influence on the behavior of college students. First-year students (N = 818, 58% female) who reported one or more heavy drinking episodes in the previous month completed online assessments of their drinking behavior, autonomous and controlled orientations, and perceptions of the approval of drinking (injunctive norms) by important others (friends and parents). The results suggested that controlled orientation was associated with greater alcohol use and that this association was mediated by perceptions of friends being more approving of problematic drinking. In contrast, autonomous orientation was associated with less alcohol use and this association was mediated by perceptions of friends being less supportive of problematic drinking. No support was found for perceptions of parents' approval as a mediator of the associations between either orientation and drinking. The findings highlight the importance of perceptions of friends' approval or disapproval of problematic drinking in understanding the relationship between self-determination and heavy drinking among college students.

Examining attachment to God and health risk-taking behaviors in college students.

PubMed

Horton, Karissa D; Ellison, Christopher G; Loukas, Alexandra; Downey, Darcy L; Barrett, Jennifer B

2012-06-01

Drawing on insights from attachment theory, this study examined whether three types of attachment to God--secure, avoidant, and anxious--were associated with health-risk behaviors, over and above the effects of religious attendance, peer support, and demographic covariates, in a sample of 328 undergraduate college students. Contrary to prior theory, secure attachment to God is not inversely associated with recent alcohol or marijuana use, or substance use prior to last sexual intercourse. Instead, avoidant and anxious attachment to God are associated with higher levels of drinking; anxious attachment to God is associated with marijuana use; and avoidant attachment to God is associated with substance use prior to last sexual intercourse. These patterns are gender-specific; problematic attachment to God is linked with negative outcomes solely among men.

AUTOMATON AND SPONTANEOUS GENERATION: A PROBLEMATIC ASPECT IN THE ARISTOTELIAN THEORY OF REPRODUCTION.

PubMed

Soardi, Marzia

2015-01-01

In Book III of the De generatione animalium, Aristotle discusses about the problem of spontaneous generation, which will be object of interest for centuries, up to modern science. The aim of the paper is to examinate this topic trying to highlight what is the most remarkable problem in the Aristotelian theory: the ability of the matter of self-moving and self-reproducing and, connected to this, the relationship that exists in nature, in the Aristotelian biology, between a teleological based function and the presence of a necessary counterbalance in material form. In the last part of the paper the attention will also be focused on the connection between spontaneous generation and sexual reproduction, underlining, once again, the importance of the material aspects, alongside the teleological ones.

A didactic proposal in the learning of Astronomy through paradigmatic changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girola, R.; Santos, M.

2011-10-01

We are presenting a paper about some work carried out with future teachers of secondary schools specialized in Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics from a teacher's training college in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The objective was to develop pedagogic strategies to shape a critic, scientific teacher through three different situations: work, experiments, and the situation or problematic case. We have chosen three key moments in the development of Astronomy from the historic, social, philosophical, epistemology and scientific perspectives through the following paradigmatic confrontations: The geocentric/heliocentric theory, the great debate of Shapley and Curtis, and the problem of dark matter. For each case we have worked with the didactic model of confrontation and an epistemology which accompanies the significant learning in the construction of models and theories.

Piaget's epistemic subject and science education: Epistemological vs. psychological issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitchener, Richard F.

1993-06-01

Many individuals claim that Piaget's theory of cognitive development is empirically false or substantially disconfirmed by empirical research. Although there is substance to such a claim, any such conclusion must address three increasingly problematic issues about the possibility of providing an empirical test of Piaget's genetic epistemology: (1) the empirical underdetermination of theory by empirical evidence, (2) the empirical difficulty of testing competence-type explanations, and (3) the difficulty of empirically testing epistemic norms. This is especially true of a central epistemic construct in Piaget's theory — the epistemic subject. To illustrate how similar problems of empirical testability arise in the physical sciences, I briefly examine the case of Galileo and the correlative difficulty of empirically testing Galileo's laws. I then point out some important epistemological similarities between Galileo and Piaget together with correlative changes needed in science studies methodology. I conclude that many psychologists and science educators have failed to appreciate the difficulty of falsifying Piaget's theory because they have tacitly adopted a philosophy of science at odds with the paradigm-case of Galileo.

Butching it up: an analysis of same-sex female masculinity in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Kuru-Utumpala, Jayanthi

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to examine the embodiment of female masculinity as experienced by 12 gender-non-conforming lesbians in Sri Lanka. By drawing on western feminist and queer theories, it critiques western theories in relation to a non-western subjectivity, attempting to unravel the seemingly empowering, albeit problematic, category of female masculinity. Data gathered through qualitative interviews address one key research question: how do gender-non-conforming lesbians in Sri Lankan embody female masculinity? As the discussion unfolds, this paper analyses the ways they view themselves, the extent to which their actions and behaviours fit within a masculine framework and the ways in which notions of desire are felt and understood in relation to their understanding of gender. In terms of theory, the analysis is located in social constructivist theory, while drawing on a postmodernist approach. Theoretically, the concept of female masculinity allows a woman embodying masculinity to dislodge men and maleness from it. The reality within a Sri Lankan experience, however, can at times be different, as this paper reveals.

Problems with Feminist Standpoint Theory in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landau, Iddo

2008-11-01

Feminist standpoint theory has important implications for science education. The paper focuses on difficulties in standpoint theory, mostly regarding the assumptions that different social positions produce different types of knowledge, and that epistemic advantages that women might enjoy are always effective and significant. I conclude that the difficulties in standpoint theory render it too problematic to accept. Various implications for science education are indicated: we should return to the kind of science education that instructs students to examine whether arguments, experiments, etc. are successful, rather than ask who presented them; when considering researchers and students for science education programs we should examine their scholarly achievements, rather than the group to which they belong; women should not be discouraged from engaging in “mainstream” science research and education (or other spheres of knowledge considered as “men’s topics”) and men should not be discouraged from engaging in what are considered “women’s topics” in science (or outside it); we should not assume that there are different types of science for women and for men, nor different ways for women and men to study science or conduct scientific research.

A theory of physician-hospital integration: contending institutional and market logics in the health care field.

PubMed

Rundall, Thomas G; Shortell, Stephen M; Alexander, Jeffrey A

2004-01-01

This article proposes a theory of physician-hospital integration. The theory is developed by building on three streams of scholarship: "new" institutionalism, "old" institutionalism, and the theory of economic markets. The theory uses several key concepts from these theoretical frameworks, including the notions of environmental demands for legitimacy, market demands for efficiency, and agency. To enhance the predictive power of the theory, two new concepts are introduced: directionality of influence between institutional and market forces at the macro-societal level, and degree of separation of institutional and market domains at the local level--which add important predictive power to the theory. Using these concepts, a number of hypotheses are proposed regarding the ideal types of physician-hospital arrangements that are likely to emerge under different combinations of directionality of influence and institutional and market domain separation. Moreover, the theory generates hypotheses regarding organizational dynamics associated with physician-hospital integration, including the conditions associated with high and low prevalence of physician-hospital integration, the extent to which the integrated organization is physician-centric or hospital-centric, and whether physician-hospital integration is likely to be based on loose contractual arrangements or tight, ownership-based arrangements.

A review of the evidence linking adult attachment theory and chronic pain: presenting a conceptual model.

PubMed

Meredith, Pamela; Ownsworth, Tamara; Strong, Jenny

2008-03-01

It is now well established that pain is a multidimensional phenomenon, affected by a gamut of psychosocial and biological variables. According to diathesis-stress models of chronic pain, some individuals are more vulnerable to developing disability following acute pain because they possess particular psychosocial vulnerabilities which interact with physical pathology to impact negatively upon outcome. Attachment theory, a theory of social and personality development, has been proposed as a comprehensive developmental model of pain, implicating individual adult attachment pattern in the ontogenesis and maintenance of chronic pain. The present paper reviews and critically appraises studies which link adult attachment theory with chronic pain. Together, these papers offer support for the role of insecure attachment as a diathesis (or vulnerability) for problematic adjustment to pain. The Attachment-Diathesis Model of Chronic Pain developed from this body of literature, combines adult attachment theory with the diathesis-stress approach to chronic pain. The evidence presented in this review, and the associated model, advances our understanding of the developmental origins of chronic pain conditions, with potential application in guiding early pain intervention and prevention efforts, as well as tailoring interventions to suit specific patient needs.

Re-evaluating concepts of biological function in clinical medicine: towards a new naturalistic theory of disease.

PubMed

Chin-Yee, Benjamin; Upshur, Ross E G

2017-08-01

Naturalistic theories of disease appeal to concepts of biological function, and use the notion of dysfunction as the basis of their definitions. Debates in the philosophy of biology demonstrate how attributing functions in organisms and establishing the function-dysfunction distinction is by no means straightforward. This problematization of functional ascription has undermined naturalistic theories and led some authors to abandon the concept of dysfunction, favoring instead definitions based in normative criteria or phenomenological approaches. Although this work has enhanced our understanding of disease and illness, we need not necessarily abandon naturalistic concepts of function and dysfunction in the disease debate. This article attempts to move towards a new naturalistic theory of disease that overcomes the limitations of previous definitions and offers advantages in the clinical setting. Our approach involves a re-evaluation of concepts of biological function employed by naturalistic theories. Drawing on recent insights from the philosophy of biology, we develop a contextual and evaluative account of function that is better suited to clinical medicine and remains consistent with contemporary naturalism. We also show how an updated naturalistic view shares important affinities with normativist and phenomenological positions, suggesting a possibility for consilience in the disease debate.

More similarities than differences in contemporary theories of social development?: a plea for theory bridging.

PubMed

Leaper, Campbell

2011-01-01

Many contemporary theories of social development are similar and/or share complementary constructs. Yet, there have been relatively few efforts toward theoretical integration. The present chapter represents a call for increased theory bridging. The problem of theoretical fragmentation in psychology is reviewed. Seven highlighted reasons for this predicament include differences between behavioral sciences and other sciences, theoretical paradigms as social identities, the uniqueness assumption, information overload, field fixation, linguistic fragmentation, and few incentives for theoretical integration. Afterward, the feasibility of theoretical synthesis is considered. Finally, some possible directions are proposed for theoretical integration among five contemporary theories of social and gender development: social cognitive theory, expectancy-value theory, cognitive-developmental theory, gender schema theory, and self-categorization theory.

Web-based screening and brief intervention for poly-drug use among teenagers: study protocol of a multicentre two-arm randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Arnaud, Nicolas; Bröning, Sonja; Drechsel, Magdalena; Thomasius, Rainer; Baldus, Christiane

2012-09-26

Mid to late adolescence is characterised by a vulnerability to problematic substance use since the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs is frequently initiated and increased in this life period. While the detrimental long- and short-term effects of problematic consumption patterns in adolescence pose a major public health concern, current prevention programs targeting alcohol- and other substance-using adolescents are scarce. The study described in this protocol will test the effectiveness of a web-based brief intervention aimed at reducing problematic alcohol use and promoting abstinence from illegal drugs in adolescents with risky substance use aged 16 to 18 years old in four EU-countries. To determine the effectiveness of our web-BI, we apply a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) study design, with baseline assessment at study entry and a three month follow-up assessment. Adolescents aged 16 to 18 years from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Sweden will be randomly assigned to either the fully electronically delivered brief intervention group (N = 400) or an assessment only control group (N = 400) depending on their screening for risky substance use (using the CRAFFT). Recruitment, informed consent, randomization, intervention and follow-up will be implemented online. Primary outcomes are reductions in frequency and quantity of use of alcohol and drugs other than alcohol over a 30 day period, as well as consumption per typical occasion. Secondary outcomes concern changes in substance use related cognitions including the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, implementation intentions, and stages of change. Moreover the study addresses a number of moderator variables, including age of first use, general psychopathology and quality of parent-child relationship. The trial is expected to contribute to the growing literature on theory- and web-based brief interventions for adolescents. We will explore the potential of using web-based technologies as means of delivering preventive interventions. In doing so we are among the first to target the relevant group of young poly-drug users in Europe. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN95538913.

Connecting Relational Theory and the Systems Theory Framework: Individuals and Their Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Wendy

2007-01-01

The Systems Theory Framework (STF) facilitates the inclusion of relevant aspects of multiple existing theories within an integrated framework, wherein relevance and meaning is decided upon by each individual. Patton and McMahon emphasise that the application of the Systems Theory Framework in integrating theory and practice is located within the…

Stress moderates the relationship between problematic Internet use by parents and problematic Internet use by adolescents.

PubMed

Lam, Lawrence T; Wong, Emmy M Y

2015-03-01

Based on the theoretical framework of Problem Behavior and Stress Reduction theories for problematic Internet use (PIU), this study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental PIU and the PIU among adolescents taking into consideration the stress levels of young people. This was a population-based parent and adolescent dyad health survey utilizing a random sampling technique. PIU for both parents and adolescents was measured by the Internet addiction test designed by Young. The stress level of adolescents was assessed using the stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Data were analyzed using logistic regression modeling techniques with adjustment for potential confounding factors with analysis on the modification effect of stress levels on the relationship between parent and adolescent PIU. Of the total 1,098 parent and adolescent dyads with usable information, 263 adolescents (24.0%) and 62 parents (5.7%) could be classified as moderate and severe problematic users of the Internet. About 14% (n = 157) of adolescents could be classified with moderate-to-severe stress. Regression analysis results suggested a significant interaction between parental PIU and adolescents' stress levels on adolescent PIU. Stratified regression analyses by stress level resulted in a significant parent and adolescent PIU relationship in the low stress group (odds ratio, 3.18; 95% confidence interval 1.65-6.14). However, the association between parent and adolescent PIU in the high stress group became insignificant. There was a significant parent and adolescent PIU relationship; however, this relationship is differentially affected by the stress status of the adolescent. The direct implication of the results is that parental Internet use should also be assessed and included as part of the treatment regime for adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Problematic issues and prospects of development of information and telecommunication technologies in the medical service of the Armed Forces].

PubMed

Kalachev, O V; Pershin, I V; Borisov, D N; Korneenkov, A A

2014-12-01

Medical information systems composed of many specialized modules help in synchronous solving of diagnostic, therapeutic, administrative, financial, statistical, and other tasks. According to the authors, the creation of a single information space of the medical service, integrating it into a single information space of the Defense Ministry of the Russian Fedaration, development and widespread use of telemedicine technology will significantly accelerate the integration in the daily activities of military hospitals of the latest achievements in medical science and practices consistent with the objectives of improving the military health care and improvement of the quality and accessibility of health care.

Educational Configurations for Teaching Environmental Socioscientific Issues Within The Perspective of Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonneaux, Jean; Simonneaux, Laurence

2012-01-01

Education for Sustainability has become an institutional requirement in many countries. It takes many forms that can integrate the teaching of environmental Socioscientific Issues (SSIs). In this context, we present the French notion of Socially Acute Questions (SAQs). We develop a theoretical frame to analyse educational configurations applied to the teaching of SAQs within the perspective of sustainability. This frame is built with a reference to a matrix integrating attributes of knowledge (universal, plural, engaged or contextualised), teachers' epistemological postures (scientism, utilitarianism, skepticsm or relativism) and various didactic strategies (doctrinal, problematizing, critical or pragmatic). To illustrate this frame, three situations of teaching-learning are compared.

Gauge and integrable theories in loop spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, L. A.; Luchini, G.

2012-05-01

We propose an integral formulation of the equations of motion of a large class of field theories which leads in a quite natural and direct way to the construction of conservation laws. The approach is based on generalized non-abelian Stokes theorems for p-form connections, and its appropriate mathematical language is that of loop spaces. The equations of motion are written as the equality of a hyper-volume ordered integral to a hyper-surface ordered integral on the border of that hyper-volume. The approach applies to integrable field theories in (1+1) dimensions, Chern-Simons theories in (2+1) dimensions, and non-abelian gauge theories in (2+1) and (3+1) dimensions. The results presented in this paper are relevant for the understanding of global properties of those theories. As a special byproduct we solve a long standing problem in (3+1)-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, namely the construction of conserved charges, valid for any solution, which are invariant under arbitrary gauge transformations.

Problematic versus non-problematic ecstasy/MDMA use: the influence of drug usage patterns and pre-existing psychiatric factors.

PubMed

Soar, K; Turner, J J D; Parrott, A C

2006-05-01

Recreational ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) use has been increasingly associated with a number of psychiatric symptoms and psychological problems. However, previous studies assessing possible psychopathological effects have not identified whether users consider their ecstasy use "problematic" or not. In addition, research has generally failed to address the potential role of premorbid psychiatric status. This study aimed to assess whether premorbid psychiatric history and/or patterns of ecstasy use would be associated with the degree of self-reported problems attributable to ecstasy. Problematic ecstasy users (n = 53) who had reported problems attributable to their ecstasy use were compared with non-problematic ecstasy users (n = 62), polydrug controls (n = 62) and illegal drug-naive controls (n = 111) on a recreational drug use questionnaire; a questionnaire, which ascertained personal and family psychiatric histories, and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Problematic ecstasy users exhibited significantly higher scores on a number of dimensions of the BSI compared to illegal drug-naive and/or polydrug controls. Problematic ecstasy users also exhibited significantly elevated scores on somatization, depression, anxiety and negative psychobiology compared to non-problematic ecstasy users. BSI scores for the non-problematic ecstasy users did not differ from polydrug or illegal drug-naive controls. Problematic ecstasy users reported significantly higher levels of ecstasy use, including lifetime consumption, average dosage and binge consumption compared to non-problematic ecstasy users. Additionally, a greater number of problematic ecstasy users reported personal and family psychiatric histories compared to controls and non-problematic ecstasy users. This study demonstrates two distinct ecstasy using groups: non-problematic ecstasy users who are not showing signs of psychopathology and problematic ecstasy users who are showing evidence of a range of symptoms. This data therefore partially supports the link between ecstasy dosage and negative psychological sequelae, but highlights the importance of the need to consider ecstasy-related attributions, pre-existing mental health status and vulnerability.

Gender and assistance: historical and conceptual considerations regarding assistance practices and policies.

PubMed

Martins, Ana Paula Vosne

2011-12-01

The article offers some theoretical and historical reflections on the concept of gender as it relates to the notion of assistance. Explores the political dimensions of both concepts and problematizes the dichotomy between the gender-marked realms of the political and the pre-political, a dichotomy that has greatly influenced modern political theory and thought. It examines the modern state's care practices and the transformations in assistance which occurred within the charitable and assistance organizations that took shape in parallel and in consonance with this state action.

Online gaming dependency: a preliminary study in China.

PubMed

Peng, Wei; Liu, Ming

2010-06-01

Based on theories and previous studies on problematic Internet use, we propose a model to better understand the contributors to and consequences of online gaming dependency. A preliminary study was conducted through a survey of online gamers in China. The results of path analysis found that maladaptive cognitions, shyness, and depression are positively related to online gaming dependency. Online gaming dependency was also positively related to different types of negative life outcomes. The findings of this study have implications for the prevention and treatment of addictive online gaming.

Storage and retrieval of mass spectral information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hohn, M. E.; Humberston, M. J.; Eglinton, G.

1977-01-01

Computer handling of mass spectra serves two main purposes: the interpretation of the occasional, problematic mass spectrum, and the identification of the large number of spectra generated in the gas-chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis of complex natural and synthetic mixtures. Methods available fall into the three categories of library search, artificial intelligence, and learning machine. Optional procedures for coding, abbreviating and filtering a library of spectra minimize time and storage requirements. Newer techniques make increasing use of probability and information theory in accessing files of mass spectral information.

Health crises and media relations: relationship management-by-fire.

PubMed

Springston, Jeffrey K; Weaver-Lariscy, Ruthann

2007-01-01

Media relations is an important function in the operation of any health organization, yet it is often relegated as a simple task function. Such an orientation can be problematic, particularly in times of crisis. This article provides an overview of some of the inherent internal conflicts within health organizations that may mitigate against the best media relations practices in times of crises. The article surveys some of the predominant theoretical models used for crisis management, and suggests directions for the further development of media relations and crisis communication theory and practice.

A Causal Theory of Mnemonic Confabulation

PubMed Central

Bernecker, Sven

2017-01-01

This paper attempts to answer the question of what defines mnemonic confabulation vis-à-vis genuine memory. The two extant accounts of mnemonic confabulation as “false memory” and as ill-grounded memory are shown to be problematic, for they cannot account for the possibility of veridical confabulation, ill-grounded memory, and well-grounded confabulation. This paper argues that the defining characteristic of mnemonic confabulation is that it lacks the appropriate causal history. In the confabulation case, there is no proper counterfactual dependence of the state of seeming to remember on the corresponding past representation. PMID:28769847

Tunnelling in Dante's Inferno

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

Furuuchi, Kazuyuki; Sperling, Marcus, E-mail: kazuyuki.furuuchi@manipal.edu, E-mail: marcus.sperling@univie.ac.at

2017-05-01

We study quantum tunnelling in Dante's Inferno model of large field inflation. Such a tunnelling process, which will terminate inflation, becomes problematic if the tunnelling rate is rapid compared to the Hubble time scale at the time of inflation. Consequently, we constrain the parameter space of Dante's Inferno model by demanding a suppressed tunnelling rate during inflation. The constraints are derived and explicit numerical bounds are provided for representative examples. Our considerations are at the level of an effective field theory; hence, the presented constraints have to hold regardless of any UV completion.

Application of construal level and value-belief norm theories to undergraduate decision-making on a wildlife socio-scientific issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutter, A. McKinzie; Dauer, Jenny M.; Forbes, Cory T.

2018-06-01

One aim of science education is to develop scientific literacy for decision-making in daily life. Socio-scientific issues (SSI) and structured decision-making frameworks can help students reach these objectives. This research uses value belief norm (VBN) theory and construal level theory (CLT) to explore students' use of personal values in their decision-making processes and the relationship between abstract and concrete problematization and their decision-making. Using mixed methods, we conclude that the level of abstraction with which students problematise a prairie dog agricultural production and ecosystem preservation issue has a significant relationship to the values students used in the decision-making process. However, neither abstraction of the problem statement nor students' surveyed value orientations were significantly related to students' final decisions. These results may help inform teachers' understanding of students and their use of a structured-decision making tool in a classroom, and aid researchers in understanding if these tools help students remain objective in their analyses of complex SSIs.

On the interpretation of complex network analysis of language. Comment on "Approaching human language with complex networks" by Jin Cong, Haitao Liu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čech, Radek

2014-12-01

After a rapid and successful development of the theory of complex networks at the turn of the millennium [1,2], attempts to apply this theory to a language analysis emerged immediately [3,4]. The first results seemed to bring new insights to the functioning of language. Moreover, some authors assumed that this approach can even solve some fundamental problems concerning language evolution [5,6]. However, after a decade of the application of complex network theory to language analysis, the initial expectations have not been fulfilled, in my opinion, and the need for a deeper, linguistically based explanation of observed properties has been still more obvious. Cong and Liu's review [7] can be seen as a successful attempt to clarify the main aspects of this kind of research from the linguistics point of view. However, I see two problematic aspects in their study relating to the nature of the character of explanation.

The expectancy-value muddle in the theory of planned behaviour - and some proposed solutions.

PubMed

French, David P; Hankins, Matthew

2003-02-01

The authors of the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour recommended a method for statistically analysing the relationships between beliefs and the Attitude, Subjective Norm, and Perceived Behavioural Control constructs. This method has been used in the overwhelming majority of studies using these theories. However, there is a growing awareness that this method yields statistically uninterpretable results (Evans, 1991). Despite this, the use of this method is continuing, as is uninformed interpretation of this problematic research literature. This is probably due to the lack of a simple account of where the problem lies, and the large number of alternatives available. This paper therefore summarizes the problem as simply as possible, gives consideration to the conclusions that can be validly drawn from studies that contain this problem, and critically reviews the many alternatives that have been proposed to address this problem. Different techniques are identified as being suitable, according to the purpose of the specific research project.

Co-occurrence of addictive behaviours: personality factors related to substance use, gambling and computer gaming.

PubMed

Walther, Birte; Morgenstern, Matthis; Hanewinkel, Reiner

2012-01-01

To investigate co-occurrence and shared personality characteristics of problematic computer gaming, problematic gambling and substance use. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 2,553 German students aged 12-25 years. Self-report measures of substance use (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis), problematic gambling (South Oaks Gambling Screen - Revised for Adolescents, SOGS-RA), problematic computer gaming (Video Game Dependency Scale, KFN-CSAS-II), and of twelve different personality characteristics were obtained. Analyses revealed positive correlations between tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use and a smaller positive correlation between problematic gambling and problematic computer gaming. Problematic computer gaming co-occurred only with cannabis use, whereas problematic gambling was associated with all three types of substance use. Multivariate multilevel analyses showed differential patterns of personality characteristics. High impulsivity was the only personality characteristic associated with all five addictive behaviours. Depression and extraversion were specific to substance users. Four personality characteristics were specifically associated with problematic computer gaming: irritability/aggression, social anxiety, ADHD, and low self-esteem. Problematic gamblers seem to be more similar to substance users than problematic computer gamers. From a personality perspective, results correspond to the inclusion of gambling in the same DSM-V category as substance use and question a one-to-one proceeding for computer gaming. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Higher Education and Non-Pecuniary Returns in Germany: Tracing the Mechanisms behind Field of Study Effects at the Start of the Career

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Markus

2011-01-01

This article addresses the question of why fields of study differ in early labour market returns. It is argued that the higher the potential training costs of a field of study the more problematic the labour market integration of graduates. This is due to the fact that employers use the occupational specificity and selectivity of a study programme…

A Nonparametric, Multiple Imputation-Based Method for the Retrospective Integration of Data Sets.

PubMed

Carrig, Madeline M; Manrique-Vallier, Daniel; Ranby, Krista W; Reiter, Jerome P; Hoyle, Rick H

2015-01-01

Complex research questions often cannot be addressed adequately with a single data set. One sensible alternative to the high cost and effort associated with the creation of large new data sets is to combine existing data sets containing variables related to the constructs of interest. The goal of the present research was to develop a flexible, broadly applicable approach to the integration of disparate data sets that is based on nonparametric multiple imputation and the collection of data from a convenient, de novo calibration sample. We demonstrate proof of concept for the approach by integrating three existing data sets containing items related to the extent of problematic alcohol use and associations with deviant peers. We discuss both necessary conditions for the approach to work well and potential strengths and weaknesses of the method compared to other data set integration approaches.

A Nonparametric, Multiple Imputation-Based Method for the Retrospective Integration of Data Sets

PubMed Central

Carrig, Madeline M.; Manrique-Vallier, Daniel; Ranby, Krista W.; Reiter, Jerome P.; Hoyle, Rick H.

2015-01-01

Complex research questions often cannot be addressed adequately with a single data set. One sensible alternative to the high cost and effort associated with the creation of large new data sets is to combine existing data sets containing variables related to the constructs of interest. The goal of the present research was to develop a flexible, broadly applicable approach to the integration of disparate data sets that is based on nonparametric multiple imputation and the collection of data from a convenient, de novo calibration sample. We demonstrate proof of concept for the approach by integrating three existing data sets containing items related to the extent of problematic alcohol use and associations with deviant peers. We discuss both necessary conditions for the approach to work well and potential strengths and weaknesses of the method compared to other data set integration approaches. PMID:26257437

Self-preservation: an argument for therapeutic cloning, and a strategy for fostering respect for moral integrity.

PubMed

Mahowald, Mary B

2004-01-01

The issues of human cloning and stem cell retrieval are inseparable in circumstances in which the rationale of self-preservation may be invoked as a negative right. I apply this rationale to a hypothetical case in which cloning is necessary to preserve the bodily integrity or life of an individual. Self-preservation as moral integrity is examined in a narrower context, i.e., as applicable to those for whom deliberate termination of embryonic life is morally-problematic. This issue is addressed through comparison with two paradigms commonly used in support of clinical practice: the distinction between letting die and killing, and the permissibility of vital organ retrieval after death. Although these paradigms are questionable in their own right, they offer a rationale by which scientists and clinicians may respect the negative right to moral integrity of those with whom they disagree.

Problematic Use of Prescription Opioids and Medicinal Cannabis Among Patients Suffering from Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Feingold, Daniel; Goor-Aryeh, Itay; Bril, Silviu; Delayahu, Yael; Lev-Ran, Shaul

2017-02-01

To assess prevalence rates and correlates of problematic use of prescription opioids and medicinal cannabis (MC) among patients receiving treatment for chronic pain. Cross-sectional study. Two leading pain clinics in Israel. Our sample included 888 individuals receiving treatment for chronic pain, of whom 99.4% received treatment with prescription opioids or MC. Problematic use of prescription opioids and MC was assessed using DSM-IV criteria, Portenoy’s Criteria (PC), and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) questionnaire. Additional sociodemographic and clinical correlates of problematic use were also assessed. Among individuals treated with prescription opioids, prevalence of problematic use of opioids according to DSM-IV, PC, and COMM was 52.6%, 17.1%, and 28.7%, respectively. Among those treated with MC, prevalence of problematic use of cannabis according to DSM-IV and PC was 21.2% and 10.6%, respectively. Problematic use of opioids and cannabis was more common in individuals using medications for longer periods of time, reporting higher levels of depression and anxiety, and using alcohol or drugs. Problematic use of opioids was associated with higher self-reported levels of pain, and problematic use of cannabis was more common among individuals using larger amounts of MC. Problematic use of opioids is common among chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioids and is more prevalent than problematic use of cannabis among those receiving MC. Pain patients should be screened for risk factors for problematic use before initiating long-term treatment for pain-control.

Assessing quality of pre-service physics teachers' written arguments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydeniz, Mehmet; Gürçay, Deniz

2013-11-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of scientific arguments developed by pre-service physics teachers. Sample: The participants were 171 pre-service physics teachers recruited from two universities: 86 from University A and 85 from University B. Design and method: Participants were prompted to develop a written argument to either support or challenge the Turkish government's decision to invest in nuclear power plants. Data consist of written arguments developed by the participants and information on participants' knowledge of the topic, their confidence in their knowledge and the source of their knowledge related to the topic. Data were analyzed using the CER framework. Results: The results show that participants did not perform at the expected level. The majority of students failed to develop strong scientific arguments. While almost all of the participants provided evidence to justify their claims, they failed to effectively coordinate evidence, claim and theory to develop an argument. Students struggled the most in the warrant/reasoning category of the CER framework. We also identified several misconceptions that students held related to nuclear power plants. Conclusions: In our discussion we problematize college science teaching and advocate integration of instructional strategies such as argumentation that can effectively engage students in construction, evaluation and justification of knowledge.

Psychological Defenses against Death Anxiety: Integrating Terror Management Theory and Firestone's Separation Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassett, Jonathan F.

2007-01-01

The author attempts to integrate Terror Management Theory (TMT) and R. W. Firestone's Separation Theory (1984, 1994). Both theories emphasize defense against death anxiety as a key human motive. Whereas TMT focuses extensively on self-esteem and cultural worldview, Firestone posited additional defenses such as gene survival, self-nourishing…

Integrated Moral Conviction Theory of Student Cheating: An Empirical Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Foster; Thomas, Christopher H.; Novicevic, Milorad M.; Ammeter, Anthony; Garner, Bart; Johnson, Paul; Popoola, Ifeoluwa

2018-01-01

In this article, we develop an "integrated moral conviction theory of student cheating" by integrating moral conviction with (a) the dual-process model of Hunt-Vitell's theory that gives primacy to individual ethical philosophies when moral judgments are made and (b) the social cognitive conceptualization that gives primacy to moral…

An Integrated Theory for Predicting the Hydrothermomechanical Response of Advanced Composite Structural Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Lark, R. F.; Sinclair, J. H.

1977-01-01

An integrated theory is developed for predicting the hydrothermomechanical (HDTM) response of fiber composite components. The integrated theory is based on a combined theoretical and experimental investigation. In addition to predicting the HDTM response of components, the theory is structured to assess the combined hydrothermal effects on the mechanical properties of unidirectional composites loaded along the material axis and off-axis, and those of angleplied laminates. The theory developed predicts values which are in good agreement with measured data at the micromechanics, macromechanics, laminate analysis and structural analysis levels.

The macroevolutionary consequences of phenotypic integration: from development to deep time.

PubMed

Goswami, A; Smaers, J B; Soligo, C; Polly, P D

2014-08-19

Phenotypic integration is a pervasive characteristic of organisms. Numerous analyses have demonstrated that patterns of phenotypic integration are conserved across large clades, but that significant variation also exists. For example, heterochronic shifts related to different mammalian reproductive strategies are reflected in postcranial skeletal integration and in coordination of bone ossification. Phenotypic integration and modularity have been hypothesized to shape morphological evolution, and we extended simulations to confirm that trait integration can influence both the trajectory and magnitude of response to selection. We further demonstrate that phenotypic integration can produce both more and less disparate organisms than would be expected under random walk models by repartitioning variance in preferred directions. This effect can also be expected to favour homoplasy and convergent evolution. New empirical analyses of the carnivoran cranium show that rates of evolution, in contrast, are not strongly influenced by phenotypic integration and show little relationship to morphological disparity, suggesting that phenotypic integration may shape the direction of evolutionary change, but not necessarily the speed of it. Nonetheless, phenotypic integration is problematic for morphological clocks and should be incorporated more widely into models that seek to accurately reconstruct both trait and organismal evolution.

The macroevolutionary consequences of phenotypic integration: from development to deep time

PubMed Central

Goswami, A.; Smaers, J. B.; Soligo, C.; Polly, P. D.

2014-01-01

Phenotypic integration is a pervasive characteristic of organisms. Numerous analyses have demonstrated that patterns of phenotypic integration are conserved across large clades, but that significant variation also exists. For example, heterochronic shifts related to different mammalian reproductive strategies are reflected in postcranial skeletal integration and in coordination of bone ossification. Phenotypic integration and modularity have been hypothesized to shape morphological evolution, and we extended simulations to confirm that trait integration can influence both the trajectory and magnitude of response to selection. We further demonstrate that phenotypic integration can produce both more and less disparate organisms than would be expected under random walk models by repartitioning variance in preferred directions. This effect can also be expected to favour homoplasy and convergent evolution. New empirical analyses of the carnivoran cranium show that rates of evolution, in contrast, are not strongly influenced by phenotypic integration and show little relationship to morphological disparity, suggesting that phenotypic integration may shape the direction of evolutionary change, but not necessarily the speed of it. Nonetheless, phenotypic integration is problematic for morphological clocks and should be incorporated more widely into models that seek to accurately reconstruct both trait and organismal evolution. PMID:25002699

Seeking the chemical roots of darwinism: bridging between chemistry and biology.

PubMed

Pross, Addy

2009-08-24

Chemistry and biology are intimately connected sciences yet the chemistry-biology interface remains problematic and central issues regarding the very essence of living systems remain unresolved. In this essay we build on a kinetic theory of replicating systems that encompasses the idea that there are two distinct kinds of stability in nature-thermodynamic stability, associated with "regular" chemical systems, and dynamic kinetic stability, associated with replicating systems. That fundamental distinction is utilized to bridge between chemistry and biology by demonstrating that within the parallel world of replicating systems there is a second law analogue to the second law of thermodynamics, and that Darwinian theory may, through scientific reductionism, be related to that second law analogue. Possible implications of these ideas to the origin of life problem and the relationship between chemical emergence and biological evolution are discussed.

Quantum Structure in Cognition and the Foundations of Human Reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aerts, Diederik; Sozzo, Sandro; Veloz, Tomas

2015-12-01

Traditional cognitive science rests on a foundation of classical logic and probability theory. This foundation has been seriously challenged by several findings in experimental psychology on human decision making. Meanwhile, the formalism of quantum theory has provided an efficient resource for modeling these classically problematical situations. In this paper, we start from our successful quantum-theoretic approach to the modeling of concept combinations to formulate a unifying explanatory hypothesis. In it, human reasoning is the superposition of two processes - a conceptual reasoning, whose nature is emergence of new conceptuality, and a logical reasoning, founded on an algebraic calculus of the logical type. In most cognitive processes however, the former reasoning prevails over the latter. In this perspective, the observed deviations from classical logical reasoning should not be interpreted as biases but, rather, as natural expressions of emergence in its deepest form.

Membrane paradigm and RG flows for anomalous holographic theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Copetti, Christian; Fernández-Pendás, Jorge

2018-04-01

Holographic RG flows can be better understood with the help of radially conserved charges. It was shown by various authors that the bulk gauge and diffeomorphism symmetries lead to the conservation of the zero mode of the holographic U(1) current and, if the spacetime is stationary, to that of the holographic heat current. In describing dual theories with 't Hooft anomalies the bulk gauge invariance is broken by Chern-Simons terms. We show that conservation laws can still be derived and used to characterize the anomalous transport in terms of membrane currents at the horizon. We devote particular attention to systems with gravitational anomalies. These are known to be problematic due to their higher derivative content. We show that this feature alters the construction of the membrane currents in a way which is deeply tied with the anomalous gravitational transport.

Evidence against the continuum structure underlying motivation measures derived from self-determination theory.

PubMed

Chemolli, Emanuela; Gagné, Marylène

2014-06-01

Self-determination theory (SDT) proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of motivation in which the different regulations are said to fall along a continuum of self-determination. The continuum has been used as a basis for using a relative autonomy index as a means to create motivational scores. Rasch analysis was used to verify the continuum structure of the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale and of the Academic Motivation Scale. We discuss the concept of continuum against SDT's conceptualization of motivation and argue against the use of the relative autonomy index on the grounds that evidence for a continuum structure underlying the regulations is weak and because the index is statistically problematic. We suggest exploiting the full richness of SDT's multidimensional conceptualization of motivation through the use of alternative scoring methods when investigating motivational dynamics across life domains.

Promoting integrity in the workplace: a priority for all academic health professionals.

PubMed

Cleary, Michelle; Walter, Garry; Horsfall, Jan; Jackson, Debra

2013-10-01

The performance-driven culture of universities challenges faculty to meet workplace expectations. In this paper, we draw on the literature to identify key aspects of, and requirements for, promoting integrity in the academic workplace. Integrity is a crucial personal characteristic that can exert a powerful influence in any setting. Any threat to integrity in the workplace can result in a toxic and corrupt environment that may be deleterious to faculty and students. Such an environment can act to prevent faculty from speaking up about ethical issues or workplace concerns, which can result in failure to identify areas for improvement, continuation of suboptimal practices, and problematic professional relationships. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to present an overview of the concept of integrity in the academic workforce and to discuss some of the issues and dimensions, in the hope of creating greater awareness. This is essential if health professional faculties are to recruit and retain staff and create optimal working environments conducive to facilitating high quality outcomes.

An overdue alignment of risk and resilience? A conceptual contribution to community resilience.

PubMed

Mochizuki, Junko; Keating, Adriana; Liu, Wei; Hochrainer-Stigler, Stefan; Mechler, Reinhard

2018-04-01

A systematic review of literature on community resilience measurement published between 2005 and 2014 revealed that the profound lack of clarity on risk and resilience is one of the main reasons why confusion about terms such as adaptive capacity, resilience, and vulnerability persists, despite the effort spared to operationalise these concepts. Resilience is measured in isolation in some cases, where a shock is perceived to arise external to the system of interest. Problematically, this contradicts the way in which the climate change and disaster communities perceive risk as manifesting itself endogenously as a function of exposure, hazard, and vulnerability. The common conceptualisation of resilience as predominantly positive is problematic as well when, in reality, many undesirable properties of a system are resilient. Consequently, this paper presents an integrative framework that highlights the interactions between risk drivers and coping, adaptive, and transformative capacities, providing an improved conceptual basis for resilience measurement. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

The association between problematic cellular phone use and risky behaviors and low self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents.

PubMed

Yang, Yuan-Sheng; Yen, Ju-Yu; Ko, Chih-Hung; Cheng, Chung-Ping; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2010-04-28

Cellular phone use (CPU) is an important part of life for many adolescents. However, problematic CPU may complicate physiological and psychological problems. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. A total of 11,111 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were randomly selected into this study. We used the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire to identify the adolescents with problematic CPU. Meanwhile, a series of risky behaviors and self-esteem were evaluated. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between problematic CPU and risky behaviors and low self-esteem regarding gender and age. The results indicated that positive associations were found between problematic CPU and aggression, insomnia, smoking cigarettes, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem in all groups with different sexes and ages. However, gender and age differences existed in the associations between problematic CPU and suspension from school, criminal records, tattooing, short nocturnal sleep duration, unprotected sex, illicit drugs use, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts. There were positive associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. It is worthy for parents and mental health professionals to pay attention to adolescents' problematic CPU.

Gender Differences in Problematic Alcohol Consumption in University Professors

PubMed Central

Vaca, Silvia L.; Cacho, Raúl

2017-01-01

The role of job satisfaction and other psychosocial variables in problematic alcohol consumption within professional settings remains understudied. The aim of this study is to assess the level of problematic alcohol consumption among male and female university professors and associated psychosocial variables. A total of 360 professors (183 men and 177 women) of a large private university in Ecuador were surveyed using standardized instruments for the following psychosocial measures: alcohol consumption, job satisfaction, psychological stress, psychological flexibility, social support and resilience. Problematic alcohol consumption was found in 13.1% of participants, although this was significantly higher (χ2 = 15.6; d.f. = 2, p < 0.001) in men (19.1%) than women (6.8%). Problematic alcohol consumption was reported in men with higher perceived stress and job satisfaction. However, 83.3% of women with problematic alcohol use reported lower job satisfaction and higher psychological inflexibility. Results suggest that job satisfaction itself did not prevent problematic alcohol consumption in men; stress was associated with problematic consumption in men and psychological inflexibility in women. Findings from this study support the need to assess aspects of alcohol consumption and problematic behavior differently among men and women. Intervention strategies aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol consumption in university professors must be different for men and women. PMID:28914801

Gender Differences in Problematic Alcohol Consumption in University Professors.

PubMed

Ruisoto, Pablo; Vaca, Silvia L; López-Goñi, José J; Cacho, Raúl; Fernández-Suárez, Iván

2017-09-15

The role of job satisfaction and other psychosocial variables in problematic alcohol consumption within professional settings remains understudied. The aim of this study is to assess the level of problematic alcohol consumption among male and female university professors and associated psychosocial variables. A total of 360 professors (183 men and 177 women) of a large private university in Ecuador were surveyed using standardized instruments for the following psychosocial measures: alcohol consumption, job satisfaction, psychological stress, psychological flexibility, social support and resilience. Problematic alcohol consumption was found in 13.1% of participants, although this was significantly higher (χ² = 15.6; d.f. = 2, p < 0.001) in men (19.1%) than women (6.8%). Problematic alcohol consumption was reported in men with higher perceived stress and job satisfaction. However, 83.3% of women with problematic alcohol use reported lower job satisfaction and higher psychological inflexibility. Results suggest that job satisfaction itself did not prevent problematic alcohol consumption in men; stress was associated with problematic consumption in men and psychological inflexibility in women. Findings from this study support the need to assess aspects of alcohol consumption and problematic behavior differently among men and women. Intervention strategies aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol consumption in university professors must be different for men and women.

Theory and (In) Practice: The Problem of Integration in Art and Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rintoul, Jenny Ruth

2014-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between art "theory" and art "practice" in British art education at post-compulsory level, with a focus on the ways in which theory is framed and delivered and what this means for its integration. Drawing upon constructions of knowledge and approaches to integration as a technique and…

Problematic prescription opioid use in an HIV-infected cohort: the importance of universal toxicology testing.

PubMed

Robinson-Papp, Jessica; Elliott, Kathryn; Simpson, David M; Morgello, Susan

2012-10-01

Providers treating chronic pain must attempt to relieve suffering, while minimizing problematic prescription opioid use, including addiction and diversion. Previously described risk factors for problematic use include history of substance use, younger age, male sex, psychiatric comorbidity, and lower education level. We examined these risk factors in HIV-infected individuals, using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank. Problematic use was defined as illicit substance use (documented by urine toxicology or structured psychiatric interview), while receiving prescription opioids. Among 173 participants prescribed opioids, 62% had problematic use, the majority of which was discovered by urine toxicology. Problematic use was associated with past substance use, current psychiatric disorder, and poorer adherence to antiretrovirals. However, when participants without problematic use at baseline were followed longitudinally, these factors were not predictive. Furthermore, the cumulative incidence of problematic use behaviors was no greater than in a similar group of participants who were not prescribed opioids. Problematic prescription opioid use is common among HIV-infected individuals and is associated with history of substance use, current psychiatric disorder, and poor adherence to antiretrovirals. However, these factors do not predict future problematic use in those who are not currently using illicit substances, and the prescription of an opioid does not seem to predispose patients toward a future substance use disorder. Rather than attempting to assess risk for problematic prescription opioid use in HIV-infected individuals, we recommend baseline and follow-up urine toxicology.

Maladaptive cognitions predict changes in problematic gaming in highly-engaged adults: A 12-month longitudinal study.

PubMed

Forrest, Cameron J; King, Daniel L; Delfabbro, Paul H

2017-02-01

Understanding the role of maladaptive gaming-related cognitions may assist in screening and interventions for problematic gaming, including Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Cognitive-behavioural interventions that target specific cognitions related to gaming may be more effective than more general approaches that focus only on preoccupation with games. Although past research has identified cross-sectional associations between maladaptive cognitions and problematic gaming, it is less clear whether these cognitions can predict future changes in problematic gaming behaviour. The present study employed an 18-item measure of gaming cognition, assessing perfectionism, cognitive salience, regret, and behavioural salience, to investigate potential changes in problematic gaming over a 12-month period. The sample included 465 Australian adults (84% male, M age =26.2years). It was found that individuals who became problematic gamers over 12months had higher baseline scores on perfectionism (d=1.20), cognitive salience (d=0.74) and regret (d=0.69) than those who remained non-problematic gamers. Problematic gamers who became non-problematic gamers had lower baseline perfectionism scores (d=0.62) than those who remained problematic gamers. Cognitive change accounted for an additional 28% of variance in problematic gaming scores beyond gender, age, and frequency of gaming. These findings suggest that maladaptive gaming-related cognitions could be screened in clinical trials to aid in case formulation and inform decisions on needed interventions to deliver optimal client outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical modelling of surface plasmonic polaritons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansoor, Riyadh; AL-Khursan, Amin Habbeb

2018-06-01

Extending optoelectronics into the nano-regime seems problematic due to the relatively long wavelengths of light. The conversion of light into plasmons is a possible way to overcome this problem. Plasmon's wavelengths are much shorter than that of light which enables the propagation of signals in small size components. In this paper, a 3D simulation of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation is performed. The Finite integration technique was used to solve Maxwell's equations in the dielectric-metal interface. The results show how the surface plasmon polariton was generated at the grating assisted dielectric-metal interface. SPP is a good candidate for signal confinement in small size optoelectronics which allow high density optical integrated circuits in all optical networks.

Hybrid Adsorption-Membrane Biological Reactors for Improved Performance and Reliability of Perchlorate Removal Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

to reduce effluent perchlorate spikes by up to 97% in comparison to a conventional MBR that was subject to sudden changes in influent conditions...biological reactor (HAMBgR). The HAMBgR process integrates a granular adsorptive media into the mixed liquor of a membrane bioreactor ( MBR ), which...although concentrated brine disposal can be problematic. In this study, we measured the performance of a conventional MBR and a HAMBgR process and

Small Autonomous Aircraft Servo Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quintero, Steven

2008-01-01

Small air vehicles offer challenging power, weight, and volume constraints when considering implementation of system health monitoring technologies. In order to develop a testbed for monitoring the health and integrity of control surface servos and linkages, the Autonomous Aircraft Servo Health Monitoring system has been designed for small Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms to detect problematic behavior from servos and the air craft structures they control, This system will serve to verify the structural integrity of an aircraft's servos and linkages and thereby, through early detection of a problematic situation, minimize the chances of an aircraft accident. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's rotary-winged UAV has an Airborne Power management unit that is responsible for regulating, distributing, and monitoring the power supplied to the UAV's avionics. The current sensing technology utilized by the Airborne Power Management system is also the basis for the Servo Health system. The Servo Health system measures the current draw of the servos while the servos are in Motion in order to quantify the servo health. During a preflight check, deviations from a known baseline behavior can be logged and their causes found upon closer inspection of the aircraft. The erratic behavior nay include binding as a result of dirt buildup or backlash caused by looseness in the mechanical linkages. Moreover, the Servo Health system will allow elusive problems to be identified and preventative measures taken to avoid unnecessary hazardous conditions in small autonomous aircraft.

Developing Behavioral Theory with the Systematic Integration of Community Social Capital Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuel, Laura J.; Commodore-Mensah, Yvonne; Dennison Himmelfarb, Cheryl R.

2014-01-01

Health behavior theories state that social environments influence health behaviors, but theories of how this occurs are relatively underdeveloped. This article systematically surveys community social capital concepts in health behavior literature and proposes a conceptual framework that integrates these concepts into existing behavioral theory.…

On space of integrable quantum field theories

DOE PAGES

Smirnov, F. A.; Zamolodchikov, A. B.

2016-12-21

Here, we study deformations of 2D Integrable Quantum Field Theories (IQFT) which preserve integrability (the existence of infinitely many local integrals of motion). The IQFT are understood as “effective field theories”, with finite ultraviolet cutoff. We show that for any such IQFT there are infinitely many integrable deformations generated by scalar local fields X s, which are in one-to-one correspondence with the local integrals of motion; moreover, the scalars X s are built from the components of the associated conserved currents in a universal way. The first of these scalars, X 1, coincides with the composite field View the MathMLmore » source(TT¯) built from the components of the energy–momentum tensor. The deformations of quantum field theories generated by X 1 are “solvable” in a certain sense, even if the original theory is not integrable. In a massive IQFT the deformations X s are identified with the deformations of the corresponding factorizable S-matrix via the CDD factor. The situation is illustrated by explicit construction of the form factors of the operators X s in sine-Gordon theory. Lastly, we also make some remarks on the problem of UV completeness of such integrable deformations.« less

Symptoms of problematic cellular phone use, functional impairment and its association with depression among adolescents in Southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Tang, Tze-Chun; Yen, Ju-Yu; Lin, Huang-Chi; Huang, Chi-Fen; Liu, Shu-Chun; Ko, Chih-Hung

2009-08-01

The aims of this study were: (1) to examine the prevalence of symptoms of problematic cellular phone use (CPU); (2) to examine the associations between the symptoms of problematic CPU, functional impairment caused by CPU and the characteristics of CPU; (3) to establish the optimal cut-off point of the number of symptoms for functional impairment caused by CPU; and (4) to examine the association between problematic CPU and depression in adolescents. A total of 10,191 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were recruited into this study. Participants' self-reported symptoms of problematic CPU and functional impairments caused by CPU were collected. The associations of symptoms of problematic CPU with functional impairments and with the characteristics of CPU were examined. The cut-off point of the number of symptoms for functional impairment was also determined. The association between problematic CPU and depression was examined by logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that the symptoms of problematic CPU were prevalent in adolescents. The adolescents who had any one of the symptoms of problematic CPU were more likely to report at least one dimension of functional impairment caused by CPU, called more on cellular phones, sent more text messages, or spent more time and higher fees on CPU. Having four or more symptoms of problematic CPU had the highest potential to differentiate between the adolescents with and without functional impairment caused by CPU. Adolescents who had significant depression were more likely to have four or more symptoms of problematic CPU. The results of this study may provide a basis for detecting symptoms of problematic CPU in adolescents.

Prevalence, risk factors, and psychosocial adjustment of problematic gambling in adolescents: Results from two representative German samples.

PubMed

Giralt, Sebastián; Müller, Kai W; Beutel, Manfred E; Dreier, Michael; Duven, Eva; Wölfling, Klaus

2018-06-05

Background and aims Gambling disorder is a significant public health concern. Especially, male minors have been shown to gamble in a problematic way, despite legal prohibitions. Methods We examined representative samples of students aged from 12 to 18 years (N = 9,309) in two German federal states to provide prevalence data and clinical description of risk factors for problematic gambling. Results We found that about 40% of the adolescents reported engaging in gambling activities within the past 12 months and found prevalence rates of 1.7% and 2.2% for problematic gambling. Especially, use of online gambling and slot machines was found to be related to problematic gambling. Male adolescents with a migration background were of higher risk for problematic gambling and psychopathological symptoms were significantly elevated among that group. Discussion The results indicate that participation in gambling activities is common among underaged adolescents and that prevalence of problematic gambling exceeds rates of adults. Similarly, problematic gambling is associated with increased psychopathological strain. Conclusion Given that a high proportion of adult gamblers report having started gambling in adolescents, our data emphasize the need for prevention and early intervention strategies for problematic gambling.

Toward a Relationship Perspective on Aggression among Schoolchildren: Integrating Social Cognitive and Interdependence Theories

PubMed Central

Card, Noel A.

2011-01-01

The traditional psychological approach of studying aggression among schoolchildren in terms of individual differences in aggression and in victimization has been valuable in identifying prevalence rates, risk, and consequences of involvement in aggression. However, it is argued that a focus on aggressor-victim relationships is warranted based on both conceptual and empirical grounds. Such a shift in focus requires modification and integration of existing theories of aggression, and this paper integrates social cognitive theory and interdependence theory to suggest a new, interdependent social cognitive theory of aggression. Specifically, this paper identifies points of overlap and different foci between these theories, and it illustrates their integration through a proposed model of the emergence of aggressor-victim interactions and relationships. The paper concludes that expanding consideration to include aggressor-victim relationships among schoolchildren offers considerable theoretical, empirical, and intervention opportunities. PMID:26985397

Classical nucleation theory in the phase-field crystal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jreidini, Paul; Kocher, Gabriel; Provatas, Nikolas

2018-04-01

A full understanding of polycrystalline materials requires studying the process of nucleation, a thermally activated phase transition that typically occurs at atomistic scales. The numerical modeling of this process is problematic for traditional numerical techniques: commonly used phase-field methods' resolution does not extend to the atomic scales at which nucleation takes places, while atomistic methods such as molecular dynamics are incapable of scaling to the mesoscale regime where late-stage growth and structure formation takes place following earlier nucleation. Consequently, it is of interest to examine nucleation in the more recently proposed phase-field crystal (PFC) model, which attempts to bridge the atomic and mesoscale regimes in microstructure simulations. In this work, we numerically calculate homogeneous liquid-to-solid nucleation rates and incubation times in the simplest version of the PFC model, for various parameter choices. We show that the model naturally exhibits qualitative agreement with the predictions of classical nucleation theory (CNT) despite a lack of some explicit atomistic features presumed in CNT. We also examine the early appearance of lattice structure in nucleating grains, finding disagreement with some basic assumptions of CNT. We then argue that a quantitatively correct nucleation theory for the PFC model would require extending CNT to a multivariable theory.

Novelty, coherence, and Mendeleev's periodic table.

PubMed

Schindler, Samuel

2014-03-01

Predictivism is the view that successful predictions of "novel" evidence carry more confirmational weight than accommodations of already known evidence. Novelty, in this context, has traditionally been conceived of as temporal novelty. However temporal predictivism has been criticized for lacking a rationale: why should the time order of theory and evidence matter? Instead, it has been proposed, novelty should be construed in terms of use-novelty, according to which evidence is novel if it was not used in the construction of a theory. Only if evidence is use-novel can it fully support the theory entailing it. As I point out in this paper, the writings of the most influential proponent of use-novelty contain a weaker and a stronger version of use-novelty. However both versions, I argue, are problematic. With regard to the appraisal of Mendeleev' periodic table, the most contentious historical case in the predictivism debate, I argue that temporal predictivism is indeed supported, although in ways not previously appreciated. On the basis of this case, I argue for a form of so-called symptomatic predictivism according to which temporally novel predictions carry more confirmational weight only insofar as they reveal the theory's presumed coherence of facts as real.

The revolution in psychiatric diagnosis: problems at the foundations.

PubMed

Galatzer-Levy, Isaac R; Galatzer-Levy, Robert M

2007-01-01

The third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III; 1974) not only revolutionized psychiatric diagnosis, it transformed and dominated American psychiatry. The nosology of psychiatry had been conceptually confusing, difficult to apply, and bound to widely questioned theories. Psychiatry and clinical psychology had been struggling with their scientific status. DSM attempted to solve psychiatry's problems by making psychiatry more like its authors' perception of general medicine. It tried to avoid theory, especially psychoanalytic theories, by discussing only observable manifestations of disorders. But DSM is actually highly theory-bound. It implicitly and powerfully includes an exclusively "medical" model of psychological disturbance, while excluding other psychiatric ideas. Its authors tried to meet what they saw as "scientific standards." To a surprising extent, DSM reflects its creators' personal distaste for psychoanalysis. The result is that DSM rests on a narrow philosophical perspective. The consequences of its adoption are widespread: it has profoundly affected drug development and other therapeutic studies, psychiatric education, attitudes toward patients, the public perception of psychiatry, and administrative and legal decisions. This article explores how DSM's most problematic features arise from its history in psychiatric controversies of the 1960s and its underlying positivistic philosophy.

Ergodic Theory, Interpretations of Probability and the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Lith, Janneke

The traditional use of ergodic theory in the foundations of equilibrium statistical mechanics is that it provides a link between thermodynamic observables and microcanonical probabilities. First of all, the ergodic theorem demonstrates the equality of microcanonical phase averages and infinite time averages (albeit for a special class of systems, and up to a measure zero set of exceptions). Secondly, one argues that actual measurements of thermodynamic quantities yield time averaged quantities, since measurements take a long time. The combination of these two points is held to be an explanation why calculating microcanonical phase averages is a successful algorithm for predicting the values of thermodynamic observables. It is also well known that this account is problematic. This survey intends to show that ergodic theory nevertheless may have important roles to play, and it explores three other uses of ergodic theory. Particular attention is paid, firstly, to the relevance of specific interpretations of probability, and secondly, to the way in which the concern with systems in thermal equilibrium is translated into probabilistic language. With respect to the latter point, it is argued that equilibrium should not be represented as a stationary probability distribution as is standardly done; instead, a weaker definition is presented.

Classical nucleation theory in the phase-field crystal model.

PubMed

Jreidini, Paul; Kocher, Gabriel; Provatas, Nikolas

2018-04-01

A full understanding of polycrystalline materials requires studying the process of nucleation, a thermally activated phase transition that typically occurs at atomistic scales. The numerical modeling of this process is problematic for traditional numerical techniques: commonly used phase-field methods' resolution does not extend to the atomic scales at which nucleation takes places, while atomistic methods such as molecular dynamics are incapable of scaling to the mesoscale regime where late-stage growth and structure formation takes place following earlier nucleation. Consequently, it is of interest to examine nucleation in the more recently proposed phase-field crystal (PFC) model, which attempts to bridge the atomic and mesoscale regimes in microstructure simulations. In this work, we numerically calculate homogeneous liquid-to-solid nucleation rates and incubation times in the simplest version of the PFC model, for various parameter choices. We show that the model naturally exhibits qualitative agreement with the predictions of classical nucleation theory (CNT) despite a lack of some explicit atomistic features presumed in CNT. We also examine the early appearance of lattice structure in nucleating grains, finding disagreement with some basic assumptions of CNT. We then argue that a quantitatively correct nucleation theory for the PFC model would require extending CNT to a multivariable theory.

The association between problematic cellular phone use and risky behaviors and low self-esteem among Taiwanese adolescents

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Cellular phone use (CPU) is an important part of life for many adolescents. However, problematic CPU may complicate physiological and psychological problems. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. Methods A total of 11,111 adolescent students in Southern Taiwan were randomly selected into this study. We used the Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire to identify the adolescents with problematic CPU. Meanwhile, a series of risky behaviors and self-esteem were evaluated. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the associations between problematic CPU and risky behaviors and low self-esteem regarding gender and age. Results The results indicated that positive associations were found between problematic CPU and aggression, insomnia, smoking cigarettes, suicidal tendencies, and low self-esteem in all groups with different sexes and ages. However, gender and age differences existed in the associations between problematic CPU and suspension from school, criminal records, tattooing, short nocturnal sleep duration, unprotected sex, illicit drugs use, drinking alcohol and chewing betel nuts. Conclusions There were positive associations between problematic CPU and a series of risky behaviors and low self-esteem in Taiwanese adolescents. It is worthy for parents and mental health professionals to pay attention to adolescents' problematic CPU. PMID:20426807

Addictive Potential of Internet Applications and Differential Correlates of Problematic Use in Internet Gamers versus Generalized Internet Users in a Representative Sample of Adolescents.

PubMed

Rosenkranz, Tabea; Müller, Kai W; Dreier, Michael; Beutel, Manfred E; Wölfling, Klaus

2017-01-01

This paper examines the addictive potential of 8 different Internet applications, distinguishing male and female users. Moreover, differential correlates of problematic use are investigated in Internet gamers (IG) and generalized Internet users (GIU). In a representative sample of 5,667 adolescents aged 12-19 years, use of Internet applications, problematic Internet use, psychopathologic symptoms (emotional problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and psychosomatic complaints), personality (conscientiousness and extraversion), psychosocial correlates (perceived stress and self-efficacy), and coping strategies were assessed. The addictive potential of Internet applications was examined in boys and girls using regression analysis. MANOVAs were conducted to examine differential correlates of problematic Internet use between IG and GIU. Chatting and social networking most strongly predicted problematic Internet use in girls, while gaming was the strongest predictor in boys. Problematic IG exhibited multiple psychosocial problems compared to non-problematic IG. In problematic Internet users, GIU reported even higher psychosocial burden and displayed dysfunctional coping strategies more frequently than gamers. The results extend previous findings on the addictive potential of Internet applications and validate the proposed distinction between specific and generalized problematic Internet use. In addition to Internet gaming disorder, future studies should also focus on other highly addictive Internet applications, that is, chatting or social networking, regarding differential correlates of problematic use. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a national wide sample of Korean adults.

PubMed

Park, Subin; Jeon, Hong Jin; Son, Jung Woo; Kim, Haesoo; Hong, Jin Pyo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, correlates, comorbidities, and suicidal tendencies of problematic game use in a nationally representative sample of Korean adults. Of the 6022 subjects who participated in the 2011 Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study and completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1, 1397 game users were evaluated for problematic game use using 9-item DSM-5 proposed criteria for Internet gaming disorder. Respondents who responded "yes" to five or more of the nine DSM-5 criteria were considered as problematic game users and the reminders were considered as normal game users. 4.0% (56/1397) of game users were classified as a problematic game user. Problematic game users were more likely to be in younger age group and live in urban area compared with normal game user. Problematic game use was positively associated with several psychiatric disorders including nicotine use disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, but not associated with alcohol use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, after adjusting for age, sex, and residential area. Problematic game use was significantly and positively associated with suicide plans, after controlling for psychiatric disorders as well as socio-demographic factors. Problematic game use is relatively prevalent in Korean adult population and highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and suicidality. Therefore, preventive strategy for problematic game use is needed for game users who were more likely to be addicted such as young adults in urban area, and mental health screening and appropriate treatment are needed for individuals with problematic game use.

Self-Esteem and Problematic Drinking in China: A Mediated Model.

PubMed

Zhai, Hui; Yang, Yanjie; Sui, Hong; Wang, Wenbo; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Yang, Xiuxian; Qiao, Zhengxue; Wang, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yang, Jiarun

2015-01-01

Although self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. A sample of 5,689 community residents was screened, and 517 male and 172 female problematic drinkers were chosen to participate in this study. A self-esteem scale, a coping questionnaire and an alcohol use disorder identification test were completed in order to assess participants' self-esteem, coping mechanisms and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Participants' socio-demographic data were also gathered at this stage. The resulting data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlations and bootstrap analyses. Lower self-esteem levels were related to problematic drinking, and there were no gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. A relationship between low self-esteem and negative coping was observed only in men. Negative coping thus mediated the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among men, but this was not the case for women. Positive coping did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among the participants, regardless of gender. Self-esteem and coping strategies are correlated among problematic drinkers. In addition, there are gender differences in the manners in which negative coping mediates the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. Problematic drinking interventions directed at males should simultaneously address low self-esteem and negative coping.

Locus of Control and Academic Achievement: Integrating Social Learning Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youse, Keith Edward

2012-01-01

The current study examines predictors of math achievement and college graduation by integrating social learning theory and expectancy-value theory. Data came from a nationally-representative longitudinal database tracking 12,144 students over twelve years from 8th grade forward. Models for math achievement and college graduation were tested…

Screened hybrid density functionals for solid-state chemistry and physics.

PubMed

Janesko, Benjamin G; Henderson, Thomas M; Scuseria, Gustavo E

2009-01-21

Density functional theory incorporating hybrid exchange-correlation functionals has been extraordinarily successful in providing accurate, computationally tractable treatments of molecular properties. However, conventional hybrid functionals can be problematic for solids. Their nonlocal, Hartree-Fock-like exchange term decays slowly and incorporates unphysical features in metals and narrow-bandgap semiconductors. This article provides an overview of our group's work on designing hybrid functionals for solids. We focus on the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof screened hybrid functional [J. Chem. Phys. 2003, 118, 8207], its applications to the chemistry and physics of solids and surfaces, and our efforts to build upon its successes.

Euthanasia embedded in palliative care. Responses to essentialistic criticisms of the Belgian model of integral end-of-life care.

PubMed

Bernheim, Jan L; Raus, Kasper

2017-08-01

The Belgian model of 'integral' end-of-life care consists of universal access to palliative care (PC) and legally regulated euthanasia. As a first worldwide, the Flemish PC organisation has embedded euthanasia in its practice. However, some critics have declared the Belgian-model concepts of 'integral PC' and 'palliative futility' to fundamentally contradict the essence of PC. This article analyses the various essentialistic arguments for the incompatibility of euthanasia and PC. The empirical evidence from the euthanasia-permissive Benelux countries shows that since legalisation, carefulness (of decision making) at the end of life has improved and there have been no significant adverse 'slippery slope' effects. It is problematic that some critics disregard the empirical evidence as epistemologically irrelevant in a normative ethical debate. Next, rejecting euthanasia because its prevention was a founding principle of PC ignores historical developments. Further, critics' ethical positions depart from the PC tenet of patient centeredness by prioritising caregivers' values over patients' values. Also, many critics' canonical adherence to the WHO definition of PC, which has intention as the ethical criterion is objectionable. A rejection of the Belgian model on doctrinal grounds also has nefarious practical consequences such as the marginalisation of PC in euthanasia-permissive countries, the continuation of clandestine practices and problematic palliative sedation until death. In conclusion, major flaws of essentialistic arguments against the Belgian model include the disregard of empirical evidence, appeals to canonical and questionable definitions, prioritisation of caregiver perspectives over those of patients and rejection of a plurality of respectable views on decision making at the end of life. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan Practices in the Turkish Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doruk Özügül, M.; Yerliyurt, Bora; Seçilmişler, Töre

2017-10-01

In terms of both international and national contexts, mostly coastal zones are the place of complexity, vulnerability and competition, so that they have to be well-planned and managed. Diversity in users, land uses, investments, sectoral plans and policies make coastal areas highly complex and problematic zones where competition also takes place. Unless these dimensions of pressure aren’t balanced with precautionary actions, coastal zones transform into more vulnerable geographies. Within this context “Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan” appears as a major tool where “integration” becomes a vital keyword for such diversifying environments. This integration challenge covers sectoral, administrative, spatial, interdisciplinary (in terms of scientific research fields) and internationality dimensions. A set of basic principles could also be obtained from the literature in order to reach a better ICZM Plan practice. These could be summarized as; “a broader perspective”, “a long-term perspective”, “adaptive management and monitoring”, “local specificities, specific solutions and flexible measures”, “carrying capacity of ecosystems”, “a participatory process”, “well coordination of policies and partners” and “coherence between sectoral policy objectives, planning and management”. A similar problematic conceptualization is also viable for Turkey, where approximately 76% of the total border length and 27 of 81 provinces are coastal. Naturally, both ICZM and coastal zone planning are within the emerging planning issues of national agenda. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Turkish practices depending on the above-mentioned principles by comparing various official ICZM plans of selected provinces. As a general conclusion it is seen that ICZM -to be an integrative and multi-dimensional tool- is contextually misunderstood. From this perspective “the determination of the plan borders”, “unsuitability of the plan contents with the ideal ICZM plans” and “absence of legal basis” could be defined as the major discussion topics which reflect the dilemmas of ICZM practice in the Turkish case.

Testing a Longitudinal Integrated Self-Efficacy and Self-Determination Theory Model for Physical Activity Post-Cardiac Rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Sweet, Shane N.; Fortier, Michelle S.; Strachan, Shaelyn M.; Blanchard, Chris M.; Boulay, Pierre

2014-01-01

Self-determination theory and self-efficacy theory are prominent theories in the physical activity literature, and studies have begun integrating their concepts. Sweet, Fortier, Strachan and Blanchard (2012) have integrated these two theories in a cross-sectional study. Therefore, this study sought to test a longitudinal integrated model to predict physical activity at the end of a 4-month cardiac rehabilitation program based on theory, research and Sweet et al.’s cross-sectional model. Participants from two cardiac rehabilitation programs (N=109) answered validated self-report questionnaires at baseline, two and four months. Data were analyzed using Amos to assess the path analysis and model fit. Prior to integration, perceived competence and self-efficacy were combined, and labeled as confidence. After controlling for 2-month physical activity and cardiac rehabilitation site, no motivational variables significantly predicted residual change in 4-month physical activity. Although confidence at two months did not predict residual change in 4-month physical activity, it had a strong positive relationship with 2-month physical activity (β=0.30, P<0.001). The overall model retained good fit indices. In conclusion, results diverged from theoretical predictions of physical activity, but self-determination and self-efficacy theory were still partially supported. Because the model had good fit, this study demonstrated that theoretical integration is feasible. PMID:26973926

Yangian Symmetry and Integrability of Planar N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory.

PubMed

Beisert, Niklas; Garus, Aleksander; Rosso, Matteo

2017-04-07

In this Letter, we establish Yangian symmetry of planar N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. We prove that the classical equations of motion of the model close onto themselves under the action of Yangian generators. Moreover, we propose an off-shell extension of our statement, which is equivalent to the invariance of the action and prove that it is exactly satisfied. We assert that our relationship serves as a criterion for integrability in planar gauge theories by explicitly checking that it applies to the integrable Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena theory but not to the nonintegrable N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory.

Integrating Theories of Cinema and Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Ken; Cavallari, H. Mario

2000-01-01

Demonstrates the possibility of the integration of a wider spectrum of film theories into the various worldviews of communication study. Highlights include relationships of worldview paradigms to theoretical and critical positions; and aspects of aesthetic theory and criticism. (Contains 75 references.) (Author/LRW)

Positioning oneself within an epistemology: refining our thinking about integrative approaches.

PubMed

Dickerson, Victoria C

2010-09-01

Integrative approaches seem to be paramount in the current climate of family therapy and other psychotherapies. However, integration between and among theories and practices can only occur within a specific epistemology. This article makes a distinction between three different epistemologies: individualizing, systems, and poststructural. It then makes the argument that one can integrate theories within epistemologies and one can adopt practices and some theoretical concepts across theories and across epistemologies, but that it is impossible to integrate theories across epistemologies. It further states that although social constructionism has influenced much of contemporary psychological thinking, because of the divergence between a structural and a poststructural approach, constructionism looks different depending upon one's epistemological stance. Examples of integration within epistemologies and of what looks like integration across epistemologies (but is not) further illustrate these important distinctions. The conclusions reached here are crucial to our philosophical considerations, our pedagogical assumptions, and implications for both research and a reflexive clinical practice. 2010 © FPI, Inc.

Neuroticism and Negative Urgency in Problematic Alcohol Use: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Papachristou, Harilaos; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Jansen, Anita

2016-09-18

Problematic alcohol use is common among university students and personality might account for individual differences in developing this maladaptive behavior. Two personality dispositions implicated in problematic alcohol use are negative urgency and neuroticism. However, the relationship of these traits to problematic alcohol use is unclear. In college students high neuroticism is not directly linked to problematic alcohol use. On the other hand, the experience of emotional distress in people high in neuroticism could impair the capacity for impulse control. Loss of impulse control under conditions of negative affect could trigger impulsive drinking and problematic alcohol use in the long run. We investigated this idea by testing whether negative urgency mediates the relationship of neuroticism to problematic alcohol use. Participants were 60 undergraduate university students who completed the Urgency subscale of the Urgency, (lack of) Premeditation, (lack of) Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency Impulsive Behaviour scale (UPPS-P), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Neuroticism subscale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised short form (EPQ-RSS). The results confirmed our hypothesis as we found an indirect effect of negative urgency on the relationship between neuroticism and problematic alcohol use. It appears that it is not distress but the tendency to act rashly when distressed that is important in developing problematic alcohol drinking in university students.

Problematic game play: the diagnostic value of playing motives, passion, and playing time in men.

PubMed

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-04-30

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM-not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing.

Problematic Game Play: The Diagnostic Value of Playing Motives, Passion, and Playing Time in Men

PubMed Central

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-01-01

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM—not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing. PMID:25942516

History of neuropsychological study of sport-related concussion.

PubMed

Webbe, Frank M; Zimmer, Adam

2015-01-01

Although the medical literature has a long history of description and comment on concussion, the occurrence of concussion within the context of sports other than boxing was not judged to be problematic until the 1980s. Neuropsychological assessment played a critical and integral role in identifying the cognitive sequelae of concussion and mapping out the short- and long-term vagaries in recovery. This paper captures that history and expands upon current applications of neuropsychological assessment in the diagnosis and management of sport-related concussion.

A Standard for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) Test Data Representation to Integrate with High-Performance Data Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

events was ad - hoc and problematic due to time constraints and changing requirements. Determining errors in context and heuristics required expertise...area code ) 410-278-4678 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 iii Contents List of Figures iv 1. Introduction 1...reduction code ...........8 1 1. Introduction Data reduction for analysis of Command, Control, Communications, and Computer (C4) network tests

Mental health nurses' attitudes, behaviour, experience and knowledge regarding adults with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder: systematic, integrative literature review.

PubMed

Dickens, Geoffrey L; Lamont, Emma; Gray, Sarah

2016-07-01

To establish whether mental health nurses responses to people with borderline personality disorder are problematic and, if so, to inform solutions to support change. There is some evidence that people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder are unpopular among mental health nurses who respond to them in ways which could be counter-therapeutic. Interventions to improve nurses' attitudes have had limited success. Systematic, integrative literature review. Computerised databases were searched from inception to April 2015 for papers describing primary research focused on mental health nurses' attitudes, behaviour, experience, and knowledge regarding adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Analysis of qualitative studies employed metasynthesis; analysis of quantitative studies was informed by the theory of planned behaviour. Forty studies were included. Only one used direct observation of clinical practice. Nurses' knowledge and experiences vary widely. They find the group very challenging to work with, report having many training needs, and, objectively, their attitudes are poorer than other professionals' and poorer than towards other diagnostic groups. Nurses say they need a coherent therapeutic framework to guide their practice, and their experience of caregiving seems improved where this exists. Mental health nurses' responses to people with borderline personality disorder are sometimes counter-therapeutic. As interventions to change them have had limited success there is a need for fresh thinking. Observational research to better understand the link between attitudes and clinical practice is required. Evidence-based education about borderline personality disorder is necessary, but developing nurses to lead in the design, implementation and teaching of coherent therapeutic frameworks may have greater benefits. There should be greater focus on development and implementation of a team-wide approach, with nurses as equal partners, when working with patients with borderline personality disorder. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A qualitative study of the variable effects of audit and feedback in the ICU.

PubMed

Sinuff, Tasnim; Muscedere, John; Rozmovits, Linda; Dale, Craig M; Scales, Damon C

2015-06-01

Audit and feedback is integral to performance improvement and behaviour change in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, there remain large gaps in our understanding of the social experience of audit and feedback and the mechanisms whereby it can be optimised as a quality improvement strategy in the ICU setting. We conducted a modified grounded theory qualitative study. Seventy-two clinicians from five academic and five community ICUs in Ontario, Canada, were interviewed. Team members reviewed interview transcripts independently. Data analysis used constant comparative methods. Clinicians interviewed experienced audit and feedback as fragmented and variable in its effectiveness. Moreover, clinicians felt disconnected from the process. The audit process was perceived as being insufficiently transparent. Feedback was often untimely, incomplete and not actionable. Specific groups such as respiratory therapists and night-shift clinicians felt marginalised. Suggestions for improvement included improving information sharing about the rationale for change and the audit process, tools and metrics; implementing peer-to-peer quality discussions to avoid a top-down approach (eg, incorporating feedback into discussions at daily rounds); providing effective feedback which contains specific, transparent and actionable information; delivering timely feedback (ie, balancing feedback proximate to events with trends over time) and increasing engagement by senior management. ICU clinicians experience audit and feedback as fragmented communication with feedback being especially problematic. Attention to improving communication, integration of the process into daily clinical activities and making feedback timely, specific and actionable may increase the effectiveness of audit and feedback to affect desired change. 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.

How quantum brain biology can rescue conscious free will

PubMed Central

Hameroff, Stuart

2012-01-01

Conscious “free will” is problematic because (1) brain mechanisms causing consciousness are unknown, (2) measurable brain activity correlating with conscious perception apparently occurs too late for real-time conscious response, consciousness thus being considered “epiphenomenal illusion,” and (3) determinism, i.e., our actions and the world around us seem algorithmic and inevitable. The Penrose–Hameroff theory of “orchestrated objective reduction (Orch OR)” identifies discrete conscious moments with quantum computations in microtubules inside brain neurons, e.g., 40/s in concert with gamma synchrony EEG. Microtubules organize neuronal interiors and regulate synapses. In Orch OR, microtubule quantum computations occur in integration phases in dendrites and cell bodies of integrate-and-fire brain neurons connected and synchronized by gap junctions, allowing entanglement of microtubules among many neurons. Quantum computations in entangled microtubules terminate by Penrose “objective reduction (OR),” a proposal for quantum state reduction and conscious moments linked to fundamental spacetime geometry. Each OR reduction selects microtubule states which can trigger axonal firings, and control behavior. The quantum computations are “orchestrated” by synaptic inputs and memory (thus “Orch OR”). If correct, Orch OR can account for conscious causal agency, resolving problem 1. Regarding problem 2, Orch OR can cause temporal non-locality, sending quantum information backward in classical time, enabling conscious control of behavior. Three lines of evidence for brain backward time effects are presented. Regarding problem 3, Penrose OR (and Orch OR) invokes non-computable influences from information embedded in spacetime geometry, potentially avoiding algorithmic determinism. In summary, Orch OR can account for real-time conscious causal agency, avoiding the need for consciousness to be seen as epiphenomenal illusion. Orch OR can rescue conscious free will. PMID:23091452

An Integrated Theory of Prospective Time Interval Estimation: The Role of Cognition, Attention, and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taatgen, Niels A.; van Rijn, Hedderik; Anderson, John

2007-01-01

A theory of prospective time perception is introduced and incorporated as a module in an integrated theory of cognition, thereby extending existing theories and allowing predictions about attention and learning. First, a time perception module is established by fitting existing datasets (interval estimation and bisection and impact of secondary…

Exploring Associations between Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Disturbance among Southern Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Tan, Yafei; Chen, Ying; Lu, Yaogui; Li, Liping

2016-03-14

The primary aim of this study was to examine associations between problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance, and explore whether there were differential effects of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. A total of 1772 adolescents who participated in the Shantou Adolescent Mental Health Survey were recruited in 2012 in Shantou, China. The Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of Internet addiction. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10), and other socio-demographic measures were also completed. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the mediating effect of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. Among the participants, 17.2% of adolescents met the criteria for problematic Internet use, 40.0% were also classified as suffering from sleep disturbance, and 54.4% of students had depressive symptoms. Problematic Internet use was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. The correlation between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance was highly significant. Both problematic Internet use (β = 0.014; Sobel test Z = 12.7, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.232; Sobel test Z = 3.39, p < 0.001) had partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance and depression was of greater importance for sleep disturbance than problematic Internet use. There is a high prevalence of problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance among high school students in southern China, and problematic Internet use and depressive symptoms are strongly associated with sleep disturbance. This study provides evidence that problematic Internet use and depression have partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance. These results are important for clinicians and policy makers with useful information for prevention and intervention efforts.

Is problematic internet use an indicator of eating disorders among Turkish university students?

PubMed

Çelik, Çiğdem Berber; Odacı, Hatice; Bayraktar, Nihal

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use and eating attitudes in a group of university students. The study sample consisted of 314 students attending programs at the faculties of education, medicine and communications at the Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. One hundred forty-seven (46.8 %) were male and 167 (53.2 %) female. The Problematic Internet Use Scale was used to measure problematic internet use levels among university students and the Eating Attitudes Test to determine anorexia nervosa symptoms. Additionally, a Personal Data Form was used to determine age, gender, faculty attended and computer ownership. Data were analyzed on SPSS 15.00. Pearson's product moments correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression analysis, the independent t test and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. The research findings showed that 46.8 % of students were female and 53.2 % male. Mean age was 20.65 (SD 1.42). Analysis showed a significant positive correlation between problematic internet use and eating attitudes (r = 0.77, p < 0.01). Problematic internet use was found to be a significant predictor of eating attitudes. The results also showed a significant difference in problematic internet use with regard to program variables [F (2,311) = 102.79]. There were no significant differences in problematic internet use in terms of gender or computer ownership. The results of this study indicate that problematic internet use is significantly correlated with eating disorders, that problematic internet use does not vary on the basis of gender or computer ownership and that variations arise in problematic internet use depending on the faculty attended.

Self-Esteem and Problematic Drinking in China: A Mediated Model

PubMed Central

Zhai, Hui; Yang, Yanjie; Sui, Hong; Wang, Wenbo; Chen, Lu; Qiu, Xiaohui; Yang, Xiuxian; Qiao, Zhengxue; Wang, Lin; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yang, Jiarun

2015-01-01

Background Although self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. A sample of 5,689 community residents was screened, and 517 male and 172 female problematic drinkers were chosen to participate in this study. A self-esteem scale, a coping questionnaire and an alcohol use disorder identification test were completed in order to assess participants’ self-esteem, coping mechanisms and alcohol use disorders, respectively. Participants’ socio-demographic data were also gathered at this stage. The resulting data were examined via descriptive statistics, correlations and bootstrap analyses. Results Lower self-esteem levels were related to problematic drinking, and there were no gender differences in the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. A relationship between low self-esteem and negative coping was observed only in men. Negative coping thus mediated the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among men, but this was not the case for women. Positive coping did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among the participants, regardless of gender. Conclusions Self-esteem and coping strategies are correlated among problematic drinkers. In addition, there are gender differences in the manners in which negative coping mediates the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking. Problematic drinking interventions directed at males should simultaneously address low self-esteem and negative coping. PMID:26451595

Theoretical gender and clinical gender: epistemological reflections on the psychology of women.

PubMed

Chodorow, N J

1996-01-01

This paper points to problematic tendencies in psychoanalytic thinking about women and suggests approaches that might address these problems. Psychoanalytic theories about women tend to overgeneralize, universalize, and essentialize. Furthermore, they do not sufficiently explicate the inextricable cultural aspects in anyone's gender psychology, and they are often permeated with unreflected-upon cultural assumptions. I suggest that paying attention to clinical individuality and assuming that subjective gender has multiple components for everyone gives us better understanding of our patients and points us toward more accurate and complete gender theories. There are many psychologies of women. Each woman creates her own psychological gender through emotionally and conflictually charged unconscious fantasies that help construct her inner world, that projectively imbue cultural conceptions, and that interpret her sexual anatomy. By making some unconscious fantasies and interpretations more salient than others, each woman creates her own prevalent animation of gender.

How to manage a revolution: Isaac Newton in the early twentieth century

PubMed Central

Clarke, Imogen

2014-01-01

In the first half of the twentieth century, dramatic developments in physics came to be viewed as revolutionary, apparently requiring a complete overthrow of previous theories. British physicists were keen to promote quantum physics and relativity theory as exciting and new, but the rhetoric of revolution threatened science's claim to stability and its prestigious connections with Isaac Newton. This was particularly problematic in the first decades of the twentieth century, within the broader context of political turmoil, world war, and the emergence of modernist art and literature. This article examines how physicists responded to their cultural and political environment and worked to maintain disciplinary connections with Isaac Newton, emphasizing the importance of both the old and the new. In doing so they attempted to make the physics ‘revolution’ more palatable to a British public seeking a sense of permanence in a rapidly changing world.

Assessing Hubbard-corrected AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U density functionals for strongly correlated oxides CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3

DOE PAGES

Weck, Philippe F.; Kim, Eunja

2016-09-12

The structure–property relationships of bulk CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3 have been investigated using AM05 and PBEsol exchange–correlation functionals within the frameworks of Hubbard-corrected density functional theory (DFT+ U) and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT+ U). Compared with conventional PBE+ U, RPBE+ U, PW91+ U and LDA+ U functionals, AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U describe experimental crystalline parameters and properties of CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3 with superior accuracy, especially when + U is chosen close to its value derived by the linear-response approach. Lastly, the present findings call for a reexamination of some of the problematic oxidemore » materials featuring strong f- and d-electron correlation using AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U.« less

Gravitational effective action at second order in curvature and gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calmet, Xavier; Capozziello, Salvatore; Pryer, Daniel

2017-09-01

We consider the full effective theory for quantum gravity at second order in curvature including non-local terms. We show that the theory contains two new degrees of freedom beyond the massless graviton: namely a massive spin-2 ghost and a massive scalar field. Furthermore, we show that it is impossible to fine-tune the parameters of the effective action to eliminate completely the classical spin-2 ghost because of the non-local terms in the effective action. Being a classical field, it is not clear anyway that this ghost is problematic. It simply implies a repulsive contribution to Newton's potential. We then consider how to extract the parameters of the effective action and show that it is possible to measure, at least in principle, the parameters of the local terms independently of each other using a combination of observations of gravitational waves and measurements performed by pendulum type experiments searching for deviations of Newton's potential.

Professional development in person: identity and the construction of teaching within a high school science department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deneroff, Victoria

2016-06-01

This is a narrative inquiry into the role of professional development in the construction of teaching practice by an exemplary urban high school science teacher. I collected data during 3 years of ethnographic participant observation in Marie Gonzalez's classroom. Marie told stories about her experiences in ten years of professional development focused on inquiry science teaching. I use a social practice theory lens to analyze my own stories as well as Marie's. I make the case that science teaching is best understood as mediated by socially-constructed identities rather than as the end-product of knowledge and beliefs. The cognitive paradigm for understanding teachers' professional learning fails to consistently produce transformations of teaching practice. In order to design professional development with science teachers that is generative of new knowledge, and is self-sustaining, we must understand how to build knowledge of how to problematize identities and consciously use social practice theory.

Assessing Hubbard-corrected AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U density functionals for strongly correlated oxides CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3

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

Weck, Philippe F.; Kim, Eunja

The structure–property relationships of bulk CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3 have been investigated using AM05 and PBEsol exchange–correlation functionals within the frameworks of Hubbard-corrected density functional theory (DFT+ U) and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT+ U). Compared with conventional PBE+ U, RPBE+ U, PW91+ U and LDA+ U functionals, AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U describe experimental crystalline parameters and properties of CeO 2 and Ce 2O 3 with superior accuracy, especially when + U is chosen close to its value derived by the linear-response approach. Lastly, the present findings call for a reexamination of some of the problematic oxidemore » materials featuring strong f- and d-electron correlation using AM05+ U and PBEsol+ U.« less

Reflections on a Proposed Theory of Reservation-Dwelling American Indian Alcohol Use: Comment on Spillane and Smith (2007)

PubMed Central

Beals, Janette; Belcourt-Dittloff, Annie; Freedenthal, Stacey; Kaufman, Carol; Mitchell, Christina; Whitesell, Nancy; Albright, Karen; Beauvais, Fred; Belcourt, Gordon; Duran, Bonnie; Fleming, Candace; Floersch, Natasha; Foley, Kevin; Jervis, Lori; Kipp, Billie Jo; Mail, Patricia; Manson, Spero; May, Philip; Mohatt, Gerald; Morse, Bradley; Novins, Douglas; O’Connell, Joan; Parker, Tassy; Quintero, Gilbert; Spicer, Paul; Stiffman, Arlene; Stone, Joseph; Trimble, Joseph; Venner, Kamilla; Walters, Karina

2015-01-01

In their recent article, N. Spillane and G. Smith (2007) suggested that reservation-dwelling American Indians have higher rates of problem drinking than do either non–American Indians or those American Indians living in nonreservation settings. These authors further argued that problematic alcohol use patterns in reservation communities are due to the lack of contingencies between drinking and “standard life reinforcers” (SLRs), such as employment, housing, education, and health care. This comment presents evidence that these arguments were based on a partial review of the literature. Weaknesses in the application of SLR constructs to American Indian reservation communities are identified as is the need for culturally contextualized empirical evidence supporting this theory and its application. Cautionary notes are offered about the development of literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and policy recommendations for American Indian communities. PMID:19254084

Mercury's magnetic field - A thermoelectric dynamo?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, D. J.

1987-01-01

Permanent magnetism and conventional dynamo theory are possible but problematic explanations for the magnitude of the Mercurian magnetic field. A new model is proposed in which thermoelectric currents driven by temperature differences at a bumpy core-mantle boundary are responsible for the (unobserved) toroidal field, and the helicity of convective motions in a thin outer core (thickness of about 100 km) induces the observed poloidal field from the toroidal field. The observed field of about 3 x 10 to the -7th T can be reproduced provided the electrical conductivity of Mercury's semiconducting mantle approaches 1000/ohm per m. This model may be testable by future missions to Mercury because it predicts a more complicated field geometry than conventional dynamo theories. However, it is argued that polar wander may cause the core-mantle topography to migrate so that some aspects of the rotational symmetry may be reflected in the observed field.

Problematic Exercise in Anorexia Nervosa: Testing Potential Risk Factors against Different Definitions.

PubMed

Rizk, Melissa; Lalanne, Christophe; Berthoz, Sylvie; Kern, Laurence; Godart, Nathalie

2015-01-01

"Hyperactivity" has a wide prevalence range of 31% to 80% in the anorexia nervosa literature that could be partly due to the plethora of definitions provided by researchers in this field. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) To assess the variance across prevalence rates of problematic exercise encountered in patients with anorexia nervosa, in relation to seven different definitions found in the literature. 2) To examine how core eating disorder symptoms and the dimensions of emotional profile are associated with these different definitions and the impact of these definitions on the assessment of patients' quality of life. Exercise was evaluated in terms of duration, intensity, type and compulsion using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 180 women suffering from severe anorexia nervosa. Seven different definitions of problematic exercise were identified in the literature: three entailing a single dimension of problematic exercise (duration, compulsion or intensity) and four combining these different dimensions. Emotional profile scores, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating disorder symptomatology, worries and concerns about body shape, self-esteem and quality of life were assessed using several established questionnaires. The prevalence of problematic exercise varied considerably from, 5% to 54%, depending on the number of criteria used for its definition. The type and level of eating disorder symptomatology was found to be associated with several definitions of problematic exercise. Surprisingly, a better self-reported quality of life was found among problematic exercisers compared to non-problematic exercisers in three of the definitions. The different definitions of problematic exercise explain the broad prevalence ranges and the conflicting associations generally reported in the literature between problematic exercise and eating disorder-related psychological parameters. There is an urgent need for a valid consensus on the definition of problematic exercise in anorexia nervosa. This will support the development of further research on the etiology and treatment of problematic exercise.

Integral Education: New Directions for Higher Learning. SUNY Series in Integral Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esbjorn-Hargens, Sean, Ed.; Reams, Jonathan, Ed.; Gunnlaugson, Olen, Ed.

2010-01-01

The educational challenges faced today are driving us toward a new step in the evolution of educational theory and practice. Educators are called to go beyond simply presenting alternatives, to integrating the best of mainstream and alternative approaches and taking them to the next level. "Integral Education" accomplishes this by…

Adaptive Control of Non-Minimum Phase Modal Systems Using Residual Mode Filters2. Parts 1 and 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balas, Mark J.; Frost, Susan

2011-01-01

Many dynamic systems containing a large number of modes can benefit from adaptive control techniques, which are well suited to applications that have unknown parameters and poorly known operating conditions. In this paper, we focus on a direct adaptive control approach that has been extended to handle adaptive rejection of persistent disturbances. We extend this adaptive control theory to accommodate problematic modal subsystems of a plant that inhibit the adaptive controller by causing the open-loop plant to be non-minimum phase. We will modify the adaptive controller with a Residual Mode Filter (RMF) to compensate for problematic modal subsystems, thereby allowing the system to satisfy the requirements for the adaptive controller to have guaranteed convergence and bounded gains. This paper will be divided into two parts. Here in Part I we will review the basic adaptive control approach and introduce the primary ideas. In Part II, we will present the RMF methodology and complete the proofs of all our results. Also, we will apply the above theoretical results to a simple flexible structure example to illustrate the behavior with and without the residual mode filter.

Gamers' insights into the phenomenology of normal gaming and game "addiction": A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Colder Carras, Michelle; Porter, Anne Marie; Van Rooij, Antonius J; King, Daniel; Lange, Amanda; Carras, Matthew; Labrique, Alain

2018-02-01

In response to calls for further research into the phenomenology of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), we used a community-engaged consensus development approach to evaluate how members of the "gamer culture" describe problematic gaming and the relationship of these descriptions to the proposed IGD criteria. Two focus groups of gamers were recruited at a video game convention. Participants were asked to submit suggestions for signs of game "addiction". Participants discussed and ranked the criteria in order of conceptual importance. The rankings were analyzed quantitatively, and then a multidisciplinary team compared the ranked criteria to the DSM-5 IGD proposed criteria. The strongest agreement between participants' rankings and IGD symptomatology was found for harms/functional impairment due to gaming, continued use despite problems, unsuccessful attempts to control gaming, and loss of interest in previous hobbies and entertainment. There was less support for other IGD criteria. Participants also offered new content domains. These findings suggest that collaborative knowledge-building approaches may help researchers and policymakers understand the characteristics and processes specific to problematic video game play and improve content validity of IGD criteria. Future efforts may benefit from multi-stakeholder approaches to refine IGD criteria and inform theory, measurement and intervention.

Escapism among players of MMORPGs--conceptual clarification, its relation to mental health factors, and development of a new measure.

PubMed

Hagström, David; Kaldo, Viktor

2014-01-01

Previous studies show that the concept of escapism needs to be clarified and that its relation to problematic online gaming and other factors needs further examination. This study uses well-established, basic learning theory to clarify the concept of escapism, and examines its relation to problematic gaming, psychological distress, and satisfaction with life among players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). MMORPG players (n=201) answered an online questionnaire where these factors were measured and correlated with a previously developed scale on motivation to play (MTPI), including extra items to cover positive and negative aspects of escapism. Factor analysis and construct validation show that positive aspects of escapism are theoretically and empirically unstable and that escapism is best clarified as purely "negative escapism," corresponding to playing being negatively reinforced as a way of avoiding everyday hassles and distress. Negative escapism had a stronger relationship to symptoms of Internet addiction, psychological distress, and life satisfaction than other variables and other more positive motivations to play. Future studies should use the revised subscale for escapism (in the MTPI-R) presented in the present study, for example when screening for Internet addiction.

Metacognitive development of deaf children: lessons from the appearance-reality and false belief tasks.

PubMed

Courtin, Cyril; Melot, Anne-Marie

2005-01-01

'Theory of mind' development is now an important research field in deaf studies. Past research with the classic false belief task has consistently reported a delay in theory of mind development in deaf children born of hearing parents, while performance of second-generation deaf children is more problematic with some contradictory results. The present paper is aimed at testing the metacognitive abilities of deaf children on two tasks: the appearance-reality paradigm designed by Flavell, Flavell and Green (1983) and the classic false belief inference task (Wimmer & Perner, 1983; Hogrefe, Wimmer & Perner, 1986). Twenty-eight second-generation deaf children, 60 deaf children of hearing parents and 36 hearing children, aged 5 to 7, were tested and compared on three appearance-reality and three false belief items. Results show that early exposure to language, be it signed or oral, facilitates performance on the two theory of mind tasks. In addition, native signers equal hearing children in the appearance-reality task while surpassing them on the false belief one. The differences of performance patterns in the two tasks are discussed in terms of linguistic and metarepresentational development.

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

Hoban, Matty J.; Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QD; Wallman, Joel J.

We consider general settings of Bell inequality experiments with many parties, where each party chooses from a finite number of measurement settings each with a finite number of outcomes. We investigate the constraints that Bell inequalities place upon the correlations possible in local hidden variable theories using a geometrical picture of correlations. We show that local hidden variable theories can be characterized in terms of limited computational expressiveness, which allows us to characterize families of Bell inequalities. The limited computational expressiveness for many settings (each with many outcomes) generalizes previous results about the many-party situation each with a choice ofmore » two possible measurements (each with two outcomes). Using this computational picture we present generalizations of the Popescu-Rohrlich nonlocal box for many parties and nonbinary inputs and outputs at each site. Finally, we comment on the effect of preprocessing on measurement data in our generalized setting and show that it becomes problematic outside of the binary setting, in that it allows local hidden variable theories to simulate maximally nonlocal correlations such as those of these generalized Popescu-Rohrlich nonlocal boxes.« less

Reliable prediction of three-body intermolecular interactions using dispersion-corrected second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory

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

Huang, Yuanhang; Beran, Gregory J. O., E-mail: gregory.beran@ucr.edu

2015-07-28

Three-body and higher intermolecular interactions can play an important role in molecular condensed phases. Recent benchmark calculations found problematic behavior for many widely used density functional approximations in treating 3-body intermolecular interactions. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory plus short-range damped Axilrod-Teller-Muto (ATM) dispersion accurately describes 3-body interactions with reasonable computational cost. The empirical damping function used in the ATM dispersion term compensates both for the absence of higher-order dispersion contributions beyond the triple-dipole ATM term and non-additive short-range exchange terms which arise in third-order perturbation theory and beyond. Empirical damping enables this simplemore » model to out-perform a non-expanded coupled Kohn-Sham dispersion correction for 3-body intermolecular dispersion. The MP2 plus ATM dispersion model approaches the accuracy of O(N{sup 6}) methods like MP2.5 or even spin-component-scaled coupled cluster models for 3-body intermolecular interactions with only O(N{sup 5}) computational cost.« less

Lagrangian descriptors of driven chemical reaction manifolds.

PubMed

Craven, Galen T; Junginger, Andrej; Hernandez, Rigoberto

2017-08-01

The persistence of a transition state structure in systems driven by time-dependent environments allows the application of modern reaction rate theories to solution-phase and nonequilibrium chemical reactions. However, identifying this structure is problematic in driven systems and has been limited by theories built on series expansion about a saddle point. Recently, it has been shown that to obtain formally exact rates for reactions in thermal environments, a transition state trajectory must be constructed. Here, using optimized Lagrangian descriptors [G. T. Craven and R. Hernandez, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 148301 (2015)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.115.148301], we obtain this so-called distinguished trajectory and the associated moving reaction manifolds on model energy surfaces subject to various driving and dissipative conditions. In particular, we demonstrate that this is exact for harmonic barriers in one dimension and this verification gives impetus to the application of Lagrangian descriptor-based methods in diverse classes of chemical reactions. The development of these objects is paramount in the theory of reaction dynamics as the transition state structure and its underlying network of manifolds directly dictate reactivity and selectivity.

Everybody Is…Drinking! Interpretation Bias in Problematic Drinkers with and without Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; Korzilius, Hubert P. L. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2016-01-01

Background: Problematic alcohol use is characterized by disrupted associative processing of environmental clues, where problematic drinkers interpret ambiguous, alcohol-relevant clues in an alcohol-related way. The present study examined the strength of this interpretation bias in a large sample (N = 230) of light and problematic drinkers with and…

An automated integration-free path-integral method based on Kleinert's variational perturbation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Kin-Yiu; Gao, Jiali

2007-12-01

Based on Kleinert's variational perturbation (KP) theory [Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics, Statistics, Polymer Physics, and Financial Markets, 3rd ed. (World Scientific, Singapore, 2004)], we present an analytic path-integral approach for computing the effective centroid potential. The approach enables the KP theory to be applied to any realistic systems beyond the first-order perturbation (i.e., the original Feynman-Kleinert [Phys. Rev. A 34, 5080 (1986)] variational method). Accurate values are obtained for several systems in which exact quantum results are known. Furthermore, the computed kinetic isotope effects for a series of proton transfer reactions, in which the potential energy surfaces are evaluated by density-functional theory, are in good accordance with experiments. We hope that our method could be used by non-path-integral experts or experimentalists as a "black box" for any given system.

Theories of how the school environment impacts on student health: systematic review and synthesis.

PubMed

Bonell, C P; Fletcher, A; Jamal, F; Wells, H; Harden, A; Murphy, S; Thomas, J

2013-11-01

Public-health interventions informed by theory can be more effective but complex interventions often use insufficiently complex theories. We systematically reviewed theories of how school environments influence health. We included 37 reports drawing on 24 theories. Narrative synthesis summarised and categorised theories. We then produced an integrated theory of school environment influences on student health. This integrated theory could inform complex interventions such as health promoting schools programmes. Using systematic reviews to develop theories of change might be useful for other types of 'complex' public-health interventions addressing risks at the individual and community levels. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics Prize Lecture: Correlation Functions in Integrable Models II: The Role of Quantum Affine Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimbo, Michio

2013-03-01

Since the beginning of 1980s, hidden infinite dimensional symmetries have emerged as the origin of integrability: first in soliton theory and then in conformal field theory. Quest for symmetries in quantum integrable models has led to the discovery of quantum groups. On one hand this opened up rapid mathematical developments in representation theory, combinatorics and other fields. On the other hand it has advanced understanding of correlation functions of lattice models, leading to multiple integral formulas in integrable spin chains. We shall review these developments which continue up to the present time.

Attachment Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior: An Integrative Model Predicting Underage Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lac, Andrew; Crano, William D.; Berger, Dale E.; Alvaro, Eusebio M.

2013-01-01

Research indicates that peer and maternal bonds play important but sometimes contrasting roles in the outcomes of children. Less is known about attachment bonds to these 2 reference groups in young adults. Using a sample of 351 participants (18 to 20 years of age), the research integrated two theoretical traditions: attachment theory and theory of…

Longitudinal associations between depression and problematic substance use in the Youth Partners in Care study.

PubMed

McKowen, James W; Tompson, Martha C; Brown, Timothy A; Asarnow, Joan R

2013-01-01

Large-scale treatment studies suggest that effective depression treatment and reduced depression are associated with improved substance use outcomes. Yet information is limited regarding the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use and its predictors, particularly in real-world practice settings. Using latent growth modeling, we examined the (a) longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and problematic substance use, (b) impact of depressive symptoms on problematic substance use, (c) impact of problematic substance use on depressive symptoms, and (d) role of co-occurring symptoms on depression and problematic substance use. Participants were part of the Youth Partners in Care study, an effectiveness trial evaluating a quality improvement intervention for youth depression through primary care. This ethnically diverse sample included youths aged 13 to 21 years screening positive for depression from 5 health care organizations. Participants were followed 4 times over an 18-month period and assessed for both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use. Both depressive symptoms and problematic substance use declined over time. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted a slower decline in problematic substance use, but baseline problematic substance use did not predict changes in depressive symptoms. These prospective associations remained robust controlling for co-occurring symptoms. Results support prior large-scale depression studies indicating depression burden negatively impacts substance use outcome and extends these findings to real-world practice settings. Findings underscore the importance of addressing depression severity in youth with concurrent substance use problems, even in the context of comorbid symptoms of anxiety, delinquency, and aggression.

Association between problematic cellular phone use and suicide: the moderating effect of family function and depression.

PubMed

Wang, Peng-Wei; Liu, Tai-Ling; Ko, Chih-Hung; Lin, Huang-Chi; Huang, Mei-Feng; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2014-02-01

Suicidal ideation and attempt among adolescents are risk factors for eventual completed suicide. Cellular phone use (CPU) has markedly changed the everyday lives of adolescents. Issues about how cellular phone use relates to adolescent mental health, such as suicidal ideation and attempts, are important because of the high rate of cellular phone usage among children in that age group. This study explored the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempts among adolescents and investigated how family function and depression influence the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempts. A total of 5051 (2872 girls and 2179 boys) adolescents who owned at least one cellular phone completed the research questionnaires. We collected data on participants' CPU and suicidal behavior (ideation and attempts) during the past month as well as information on family function and history of depression. Five hundred thirty-two adolescents (10.54%) had problematic CPU. The rates of suicidal ideation were 23.50% and 11.76% in adolescents with problematic CPU and without problematic CPU, respectively. The rates of suicidal attempts in both groups were 13.70% and 5.45%, respectively. Family function, but not depression, had a moderating effect on the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation and attempt. This study highlights the association between problematic CPU and suicidal ideation as well as attempts and indicates that good family function may have a more significant role on reducing the risks of suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents with problematic CPU than in those without problematic CPU. © 2014.

What propels sexual murderers: a proposed integrated theory of social learning and routine activities theories.

PubMed

Chan, Heng Choon Oliver; Heide, Kathleen M; Beauregard, Eric

2011-04-01

Despite the great interest in the study of sexual homicide, little is known about the processes involved in an individual's becoming motivated to sexually kill, deciding to sexually kill, and acting on that desire, intention, and opportunity. To date, no comprehensive model of sexual murdering from the offending perspective has been proposed in the criminological literature. This article incorporates the works of Akers and Cohen and Felson regarding their social learning theory and routine activities theory, respectively, to construct an integrated conceptual offending framework in sexual homicide. This integrated model produces a stronger and more comprehensive explanation of sexual murder than any single theory currently available.

An accurate European option pricing model under Fractional Stable Process based on Feynman Path Integral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chao; Ma, Qinghua; Yao, Haixiang; Hou, Tiancheng

2018-03-01

In this paper, we propose to use the Fractional Stable Process (FSP) for option pricing. The FSP is one of the few candidates to directly model a number of desired empirical properties of asset price risk neutral dynamics. However, pricing the vanilla European option under FSP is difficult and problematic. In the paper, built upon the developed Feynman Path Integral inspired techniques, we present a novel computational model for option pricing, i.e. the Fractional Stable Process Path Integral (FSPPI) model under a general fractional stable distribution that tackles this problem. Numerical and empirical experiments show that the proposed pricing model provides a correction of the Black-Scholes pricing error - overpricing long term options, underpricing short term options; overpricing out-of-the-money options, underpricing in-the-money options without any additional structures such as stochastic volatility and a jump process.

Causality and causal inference in epidemiology: the need for a pluralistic approach

PubMed Central

Vandenbroucke, Jan P; Broadbent, Alex; Pearce, Neil

2016-01-01

Abstract Causal inference based on a restricted version of the potential outcomes approach reasoning is assuming an increasingly prominent place in the teaching and practice of epidemiology. The proposed concepts and methods are useful for particular problems, but it would be of concern if the theory and practice of the complete field of epidemiology were to become restricted to this single approach to causal inference. Our concerns are that this theory restricts the questions that epidemiologists may ask and the study designs that they may consider. It also restricts the evidence that may be considered acceptable to assess causality, and thereby the evidence that may be considered acceptable for scientific and public health decision making. These restrictions are based on a particular conceptual framework for thinking about causality. In Section 1, we describe the characteristics of the restricted potential outcomes approach (RPOA) and show that there is a methodological movement which advocates these principles, not just for solving particular problems, but as ideals for which epidemiology as a whole should strive. In Section 2, we seek to show that the limitation of epidemiology to one particular view of the nature of causality is problematic. In Section 3, we argue that the RPOA is also problematic with regard to the assessment of causality. We argue that it threatens to restrict study design choice, to wrongly discredit the results of types of observational studies that have been very useful in the past and to damage the teaching of epidemiological reasoning. Finally, in Section 4 we set out what we regard as a more reasonable ‘working hypothesis’ as to the nature of causality and its assessment: pragmatic pluralism. PMID:26800751

Cross-national evidence for the clustering and psychosocial correlates of adolescent risk behaviours in 27 countries.

PubMed

de Looze, Margaretha; Ter Bogt, Tom F M; Raaijmakers, Quinten A W; Pickett, William; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Vollebergh, Wilma A M

2015-02-01

According to Jessor's Problem Behaviour Theory (PBT) and Moffitt's theory of adolescence-limited antisocial behaviour, adolescent risk behaviours cluster and can be predicted by various psychosocial factors including parent, peer and school attachment. This study tested the potential influence of the sociocultural, or macro-level, environment on the clustering and correlates of adolescent risk behaviour across 27 European and North American countries. Analyses were based on data from the 2009-10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Participants compromised 56,090 adolescents (M(age) = 15.5 years) who self-reported on substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis) and early sexual activity as well as on psychosocial factors (parent, peer and school attachment). Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses (with country as grouping variable) showed that substance use and early sexual activity loaded on a single underlying factor across countries. In addition, multiple group path analyses (with country as grouping variable) showed that associations between this factor and parent, peer and school attachment were identical across countries. Cross-national consistencies exist in the clustering and psychosocial correlates of substance use and early sexual activity across western countries. While Jessor's PBT stresses the problematic aspects of adolescent risk behaviours, Moffitt emphasizes their normative character. Although the problematic nature of risk behaviours overall receives more attention in the literature, it is important to consider both perspectives to fully understand why they cluster and correlate with psychosocial factors. This is essential for the development and implementation of prevention programmes aimed at reducing adolescent risk behaviours across Europe and North America. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Causality and causal inference in epidemiology: the need for a pluralistic approach.

PubMed

Vandenbroucke, Jan P; Broadbent, Alex; Pearce, Neil

2016-12-01

Causal inference based on a restricted version of the potential outcomes approach reasoning is assuming an increasingly prominent place in the teaching and practice of epidemiology. The proposed concepts and methods are useful for particular problems, but it would be of concern if the theory and practice of the complete field of epidemiology were to become restricted to this single approach to causal inference. Our concerns are that this theory restricts the questions that epidemiologists may ask and the study designs that they may consider. It also restricts the evidence that may be considered acceptable to assess causality, and thereby the evidence that may be considered acceptable for scientific and public health decision making. These restrictions are based on a particular conceptual framework for thinking about causality. In Section 1, we describe the characteristics of the restricted potential outcomes approach (RPOA) and show that there is a methodological movement which advocates these principles, not just for solving particular problems, but as ideals for which epidemiology as a whole should strive. In Section 2, we seek to show that the limitation of epidemiology to one particular view of the nature of causality is problematic. In Section 3, we argue that the RPOA is also problematic with regard to the assessment of causality. We argue that it threatens to restrict study design choice, to wrongly discredit the results of types of observational studies that have been very useful in the past and to damage the teaching of epidemiological reasoning. Finally, in Section 4 we set out what we regard as a more reasonable 'working hypothesis' as to the nature of causality and its assessment: pragmatic pluralism. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Problematic Internet use, well-being, self-esteem and self-control: Data from a high-school survey in China

PubMed Central

Mei, Songli; Yau, Yvonne H. C.; Chai, Jingxin; Guo, Jinhua; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Given the prevalence of Internet use among youth, there is concern that a subset of Internet-using youth may exhibit problematic or addictive patterns of Internet use. The present study examines the association between problematic Internet use (PIU), demographic variables, and health-related measures among Chinese adolescents. Survey data from 1552 adolescents (male = 653, mean age = 15.43 years) from Jilin Province, China, were collected. According to the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ), 77.8% (n=1,207), 16.8% (n=260), and 5.5% (n=85) showed adaptive, maladaptive, and problematic Internet use, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and family income per month differed between youth showing problematic and adaptive patterns of Internet use. Well-being, self-esteem, and self-control were related to severity of problematic Internet use, with greater severity typically associated with poorer measures in each domain. The findings that severity of problematic Internet use is associated with specific socio-demographic features and temperamental and well-being measures suggest that specific groups of youth may be particularly vulnerable to developing problematic Internet use. Early prevention/intervention programs targeting at-risk groups may help improve public health. PMID:27249805

Latent-level relations between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use.

PubMed

Contractor, Ateka A; Frankfurt, Sheila B; Weiss, Nicole H; Elhai, Jon D

2017-07-01

Common mental health consequences following the experience of potentially traumatic events include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and addictive behaviors. Problematic smartphone use is a newer manifestation of addictive behaviors. People with anxiety severity (such as PTSD) may be at risk for problematic smartphone use as a means of coping with their symptoms. Unique to our knowledge, we assessed relations between PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use. Participants ( N = 347), recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), completed measures of PTSD and smartphone addiction. Results of the Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that problematic smartphone use was more related to PTSD's negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) than to PTSD's avoidance factor, Wald χ 2 (1, N = 347) = 12.51, p = 0.0004; and more to PTSD's arousal compared to PTSD's avoidance factor, Wald χ 2 (1, N = 347) = 14.89, p = 0.0001. Results indicate that problematic smartphone use is most associated with negative affect and arousal among trauma-exposed individuals. Implications include the need to clinically assess problematic smartphone use among trauma-exposed individuals presenting with higher NACM and arousal severity; and targeting NACM and arousal symptoms to mitigate the effects of problematic smartphone use.

Wess-Zumino and super Yang-Mills theories in D=4 integral superspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellani, L.; Catenacci, R.; Grassi, P. A.

2018-05-01

We reconstruct the action of N = 1 , D = 4 Wess-Zumino and N = 1 , 2 , D = 4 super-Yang-Mills theories, using integral top forms on the supermanifold M^{(.4|4)} . Choosing different Picture Changing Operators, we show the equivalence of their rheonomic and superspace actions. The corresponding supergeometry and integration theory are discussed in detail. This formalism is an efficient tool for building supersymmetric models in a geometrical framework.

Psychometric development of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale.

PubMed

Kor, Ariel; Zilcha-Mano, Sigal; Fogel, Yehuda A; Mikulincer, Mario; Reid, Rory C; Potenza, Marc N

2014-05-01

Despite the increased social acceptance and widespread use of pornography over the past few decades, reliable and valid instruments assessing problematic use of pornography are lacking. This paper reports the findings of three studies aimed at developing and validating a new scale measuring problematic pornography use. The Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS) items showed high internal consistency, convergent validity, and construct validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed four core factors relating to proposed domains of problematic pornography use. High PPUS scores were positively correlated with measures of psychopathology, low self-esteem and poor attachment. Although PPUS scores were related to other behavioral addictions, problematic pornography use as operationalized in the current paper appears to be uniquely distinguished from features of behavioral addictions relating to gambling and Internet use. Findings highlight the potential use of the PPUS for future research and possible clinical applications by defining problematic pornography use as a behavioral addiction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Who uses nursing theory? A univariate descriptive analysis of five years' research articles.

PubMed

Bond, A Elaine; Eshah, Nidal Farid; Bani-Khaled, Mohammed; Hamad, Atef Omar; Habashneh, Samira; Kataua', Hussein; al-Jarrah, Imad; Abu Kamal, Andaleeb; Hamdan, Falastine Rafic; Maabreh, Roqia

2011-06-01

Since the early 1950s, nursing leaders have worked diligently to build the Scientific Discipline of Nursing, integrating Theory, Research and Practice. Recently, the role of theory has again come into question, with some scientists claiming nurses are not using theory to guide their research, with which to improve practice. The purposes of this descriptive study were to determine: (i) Were nursing scientists' research articles in leading nursing journals based on theory? (ii) If so, were the theories nursing theories or borrowed theories? (iii) Were the theories integrated into the studies, or were they used as organizing frameworks? Research articles from seven top ISI journals were analysed, excluding regularly featured columns, meta-analyses, secondary analysis, case studies and literature reviews. The authors used King's dynamic Interacting system and Goal Attainment Theory as an organizing framework. They developed consensus on how to identify the integration of theory, searching the Title, Abstract, Aims, Methods, Discussion and Conclusion sections of each research article, whether quantitative or qualitative. Of 2857 articles published in the seven journals from 2002 to, and including, 2006, 2184 (76%) were research articles. Of the 837 (38%) authors who used theories, 460 (55%) used nursing theories, 377 (45%) used other theories: 776 (93%) of those who used theory integrated it into their studies, including qualitative studies, while 51 (7%) reported they used theory as an organizing framework for their studies. Closer analysis revealed theory principles were implicitly implied, even in research reports that did not explicitly report theory usage. Increasing numbers of nursing research articles (though not percentagewise) continue to be guided by theory, and not always by nursing theory. Newer nursing research methods may not explicitly state the use of nursing theory, though it is implicitly implied. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2010 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Job Satisfaction: A Possible Integration of Two Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazer, John T.

1976-01-01

The author proposes an integration of Herzberg's two-factor theory of job satisfaction (job satisfaction/dissatisfaction as two separate, parallel continua) and traditional theory (job satisfaction/dissatisfaction sharing the same continuum) and a rationale for deciding which motivation methods to use for employees with differeing levels of…

Differentiating children with and without a history of repeated problematic sexual behavior.

PubMed

Curwen, Tracey; Jenkins, Jennifer M; Worling, James R

2014-01-01

Many adolescents who sexually offend commenced problematic sexual behaviors as children. There is little evidence to indicate which children may be at risk to continue problematic sexual behaviors and which children will desist once identified. The goal of this study was to determine variables that differentiate children who repeated problematic sexual behaviors following adult reprimand from those who did not. Predictive accuracy of 33 risk variables was investigated using 62 children assessed for problematic sexual behaviors. Eight individual variables were related to group membership, and a total score based on the combination of these variables was predictive of group membership. The results indicate variables that may assist in identifying children requiring intervention versus those likely to discontinue problematic sexual behaviors once they are identified and reprimanded.

Social integration and substance use: assessing the effects of an early intervention programme for youth.

PubMed

Brand, Amélie; Guillod, Line; Habersaat, Stéphanie; Panchaud, Evelyne; Stéphan, Philippe; Urben, Sébastien

2018-06-01

Appropriate social integration has been shown to be a protective factor against substance use among adolescents and associated negative consequences. Promoting social integration through early intervention with adolescents using substances is thus necessary and is the aim of the Identification, Assessment and Follow-up of Adolescents with Substance Use (in French, Dépistage - évaluation - parrainage d'adolescents consommateurs de substances (DEPART) programme. The present study aimed to describe this programme and its participants from 2009 to 2013 as well as to assess its effects on social integration. Data from 398 adolescents using substances who attended the DEPART programme were analysed. The results showed that almost 80% of the adolescents admitted to the DEPART programme were boys, with a large proportion using cannabis. Globally, social integration did not increase from admission to discharge from the programme, but a shift was observed for school and professional integration. Additionally, after the intervention, we observed that social integration was more important in younger patients. This study showed that adolescents with problematic substance use mostly consumed soft drugs and that those who were integrated into the DEPART programme at a younger age were more likely to be socially integrated at the end of the programme. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Bending analysis of embedded nanoplates based on the integral formulation of Eringen's nonlocal theory using the finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, R.; Torabi, J.; Norouzzadeh, A.

2018-04-01

Due to the capability of Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory to capture the small length scale effect, it is widely used to study the mechanical behaviors of nanostructures. Previous studies have indicated that in some cases, the differential form of this theory cannot correctly predict the behavior of structure, and the integral form should be employed to avoid obtaining inconsistent results. The present study deals with the bending analysis of nanoplates resting on elastic foundation based on the integral formulation of Eringen's nonlocal theory. Since the formulation is presented in a general form, arbitrary kernel functions can be used. The first order shear deformation plate theory is considered to model the nanoplates, and the governing equations for both integral and differential forms are presented. Finally, the finite element method is applied to solve the problem. Selected results are given to investigate the effects of elastic foundation and to compare the predictions of integral nonlocal model with those of its differential nonlocal and local counterparts. It is found that by the use of proposed integral formulation of Eringen's nonlocal model, the paradox observed for the cantilever nanoplate is resolved.

From theory to practice: integrating instructional technology into veterinary medical education.

PubMed

Wang, Hong; Rush, Bonnie R; Wilkerson, Melinda; Herman, Cheryl; Miesner, Matt; Renter, David; Gehring, Ronette

2013-01-01

Technology has changed the landscape of teaching and learning. The integration of instructional technology into teaching for meaningful learning is an issue for all educators to consider. In this article, we introduce educational theories including constructivism, information-processing theory, and dual-coding theory, along with the seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. We also discuss five practical instructional strategies and the relationship of these strategies to the educational theories. From theory to practice, the purpose of the article is to share our application of educational theory and practice to work toward more innovative teaching in veterinary medical education.

A new numerically stable implementation of the T-matrix method for electromagnetic scattering by spheroidal particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somerville, W. R. C.; Auguié, B.; Le Ru, E. C.

2013-07-01

We propose, describe, and demonstrate a new numerically stable implementation of the extended boundary-condition method (EBCM) to compute the T-matrix for electromagnetic scattering by spheroidal particles. Our approach relies on the fact that for many of the EBCM integrals in the special case of spheroids, a leading part of the integrand integrates exactly to zero, which causes catastrophic loss of precision in numerical computations. This feature was in fact first pointed out by Waterman in the context of acoustic scattering and electromagnetic scattering by infinite cylinders. We have recently studied it in detail in the case of electromagnetic scattering by particles. Based on this study, the principle of our new implementation is therefore to compute all the integrands without the problematic part to avoid the primary cause of loss of precision. Particular attention is also given to choosing the algorithms that minimise loss of precision in every step of the method, without compromising on speed. We show that the resulting implementation can efficiently compute in double precision arithmetic the T-matrix and therefore optical properties of spheroidal particles to a high precision, often down to a remarkable accuracy (10-10 relative error), over a wide range of parameters that are typically considered problematic. We discuss examples such as high-aspect ratio metallic nanorods and large size parameter (≈35) dielectric particles, which had been previously modelled only using quadruple-precision arithmetic codes.

Non relativistic limit of integrable QFT and Lieb-Liniger models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastianello, Alvise; De Luca, Andrea; Mussardo, Giuseppe

2016-12-01

In this paper we study a suitable limit of integrable QFT with the aim to identify continuous non-relativistic integrable models with local interactions. This limit amounts to sending to infinity the speed of light c but simultaneously adjusting the coupling constant g of the quantum field theories in such a way to keep finite the energies of the various excitations. The QFT considered here are Toda field theories and the O(N) non-linear sigma model. In both cases the resulting non-relativistic integrable models consist only of Lieb-Liniger models, which are fully decoupled for the Toda theories while symmetrically coupled for the O(N) model. These examples provide explicit evidence of the universality and ubiquity of the Lieb-Liniger models and, at the same time, suggest that these models may exhaust the list of possible non-relativistic integrable theories of bosonic particles with local interactions.

Towards an Integrative Theory of Peace Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danesh, H. B.

2006-01-01

This paper proposes the integrative theory of peace (ITP) and briefly outlines the education for peace curriculum (EFP) developed on the basis of this theory. ITP is based on the concept that peace is, at once, a psychological, social, political, ethical and spiritual state with its expressions in intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup,…

'Limbitless Solutions': the Prosthetic Arm, Iron Man and the Science Fiction of Technoscience.

PubMed

Smith, Susan

2016-12-01

Early last year, a non-profit organisation called 'Limbitless Solutions' modelled a 3D printed prosthetic arm on a fighting suit that features in the popular superhero film series, Iron Man (2008-2013). In addition, 'Limbitless Solutions' resourcefully deployed the fictional character and inventor of the Iron Man suit, weapons specialist and philanthropist, Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, in a celebrity/superhero endorsed promotional short film, showing 'Tony', the 'real Iron Man', gifting the futuristic military styled 'gauntlet' to Alex, a 7-year-old boy with a partially developed right arm. Engaging with scholarly work on the science fiction of technoscience, prostheses and the posthuman, and disability and DIY assistive technology, I analyse 'Limbitless Solutions' use of science fiction in a high-profile media event that problematically portrays an impaired child 'in need' of 'repair' and subsequently 'fixed' by technology. Overall, the aim is to integrate science fiction tropes, such as the wounded hero, the fighting suit and prosthetic arm, with disability studies, to highlight the sustained challenges that emerging theories of disability and technology face as contemporary economic, political and ideological forces endorse and promote militarised images of cyborg assimilation over human variation and physical difference. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Exploring Associations between Problematic Internet Use, Depressive Symptoms and Sleep Disturbance among Southern Chinese Adolescents

PubMed Central

Tan, Yafei; Chen, Ying; Lu, Yaogui; Li, Liping

2016-01-01

The primary aim of this study was to examine associations between problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance, and explore whether there were differential effects of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. A total of 1772 adolescents who participated in the Shantou Adolescent Mental Health Survey were recruited in 2012 in Shantou, China. The Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of Internet addiction. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10), and other socio-demographic measures were also completed. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the mediating effect of problematic Internet use and depression on sleep disturbance. Among the participants, 17.2% of adolescents met the criteria for problematic Internet use, 40.0% were also classified as suffering from sleep disturbance, and 54.4% of students had depressive symptoms. Problematic Internet use was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. The correlation between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance was highly significant. Both problematic Internet use (β = 0.014; Sobel test Z = 12.7, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.232; Sobel test Z = 3.39, p < 0.001) had partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance and depression was of greater importance for sleep disturbance than problematic Internet use. There is a high prevalence of problematic Internet use, depression and sleep disturbance among high school students in southern China, and problematic Internet use and depressive symptoms are strongly associated with sleep disturbance. This study provides evidence that problematic Internet use and depression have partially mediating effects on sleep disturbance. These results are important for clinicians and policy makers with useful information for prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:26985900

The application of the integral equation theory to study the hydrophobic interaction

PubMed Central

Mohorič, Tomaž; Urbic, Tomaz; Hribar-Lee, Barbara

2014-01-01

The Wertheim's integral equation theory was tested against newly obtained Monte Carlo computer simulations to describe the potential of mean force between two hydrophobic particles. An excellent agreement was obtained between the theoretical and simulation results. Further, the Wertheim's integral equation theory with polymer Percus-Yevick closure qualitatively correctly (with respect to the experimental data) describes the solvation structure under conditions where the simulation results are difficult to obtain with good enough accuracy. PMID:24437891

Integrable structure in discrete shell membrane theory

PubMed Central

Schief, W. K.

2014-01-01

We present natural discrete analogues of two integrable classes of shell membranes. By construction, these discrete shell membranes are in equilibrium with respect to suitably chosen internal stresses and external forces. The integrability of the underlying equilibrium equations is proved by relating the geometry of the discrete shell membranes to discrete O surface theory. We establish connections with generalized barycentric coordinates and nine-point centres and identify a discrete version of the classical Gauss equation of surface theory. PMID:24808755

Integrable structure in discrete shell membrane theory.

PubMed

Schief, W K

2014-05-08

We present natural discrete analogues of two integrable classes of shell membranes. By construction, these discrete shell membranes are in equilibrium with respect to suitably chosen internal stresses and external forces. The integrability of the underlying equilibrium equations is proved by relating the geometry of the discrete shell membranes to discrete O surface theory. We establish connections with generalized barycentric coordinates and nine-point centres and identify a discrete version of the classical Gauss equation of surface theory.

Fear of cancer recurrence: a theoretical review and its relevance for clinical presentation and management.

PubMed

Simonelli, Laura E; Siegel, Scott D; Duffy, Nicole M

2017-10-01

There is increasing recognition of the unique physical and psychosocial concerns of the growing population of cancer survivors. An emerging literature demonstrates that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a problematic long-term and late effect for cancer survivors. In fact, FCR is a top concern, and this article provides a necessary synthesis of the extant research evidence and theory. Literature searches were conducted using databases including MEDLINE and PsychINFO using specified search terms including 'fear of recurrence' and 'worry about recurrence'. A comprehensive narrative review summarizes early empirical findings on FCR including current definitions, assessment tools, clinical presentations, quality of life impact, prevalence, trajectory and risk factors. This paper also critically reviews the relevant theoretical frameworks to best understand these findings and considers multiple psychosocial treatment models that may have relevance for addressing FCR in the clinical setting. There is evidence of substantial prevalence and quality of life impact of FCR. Several theories (e.g. self-regulation model of illness, a family-based model, uncertainty in illness theory, social-cognitive processing theory, terror management theory) directly or indirectly help conceptualize FCR and inform potential treatment options for those with clinically significant distress or impairment resulting from FCR. Further investigation into FCR is warranted to promote evidence-based care for this significant cancer survivorship concern. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An Integrated Theory of Everything (TOE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colella, Antonio

2014-03-01

An Integrated TOE unifies all known physical phenomena from the Planck cube to the Super Universe (multiverse). Each matter/force particle is represented by a Planck cube string. Any Super Universe object is a volume of contiguous Planck cubes. Super force Planck cube string singularities existed at the start of all universes. An Integrated TOE foundations are twenty independent existing theories and without sacrificing their integrities, are replaced by twenty interrelated amplified theories. Amplifications of Higgs force theory are key to an Integrated TOE and include: 64 supersymmetric Higgs particles; super force condensations to 17 matter particles/associated Higgs forces; spontaneous symmetry breaking is bidirectional; and the sum of 8 permanent Higgs force energies is dark energy. Stellar black hole theory was amplified to include a quark star (matter) with mass, volume, near zero temperature, and maximum entropy. A black hole (energy) has energy, minimal volume (singularity), near infinite temperature, and minimum entropy. Our precursor universe's super supermassive quark star (matter) evaporated to a super supermassive black hole (energy). This transferred total conserved energy/mass and transformed entropy from maximum to minimum. Integrated Theory of Everything Book Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a1c9IvdoGY Research Article Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD-QoLeVbSY Research Article: http://toncolella.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/m080112.pdf.

Correlates of problematic gaming - Is there support for proneness to risky behaviour?

PubMed

Šincek, Daniela; Humer, Jasmina Tomašić; Duvnjak, Ivana

2017-09-01

This paper explores problematic Internet gaming in the context of other forms of risky behaviour. The basic premise is that children and adolescents at risk will display different types of risky behaviour in various settings. Children and adolescents (N=1150) were surveyed about (cyber)violence, problematic gaming (habits, motives and symptoms), self-disclosure via Facebook and self-esteem. Regular gamers were more violent both face-to-face and via the Internet, and were more prone to problematic gaming than occasional gamers. Those who played games for more than five hours per day (9% of respondents) were classified as potentially problematic gamers. They experienced and committed more violence both face-to-face and via the Internet, were more involved in self-disclosure and had more problematic gaming symptoms than those who played for less than five hours a day, but these groups did not differ in self-esteem. Participants could choose from a list of eight different motives for their gaming; those motivated by peer communication, a sense of control, relaxation, conformism, self-efficacy and to distract from problems reported more symptoms of problematic gaming than those not motivated by these factors. Gender, age, self-esteem, self-disclosure and committing violence contributed to explaining the variance in problematic gaming, accounting for about 26% of its variance. Boys, lower self-esteem, more self-disclosure and committing both types of violence more regularly were connected with reporting more symptoms of problematic gaming. The results will be discussed in the context of a general proneness to risky behaviour. Committing violence against peers (both traditional and cyber) predicts significantly problematic gaming. This supports the premise that children and adolescents at risk are prone to exhibiting different forms of risky behaviour in different settings.

Metaphysics and medical education: taking holism seriously.

PubMed

Wilson, Bruce

2013-06-01

Medical education is now suffused with concepts that have their source outside the traditional scientific and medical disciplines: concepts such as holism, connectedness and reflective practice. Teaching of these, and other problematic concepts such as medical uncertainty and error, has been defined more by the challenge they pose to the standard model rather than being informed by a strong positive understanding. This challenge typically involves a critical engagement with the idea of objectivity, which is rarely acknowledged as an inherently metaphysical critique. Consequently, these ideas prove to be difficult to teach well. I suggest that the lack of an integrating, positive narrative is the reason for teaching difficulty, and propose that what is needed is an explicit commitment to teach the metaphysics of medicine, with the concept of holism being the fulcrum on which the remaining concepts turn. An acknowledged metaphysical narrative will encompass the scientific realism that medical students typically bring to their tertiary education, and at the same time enable a bigger picture to be drawn that puts the newer and more problematic concepts into context. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ICD-10 procedure codes produce transition challenges.

PubMed

Boyd, Andrew D; Li, Jianrong 'John'; Kenost, Colleen; Zaim, Samir Rachid; Krive, Jacob; Mittal, Manish; Satava, Richard A; Burton, Michael; Smith, Jacob; Lussier, Yves A

2018-01-01

The transition of procedure coding from ICD-9-CM-Vol-3 to ICD-10-PCS has generated problems for the medical community at large resulting from the lack of clarity required to integrate two non-congruent coding systems. We hypothesized that quantifying these issues with network topology analyses offers a better understanding of the issues, and therefore we developed solutions (online tools) to empower hospital administrators and researchers to address these challenges. Five topologies were identified: "identity"(I), "class-to-subclass"(C2S), "subclass-toclass"(S2C), "convoluted(C)", and "no mapping"(NM). The procedure codes in the 2010 Illinois Medicaid dataset (3,290 patients, 116 institutions) were categorized as C=55%, C2S=40%, I=3%, NM=2%, and S2C=1%. Majority of the problematic and ambiguous mappings (convoluted) pertained to operations in ophthalmology cardiology, urology, gyneco-obstetrics, and dermatology. Finally, the algorithms were expanded into a user-friendly tool to identify problematic topologies and specify lists of procedural codes utilized by medical professionals and researchers for mitigating error-prone translations, simplifying research, and improving quality.http://www.lussiergroup.org/transition-to-ICD10PCS.

Homelessness, bedspace and the case for Housing First in Canada.

PubMed

Evans, Joshua; Collins, Damian; Anderson, Jalene

2016-11-01

The act of problem formation is integral to the policymaking process. Moreover, the process by which certain situations, experiences or events are rendered problematic hinges upon the places, spaces and networks through which the issue is made visible and intelligible to policy makers and decision makers. In this paper, we explore these epistemic geographies by unpacking one such example - the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home/Chez Soi study - a federally funded, $110 million field trial of the Housing First (HF) model. HF prioritizes rapid rehousing of the chronically homeless, followed by separate support and treatment services. The model has become widespread in Canada since 2005, based in large part on understandings of its cost-effectiveness. In this article, we utilize At Home/Chez Soi as an illustrative case for examining how 'chronic homelessness' is translated into a discourse of costs and benefits, and given an accounting value, through a series of translations. This problematization advances a particular logic - what we refer to as 'bedspace'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

USING ENERGY SYSTEMS THEORY TO DEFINE, MEASURE AND INTERPRET ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

Energy systems theory provides a theoretical basis for defining, measuring, and interpreting the concepts of ecological integrity and ecosystem health. Ecological integrity is defined as an emergent property of ecosystems operating at maximum power that can be quantified using va...

The Structure of Integral Dimensions: Contrasting Topological and Cartesian Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Matt; Goldstone, Robert L.

2013-01-01

Diverse evidence shows that perceptually integral dimensions, such as those composing color, are represented holistically. However, the nature of these holistic representations is poorly understood. Extant theories, such as those founded on multidimensional scaling or general recognition theory, model integral stimulus spaces using a Cartesian…

Teaching Theory in an Empirically-Oriented Graduate Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, R. Stephen

1987-01-01

Stresses that the role of theory is to facilitate cognitive integration, which has a vertical dimension (abstract to concrete) and a horizontal one (across schools and substantive fields). The author emphasizes horizontal integration over upper-level vertical integration to help students communicate across specialities. (Author/DH)

High-temperature asymptotics of supersymmetric partition functions

DOE PAGES

Ardehali, Arash Arabi

2016-07-05

We study the supersymmetric partition function of 4d supersymmetric gauge theories with a U(1) R-symmetry on Euclidean S 3 × S β 1, with S 3 the unit-radius squashed three-sphere, and β the circumference of the circle. For superconformal theories, this partition function coincides (up to a Casimir energy factor) with the 4d superconformal index. The partition function can be computed exactly using the supersymmetric localization of the gauge theory path-integral. It takes the form of an elliptic hypergeometric integral, which may be viewed as a matrix-integral over the moduli space of the holonomies of the gauge fields around Smore » β 1. At high temperatures (β → 0, corresponding to the hyperbolic limit of the elliptic hypergeometric integral) we obtain from the matrix-integral a quantum effective potential for the holonomies. The effective potential is proportional to the temperature. Therefore the high-temperature limit further localizes the matrix-integral to the locus of the minima of the potential. If the effective potential is positive semi-definite, the leading high-temperature asymptotics of the partition function is given by the formula of Di Pietro and Komargodski, and the subleading asymptotics is connected to the Coulomb branch dynamics on R 3 × S 1. In theories where the effective potential is not positive semi-definite, the Di Pietro-Komargodski formula needs to be modified. In particular, this modification occurs in the SU(2) theory of Intriligator-Seiberg-Shenker, and the SO(N) theory of Brodie-Cho-Intriligator, both believed to exhibit “misleading” anomaly matchings, and both believed to yield interacting superconformal field theories with c < a. Lastly, two new simple tests for dualities between 4d supersymmetric gauge theories emerge as byproducts of our analysis.« less

Developing and exploring a theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channels for use in landscape evolution models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langston, Abigail L.; Tucker, Gregory E.

2018-01-01

Understanding how a bedrock river erodes its banks laterally is a frontier in geomorphology. Theories for the vertical incision of bedrock channels are widely implemented in the current generation of landscape evolution models. However, in general existing models do not seek to implement the lateral migration of bedrock channel walls. This is problematic, as modeling geomorphic processes such as terrace formation and hillslope-channel coupling depends on the accurate simulation of valley widening. We have developed and implemented a theory for the lateral migration of bedrock channel walls in a catchment-scale landscape evolution model. Two model formulations are presented, one representing the slow process of widening a bedrock canyon and the other representing undercutting, slumping, and rapid downstream sediment transport that occurs in softer bedrock. Model experiments were run with a range of values for bedrock erodibility and tendency towards transport- or detachment-limited behavior and varying magnitudes of sediment flux and water discharge in order to determine the role that each plays in the development of wide bedrock valleys. The results show that this simple, physics-based theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channels produces bedrock valleys that are many times wider than the grid discretization scale. This theory for the lateral erosion of bedrock channel walls and the numerical implementation of the theory in a catchment-scale landscape evolution model is a significant first step towards understanding the factors that control the rates and spatial extent of wide bedrock valleys.

Propagation peculiarities of mean field massive gravity

DOE PAGES

Deser, S.; Waldron, A.; Zahariade, G.

2015-07-28

Massive gravity (mGR) describes a dynamical “metric” on a fiducial, background one. We investigate fluctuations of the dynamics about mGR solutions, that is about its “mean field theory”. Analyzing mean field massive gravity (m¯GR) propagation characteristics is not only equivalent to studying those of the full non-linear theory, but also in direct correspondence with earlier analyses of charged higher spin systems, the oldest example being the charged, massive spin 3/2 Rarita–Schwinger (RS) theory. The fiducial and mGR mean field background metrics in the m¯GR model correspond to the RS Minkowski metric and external EM field. The common implications in bothmore » systems are that hyperbolicity holds only in a weak background-mean-field limit, immediately ruling both theories out as fundamental theories; a situation in stark contrast with general relativity (GR) which is at least a consistent classical theory. Moreover, even though both m¯GR and RS theories can still in principle be considered as predictive effective models in the weak regime, their lower helicities then exhibit superluminal behavior: lower helicity gravitons are superluminal as compared to photons propagating on either the fiducial or background metric. Thus our approach has uncovered a novel, dispersive, “crystal-like” phenomenon of differing helicities having differing propagation speeds. As a result, this applies both to m¯GR and mGR, and is a peculiar feature that is also problematic for consistent coupling to matter.« less

The impact of shyness on problematic internet use: the role of loneliness.

PubMed

Huan, Vivien S; Ang, Rebecca P; Chong, Wan Har; Chye, Stefanie

2014-01-01

In recent years, research indicated that the problematic effects of Internet use must be examined together with individual differences present in its users with which such effects are contingent. This study examined loneliness in adolescents as a mediator of the relationship between shyness and their generalized problematic Internet use (PIU). A total of 1469 adolescents (48.5% male, 51.5% female) from Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes participated in this study. Using the Social Reticence Scale (SRS), the revised UCLA Loneliness scale and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use scale, initial findings indicated significant correlations among the three variables. Results from the study further revealed that loneliness completely mediated the relationship between shyness and generalized problematic Internet use. Implications for intervention work addressing both loneliness and shyness issues facing adolescents who are problematic users of the Internet were discussed.

Problematic use of social network sites: the interactive relationship between gratifications sought and privacy concerns.

PubMed

Chen, Hsuan-Ting; Kim, Yonghwan

2013-11-01

Problematic Internet use has long been a matter of concern; however, few studies extend this line of research from general Internet use to the use of social network sites (SNSs), or explicate the problematic use of SNSs by understanding what factors may enhance or reduce users' compulsive behaviors and excessive form of use on SNSs. Building on literature that found a positive relationship between gratifications sought from the Internet and problematic Internet use, this study first explores the types of gratifications sought from SNSs and examines their relationship with problematic SNS use. It found that three types of gratifications-diversion, self-presentation, and relationship building-were positively related to problematic SNS use. In addition, with a growing body of research on SNS privacy, a moderating role of privacy concerns on SNSs has been proposed to understand how it can influence the relationship between gratifications sought from SNSs and problematic SNS use. The findings suggest that different subdimensions of privacy concerns interact with gratifications sought in different manners. In other words, privacy concerns, including unauthorized secondary use and improper access, play a more influential role in constraining the positive relationship between gratifications sought and problematic SNS use when individuals seek to build relationships on SNSs. However, if individuals seek to have diversion on SNSs, their privacy concerns will be overridden by their gratifications sought, which in turn leads to problematic SNS use. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use

PubMed Central

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Methods: Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents’ perceptions of problematic use. Results: The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. Conclusions: The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to “virtual addictions”. PMID:25215213

A preliminary investigation into the prevalence and prediction of problematic cell phone use.

PubMed

Smetaniuk, Peter

2014-03-01

Likening mobile phone use dependency to the classification of excessive behaviors may be necessarily equivalent in seriousness to previously established addictions such as problematic computing or excessive gambling. The aim of the study explores into the behavior of excessive use of mobile phones as a pathological behavior. Two studies investigated criteria for problematic mobile phone usage by examining student (Study 1, N = 301) and nonstudent (Study 2, N = 362) responses to a set of adapted mobile phone addiction inventories. Study 1 investigated cell phone addiction inventories as constructs designed to measure problematic cell phone use. Additionally, Study 2 sought to predict age, depression, extraversion, emotional stability, impulse control, and self-esteem as independent variables that augment respondents' perceptions of problematic use. The results from Study 1 and Study 2 indicate that 10 to 25% of the participants tested exhibited problematic cell phone usage. Additionally, age, depression, extraversion, and low impulse control are the most suitable predictors for problematic use. The results of the two studies indicate that problematic mobile phone use does occur and ought to be taken seriously by the psychological community. Presently, there is limited data providing conclusive evidence for a comprehensible categorization of cell phone addiction, as well as a unified explanatory model specific to problematic mobile phone use. Studies such as this one may contribute substantial findings, adding scientific significance, and offering a valuable submission for the ongoing progress of creating intervention frameworks relative to "virtual addictions".

Revisiting the crisis in Freud's libido theory and Abraham's concept of the oral-sadistic phase as a way out of it.

PubMed

Dahl, Gerhard

2016-10-01

The now available unabridged correspondence between Freud and Abraham leads to a re-evaluation of the significance of Abraham's work. The author proposes the thesis that clinical observations by Karl Abraham of the ambivalence of object relations and the destructive-sadistic aspects of orality have an important influence on the advancement of psychoanalytical theory. The phantasy problem of the Wolf Man and the question of the pathogenic relevance of early actual, or merely imagined traumata led Freud to doubt the validity of his theory. He attempted repeatedly to solve this problem using libido theory, but failed because of his problematic conception of oral erotics. The pathogenic effect of presymbolic traumatizations cannot be demonstrated scientifically because of the still underdeveloped brain in the early stage of the child's development. Consequently, the important empirical evidence of a scientific neurosis theory could not be provided. A revision of the theory of the instincts thus became necessary. With Abraham's clinical contributions and other pathologic evidence, Freud was, with some reservation, forced to modify his idea of oral erotics by ascribing to it a status of a merely constructed and fictive phase of oral organization. A solution was eventually facilitated via recognition of non-erotic aggression and destruction, thereby opening libido theory to fundamental revisions. Driven by the desire to develop a scientific theory, Freud initially had, in his first theory of the instincts, assumed a strongly causal-deterministic view on Psychic Function. His third revision of theory of the instincts, Beyond the Pleasure Principle including the death instinct hypothesis, considered the hermeneutic aspect of psychoanalytic theory, which had previously existed only implicitly in his theory. Further development of the death instinct hypothesis by Melanie Klein and her successors abandoned quantitative-economic and causal-deterministic principles, and instead focused on the practical utility of the psychoanalytic theory. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Problematic Internet use, well-being, self-esteem and self-control: Data from a high-school survey in China.

PubMed

Mei, Songli; Yau, Yvonne H C; Chai, Jingxin; Guo, Jinhua; Potenza, Marc N

2016-10-01

Given the prevalence of Internet use among youth, there is concern that a subset of Internet-using youth may exhibit problematic or addictive patterns of Internet use. The present study examines the association between problematic Internet use (PIU), demographic variables, and health-related measures among Chinese adolescents. Survey data from 1552 adolescents (male=653, mean age=15.43years) from Jilin Province, China, were collected. According to the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction (YDQ), 77.8% (n=1207), 16.8% (n=260), and 5.5% (n=85) showed adaptive, maladaptive, and problematic Internet use, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and family income per month differed between youth showing problematic and adaptive patterns of Internet use. Well-being, self-esteem, and self-control were related to severity of problematic Internet use, with greater severity typically associated with poorer measures in each domain. The findings that severity of problematic Internet use is associated with specific socio-demographic features and temperamental and well-being measures suggest that specific groups of youth may be particularly vulnerable to developing problematic Internet use. Early prevention/intervention programs targeting at-risk groups may help improve public health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use: The role of attachment and depression.

PubMed

Worsley, Joanne D; McIntyre, Jason C; Bentall, Richard P; Corcoran, Rhiannon

2018-05-25

Childhood maltreatment is associated with many maladaptive outcomes. This study sought to examine the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use using a cross-sectional sample of young adults aged 17-25 years (n = 1029). Specifically, we studied whether the relationship is mediated through (i) attachment anxiety, (ii) attachment avoidance, or (iii) both attachment dimensions operating in series with depressive symptoms. Results revealed that a history of childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with more problematic social media use. Both anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions independently mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic use of social media, but in opposing directions. Avoidant attachment was associated with less problematic social media use, whilst anxious attachment was associated with more problematic social media use. Avoidant attachment and depressive symptoms in series accounted for part of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. Anxious attachment and depressive symptoms in series fully mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic social media use. The results suggest that childhood maltreatment may influence social media use directly, but also indirectly. People experiencing depressive symptoms may overuse social media in an attempt to alleviate their distress. However, causality cannot be established with the current design. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Follow-up study on the association between problematic cell phone use and cognitive function of college students in Chizhou City in 2014-2015].

PubMed

He, Qiong; Cheng, Hualing; Zhang, Shichen; Zhu, Peng

2017-09-01

To estimate the association between problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability in adolescent. In a stratified cluster sampling design, problematic cell phone use and reasoning ability were evaluated in 929 college students from three universities for twice in one year's follow-up investigation from June 2014 to May 2015. The cross-sectional analysis showed that the score of problematic cell phone use was significantly associated with the score of reasoning ability( the baseline β =-0. 101, 95% CI-0. 168--0. 034; the follow-up in one year's β =-0. 161, 95% CI-0. 255--0. 067). However, the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline was not associated with the score of reasoning ability in one year late. Interestingly, after controlling of multiple confounding factors and the score of problematic cell phone use on the baseline, the scores of reasoning ability in one year late decreased 0. 40 points( 95%CI-0. 60--0. 20), by the score of problematic cell phone use in one year lateincreased ten percent compared to that on the baseline. Higher problematic cell phone use is significantly associated with poorer reasoning ability in college students.

Self-control and problematic mobile phone use in Chinese college students: the mediating role of mobile phone use patterns.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhaocai; Zhao, Xiuxin

2016-11-22

With the popularity of mobile phones, problematic mobile phone use is getting increasing attention in recent years. Although self-control was found to be a critical predictor of problematic mobile phone use, no study has ever explored the association between self-control and mobile phone use patterns as well as the possible pathway how self-control affects problematic mobile phone use. Four hundred sixty-eight college students were randomly selected in this study. Data were collected using the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale, the Self-Control Scale, and the Mobile Phone Use Pattern Questionnaire. Statistical tests were conducted to identify the potential role of mobile phone use patterns in the association between self-control and problematic mobile phone use. In this sample, female students displayed significant higher mobile phone dependence than males. Self-control was negatively correlated with interpersonal, transaction and entertainment mobile phone use patterns, but positively correlated with information seeking use pattern. Self-control could predict problematic mobile phone use directly and indirectly via interpersonal and transaction patterns. Our research provided additional evidence for the negative association between self-control and problematic mobile phone use. Moreover, interpersonal and transaction use patterns played a mediating role in this link.

A formal anthropological view of motivation models of problematic MMO play: achievement, social, and immersion factors in the context of culture.

PubMed

Snodgrass, Jeffrey G; Dengah, H J Francois; Lacy, Michael G; Fagan, Jesse

2013-04-01

Yee (2006) found three motivational factors-achievement, social, and immersion-underlying play in massively multiplayer online role-playing games ("MMORPGs" or "MMOs" for short). Subsequent work has suggested that these factors foster problematic or addictive forms of play in online worlds. In the current study, we used an online survey of respondents (N = 252), constructed and also interpreted in reference to ethnography and interviews, to examine problematic play in the World of Warcraft (WoW; Blizzard Entertainment, 2004-2013). We relied on tools from psychological anthropology to reconceptualize each of Yee's three motivational factors in order to test for the possible role of culture in problematic MMO play: (a) For achievement, we examined how "cultural consonance" with normative understandings of success might structure problematic forms of play; (b) for social, we analyzed the possibility that developing overvalued virtual relationships that are cutoff from offline social interactions might further exacerbate problematic play; and (c) in relation to immersion, we examined how "dissociative" blurring of actual- and virtual-world identities and experiences might contribute to problematic patterns. Our results confirmed that compared to Yee's original motivational factors, these culturally sensitive measures better predict problematic forms of play, pointing to the important role of sociocultural factors in structuring online play.

Latent-level relations between DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use

PubMed Central

Contractor, Ateka A.; Frankfurt, Sheila B.; Weiss, Nicole H.; Elhai, Jon D.

2017-01-01

Common mental health consequences following the experience of potentially traumatic events include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and addictive behaviors. Problematic smartphone use is a newer manifestation of addictive behaviors. People with anxiety severity (such as PTSD) may be at risk for problematic smartphone use as a means of coping with their symptoms. Unique to our knowledge, we assessed relations between PTSD symptom clusters and problematic smartphone use. Participants (N = 347), recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), completed measures of PTSD and smartphone addiction. Results of the Wald tests of parameter constraints indicated that problematic smartphone use was more related to PTSD’s negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM) than to PTSD’s avoidance factor, Wald χ2(1, N = 347) = 12.51, p = 0.0004; and more to PTSD’s arousal compared to PTSD’s avoidance factor, Wald χ2(1, N = 347) = 14.89, p = 0.0001. Results indicate that problematic smartphone use is most associated with negative affect and arousal among trauma-exposed individuals. Implications include the need to clinically assess problematic smartphone use among trauma-exposed individuals presenting with higher NACM and arousal severity; and targeting NACM and arousal symptoms to mitigate the effects of problematic smartphone use. PMID:28993716

Towards the Integration of Niche and Network Theories.

PubMed

Godoy, Oscar; Bartomeus, Ignasi; Rohr, Rudolf P; Saavedra, Serguei

2018-04-01

The quest for understanding how species interactions modulate diversity has progressed by theoretical and empirical advances following niche and network theories. Yet, niche studies have been limited to describe coexistence within tropic levels despite incorporating information about multi-trophic interactions. Network approaches could address this limitation, but they have ignored the structure of species interactions within trophic levels. Here we call for the integration of niche and network theories to reach new frontiers of knowledge exploring how interactions within and across trophic levels promote species coexistence. This integration is possible due to the strong parallelisms in the historical development, ecological concepts, and associated mathematical tools of both theories. We provide a guideline to integrate this framework with observational and experimental studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addictive personality and problematic mobile phone use.

PubMed

Takao, Motoharu; Takahashi, Susumu; Kitamura, Masayoshi

2009-10-01

Mobile phone use is banned or regulated in some circumstances. Despite recognized safety concerns and legal regulations, some people do not refrain from using mobile phones. Such problematic mobile phone use can be considered to be an addiction-like behavior. To find the potential predictors, we examined the correlation between problematic mobile phone use and personality traits reported in addiction literature, which indicated that problematic mobile phone use was a function of gender, self-monitoring, and approval motivation but not of loneliness. These findings suggest that the measurements of these addictive personality traits would be helpful in the screening and intervention of potential problematic users of mobile phones.

The Integrated Multi-Level Bilingual Teaching of "Social Research Methods"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Yanhan; Ye, Jian

2012-01-01

"Social Research Methods," as a methodology course, combines theories and practices closely. Based on the synergy theory, this paper tries to establish an integrated multi-level bilingual teaching mode. Starting from the transformation of teaching concepts, we should integrate interactions, experiences, and researches together and focus…

What Brain Sciences Reveal about Integrating Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Michael Quinn

2014-01-01

Theory and practice are integrated in the human brain. Situation recognition and response are key to this integration. Scholars of decision making and expertise have found that people with great expertise are more adept at situational recognition and intentional about their decision-making processes. Several interdisciplinary fields of inquiry…

Connecting Art, Learning, and Creativity: A Case for Curriculum Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Julia

2005-01-01

The author argues that "substantive" art integration harmonizes with contemporary postmodern thought in art education and represents a strategy for teaching art in a postmodern way. Bringing together theories from cognitive science and metaphor theory (specifically connection and projection), the author shows how substantive integration promotes…

The negotiation of meaning and exercise of power in professional learning communities: An investigation of middle school science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mclaughlin, Cheryl Althea

A professional learning community (PLC) typically consists of practitioners who systematically examine and problematize their practice with the intention of development and improvement. The collaborative practices inherent in PLCs mirror the way scientists work together to develop new theories, and are particularly valuable for science teachers who could draw from these experiences to improve the quality of student learning. Gaps in the science education literature support the need for research to determine how interactions within PLCs support science teacher development. Additionally, issues of power that may constrain or encourage meaningful interactions are largely overlooked in PLC studies. This qualitative study examines, from a Foucauldian perspective, interactions within a PLC comprising middle school science teachers preparing to implement reform curriculum. Specifically, the study analyzes interactions within the PLC to determine opportunities created for professional learning and development. Audiotaped transcripts of teacher interactions were analyzed using discourse analysis building tasks designed to identify opportunities for learning and to examine the exercise of power within the PLCs. The discourse analytical tools integrated theories of Gee (2011) and Foucault (1972), and were used to deconstruct and interrogate the data. The events were subsequently reconstructed through the lens of social constructivism and Foucault theories on power. The findings identified several processes emerging from the interactions that contributed to the negotiation of an understanding of the reform curriculum. These include reflection on practice, reorganization of cognitive structures, reinvention of practice, and refinement of instructional strategies. The findings also indicated that the exercise of power by entities both external to, and within the PLCs influenced the process of meaning negotiation among the science teachers. The consensus achieved by the teachers reflected knowledge constructed by science education discourses external to the PLC, which regulated understandings emerging from the interactions. Additionally, some teachers, through their actions, exercised power in ways that hindered rather than enhanced constructive dialogue in PLCs. The exercise of power by external institutions was nevertheless necessary to set the stage for the series of actions, the outcome of which facilitated constructive dialogue among science teachers who were implementing the reform curriculum.

A clinical-empirical model of personality: life after the Mischelian ice age and the NEO-lithic era.

PubMed

Westen, D

1995-09-01

A theory of personality should lead to both accurate prediction and interpretive understanding. Aside from its empirical uses, a personality theory should provide a grammar that allows personality psychologists to infer meaning from overt behavior with more sophistication than a layperson, and the best laboratory for testing the interpretive utility of a personality theory remains the clinic. With respect to the appropriate data for constructing and evaluating theories of personality, an overreliance on questionnaire data is problematic for several reasons: It assumes that understanding people requires no training, it mistakes research on the conscious self-concept for research on personality, it conflates implicit and explicit knowledge, it fails to address defensive biases, and it lacks interrater reliability. Consideration of both empirical and clinical data points to three questions that define the elements of personality necessary for a comprehensive assessment of an individual: (a) What psychological resources--cognitive, affective, and behavioral dispositions--does the individual have at his or her disposal? (b) What does the person wish for, fear, and value, and how do these motives combine and conflict? (c) How does the person experience the self and others, and to what extent can the individual enter into intimate relationships?

Realism on the rocks: Novel success and James Hutton's theory of the earth.

PubMed

Rossetter, Thomas

2018-02-01

In this paper, I introduce a new historical case study into the scientific realism debate. During the late-eighteenth century, the Scottish natural philosopher James Hutton made two important successful novel predictions. The first concerned granitic veins intruding from granite masses into strata. The second concerned what geologists now term "angular unconformities": older sections of strata overlain by younger sections, the two resting at different angles, the former typically more inclined than the latter. These predictions, I argue, are potentially problematic for selective scientific realism in that constituents of Hutton's theory that would not be considered even approximately true today played various roles in generating them. The aim here is not to provide a full philosophical analysis but to introduce the case into the debate by detailing the history and showing why, at least prima facie, it presents a problem for selective realism. First, I explicate Hutton's theory. I then give an account of Hutton's predictions and their confirmations. Next, I explain why these predictions are relevant to the realism debate. Finally, I consider which constituents of Hutton's theory are, according to current beliefs, true (or approximately true), which are not (even approximately) true, and which were responsible for these successes. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Hilbert space structure in quantum gravity: an algebraic perspective

DOE PAGES

Giddings, Steven B.

2015-12-16

If quantum gravity respects the principles of quantum mechanics, suitably generalized, it may be that a more viable approach to the theory is through identifying the relevant quantum structures rather than by quantizing classical spacetime. Here, this viewpoint is supported by difficulties of such quantization, and by the apparent lack of a fundamental role for locality. In finite or discrete quantum systems, important structure is provided by tensor factorizations of the Hilbert space. However, even in local quantum field theory properties of the generic type III von Neumann algebras and of long range gauge fields indicate that factorization of themore » Hilbert space is problematic. Instead it is better to focus on the structure of the algebra of observables, and in particular on its subalgebras corresponding to regions. This paper suggests that study of analogous algebraic structure in gravity gives an important perspective on the nature of the quantum theory. Significant departures from the subalgebra structure of local quantum field theory are found, working in the correspondence limit of long-distances/low-energies. Particularly, there are obstacles to identifying commuting algebras of localized operators. In addition to suggesting important properties of the algebraic structure, this and related observations pose challenges to proposals of a fundamental role for entanglement.« less

On the local structure of spacetime in ghost-free bimetric theory and massive gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, S. F.; Kocic, Mikica

2018-05-01

The ghost-free bimetric theory describes interactions of gravity with another spin-2 field in terms of two Lorentzian metrics. However, if the two metrics do not admit compatible notions of space and time, the formulation of the initial value problem becomes problematic. Furthermore, the interaction potential is given in terms of the square root of a matrix which is in general nonunique and possibly nonreal. In this paper we show that both these issues are evaded by requiring reality and general covariance of the equations. First we prove that the reality of the square root matrix leads to a classification of the allowed metrics in terms of the intersections of their null cones. Then, the requirement of general covariance further restricts the allowed metrics to geometries that admit compatible notions of space and time. It also selects a unique definition of the square root matrix. The restrictions are compatible with the equations of motion. These results ensure that the ghost-free bimetric theory can be defined unambiguously and that the two metrics always admit compatible 3+1 decompositions, at least locally. In particular, these considerations rule out certain solutions of massive gravity with locally Closed Causal Curves, which have been used to argue that the theory is acausal.

Hilbert space structure in quantum gravity: an algebraic perspective

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

Giddings, Steven B.

If quantum gravity respects the principles of quantum mechanics, suitably generalized, it may be that a more viable approach to the theory is through identifying the relevant quantum structures rather than by quantizing classical spacetime. Here, this viewpoint is supported by difficulties of such quantization, and by the apparent lack of a fundamental role for locality. In finite or discrete quantum systems, important structure is provided by tensor factorizations of the Hilbert space. However, even in local quantum field theory properties of the generic type III von Neumann algebras and of long range gauge fields indicate that factorization of themore » Hilbert space is problematic. Instead it is better to focus on the structure of the algebra of observables, and in particular on its subalgebras corresponding to regions. This paper suggests that study of analogous algebraic structure in gravity gives an important perspective on the nature of the quantum theory. Significant departures from the subalgebra structure of local quantum field theory are found, working in the correspondence limit of long-distances/low-energies. Particularly, there are obstacles to identifying commuting algebras of localized operators. In addition to suggesting important properties of the algebraic structure, this and related observations pose challenges to proposals of a fundamental role for entanglement.« less

[The model of the big five personality factors and problematic Internet use in Colombian youth].

PubMed

Puerta-Cortés, Diana Ximena; Carbonell, Xavier

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to relate the basic dimensions of personality formulated by the model of the big five factors with problematic Internet use in a sample of 411 Colombian youngsters, 18-28 years of age, attending three private universities. Online survey questionnaires were administered for: socio-demographics and Internet usage habits, the Big Five Inventory (John, Donahue and Kentle, 1991), to assess personality, and the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998), to determine the degree of use of the Internet (controlled, problematic or addictive). The results revealed that 9.7% of the sample has a problematic Internet use. Among them, the majority were male (x2= 12.93, p= 0.01) and performing communication and leisure activities. The problematic use correlates positively with neuroticism and negatively with friendliness and responsibility. On the other hand, is not related to extraversion and openness to experience. Being female and the responsibility dimension are protective factors from problematic use, while neuroticism predicts it. In conclusion, the study data provides empirical evidence of the relationship between personality and problematic Internet use.

Psychohistory before Hitler: early military analyses of German national psychology.

PubMed

Bendersky, J W

1988-04-01

As part of a grandiose post-World War I psychological project to predict the behavior of nations, the U.S. Military Intelligence Division (MID) utilized racial and social psychological theories to explain an alleged problematic German national character. Though unsuccessful, this project has major significance in the history of psychohistory. For the newly discovered MID files reveal that ideas, attitudes, and biases many psychohistorians subsequently identified as manifestations of a peculiar German national character had previously been held by American officers and reputable psychologists. What American analysts would, in 1940, view as symptoms of a maladjusted German mind, their predecessors had, in 1920, considered valid scientific concepts.

Using evaluation theory in priority setting and resource allocation.

PubMed

Smith, Neale; Mitton, Craig; Cornelissen, Evelyn; Gibson, Jennifer; Peacock, Stuart

2012-01-01

Public sector interest in methods for priority setting and program or policy evaluation has grown considerably over the last several decades, given increased expectations for accountable and efficient use of resources and emphasis on evidence-based decision making as a component of good management practice. While there has been some occasional effort to conduct evaluation of priority setting projects, the literatures around priority setting and evaluation have largely evolved separately. In this paper, the aim is to bring them together. The contention is that evaluation theory is a means by which evaluators reflect upon what it is they are doing when they do evaluation work. Theories help to organize thinking, sort out relevant from irrelevant information, provide transparent grounds for particular implementation choices, and can help resolve problematic issues which may arise in the conduct of an evaluation project. A detailed review of three major branches of evaluation theory--methods, utilization, and valuing--identifies how such theories can guide the development of efforts to evaluate priority setting and resource allocation initiatives. Evaluation theories differ in terms of their guiding question, anticipated setting or context, evaluation foci, perspective from which benefits are calculated, and typical methods endorsed. Choosing a particular theoretical approach will structure the way in which any priority setting process is evaluated. The paper suggests that explicitly considering evaluation theory makes key aspects of the evaluation process more visible to all stakeholders, and can assist in the design of effective evaluation of priority setting processes; this should iteratively serve to improve the understanding of priority setting practices themselves.

Social Integration in Employment Settings: Application of Intergroup Contact Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Jeanne A.; Rogan, Patricia M.

2010-01-01

This study used a survey of 106 employment specialists to test the ability of intergroup contact theory to explain social integration outcomes of employees with disabilities. Contact theory suggests that coworkers are more accepting of employees with disabilities if they have sufficient opportunities to interact with them, equal status and…

Integrable open spin chains from flavored ABJM theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Nan; Chen, Hui-Huang; He, Song; Wu, Jun-Bao; Yang, Wen-Li; Zhu, Meng-Qi

2017-08-01

We compute the two-loop anomalous dimension matrix in the scalar sector of planar N=3 flavored ABJM theory. Using coordinate Bethe ansatz, we obtain the reflection matrices and confirm that the boundary Yang-Baxter equations are satisfied. This establishes the integrability of this theory in the scalar sector at the two-loop order.

Age Integrated Learning: A Theoretical Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heckenmueller, Jerome P.; Keller, Ann

The concept of age integrated learning (AIL) can be derived from Erikson's theory of psychosocial development. Two emphases in his theory that are less well recognized than others are central to Erikson's theory and are the cornerstone of a rationale for AIL. The first is his emphasis on the interdependence of generations for optimal crisis…

Systemic therapy and attachment narratives: Attachment Narrative Therapy.

PubMed

Dallos, Rudi; Vetere, Arlene

2014-10-01

This article outlines an integration of attachment theory with narrative theory and systemic theory and practice: Attachment Narrative Therapy (ANT). This integration offers a more powerful explanatory formulation of the development and maintenance of human distress in relationships, families and communities, and gives direction to psychotherapeutic intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

An Integrative Approach: Relational Cultural Theory and Cognitive Behavior Therapy in College Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crumb, Loni; Haskins, Natoya

2017-01-01

This article presents an integrative framework for using cognitive behavior therapy through the lens of relational cultural theory. The authors provide an overview of cognitive behavior therapy and relational cultural theory, followed by suggestions on how to facilitate cognitive behavior therapy using the principles of relational cultural theory…

Application of the strongly coupled-mode theory to integrated optical devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, Shun-Lien

1987-01-01

A theory for strongly coupled waveguides is discussed and applied to two- and three-waveguide couplers and optical wavelength filters. This theory makes use of an exact analytical relation governing the coupling coefficients and the overlap integrals. It removes almost all of the constraints imposed by a simpler and approximate coupled-mode theory by Marcatili (1986). It also satisfies the energy conservation and the reciprocity theorem self-consistently. Very good numerical results with the overlap integral as large as 49 percent are shown. The applications to electrooptical modulators, power dividers, power transfer devices, and optical filters are all presented with numerical results.

Societal integration and age-standardized suicide rates in 21 developed countries, 1955-1989.

PubMed

Fernquist, R M; Cutright, P

1998-01-01

Gender-specific age-standardized suicide rates for 21 developed countries over seven 5-year periods (1955-59...1985-89) form the two dependent variables. Durkheim's theory of societal integration is the framework used to generate the independent variables, although several recent theories are also examined. The results from a MGLS multiple regression analysis of both male and female rates provide overwhelming support for a multidimensional theory of societal integration and suicide, as first suggested by Durkheim.

Voluntary Informed Consent in Paediatric Oncology Research.

PubMed

Dekking, Sara A S; Van Der Graaf, Rieke; Van Delden, Johannes J M

2016-07-01

In paediatric oncology, research and treatments are often closely combined, which may compromise voluntary informed consent of parents. We identified two key scenarios in which voluntary informed consent for paediatric oncology studies is potentially compromised due to the intertwinement of research and care. The first scenario is inclusion by the treating paediatric oncologist, the second scenario concerns treatments confined to the research context. In this article we examine whether voluntary informed consent of parents for research is compromised in these two scenarios, and if so whether this is also morally problematic. For this, we employ the account of voluntary consent from Nelson and colleagues, who assert that voluntary consent requires substantial freedom from controlling influences. We argue that, in the absence of persuasion or manipulation, inclusion by the treating physician does not compromise voluntariness. However, it may function as a risk factor for controlling influence as it narrows the scope within which parents make decisions. Furthermore, physician appeal to reciprocity is not controlling as it constitutes persuasion. In addition, framing information is a form of informational manipulation and constitutes a controlling influence. In the second scenario, treatments confined to the research context qualify as controlling if the available options are restricted through manipulation of options. Although none of the influences is morally problematic in itself, a combination of influences may create morally problematic instances of involuntary informed consent. Therefore, safeguards should be implemented to establish an optimal environment for parents to provide voluntary informed consent in an integrated research-care context. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability.

PubMed

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; VanDerNagel, Joanne El; Korzilius, Hubert Plm; Engels, Rutger Cme

2018-03-01

We examined cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers with and without mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID). Problematic drinkers were expected to show a significantly lower estimated performance IQ (PIQ), but not a lower estimated verbal IQ (VIQ), compared to light drinkers. Participants ( N = 474) were divided into four groups based on IQ and severity of alcohol use-related problems. IQ was estimated using (a short form of) the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale third edition. Severity of alcohol use-related problems was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Overall, there were no significant differences between light and problematic drinkers on estimated VIQ. Within the group without MBID, estimated PIQ was significantly lower. Estimated PIQ was not lower in problematic drinkers with MBID compared to light drinkers with MBID. The results are indicative of cognitive deficits in problematic drinkers without MBID. Screening for cognitive deficits with additional instruments is advised.

The complete Brans–Dicke theories

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

Kofinas, Georgios, E-mail: gkofinas@aegean.gr

Given that the simple wave equation of Brans–Dicke theory for the scalar field is preserved, we have investigated, through exhaustively analyzing the Bianchi identities, the consistent theories which violate the exact energy conservation equation. It is found that only three theories exist which are unambiguously determined from consistency, without imposing arbitrary functions by hand. Each of these theories possesses a specific interaction term which controls the energy exchange between the scalar field and ordinary matter. The theories contain new parameters (integration constants from the integration procedure) and when these are switched-off, Brans–Dicke theory emerges. As usually, the vacuum theories canmore » be defined from the complete Brans–Dicke theories when the matter energy–momentum tensor vanishes.« less

Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis.

PubMed

Parrott, Dominic J; Swartout, Kevin M; Eckhardt, Christopher I; Subramani, Olivia S

2017-01-01

Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total n = 1164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the USA. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an actor-partner interdependence framework. The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger towards partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioural regulation. Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration. [Parrott DJ, Swartout KM, Eckhardt CI, Subramani OS. Deconstructing the associations between executive functioning, problematic alcohol use and intimate partner aggression: A dyadic analysis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:88-96]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Intense video gaming is not essentially problematic.

PubMed

Király, Orsolya; Tóth, Dénes; Urbán, Róbert; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Maraz, Aniko

2017-11-01

Video games are more popular than ever and the general public, including parents, educators, and the media, tends to consider intense video gaming fundamentally problematic. To test this hypothesis, participants were recruited via gaming-related websites resulting in a sample of N = 5,222 online video gamers (mean age: 22.2 years, SD = 6.4). Besides assessing gaming time, we administered the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire. Two structural regression models were estimated with both gaming time and problematic gaming as outcome variables. Predictors were psychiatric symptoms in the first, and gaming motives in the second model. Both models yielded adequate fit indices. Psychiatric symptoms had a moderate positive effect on problematic use (β = .46, p < .001) whereas their effect on gaming time was practically zero (β = -.01, p = .84). In the second model, Escape was the most prominent motive and was moderately to-strongly associated (β = .58, p < .001) with problematic use. However, the association between Escape and gaming time was substantially weaker (β = .21, p < .001). The correlation between gaming time and problematic use was weak-to-moderate in both models (r = .26, p < .001 and r = .21, p < .001, respectively). Data suggest that gaming time is weakly associated with negative psychological factors such as psychiatric symptoms and Escape motive, which were found to be consistently related to problematic use. Therefore, the amount of gaming time alone appears to be an unreliable predictor of problematic use, which questions the aforementioned idea that intense gaming is essentially problematic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Tumors of the Testis: Morphologic Features and Molecular Alterations.

PubMed

Howitt, Brooke E; Berney, Daniel M

2015-12-01

This article reviews the most frequently encountered tumor of the testis; pure and mixed malignant testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT), with emphasis on adult (postpubertal) TGCTs and their differential diagnoses. We additionally review TGCT in the postchemotherapy setting, and findings to be integrated into the surgical pathology report, including staging of testicular tumors and other problematic issues. The clinical features, gross pathologic findings, key histologic features, common differential diagnoses, the use of immunohistochemistry, and molecular alterations in TGCTs are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Emerging Integrated Middle-Range Theory on Asian Women's Leadership in Nursing.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok; Broome, Marion E; Inouye, Jillian; Kunaviktikul, Wipada; Oh, Eui Geum; Sakashita, Reiko; Yi, Myungsun; Huang, Lian-Hua; Tsai, Hsiu-Min; Wang, Hsiu-Hung

2018-02-01

Asian cultures reflect patriarchal cultural values and attitudes, which likely have influenced women leaders in their countries differently from women in Western cultures. However, virtually no leadership theories have been developed to reflect the experiences and development of nursing leaders from Asian cultures. The purpose of this article is to present an emerging integrated middle-range theory on Asian women's leadership in nursing. Using an integrative approach, the theory was developed based on three major sources: the leadership frames of Bolman and Deal, literature reviews, and exemplars/cases from five different countries. The theory includes two main domains (leadership frames and leadership contexts). The domain of leadership frames includes human resources/networks, structure/organization, national/international politics, and symbols. The domain of leadership contexts includes cultural contexts, sociopolitical contexts, and gendered contexts. This theory will help understand nursing leadership in Asian cultures and provide directions for future nurse leaders in this ever-changing globalized world.

Magnetic expansion of Nekrasov theory: The SU(2) pure gauge theory

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

He Wei; Miao Yangang

It is recently claimed by Nekrasov and Shatashvili that the N=2 gauge theories in the {Omega} background with {epsilon}{sub 1}=({h_bar}/2{pi}), {epsilon}{sub 2}=0 are related to the quantization of certain algebraic integrable systems. We study the special case of SU(2) pure gauge theory; the corresponding integrable model is the A{sub 1} Toda model, which reduces to the sine-Gordon quantum mechanics problem. The quantum effects can be expressed as the WKB series written analytically in terms of hypergeometric functions. We obtain the magnetic and dyonic expansions of the Nekrasov theory by studying the property of hypergeometric functions in the magnetic and dyonicmore » regions on the moduli space. We also discuss the relation between the electric-magnetic duality of gauge theory and the action-action duality of the integrable system.« less

Properties of the two-dimensional heterogeneous Lennard-Jones dimers: An integral equation study

PubMed Central

Urbic, Tomaz

2016-01-01

Structural and thermodynamic properties of a planar heterogeneous soft dumbbell fluid are examined using Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory. Lennard-Jones particles of different sizes are the building blocks of the dimers. The site-site integral equation theory in two dimensions is used to calculate the site-site radial distribution functions and the thermodynamic properties. Obtained results are compared to Monte Carlo simulation data. The critical parameters for selected types of dimers were also estimated and the influence of the Lennard-Jones parameters was studied. We have also tested the correctness of the site-site integral equation theory using different closures. PMID:27875894

Integration: Dirty Word or Golden Key?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerry, Trevor

2007-01-01

This article examines the notion of integrated studies as a way of organising curriculum in schools. Drawing on the insights of educational philosophy, curriculum theory and learning theory it establishes the soundness of a theoretical case for integration. It examines what this view means for the art and science of teaching, and notes examples of…

Feature Integration Theory Revisited: Dissociating Feature Detection and Attentional Guidance in Visual Search

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Louis K. H.; Hayward, William G.

2009-01-01

In feature integration theory (FIT; A. Treisman & S. Sato, 1990), feature detection is driven by independent dimensional modules, and other searches are driven by a master map of locations that integrates dimensional information into salience signals. Although recent theoretical models have largely abandoned this distinction, some observed…